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Hi Patrick, Great to hear there's another collector nearby! I've got a feeling we've perhaps met before? I'll certainly look through your previous posts. Jamie

Hi Patrick - These are excellent examples!

Pictured below is my example of the Fife Light Horse helmet worn from 1896 to 1901. The helmet plate resembled that of the Fife Mounted Rifles with some minor variations. It comprised a silvered / white metal four pointed hobnailed star with the topmost point being displaced by the small...

In March 1860, in the smoking room of Dysart House in Fife (the county area on the other side of the Forth from Edinburgh, commonly known for historic reasons as 'The Kingdom of Fife'), a number of gentlemen proposed to raise a regiment of volunteer cavalry. They were apparantly inspired by a...

Hello to all, I am from Edinburgh in Scotland and my main interest is in the history of the various Scottish military units and police forces. I have a particular interest in the Scottish Volunteer movement (especially those units connected with the Royal Scots) from the period 1859 to 1914...

The 1st Administrative Battalion Haddingtonshire Rifle Volunteers was formed on 19th August 1860 in Haddington (a town in East Lothian outside of Edinburgh) which included 7 corps spread between Haddington and the surrounding towns. The county raised a general subscription to provide for the...

Hi, No, there are no extra holes - the helmet is complete, the plate fits tightly and certainly appears original. The Volunteer's were different to the Regular Army or Militia - the officers, although drawn from the professional classes, were not always wealthy. The home service pattern helmet...

Hi David, It's fully an officers pattern shell with the correct leather and silk liner - you're correct it's an officers pattern spike but it's in white metal matched with the OR's quality cross base. A possible option is that officers quality helmet plates perhaps weren't yet available for the...

Thanks David - your Aberdeen Artillery officers helmet is another fine piece! The 1st Administrative Brigade Aberdeen Artillery Volunteers was initially formed in October 1860 to pull together circa 6 batteries which had formed a few months earlier throughout Aberdeen and the surrounding towns...

The location of the original drill hall for the 1st Midlothian Rifle Volunteers is unclear - they probably met at the most suitable location they could find as no purpose built accomodation would have been available. However, in 1877 a headquarters and drill hall had been built in Steads Place...

Following the death of Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901, her son Edward VII became King. Accordingly, this required a change in the crown design on the helmet plates etc from a queens to a kings pattern. Pictured is an example from my collection of a kings crown helmet for an officer in the 5th...

The Other Ranks (OR's) helmet was of a plainer style with the fittings in white metal rather than silvered as this example below:

In 1884, the establishment of the 1st Midlthian Rifle Volunteer Corps was reduced to 10 companies and on 1st April 1888 it assumed its new designation as the 5th Volunteer Battalion Royal Scots. Accordingly in 1890 the uniform of the Royal Scots was adopted along with the blue cloth covered home...

On 6th August 1859, 153 gentlemen from Leith (then a seperate town on the coast adjacent to Edinburgh) offered to form two rifle companies which were to pay all their own expenses and provide their own arms. This was quickly followed by the further offer of two companies of Leith artisans who...

The Royal Scots are my local infantry unit which recruited (mainly) from Edinburgh and the Lothians. The history of the regular battalions is well known, from their formation in 1633 by Sir John Hepburn under a Royal Warrant granted by King Charles I through to the formation of the Royal...

Hi David, I saw your 4th VB helmet on your other thread - its another fine item and very rare. You summarise the battalions history there but you might be interested to know that the 3rd City of Edinburgh Rifle Volunteer Corps were initially raised in 1867 as a corp of total abstainers...

The officers 2nd Midlothian & Peebles RV's helmet is an outstanding example and is extremely rare. The battalion was consolidated in 1880 (from a number of smaller units which dated from 1860 / 1861) with its headquarters in Penicuik and eleven companies spread over the Midlothian and Peebles...