Antique swords for sale
by
Harvey J S Withers
ONLY AVAILABLE FROM www.militariahub.com
With over 300 full colour illustrations and photographs
Glossy softback booklet
Book length is 64 pages
Number 2 in a series on British Military Swords
PRICE: £17.95
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOKLET PLEASE CLICK HERE
BOOK INCLUDES:
Historical Background
Examples of the Pattern
Sword Makers
Maker Marks
Collecting the Pattern
Care and Preservation of Antique Swords
SEE THE SAMPLE IMAGES BELOW:
by
Harvey J S Withers
ONLY AVAILABLE FROM www.militariahub.com
With over 250 full colour illustrations and photographs
Glossy softback booklet
Book length is 63 pages
Number 3 in a series on British Military Swords
PRICE: £17.95
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOKLET PLEASE CLICK HERE
BOOK INCLUDES:
Historical Background
Examples of the Pattern
Sword Makers
Maker Marks
Collecting the Pattern
Care and Preservation of Antique Swords
SEE THE SAMPLE IMAGES BELOW:
by
Harvey J S Withers
ONLY AVAILABLE FROM www.militariahub.com
With over 300 full colour illustrations and photographs
Glossy softback booklet
Book length is 64 pages
Number 1 in a series on British Military Swords
PRICE: £17.95
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOKLET PLEASE CLICK HERE
BOOK INCLUDES:
Historical Background
Examples of the Pattern
Sword Makers
Maker Marks
Collecting the Pattern
Care and Preservation of Antique Swords
SEE THE SAMPLE IMAGES BELOW:
Do you collect antique military swords and edged weapons? Are you interested in acquiring the best quality infantry, cavalry and naval swords?
If so, then please take the time to look through my constantly changing stock of antique British swords HERE, including infantry officers’ swords, British cavalry officers’ swords and British naval officers’ swords. I also specialise in European antique military swords including French Napoleonic infantry, cavalry and naval swords. German antique military swords are a speciality of mine and I particuarly like to acquire Imperial German infantry, artillery, cavalry and naval swords. I have found that German swords from the period 1850-1914 are especially fine and range from German lionshead infantry and artillery officers’ swords to the wide range of enlisted mens’ swords and hangers.
NOTE: All the images of swords shown here are examples of swords sold by myself over the last few years and are indicative of the quality and variety that I sell.
One of my personal favourites is the 17th and 18th Century Hanger. The sheer variety of these swords is quite remarkable and a lifetime’s worth of collecting can be devoted just to this area – the hunting sword is one of the most recognised forms of the hanger and you can find them in a myriad of forms. Below are a few typical styles encountered by the collector and also sold by myself.
A very exclusive area of antique sword collecting is the rapier. By the very nature of it being a sword type most popular in the 16-17th Centuries, original examples are not easy to find and prices tend to be quite. Saying that, it is one of the most attractive of antique swords and the sheer beauty of some examples can take one’s beath away. The rapier was probably at its zenith in the early 1600’s and it is during this period that we encounter a large variety of complex hilts and extremely long blades. Most rapiers were designed primarily for duelling and would not have been used in the field of combat where a shorter and more robust sword blade was required. See below for some examples of swords that I have sold or featured on web site.
Here we find Mr Henry Wilkinson publishing a leaflet in the 1850’s entitled “Observations on Swords“.It is now universally admitted that if a sword is to be worn by an officer it ought to be an efficient one, especially for India.
The attempt I have made to ensure an efficient weapon has been attended with the most perfect success and I have received the greatest encouragement to proceed; my pattern swords having been approved by the Commander-in-Chief, adopted at Headquarters, both for the army and Navy and recommended by the highest authorities in England and India.
It is universally acknowledged that the manufacture of swords was never at a lower ebb in this country than at the period when I commenced my present undertaking. Our officers returning from India can attest the numerous failures they have witnessed. Every civilised nation in the world, except England attaches great importance to this branch of manufacture. In the East, enormous sums are given for swords and they are handed down as heirlooms from one generation to another. In Persia, turkey and India, from £50 to £100 is no uncommon price for a blade only; but in England £5 is often considered a high price for a sword, which may be superior to many of those so highly esteemed.
