1862.

Little else of importance occurred to mark the year 1861, so we will pass at once to the second Easter Monday Review, which ushered in the drill season of 1862.

By this time it would appear that Lord Bury’s views had changed, for the regiment not only attended the Review, but in a Regimental Order, in which he praises the steadiness of the battalion on that occasion, Lord Bury states—“It is an honour to have taken part in such a day.”

Another event of this year was a review by the Duke of Cambridge at Wimbledon, when we are told that His Royal Highness expressed his praise on witnessing the advance of the battalion extended as skirmishers.

To show the satisfactory state of affairs at this period, I cannot do better than again to quote from Regimental Orders as follows:

“The Lieutenant-Colonel cannot but congratulate the Regiment on the fact that at the close of their third drill season, they occupy a most satisfactory position among the Volunteer Corps of the country: the organisation is complete; the numbers are increasing; the Officers have passed the ordeal of a searching examination; the Drill is improved; the Musketry Instruction, which was from the first the strongest point in the organisation of the Regiment, has even improved in efficiency; and the number both of effectives and of marksmen is fully equal, in proportion to numbers, to any other Volunteer Corps. The Lieutenant-Colonel need not point out how much the efficiency of a Regiment depends on its Non-commissioned Officers. We are fortunate in having a body of Non-commissioned Officers who thoroughly know their duty. The Skirmishing Drill of the Regiment is better done, and much more clearly understood than in former years.In conclusion, the Lieutenant-Colonel confidently believes that the utmost unanimity and good feeling exists throughout the Regiment.”

The last statement appears, in the present day, a rather strange and superfluous one to put into Regimental Orders; but it is evident that its meaning was fully understood at the time. Enthusiastic volunteer as Lord Bury was, and evidently taking a delight in his duties as Commanding Officer, he must have frequently felt that to rule a body of gentlemen volunteers, in a very elementary stage of military knowledge and discipline, was a somewhat formidable and even thankless task. Every member of the corps—officer, non-commissioned officer, and private—had an opinion to express on every point, and he expressed it freely. Plenty of evidence exists of burning questions which agitated, and sometimes even threatened the unity of the corps; but the great tact displayed by Lord Bury, his forbearance and kindly courtesy, which disarmed all opposition, led the corps safely through all.

One incident which occurred about this period, and the explanations with regard to which occupy the greater part of three Regimental Orders, was, that a part of the Regiment had expressed unwillingness to join in a march out with the “Artists’”Corps, owing to what Lord Bury describes as “an absurd wish attributed to him to bring about an amalgamation between the Civil Service Regiment and the Artists’.”

But it is not necessary here to go into the details of these almost forgotten grievances, which, although interesting as showing what may be called themoraleof the Corps at that period, are perhaps best buried in oblivion.

At the commencement of the year 1863, the Prince of Wales showed his interest in the Corps by presenting it with a Challenge Cup of the value of 100 guineas. The nominal right to hold this cup for a year is still annually shot for; but it is customary for the Commanding Officer to retain it in his own custody.

This was the year of the Prince of Wales’s marriage, and on the 7th March the Regiment took part in the parade of the Metropolitan Volunteers in Hyde Park, on the arrival of the Princess Alexandra in London. The “Civil Service” were granted the post of honour on the right of the line, on this occasion.

The Regiment again attended the Easter Monday Review at Brighton, and earned golden opinions for itself, receiving, we are told, from Officers of high rank, great commendation for their steadiness at drill.

In this year (three years after their formation) the Volunteers were first thought worthy of an annual Capitation Grant by the Government. £1 was paid for every efficient member who completed three Company and six Battalion Drills.

It has not yet been mentioned that Captain Alexander W. Adair was appointed to the Corps as Adjutant, in May, 1862. Towards the close of this year (1863) he resigned, and with the opening of 1864 we form the acquaintance of one who has left an indelible mark on the history of the Civil Service Rifles. On the 17th March, 1864, Captain Graves C. Swan Lombard (late of the 16th Regiment) was appointed Acting Adjutant, and for the long period of 22 years from this date his name appears at the foot of Regimental Orders.

There is no doubt but that, from his very first appearance in the Corps, Captain (afterwards Major) Lombard ingratiated himself into the goodwill of all its members; and it is little to say, that all who had the pleasure of serving with him will ever have pleasing recollections of his kindly manner, his admirable tact, his quiet but firm discipline. These, with many otherexcellent qualities, combined to make him, in the opinion of all the true model of a Volunteer Adjutant.

