Watnall Troop S.N.Y.C. local history

 The Troopers of South Notts Yeomanry had been armed with the flintlock 1794 pattern Light Dragoon Pistol. A pistol with a nine inch barrel of .65 inch bore. An observed example of which is a privately purchased pistol, not uncommon for Yeomanry units,and therefore does not bear the Crown over G.R. to the lock, and is engraved "NOTTS YEOMANRY" to the side nail plate. Presumably the Ordnance also supplied flintlock Light Dragoon Pistols to the Regiment at a later stage.  With changes to the arms carried by regular cavalry regiments, the issuing of pistols to the regular cavalry ceased in 1838 in favour of the more powerful carbine with the new percussion ignition system. This also prevented the ordnance from having to replace all of the flintlock pistols with the new percussion ignition system. At this point, the ordnance started to convert its stores of flintlock firearms over to the new percussion ignition system.  On 13th May 1844, the...

  Medal and clasps verification: The recipient is confirmed as being entitled to the medal and the single 'state' clasp 'Cape Colony' per the respective campaign medal roll of 12th (South Notts) Squadron 3rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. The recipient was also further entitled to the 2 x dated 'South Africa' clasps, per the medal roll references below cited: - QSA with 'Cape Colony' clasp: WO 100/121 dated 'In the Field' at Graaff Reinet, South Africa, September 1901 - QSA 2 x dated clasps: WO 100/121, supplementary page dated, Nottingham, England, 20 November 1902, 1 year & 2 months after the QSA was sanctioned for issue Charles Thomas Wood, son of Thomas Wood (an Agricultural Labourer) and Frances 'Fanny' Wood (nee Blundy) was a native of the parish of Pickworth, Grantham Lincolnshire, England, where he was born in, 1875. Described as a 'Farmer', 25 years 10 months of age, Charles enlisted for the British Army, and service wi...

  Not an item directly associated with the S.N.H.,however, the SMLE rifle was the last firearm issued to the S.N.H. before the regiment converted to an artillery unit. The SMLE was first issued to the regiment in 1909, and used by them throughout WW1.  The SMLE was first introduced in 1903. Basically a combination of the army's infantry rifle, and cavalry carbine, the  Magazine Lee Enfield ,and the Carbine Magazine Lee Enfield.With minor improvements, most notably the introduction of a charger bridge for five round clips, the SMLE became its most familiar form in 1907, the Mk.III This example made by B.S.A. in 1914 shows the early features of the 1907 SMLE Mk.III, the rifle which the B.E.F. went to war with in 1914. A single round cut-off for the magazine. An adjustment wheel for the rear sight leaf. Milled sides to the rear sight protector. To the left hand side of the rifle,and a pair of flip up long range volley sights with a dial for the front sight. In...

 Throughout the 1840's and 50's, the regular Army Hussar regiments, and the Yeomanry Cavalry regiments adopted the Hussars tunic. Closely based on the German and Austrian designs, the Attilla. A tight fitting jacket with gold gimp decoration for officers and gold decoration to the collar.  The German Hussars tunic usually had five horizontal lines of gimp decoration, although the regular British Hussars regiments chose to have six lines, probably so they did not show a direct copy. The South Notts Yeomanry Cavalry however chose to stick with the traditional five lines. Some regiments such as The South Notts Yeomanry Cavalry  chose to have the shorter "Stable" jacket. The dress code for Yeomanry regiments was not as strict as the regular regiments, and the yeomanry uniforms tended to be a mix of hussar and cavalry regiments of the time.  The South Notts Yeomanry Cavalry first adopted the five lined dark blue stable jacket in 1846. A Prussian style dark blue ...