Wilkinson Sword Ledger Entries
Russia, Austria and France pay much greater attention to the subject; and although we can surpass them in all manufactures of steel if we choose, cheapness in this country has been the principal recommendation to the seller; and the purchaser not knowing where to procure a trustworthy sword, or where to have it proved becomes indifferent, and is content to order one with his regimentals, hat or groceries, conceiving it to be completely a matter of chance. Greengrocers, Bakers or Milliners may be just as likely to sell good swords by accident as Tailors, Linendrapers, Universal Storekeepers or any other tradesmen unacquainted and unconnected with the manufacture of metals, who have of late become the principal vendors of swords to the officers of our Army and Navy, and of course know much less about the weapon they sell to their customers.
A young gentleman going to India is presented with a regulation sword, purchased along with his shirts and stockings and he only discovers, when opposed to some sturdy for the first time, that the hoop of an ale-cask would have been equally serviceable…
Wilkinson Sword Blade Forte Etching and Proof Disks
There are many essential properties in a sword besides the quality of the steel and the temper, which are unknown to makers generally, or wholly neglected, but which are most important to all who have occasion to use them; namely, the mounting, the balance, the combination of strength with lightness, and elasticity with firmness. Every swordsman knows that a thrust is always more efficient than a cut; and a sword that is too elastic vibrates in the hand, and is more inconvenient to use than one that is firm. An old officer of the 11th Dragoons told me that it was proverbial through all the Peninsular War, that our Dragoons who were mostly brought into the hospital with slight punctured wounds in the chest or abdomen almost invariably died. The French Dragoons on the contrary had mostly cut or incised wounds and almost all recovered. I have invented a sword Eprouvette which represents a power similar to but far exceeding any human force. It is easily adjustable to every kind of sword and having ascertained by means of a dynamometer the maximum of human force in striking with a sword I subject every sword manufactured under my direction to the unerring power of my machine, which may be likened to the arm of a giant, with power sufficient to decapitate at a single stroke; to which is added the bending proof and the Toledo proof of thrusting through an iron plate thicker than a cuirasse; after which proof it is not likely these swords will ever break in any actual customer.
A sword must not be expected to fold three times round a turban or even bear bending the point to touch the hilt. It would not be difficult to make such swords but they would be inferior for all practical purposes…
The very great patronage I have already received will stimulate me to persevere in an attempt to render the swords of this country equal, if not superior to any in the world.
WILKINSON
Sir; – Your article respecting the naval cutlass, which appeared in last week’s United Services Gazette, applies equally to the bad swords that our troopers are armed with, and your remarks are strikingly confirmed by the correspondents of the Daily Telegraph, who, in describing the Battle of Tamai, calls especial attention to Tommy Atkins, and the marked disadvantage at which he was placed by having a badly tempered and clumsy weapon with which to encounter a fierce, determined and better-armed foe. And, at the same time, attention is drawn to the execution done by two officers of the Black Watch who, doubtless, when selecting their equipment were not blind to the importance of having a light, handy sword, of the best quality and fine temper.
In the regulation trooper’s sword there are points which it is evident are never studied by the powers that be – their greatest consideration being evidently economy – and, as a natural consequence, little attention is given to the quality of material and temper; and, whilst extra and unnecessary weight of metal is introduced as a substitute, too much attention is given to gauging and the fact that one part of one sword should be interchangeable with another. This great end being achieved, the authorities seem to consider that their duty to the soldier is performed, though the actual result is to place into his hands a clumsy, badly balanced and unwieldy sword, unfit for pointing or guarding, now the recognised methods of attacks and defence; and further; than this, as they are not subjected to a proper and unvarying proof, how can we be surprised when told of their tendency to double up? And when we read of our men successfully contending in hand-to-hand combat with Arabs who from their earliest years have been taught the use of the sword, and who possess a weapon so immeasurably superior to that served out to the poor trooper, we may truly say, in this instance at least, that ‘the man vanquished not his arms‘.
27 Pall Mall, S.W.
WILKINSON & SON
© Henry Wilkinson Sword Maker and his “Observations on Swords” article by Harvey Withers – www.militariahub.com
Identifying the parts of an antique sword is important to collectors and adds to the bank of knowledge that is necessary when identifying a sword.
© The Parts of an Antique Sword – a Guide for Collectors article by Harvey Withers – www.militariahub.com
Here is the first in a series on the history of British Army regulation pattern swords.
This series of articles starts with the 1786/1796 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Sword. This sword became a regulation British Army pattern after the abolition of the carrying of a spontoons (polearms) by both officers and NCO’s. The Spontoon (see image below) was used primarily as a symbol of authority and a rallying point in the field of battle and was not actually an effective combat weapon in the field of battle. The need for a sword that could be used as a proper fighting weapon was seen as essential.