One of the first Orders signed by Major Lombard was, however, somewhat unfortunate, containing as it did the following paragraph:—

“The Post Office Companies will proceed to Harrow on Saturday, 24th inst., to join in a Field Day with the Harrow School and other Corps. Each member to provide himself with twenty rounds of ball cartridge.”

It is never too late to acknowledge a mistake, so on the 26th inst. (onlytwodays after the Review was held) the correction comes:

“In the Order of the 17th inst., the words ‘BALLcartridge’ should have been ‘BLANKcartridge.’”

Let us hope the Harrow boys suffered no inconvenience from the error.

The year 1864 is noted for two events of importance. The first was a Review in Hyde Park, when the “Civil Service” formed part of a brigade under the command of the Prince of Wales. The second was an Inspection of the Regiment by the Prince on the 15th June, at Somerset House. A letter from the Prince to Lord Bury was afterwards published in Orders, in which His Royal Highness stated that both he and the Princess, who accompanied him, were much gratified by the Inspection.

The events of one year are now found to be so much like those of another that it is unnecessary to follow each year in detail. We will, therefore, only refer to the prominent features which mark from this time the history of the Corps.

A few words about the shooting of the period. “H” Company appears to have been the best shooting Company at this time, whilst “C” Company stood by far the lowest in the list of marksmen. Private E. Plasket was evidently the “crack” shot of the Regiment. Lord Bury’s name also figures well in Regimental Competitions. In 1865 he headed the 3rd class scores with 72 out of a possible 80—a score which even in these days of Martinis would be treated with great respect.

In 1865, Members of the Regiment for the first time filled the post of Major, the two senior Captains, Hawker and Du Plat Taylor, being promoted.

An important event in the history of the Corps occurred in 1866, in the formation of a new Company, composed of members of the Clerical Establishment of the Bank of England. The Bank had as yet taken no active part in the Volunteer movement; but the Directors, following the traditions of their predecessors of the last century, were very favourably inclined towards it. It was with little difficulty, therefore, that Mr. Kingsmill, to whose energy the formation of the Company was principally due, succeeded in recruiting a sufficiently large contingent to make them an acceptable acquisition to any leading Metropolitan Corps.

An attempt was made to draw them into the ranks of the London Rifle Brigade. Although not servants of the Crown, however, it was felt that there were bonds of affinity which drew them closer to the Civil Service than to any other Corps. Lord Bury’s sanction was readily obtained, and in July, 1866, they joined, 140 strong, under the command of one of the Directors of the Bank—Captain J. P. Currie.

To make room for the new Company, the 1st Whitehall, or F Company, which was then in a weak state, was amalgamated with the 2nd Whitehall, or G Company, and the Bank took rank after the Admiralty as the K Company.

In the Orders of 1866 we find the first notice of a Regimental Camp, to be held at the Wimbledon Meeting. These were the days when Wimbledon was theonlycamp—a huge Volunteer “picnic,” suggestive of camp bonfires and unlimited festivity. It was certainly the first experience which the Regiment appears to have had in camp life. In the Order giving details, one of the most prominent paragraphs recommends members to bringsheetsand acorkscrew!

In April, 1868, Major Du Plat Taylor resigned. Major Du Plat Taylor had from the first been one of the most prominent and energetic officers of the Corps. He had a strong desire, which he expressed in a circular issued in 1864, to raise a third Company in the Post Office, and then to form a separate battalion under his own command. Although not successful in this very questionable scheme, he now resigned in order to take command of a new corps (the 49th, now the 24th Middlesex), raised from the Sorters and Letter Carriers of the Post Office. His success at the head of this regiment is well known.

The vacancy caused by this promotion was filled by the promotion of Captain Currie, of the Bank of England, to be Major.

The next events of importance occur in the year 1871. This was a period of some military excitement, caused by the Franco-German War. The old Enfield rifle was called in, and the Snider breechloader issued to Volunteers.

Schools of Instruction for Volunteer Officers were instituted by the Army authorities. These supplied a want that had been much felt, as much by the “Civil Service” as by other Corps; for although the more energetic Officers occasionally obtained permission to be attached to a Regiment of Regulars for a short period, the instruction thus obtained does not appear to have been very thorough.

