TOPIC:

While looking for the Colonial Scouts title in my collection, I came across a Natal Government Railways cap badge (King's Crown) and two buttons (King's Crown and Queen's Crown). The King's Crown items may be post-Boer War.

While not strictly speaking 'military', the NGR played a very important role in the war transporting men and materiel. The figures that follow are from a book produced by the NGR after the end of the Natal Campaign:

Officers and men ............................... 166,195
Women and children ............................. 484
Natives and Indians ............................ 11,434
Vehicles ....................................... 1,607
Ammunition (boxes) ............................. 9,385
Baggage and stores (tons) ...................... 6,594
Pontoons ....................................... 39
Traction engines and carriages ................. 80

Brett

Hi Brett......

Very nice..... Let me know when you will be disposing of the set.....

angloboerwar.com/forum/21-uniforms-badge...-railways-guard#3634

Mike

Brett,
A very nice collection, thank you for posting them.

Paul

Brett Hendey wrote: While looking for the Colonial Scouts title in my collection, I came across a Natal Government Railways cap badge (King's Crown) and two buttons (King's Crown and Queen's Crown). The King's Crown items may be post-Boer War.

While not strictly speaking 'military', the NGR played a very important role in the war transporting men and materiel. The figures that follow are from a book produced by the NGR after the end of the Natal Campaign:

Officers and men ............................... 166,195
Women and children ............................. 484
Natives and Indians ............................ 11,434
Vehicles ....................................... 1,607
Ammunition (boxes) ............................. 9,385
Baggage and stores (tons) ...................... 6,594
Pontoons ....................................... 39
Traction engines and carriages ................. 80

Brett

Mike,
Very nice badge, thank you for the link, must have missed that one.

Paul

QSAMIKE wrote: Hi Brett......

Very nice..... Let me know when you will be disposing of the set.....

angloboerwar.com/forum/21-uniforms-badge...-railways-guard#3634

Mike

Mike

I am not a committed badge collector, but I do keep an eye on stock in the local militaria shop and NGR badges are rarities there. I will let you know if any turn up.

Regards
Brett

PS My most recent brush with computer/Internet gremlins resulted in the misaligning of the numbers in the entry about the NGR's achievements in 1899/1900.

Hello Brett,
Regarding crowns in general, I am not making a direct reference to the Natal Government Railways here, but, what I have found is that very often the crowns changed over, really quite quickly for the rank and file, so by 1903 the kings crown was being worn, but, this was not always the case.
In the British Army, it was certainly the case, however, for officers, the change was often much slower, they did have to pay for all they wore, moreover, it was then, as now, really quite expensive, so perhaps this should come as no real surprise.
With my own county regt, which no longer exists, I remember seeing quite a few photographs taken between 1902 and even as late as 1909 and the late queens crown was still being worn.
The most common examples would be the magnificent scarlet dress uniform that was withdrawn in 1914, officers wore those super mercurial fire gilt helmet plates, so you often see the Colonel and officers of field rank still wearing the victorian plates well into the kings reign, with only the newly commissioned subalterns wearing the correct crowns and adhering to dress regulations, strange, but, true, remember it all had to be paid for!

A general exception would be those detatched for royal duties, so regts like the Norfolk's and so on.

I have noted the Natal Carbineers changed surprisingly quickly and you do see their officers wearing the kings crown as early as 1903.
Kind regards Frank

Brett Hendey wrote: While looking for the Colonial Scouts title in my collection, I came across a Natal Government Railways cap badge (King's Crown) and two buttons (King's Crown and Queen's Crown). The King's Crown items may be post-Boer War.

While not strictly speaking 'military', the NGR played a very important role in the war transporting men and materiel. The figures that follow are from a book produced by the NGR after the end of the Natal Campaign:

Officers and men ............................... 166,195
Women and children ............................. 484
Natives and Indians ............................ 11,434
Vehicles ....................................... 1,607
Ammunition (boxes) ............................. 9,385
Baggage and stores (tons) ...................... 6,594
Pontoons ....................................... 39
Traction engines and carriages ................. 80

Brett