The introduction of a straight-bladed and single-fullered infantry sword was approved by King George III in 1786 and this pattern is found with a spadroon type hilt comprising a beaded knucklebow, cushion, urn or occasionally, vase-shaped pommel and reeded ivory or ebony grip.
This early pattern was quickly superceded by the more commonly encountered 1786 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Sword. It has a gilt-brass hilt and rigid, double-shell guard, straight blade and urn-shaped pommel. The use of a rigid shell guard proved quite impractical as it rubbed against and frayed the officer’s uniform. This practical problem was solved by the introduction of a folding guard to the hilt (1796 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Sword). The scabbard was black patent leather with gilt-brass mounts, including a frog button in the locket.
Blades were either plain or etched and with blue and gilt decoration. The application of blue and gilt decoration to sword blades was an extremely dangerous operation as it involved the use of mercury – many workers succumbed to the noxious effects of mercury their working lives could be quite short. The concept of Health and Safety was not deemed a priority at this time! Decoration to the blade included the royal cypher, royal crown, martial trophies, standing officers and foliage.
Not many swords are found with their original blueing to the blade. Swords that retain their original blue and gilt decoration are highly prized and command considerable prices – if they come complete with original scabbard, then you might have to part with a lot of money – several thousand pounds. It is actually not a rare sword as its service life ran from 1786-1822 and with the Napoleonic Wars occurring during this period, demand for this pattern was extremely high and so large numbers were produced. It must be noted though that most examples encountered nowadays tend to be in a rather mediocre or poor condition, with grip wire missing or blades badly corroded and also without scabbard – because the scabbard was made from leather and prone to damage, it would have been discarded over the years.
Grips are covered in either silver twistwire or sheet silver. There is a much rarer and plainer version for NCO’s with undecorated hilt and plain blade.
One of the most common names to be found on the blade is “JJ Runkel”. This stands for John Justus Runkel, a German-born sword importer who eventually made his home in England and was responsible for importing many thousands of sword blades for the British Army. Other maker/retailer names found on these swords include: Samuel Brunn, Woolley and Deakin, Prosser and John Salter.
© British Army Infantry Swords – the 1786/1796 Pattern article by Harvey Withers – www.militariahub.com
This article is taken from my book – British Military Swords 1786-1912. An Illustrated Price Guide for Collectors. To order a copy please go HERE.
*NOTE: Wilkinson Sword ceased trading in 2005.
Wilkinson Sword set the standards for contemporary firearms. From its origins in the eighteenth century, Wilkinson Sword always represented the highest possible standards and most advanced technology of the sword maker’s craft.
The company was founded by Henry Nock in the year 1772. Although accounts of his background are sketchy, it is thought that Henry Nock learnt his craft as a gun maker in Birmingham and came to London to seek his fortune. He made his name quickly, with a series of brilliant innovations that transformed the design and performance of sporting and military firearms, such as the ‘screwless’ lock.
When the British Government placed an order for 10,000 flintlock muskets and bayonets – then by far the largest contract ever – Wilkinson Sword became universally known as the supreme gun maker of the age.
In 1804, James Nock was appointed Gun Maker to George III, thus beginning a relationship between Wilkinson Sword and the British monarchy, which has lasted to the present day. On his death, that same year, Nock passed on the business to his apprentice and son-in-law, James Wilkinson, who had worked for the last ten years as Nock’s foreman and general manager. *
James Wilkinson continued making guns for the Board of Ordnance as well as the leading gentry of the day as the Wilkinson Sword record books reveal – but he did not possess the innovative spirit of his forebear. Indeed it was his son Henry who took the company to even greater heights, extending the tradition of excellence into sword manufacture.
Henry Wilkinson
Henry Wilkinson benefited from a good education, excelling in the sciences, and counted among his friends the discoverer of electricity, Michael Faraday. His interest in weaponry made him an international authority on arms. Among the books he published were Engines of War (1841), and Observations on Swords, published in 1848, which ran into 21 editions.
Soon after taking the business over from his father, in 1824, Henry Wilkinson made a shrewd move – relocating the company next door to the Board of Ordnance in Pall Mall. Like Henry Nock, Henry Wilkinson worked very closely with the Master General of the Ordnance. He carried out much experimental work with guns, and began developing many new patents.
Wilkinson knew that the rival swords of the day lacked the strength required for battle, with many of his military customers dissatisfied with their weapons. Working closely with his customers, he started to experiment with forging blades and performing tests in his bayonet workshops.
The Eprouvette, 1844.