Indeed, the blunders of Commanding Officers, eccentric words of command, and suchlike, form the staple commodity of the “Volunteer” humour of the period. It is related that on one occasion, when the “Civil Service” were marching down Fleet Street, a Field Officer, rushing to the front, delivered himself of the following: “Battalion—FOURS RIGHT. No, I meanFOURS LEFT. No—er—er—. D——n it.Turn up Fetter Lane.”

Lord Bury was the first Officer of the Corps to take advantage of the new institution, and in 1871 he attended the School at Chelsea Barracks, and obtained the “pass” certificate. Since that time it has been the rule for all Officers to pass the School as soon as possible after receiving a commission.

In this year (1871) Major Hawker resigned. On his resignation he was entertained by the Regiment at a dinner given in his honour at St. James’s Hall; and, in a special Regimental Order issued for the occasion, he was thanked by Lord Bury for the services which he had rendered the Corps. His vacancy was filled by the promotion of Captain Mills.

We now approach a period when a greater variety was displayed in the annual military programme of the Corps. Camps of Instruction were instituted—the first in 1873. Detachments from the Corps attended the Autumn Manœuvres of the Army and the Aldershot Summer Drills; but to these matters we will refer more fully in a subsequent chapter.

In 1875 a new Corps (one of the last formed in Middlesex) was raised from the porters and subordinate establishment of the Bank of England. After the disbandment of the Bank Volunteers in 1814, the Directors still considered it advisable to train a certain number of theiremployésto the use of arms,to be employed, if necessary, for the defence of the Bank. Their porters and messengers were specially selected with a view to this purpose, and arms and uniform were provided by the Bank. The year 1875 found them a rather antiquated body of men, armed with the Brown Bess musket, with which weapon they made an annual excursion to the butts, and underwent their sole military exercise, at great peril to themselves and to the surrounding neighbourhood.

At this period, efforts were made to bring them within the scope of the Volunteer Regulations. The only difficulty in the way was the requirement of the Directors to employ them solely for the defence of the Bank property. After some demur, however, the Government consented to admit them, and they were enrolled as the 50th Middlesex—afterwards changed to the 25th.

The Corps consisted of one Company only, about 100 strong, under the command of Captain Gray, Chief Accountant of the Bank. They chose for their uniform the dark-green and busby of the Rifle Brigade, and were attached for drill purposes to the “Civil Service” Corps.

In 1876 a Regimental Dramatic Society was inaugurated with greatéclat. Although the Corps was unable to boast of such noted names as were seen on the programme of its performance of 1861, yet there was found to be an abundance of dramatic talent in its ranks. Moreover, some of the celebrities referred to gladly gave their services to their old Corps. Mr. W. S. Gilbert personally superintended the rehearsals for the production of one of his own plays, “On Guard,” which was selected for the opening performance; and the veteran Mr. Tom Taylor contributed a Prologue for the occasion.

For several years the Club continued to give excellent performances in St. George’s Hall, and with the funds thus obtained gratuitous entertainments were provided at the various Camps.

Aldershot, Wimbledon, and the Camps of Instruction owe many a jovial evening to the efforts of the Dramatic Club. There came a time, however, when the support given by the general body of the Corps began to fall off, and it was necessary to discontinue the performances. Let us hope that it will not be long before the dramatic spirit again revives in the ranks.

In 1879 Major Currie resigned. The Regiment had benefited much by Major Currie’s services. Lord Bury having suffered from bad health about this period, Major Currie for some time carried out the duties of Commanding Officer, and earned forhimself much popularity in the Corps. His post was filled by the promotion of a brother Director of the Bank, Captain A. G. Sandeman, of K Company.

Mention should not be omitted of the fact that at this period (1878-80) the Corps had the gratification of seeing its Commanding Officer (Lord Bury) occupying the post of Under Secretary of State for War. In this capacity he presided over a Committee appointed by Government to investigate and report on the requirements of the Volunteer Force. There is no doubt that the more generous treatment which the Force has received from Government of late years is owing in a great degree to the Report of this Committee.

In 1880 a scheme for re-numbering the Middlesex Corps was adopted by the War Office. Many of the Corps formed in 1860 had become defunct or had been amalgamated with others. The “Civil Service,” from the 21st, thus became the 12th Middlesex. A few years later, when the territorial system was arranged, they were classified as the 5th Volunteer Battalion of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, but this title has not yet been adopted.

