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Please may I have your views on the unit this man had joined. We know this photo was a 'selfie' taken in Hoddesdon Hertfordshire between 1899 and 1901. I believe there is a collar badge of a stag/hart. Thanks in advance for any assistance. Regards

This is not Imperial Yeomanry uniform. He is a member of a Volunteer Rifle Corps, logically one based in Hoddesdon. I'm away from books at the moment but will check later.
He may have served in South Africa as a volunteer with the I.Y. or other colonial unit.
As a corporal and marksman in the Volunteers it is perhaps more likely that he would be accepted as a member of an Active Service Company of Volunteers attached to his army line battalion.
Easy to check with a name.
Pete

Thank you Volunteer/Pete. Another picture shows IY on a shoulder of his uniform leading our Hoddesdon community to speculate he was Imperial Yeomanry. The crossed rifles though made me think he was in a volunteer rifle unit - thanks for confirming that....and presumed that was a part of the Imperial Yeomanry. May I give the mans name here? Mr Tom Salkield. I was intriged by this mans (like so many others?) motivation to volunteer..he had a new job, young wife and child. Would he loose his wages from his full time job (a council Surveyor) whilst on volunteer duty..and did I inderstand correctly that Yeoman volunteers had to contribute to their uniform/keep ? Must have had a strong sense of duty to sacrifice income and potentially pay the ultimate price. Hope you dont mind me asking..this mans photos and researching them for our local comminty has been my first brush with military matters of that time.

An interesting man.
Not convinced he actually got to SA with either I Y or Volunteers.
His name does not appear in medal rolls for either unit, but some got to SA too late to be awarded medals.
I can see no Boer War period service papers to Tom Salkield.
Undoubtedly Tom was ambitious. Like many others he saw short service as a way of evaluating a new country with a view to permanent migration and a career with opportunities.
You will know that Tom made it to India where he estabished a career as a civil engineer. He continued his membership of the Volunteers and made rank of Major in WW1.
I'm on ipad at moment but will look further when I get home to books and PC.
Regards
Pete

The 1st Hertfordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps had companies located –
2 at Hertford; Bishop’s Stortford; Ware; Royston; Welwyn; Hitchin; Waltham Abbey.
A 9th company was established at Hoddesdon in 1900

9th Nov 1901 Report of presentation to TS leaving Hoddesdon to take up new appointment at Leatherhead search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?...salkield%20hoddesdon


An obituary with summary of his military service makes no mention of service in South Africa.
www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/pdf/10.1680/iicep.1960.11747

Regards

Pete

Thank you Pete/Volunteer. Your help is appreciated. I will share your findings with the Hoddesdon community that has been reviewing a host of 1900 photos of our town and Mr Salkields family and his military shots.

I appologize to this forum for this not proving to be a Boer War matter and will post no other pictures for what is now identified as a domestic volunteer unit. If anyone wants to see further pictures then I would be happy to effect an introduction to the picture owner or suggest the picture owner posts to any relevant forum you think might be appropriate.

Thanks again for your help.
Regards Steve