As a result of Henry Nock’s experimentation, a sword testing machine was developed in 1844. It is still used in the Wilkinson sword manufacturing process nearly 160 years later. The machine called the Eprouvette, tested swords and bayonets, exceeding the stresses and strains expected in battle. If the sword passed his rigorous test, it was given a proof mark and certificate, guaranteeing that he or his manager John Latham, had personally tested the weapon. Each sword was individually numbered and recorded so that owners, and their weapons, could be traced.
As well as becoming Queen Victoria’s appointed Sword and Gun Maker, Henry Wilkinson’s list of customers grew rapidly to include HRH the Prince of Wales, the King of Naples, the King of Prussia, and numerous members of the House of Lords.
By 1858, Henry’s ill-health prevented him from being so involved in the company, and his manager, John Latham took on the business. A sword and fencing expert himself, he took Henry Wilkinson’s vision forward. In this time, the company made a very determined move in the direction of sword manufacturing, as the government was expanding and modernising its own firearms factory, resulting in the reduction of many contracts.
The crucial turning point came while the British Army were fighting in Sudan in 1885. It emerged that many bayonet swords were bending and breaking, thus resulting in the unnecessary loss of many lives. The scandal outraged the public and the Board of Ordnance took immediate action, leading to Wilkinson Sword being given its largest order ever, to manufacture 150,000 bayonets.
After many years in the City of London, this large order prompted the company to starting looking for a larger factory, which it finally managed in 1899 when Wilkinson Sword moved to Oakley Street, Chelsea.
The Chelsea Factory, 1889.
By the turn of the century, they began to diversify into other products, notably their natural move into razor production, producing the ‘Pall Mall’ safety razor in 1898. This was followed by the manufacturing of typewriters, bicycles, motorcycles, motor cars and a wide range of sporting and hunting equipment – the common factor being that each was the best quality and design at that time.
Wilkinson Sword Motorbike, 1912.
The company moved to larger premises in Acton in 1903. During the first World War, this factory was engaged in producing over two million bayonets. Later, during the second World War, Wilkinson Sword was given contracts to manufacture more than 10,000 bayonets.
Following the centuries-old tradition of using swords to honour wartime glories, Wilkinson Sword was required to make many presentation swords during the war. Among the most famous is the Stalingrad Sword. When the Russians defeated the Germans at Stalingrad – now Volgograd, in 1943, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill decided to reward the victory and celebrate the Anglo-Russian alliance with the presentation of a sword.
The forging of the steel blade was primarily the work of Tom Beasley – an 83 year old, leaving his sickbed to make the sword. He came from a family of sword-makers dating back over 250 years. Tom, a father of 23, had been making swords for Wilkinson Sword since he was 8 years old, and had also forged swords for Kings and Queens across the world.
Churchill presented the sword to Stalin in Tehran, in 1943. A copy of the sword, which was on display throughout the country at the time, now rests in the Wilkinson Sword Museum.
Josef Stalin receives the presentation sword from Winston Churchill.
For over 200 years, Wilkinson Sword has continued to manufacture swords of the highest quality, ensuring that the legacy of Nock and Henry Wilkinson lives on. Not all swords produced are of military pattern and Wilkinson Sword specialise in the design and manufacture of unique swords for commercial presentation or to commemorate special events.
The sword makers craft is best expressed in the motto which appears on the Wilkinson Sword Armorial Bearings granted to the company in its bicentennial year: “Semper Qualitas Suprema” – Always the Finest Quality.
The Wilkinson Sword Armorial Bearings
The Wilkinson Sword Factory, c.1900.
The blades were hand-forged from special high-carbon Sheffield billets smelted to their own specifications. Billets were hot-rolled on machinery that dated back to the 1850’s. Wilkinson Sword blades were ground on spectacular five-foot carborundum wheels to the correct section and profile – this process could take several hours to complete.
Careful heat treatment (either oil or water) hardened and tempered the blade. It was then tested for fighting-quality strength and flexibility on machines invented by Henry Wilkinson some 150 years ago. One of them bent the blade up to 30 degrees either side of vertical: each blade had to return to perfect straightness – or be rejected.
NOTE: A sword’s “point of percussion” is where the maximum force can be delivered. Each Wilkinson Sword was subjected to a stringent strike test precisely at that point. Only those that passed were permitted to carry the Wilkinson Sword name and proof mark.
The forged and heat-treated blade was hand polished to a mirror-finish, using progressively finer grades of polishing wheels. Steel or brass hilt components received the same painstaking attention to remove any small blemishes from casting processes prior to plating.
