VICTORIAN PERIOD HOME SERVICE HEMET OF THE WELSH REGIMENT

VICTORIAN PERIOD HOME SERVICE HEMET OF THE WELSH REGIMENT - retailed by T McBride & Sons, 17 Charles Street, London, SW of dark blue felt over cork body, with large fire gilded plate  with regimental devise and gilded brass mounts including devisable spike, lions head bosses and leather bound chin scales with it's original leather and silk lining and makers trade label.  In very good condition retaining it's original shape, the guilding still very fresh and no both holes visible to the exterior.  One small teat in the felt at the back of the helmet and loss of a segment of the green lining leather to the back peak.  Medium size (not marked).

The regiment was created in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 41st (Welch) Regiment of Foot and 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Welsh Regiment.^[1]

The 1st Battalion moved to Egypt in 1886.^[2] The battalion took part in the Battle of Suakin in December 1888 during the Mahdist War under the leadership of the force commander, Colonel Herbert Kitchener, who wrote in his dispatches:

The half-Battalion of The Welsh Regiment are seasoned soldiers and whatever I asked of them to do they did well. Their marksmen at Gemaizah Fort and the remainder of the half-Battalion on the left fired section volleys driving the Dervishes from their right position and inflicting severe punishment upon them when in the open. Significantly the Battalion did not lose a man.^[3]

The 1st Battalion moved to Malta in 1889 while the 2nd Battalion went to India in 1892; the 1st Battalion moved to Pembroke Dock in December 1893 where almost all the regiment's artifacts, plate and silver were lost in a large fire in 1895.^[2] The 1st Battalion was dispatched to South Africa in November 1899 for the Second Boer War: it was engaged in Battle of Paardeberg in February 1900, where they suffered heavy losses, and again at the Battle of Driefontein in March 1900.^[4]

A 3rd, militia battalion, was embodied in December 1899, and embarked for South Africa in February 1900 to serve in the same war.^[5] In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming the Territorial Force and the latter the Special Reserve;^[6] the regiment now had one Reserve battalion and four Territorial battalions.