Unknown person Southampton Please can anyone help with this

[suecrilly]

Please can anyone help identify this uniform, regiment or any other information - many thanks
Sue

[genechaser]

Hi

To me it looks like the Royal Hampshire Regt.

Take a look at this site.

http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/royal-hampshire-regiment.

[macintosh]

Did "Royal" regiments have blue collar and cuffs? perhaps Hampshire Regiment.

James

[km1971]

Hi Sue

A part-timer - either Militia or Volunteer Battalion. You would need to see the shoulder titles to know which. Jam pot cuffs are pre-1900 which fits with the Queen Victoria Crown. The rifle is bolt action so almost certainly a Lee Metford. I cannot see them getting the slightly later Lee Enfield. So 1890s, maybe late 1890s.

The star is for five years service. One stripe for a Lance Corporal.

The 3rd (Militia) Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment were based in Winchester. But as the only Hampshire Militia battalion men from anywhere in Hampshire would be based there. Of the VBs the 2nd VB were based in Southampton. So this could be the unit here. 1st VB were in Winchester; 3rd VB in Portsmouth; 4th VB Bournemouth and 5th VB were in Newport, IOW. So 2nd VB favourite.

Did not become Royal until 1946. They had white facings in this period.

Ken

[suecrilly]

Wow - thank you everyone for your help

[km1971]

Hi Sue

VB records were not kept. But he may have volunteered for South Africa in 1899. VBs formed Volunteer companies in the Regular battalions and were given new numbers. His record may be on Findmypast, and should refer to his earlier VB service. In the medal rolls (on Ancestry) Volunteer companies were often reported separately. Unfortunately they only give initials, not full forenames.

Militia records have a good survival rate on Findmypast.

If you have the original you should try and do a high res scan of the belt, collar and helmet.

Ken

[suecrilly]

Thank you Ken - will get my friend to do as he belongs to her

many thanks for your time
sue x

[Regorian]

A magnificent photograph.

http://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/Oddities-GirlinHampshireRegimentVolunteerUniform.html.

A female to male crossdresser in the uniform of the 4th Volunteer battalion c1890. Note different helmet plate.

[km1971]

This link shows that the Volunteer Battalions had different helmet plates - http://1rhamps.com/militia_ta/Volunteer.html

Unfortunately it does not show the 2nd VB. Her shoulder badge shows how important they are when trying to identify part-timers. It will say: 4 over V over HANTS.