Patterns, legends and insignia were acid etched onto the blade using traditional wax and screen processes by men with an average of 27 years experience. Wilkinson Sword pattern books dated back over 150 years. The proof mark, inset in brass or acid etched onto the blade, symbolised the strength of the armourer and proclaimed the authenticity of every Wilkinson Sword. Each of the Wilkinson blacksmiths “signed” his work with his own marking stamped onto the tang – the extension of the blade which locks into the grip.
Hilts were assembled to the closest tolerances from a wide variety of hand-polished components, often gold-plated and always conformed precisely to the original designs. For presentation or limited editions they were also be embellished with precious metals, enamels or gemstones. The grip of a Wilkinson Sword was a work of art in its own right.
For many of the models, sharkskin, rayskin or leather, was applied to a carved wooden core and then bound with gold or silver-plated copper wire. Others boasted a hand-carved grip in ebony or other rare hardwoods.
It took several hours to hand stitch each rawhide scabbard, using natural leathers and yarns – and longer still to complete the curing process.
Scabbard mounts were frequently hand-made, as for the Navy Flag Rank swords and Household Cavalry mounts.
Finally, the scabbard was dyed and polished before being fitted with solid brass mounts, carrying rings and its protective shoe.
The Wilkinson Sword factory, located in West London, was an illustration of where traditional handcrafting techniques were being combined with the latest technology to produce optimum levels of performance and quality.
Each individual sword and scabbard passed through a number of stages of manufacture within the factory. Each craftsman applied their individual skill to an aspect of the sword or scabbard before passing it on to the next operation. This method of work involved a high degree of trust, with each craftsman depending on the work of his colleagues to create the perfect fit and finish.
In the fifteen strong workshop there was over 150 years worth of experience in sword making including forging, etching, polishing, finishing and final assembly of the swords, scabbards and components. Each craftsman specialised in a particular process, having learnt skills passed down from previous generations, going back two hundred years.
There were a number of father and son teams employed in the workshop and one staff member was the third generation of his family to have worked for Wilkinson Sword.
© History of the Wilkinson Sword Company article by Harvey Withers – www.militariahub.com
Not to be reproduced without prior agreement.
This article is taken from my book – British Military Swords 1786-1912. An Illustrated Price Guide for Collectors. To order a copy please go HERE.
Prior to 1788, there is very little evidence that other ranks’ swords went through a rigorous form of official inspection. Sword blades of that period are invariably unmarked, with the occasional maker’s name to blade edge or forte. Colonels of regiments were allocated a budget for the purchase of swords, and had total control over the choice of supplier and the pattern of sword to be issued. It is likely that they went for cheapness rather than quality.
This led to instances of blade failure and consequent loss of life. After 1788, the Board of General Officers recommended that a series of proofs or tests should be applied to new swords. When a sword passed its test and was declared suitable by a government approved viewer, view marks were applied to the blade. Initially, these were simple figures punched onto the blade, and comprised a crown above the digit.
The government manufactory at Enfield, London, began producing service swords after 1820, and many blades are marked either “ENFIELD” OR “EFD”, with the year of manufacture, e.g. (18)“44”, following. Pre -1855, swords purchased by the Board of Ordnance are marked with a broad arrow and “BO”. After this date, they are marked with a broad arrow and “WD”, (War Department).
Swords after 1855 have the pattern number stamped to the blade e.g. ‘/99 = 1899 Pattern Cavalry Trooper’s Sword. “X” indicated that the sword had undergone bending tests and those condemned as unfit for service were marked with two arrows facing eachother.
© British Military Sword Markings – Government Issue Marks article by Harvey Withers – www.militariahub.com
Not to be reproduced without prior agreement.
This article is taken from my book – British Military Swords 1786-1912. An Illustrated Price Guide for Collectors. To order a copy please go HERE.
A Yeomanry Cavalry Trooper, c.1890.
Here we find a contemporary account of the history of the British Militia System. Many thousands of Britons joined its ranks and the inevitable demand for swords was very high. The 1827 Pattern Rifle Brigade Officer’s Sword is a familiar weapon for the collector and a great number were produced for both the town and village volunteer. This also excludes large quantities of swords passed on to both cavalry and infantry units by the regular army, when deemed unfit for active service. Although the subject matter of this article is not particularly sword related, it is still an excellent and dispassionate summary of the British volunteer movement, and a great insight into the typically “English“ and benign nature of its development and ethos. The purchase of a volunteer sword can also be the gateway to further research into these sadly neglected regiments who were once inextricably bound up with the social fabric of the British nation.
