TOPIC:

I think it is rather unsurprising that the hobby was very much alive in 1900 and that it has endured the passage of time, certainly, had I been in the Eastern Cape as a child in 1900, I would doubtless have been one of those " Little Boys" mentioned.
I started as a very small boy at primary school age too, so I can relate to them, I don't think I've ever had more than a dozen or so during the period I collected, my advice to you would be, try and find an example with a portion of its original finish intact, they really stood out when they were new, as can be clearly seen in the case of Stanley Ducat and still remain very distinctive indeed.

RoyS wrote: Greetings Ladies & Gents,

As much as I love reading antiquarian books it can sometimes be a challenge, however the rewards can often be well worth it, with little treasures of contemporary information coming to light that inform and enhance our experience of collecting and studying our passions. This happened to me last night while (slowly) working my way through a 1903 first edition of 'The History of Lumsden's Horse' - an Anglo-Indian volunteer unit that served in the Boer War. It is no secret that I have been on the hunt for a badge to this unit for quite some time and to date my good fortune in this regard has been lacking, so the search continues. However I came upon a paragraph (page 93) that not only mentions the 'shoulder badges' (of Lumsden's Horse) but also relates a story of how the locals were collecting badges to this and any other unit that happened by. Aside from my interest in Lumsden's Horse, I thought this was a really telling narrative of badge collecting in general so wanted to share it here (also shared on the B&C Badge forum).

The date of this incident is April of 1900 and the location East London, South Africa.

"Little boys and girls (some of the latter not so very little, after all) were very keen to get hold of our shoulder badges as mementoes, and, needless to say, the susceptible ones of our corps were unable to resist the entreaties of the fair ones, and daylight showed a vacant place on many a shoulder-strap. This badge-collecting seems to be a great hobby out here just now; one boy showed me a belt simply covered with badges, which he had secured from the men of the different regiments that had passed through."

We all know that badge collecting is not a new pursuit but it's always lovely to find an early first hand account of this activity actually happening. Now I want to know what happened to that boy's belt..?

Cheerio and happy collecting,

Roy

Collecting/wanted ABW insignia if anyone has some spares?

My website: www.wilkinsonfscollection.com

Frank
I would have guessed that you had something good to add to Roy's thread!
Schoolboy badge collecting can have a great effect on one's future interests. I collected many things as a child, but the first militaria items were badges that came in the early 1950's from local ex-servicemen, who had mostly been in the Royal Natal Carbineers during WWII. Although I later spent 30 years away from Natal, the RNC (later reduced to the NC by the vengeful National Party) remained special to me, and I now have NC badges and medals reflecting its history from the Zulu War to SA's Border Wars.
Regards
Brett

Hello Brett,
Quite frankly, I do think that Lumden's lads were very special indeed, it is very important to remember how and why they came into being, they were, a much celebrated regiment from their very inception and the Commander in Chief telegraphed the Viceroy, himself, to express his appreciation of all they had done.
I have had a copy of Roy's book since I was about seven years old, as well Burn Murdoch's own book and both, their medals and badges very soon followed, they were truly magnificent.
Regards Frank

Hi Frank & Brett,

Many thanks for your thoughts and input. Some lovely badges there Frank, thanks for sharing those.

Yes I realized this isn't new information. I always get a kick out of such details when I do find them in period literature though. Although Lumsden's Horse arguably (like so many small volunteer units) wasn't too important in the grand scheme of things, it is small obscure units like this that often peek my interest. As history roles on, such units are often either overshadowed or almost totally forgotten about.

As an casual amateur historian I love re-discovering small units or specific characters from our past. My own journey into Lumsden's Horse was inspired by nothing more than an interesting photograph I acquired (see anther thread). I guess I just can't help myself as I seem to love history and a mystery (to me) and when they are combined, it's a lot of enjoyment to dig a little deeper. If nothing else chaps, it keeps me busy..

Cheerio,

Roy

Collecting/wanted ABW insignia if anyone has some spares?

My website: www.wilkinsonfscollection.com