The early years of the century found England in the possession of a large body of volunteers. They were not a part of the permanent military organisation of the country, but were raised in a hurry, and for a special purpose, and were only intended to meet a sudden emergency. At that period, Napoleon I had massed a great army at Boulogne in sight of the British coast; but the British cruisers held the Channel, and day after day and month after month passed, until the naval battle of Trafalgar put an end forever to his ambitious dream of the conquest of England. It was to meet this contingency that the Volunteers of 1803 were raised, and the danger having been averted, they were disbanded and never brought together again.
With the organization and efficiency of this force, this article is in no way concerned, and it is only mentioned here to explain that volunteering for defense of the country is no new idea, but that the volunteers of 1803 have no relation to those of 1858. They served their purpose; they came together to the number of 463,000 men, and when the emergency ceased, they died out and disappeared.
They seem to have incurred at that time a certain amount of “chaff” on account of their somewhat crude idea of military duties, and it is said that one regiment having repeatedly pointed out to Mr. Pitt that they only volunteered to repel invasion, and were on no account to be sent out of the country, he replied that he would promise not to send them away “except in the case of invasion.”
There is, however, one volunteer corps – the Honorable Artillery Company of the City of London – which is quite exceptional. It dates from the time of Henry VII, at which period it wore a picturesque dress, had nothing to do, and “did it very well;” and it consists of artillery, cavalry and infantry. It is not a “company” in the military sense, but has many of the attributes of the City of London companies, and has property and funds of its own.
This ancient corps has its counterpart in the Honorable Artillery Company of Boston in the United States, the members of which some time ago visited London and received a cordial welcome as a link between the Old and the New Worlds.
Until 1858, the Honorable Artillery Company was the only old-established Volunteer Corps. At that time, the country was thirsting for peace and rest. The Crimean War had disclosed a state of military disorganization in the army which had caused misery and disaster to the troops during the war, and it was felt that only the bravery and pluck of the officers and men had saved the country from actual defeat; but when peace with Russia had been obtained, no time was given for reorganization. The Indian Mutiny, following on the heels of the Crimean war, called forth all the resources of the Empire; but, when tranquillity was again restored, the public mind once more turned to the contemplation of army reform.
…soon became known that the would-be assassin had hatched his conspiracy and manufactured his bombs in England; and, in the excitement that ran like wildfire through the French army, a hundred French colonels signed a petition to the Emperor, praying him to put himself at their head and lead them against “Perfidious Albion.” It was not certain whether the Emperor would be able to resist the pressure thus put upon him, and the ugly fact of a possible invasion of our coasts stared us in the face. It was felt that our army – most of which was abroad – was inadequate to cope with the large forces which were at the disposal of France, if they should once gain a footing on our shores, and excitement little short of panic ensued.
The people of England demanded arms that they might at least make a stubborn resistance, and the volunteer force of Great Britain sprang into life.
In its infancy its constitution was hardly worthy to be called “organisation.” A large number of enthusiastic civilians of all classes enrolled themselves under officers who, for the most part, had little or no military training, and drilled and equipped themselves in isolated companies. All worked with an energy which only determination, coupled with a grave sense of danger, could inspire. Drill went on in every town in England and Scotland; rifle butts were hastily erected, and the first rudiments of shooting were taught by sergeant-instructors from the regular army. But in spite of all this activity the volunteer army was a mere “crowd of men with muskets,” without transport, without battalion formation, and with only one suit of clothes apiece; and with such a force the only rôle assigned to them was to rush to meet the enemy, to line the hedges and walls in inclosed country; to worry and annoy the invaders in every possible way, and to die fighting to the last in order that the regular army and the militia might gain time to assemble and make their dispositions for defense, The action of the French franc-tireurs in the Franco-Prussian War shows how much may be done by such means. While matters were in this state, the scare which had created the volunteer force came to an end as suddenly as it had arisen. Napoleon III, loyal to his alliance with England, succeeded in quieting his excitable colonels, and the danger of immediate invasion was averted.
The sons of Sergeant William Cuffing of the Leicestershire Yeomanry Cavalry.
Both were from farming stock and served in Captain Story’s ‘C’ Troop, c.1860.
The volunteers now entered upon the most critical period of their whole history. The officers of the regular army looked upon them as almost useless, and either gave them good-natured but half-hearted support, or advocated their being disbanded altogether; for the British officers of that day believed only in long-service troops, drilled with all the precision of machines; controlled when in barracks with an iron discipline, and perfect in parade movements. The country would not hear of conscription; the army would not hear of short service. So for years nothing was done to reorganize the army, and the volunteers were left to live and die in an atmosphere of neglect or ridicule.
A slight advance was made by the scattered companies being formed into provisional battalions for purpose of drill, and being given a retired officer or militia officer as adjutant; and as they marched through the streets headed by the band, a crowd of street urchins ran beside them shouting such ribald cries as “Who shot the dog?” “How are yer poor feet?” and (to the mounted officers), “How much an hour for yer horse, gov’nor?” And when the battalion had reached its drill ground and deployed into line, the gamins formed line opposite to them, waiting, like the French line at Fontenoy, for the English to fire first. Then, as the rattle of the locks proclaimed the volley which terminated the “platoon” exercise, they fell down with shrieks and groans, and writhed in simulated agony of death on the battlefield, while the lookers on shouted with laughter at the performance.
When the parade was dismissed each individual volunteer went home in a storm of chaff, and the clever pencil of John Leech made fun of them in “Punch.” How they survived this ordeal seems now a miracle; but survive it they did, and set to work with a will to increase their efficiency.
It is obvious that an armed man – whether regular soldier or volunteer – is of little value for fighting purposes, unless he can shoot fairly well with a rifle; and the volunteers, recognizing this fact, proceeded at once to establish a shooting organisation throughout the country. The centre and head of this organization was, and is, the National Rifle Association, which held its meetings at Wimbledon until they were transferred to Bisley.
Quarter Master J. Kirk of the Leicestershire Yeomanry, 1841.
In every county or district, an association was formed under “Wimbledon Rules,” which held its meetings once a year, and battalion and company meetings also offered a chance of winning prizes to those who were not sufficiently expert in the use of the rifle to compete at Wimbledon. Thus an inducement was given to every volunteer to practice rifle shooting, in addition to the class firing ordered by the volunteer regulations.
The artillery have an association of their own called the National Artillery Association, which is quite separate from the National Rifle Association, and holds its meetings at Shoeburyness. It works on strictly military lines, and forms a camp where the mounting and dismounting of heavy guns, etc., as well as target practice, is a part of the regular training.
This, briefly, is the organization which, with some alterations and improvements, has continued to the present day.
The first meeting at Wimbledon opened on July 2, 1860, when Queen Victoria fired the first shot, with a rifle fixed in a rest and laid by the most experienced rifle-shot of the day, and the “bull’s-eye” flag went up amidst the cheers of a large crowd of spectators. To promote shooting at moving objects, a life-sized stag made of iron was mounted on a small railway, and ran down an incline on one side of the range, and nearly to the top of the incline on the other side, on the principle of a switchback railway, the shot having to be fired between two white posts, thirty yards apart. Sir Edwin Landseer, the celebrated animal painter, drew the stag life-size, and this splendid sketch and the “Queen’s” target are preserved by the National Rifle Association as their two most valued treasures.
In the year 1883 a team of the American National Guard came over to England to shoot against an English volunteer team. At the beginning of the match, the visitors gained a considerable lead; but at the long ranges the English team not only wiped out their loss, but succeeded in securing a hard-fought victory. In the evening both teams dined with the president of the National Rifle Association, on which occasion there were present Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Teck, the Duke of Teck, and the Hon. J. R. Lowell; the Minister of the United States in England. After dinner the rule of the association that no speeches are to be made was so far relaxed as to allow of the health of the American team being proposed by the president; and Mr. Lowell, in returning thanks for his countrymen, made one of those short and happy speeches which did so much to promote a cordial feeling between the two nations. He said on this occasion: “May God grant that in all rifle competitions between the two nations, all the rifles may always be pointed the same way” – a sentiment cordially echoed at the present day on both sides of the Atlantic.
Englishmen noted with interest during the late war of the United States with Spain, the readiness with which volunteers came forward in large numbers and at very short notice to serve their country. English volunteers in particular observed with admiration their cheerful endurance of thirst, hunger and privations of all sorts, in occasional circumstances of peculiar hardship.
That they should show courage in the field was taken for granted; but that with such short training, and in spite of hasty and, in certain cases, inadequate equipment, these citizen soldiers should develop such splendid qualities of discipline, self-restraint and self-reliance was the subject of much and hearty praise among English military critics.
The system pursued by the National Rifle Association has worked well, and although it is described as “pot-hunting” by those who wish to decry it, it has produced many first-rate shots, and may fairly claim to have carried out the object for which it was formed.
It would be impossible in the limited space of a magazine article, and would be tedious to the general reader, to treat in detail of the improvements in organization which have been carried out, from time to time, in the volunteer force; but a few words on the present state of the force may not be out of place.
The battalions are now united into brigades, commanded by brigadiers who have most of them served in the regular army, assisted by brigade majors, who are all retired officers, and a sufficient staff. These brigades assemble yearly in camp, and when at Aldershot or any other military centre come under military law, and take part in field days with the regular troops. The men learn all the duties of camp life; to pitch and strike tents, to cook and to make themselves at home in camp. A hearty and cheerful spirit animates all ranks, and the men look upon the annual training in camp in the light of a holiday, and are cheerfully prepared to perform readily all the various duties in return for the change of scene and work, and amusement and relaxation after the parades are over for the day.
As to their fighting qualities, it can only be said that they have never been tested, but there is no reason to believe that they would fight with less pluck and determination than any other men of the Anglo-Saxon race. In case of emergency, they would fight in their own country for all they hold most dear, and history has proved over and over again that men fighting under these circumstances are not to be despised, even by the best-disciplined and most highly trained troops. As regards “discipline,” that word which may mean so much or so little, it must be remembered that the average volunteer lives a disciplined life. He is not a raw boy taken from the ploughshare, nor is he a young man of fast habits who has got into some minor scrape; but he is a respectable tradesman or superior mechanic, who has a character to lose, and I have myself seen a man, when brought up for judgement in camp, tremble and turn pale at the thought of being dismissed from the service, or sent out of camp in disgrace, which, when not camped with regular troops, is the only punishment the commanding officer has power to inflict.
Such a man returns to his native town or village with a mark against him. He gets “chaffed” by the men, and – what is more important – is despised by the women. It is known that he has failed to acquit himself with credit in a duty which he has voluntarily undertaken to perform, and he has to bear the consequences.
From want of experience a volunteer sentry will, from time to time, present arms to a showy uniform, and a smart non-commissioned officer of cavalry in full uniform will receive greater honor than a general in a blue coat; but this comes from want of knowledge of details, and not from want of discipline.
A simple and practical form of drill has been introduced, which is far better suited to the volunteers than the slow, antiquated drill of thirty years ago. It is easily and rapidly acquired, and thus time is available for the teaching of outpost duty, advance and rear guards, and many other details of which in their infancy the volunteers were profoundly ignorant. The officers of the new school now at the head of the army, who no longer cling to old traditions because they were good enough in their youth, recognize that modern weapons have altered the conditions of warfare, and have long ago discarded the drill of the time of the Duke of Wellington, who for many years opposed the introduction of the percussion musket because he said “the men would fire away their ammunition too quickly.” The volunteers are now recognized as an integral part of the defenses of the country, and in consequence panic from fear of invasion is now unknown. The necessity for conscription, which is hateful to the country, and now only exists in a very mild and modified form in the militia ballot act, which is never carried out, has been averted, and it is therefore fair to claim that the volunteers carry out in an adequate measure the purpose for which they were raised, and England sleeps the sounder for the knowledge that the manhood of the population is armed for her defense.
There is, however, another important advantage which has been gained for the country. In old days the average villager had no idea of the duties of a soldier, whose occupation was described as “being shot at for a shilling a day,” and a story is told of a mother parting from her son, who had enlisted, saying to the recruiting sergeant: “How many hours a day will the poor lad have to fight, Mr. Soldier?” The idea existed that the soldier’s time was divided between fighting and debauchery, and the enlistment of a son was looked upon as a family disgrace. Many villagers never saw troops under arms in their whole lives, and the soldier and civilian were as much separated as if they were different races. This feeling is growing less and less yearly, and there is every hope that it will die out in the near future. This improvement is partly owing to amelioration in the condition of the soldiers, and the care shown for care shown for their welfare by the authorities in modern days; but it is also due to the fact that civilians are now able to give some attention to, and gain practical knowledge of, military affairs by means of volunteering. They wear a uniform, and are proud of it; they come into contact with regular troops in military centres, and make friends with the men and learn from them the details of military life. Tommy Atkins is delighted to make friends with the volunteer, and the volunteer takes a military pride in “chumming” with Tommy Atkins, and thus they gain a mutual respect and regard for each other. The days are long passed when the volunteers were alternately inflated by exaggerated praise or depressed by scorn and ridicule. They have taken their place as auxiliary to the regular army, anxious only to prepare themselves for the duties which would be assigned to them in case of emergency, and desiring to act up to their motto of “Defense, not defiance.”
© The British Volunteer Militia System in the 19th Century article by Harvey Withers – www.militariahub.com
Not to be reproduced without prior agreement.