In 1881 the Volunteer Force celebrated its coming of age, and Her Majesty marked the event by reviewing her “citizen soldiers.” The English Volunteers mustered in Windsor Great Park, on the 9th July, 1881, and marched past their Sovereign. A few weeks later the Queen proceeded to Scotland, and reviewed the Scottish Corps at Edinburgh.

The “Civil Service” decided to celebrate their arrival at maturity by a grand dinner of past and present members. The Prince of Wales graciously consented to preside on the occasion, and this necessitated delaying the festival until the following year. The dinner was ultimately held at Willis’s Rooms, on the 1st March, 1882. The demands for admission were many times in excess of the space available, and the process of balloting for tickets was resorted to in the case of past members.

A distinguished company of guests were invited to meet the Prince, who, as Chairman, made several speeches, in the course of which he warmly complimented the regiment, and expressed his wish to meet it at the Portsmouth Review the following Easter. This wish was carried out. The Prince was present at Portsmouth for some days, and appeared in public on each occasion in his uniform as Colonel of the Civil Service Corps.At the march past, on the day of the Review, he took command of the battalion, and marched past at its head.

Her Majesty further complimented the Volunteer Force in this year, by appointing, for the first time, certain of its commanding officers Aides-de-Camp to the Queen. Lord Bury was one of the six selected for this honour.

In 1884 Major Sandeman resigned, and the Honourable Arnold Keppel, the eldest son of Lord Bury, formerly of the Scots Guards, was appointed junior Major.

In 1885 the Snider Rifles were called in and Martinis issued to Volunteer Corps. For a few years before this, a limited number of Martinis had been lent to each corps for the use of men who shot for the Queen’s Prize at Wimbledon. (The rifles of the “Civil Service” were again changed in 1890 for Martinis of a later pattern, with which the sword-bayonet was issued in lieu of the bayonet of the old type.)

In 1886 Major Lombard retired from the post of Adjutant, having served to the full limit of age allowed by the War Office Regulations in force on his appointment. The Corps now came under the operation of the rule at present in force, by which an officer on the Active List of the Army is appointed for five years only, when he returns to his regiment. Under this rule Captain A. G. S. Beadnell, of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, was appointed,viceMajor Lombard.

The Volunteer “events” which marked the Jubilee Year of 1887 will ever make it memorable to those who took part in them. The Civil Service Corps were fully represented at each of these—The Royal Procession to the Abbey; the March Past the Queen at Buckingham Palace, when the Corps had the honour of being led by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales; and last, but not least, the gigantic Military Review at Aldershot. On the last-mentioned occasion, in order to parade at the early hour of four in the morning, the detachment was billeted for the previous night at Somerset House.

No history of the Corps could be accepted as complete which omitted an account of the Wimbledon Ranges; for it is around them that, with many of us, the pleasantest memories of volunteering life will cling—some of its sweetest triumphs, and also, perhaps, some of its keenest disappointments.Herewe have endeavoured to learn, with more or less success, how to bear the pride of victory, as well as the sting of defeat, with that impassive demeanour which is held to become the well-bred Briton.

Then, too, are they not the more interesting because they are, in themselves,gloriousranges? Not, perhaps, with regard to their adaptability to good shooting. They have a fish-tail wind that is trying, and a semaphore that is—worse. But the grand view! Across the wide common, with its gorse, heather, and fern, its quiet dells, its shady copses, and its broad, open, wind-swept plateaux, to the beautiful glades of Richmond Park, and far, far away to the distant Surrey Hills. Then, the pure, bracing breeze, coming as it does just over the top of Leith Hill, straight from the sea, giving more health and vigour in one short afternoon than any doctor’s tonic taken for a month.

Every landmark around has been familiar to us for years, and most are associated with some incident which renders them attractive. Here, for instance, is the spot where we fired our first shot as a recruit. (We have never fired at that ridiculous distance since.) How well do we remember that awful event! How we screwed up our courage to the sticking-point, firmly resolved to “let off” that dread weapon; but in our own mind the immediate future was full of vague uncertainty. With what feelings of utter indifference we received the sergeant’s congratulations that we had hit the target. It had gone off! We were alive and well, and the world moved on as before! There was no room in our mind for anything else.

Well, well! That intense feeling of respect for a loaded rifle very soon wore off. Let us return to the sober facts of history.

The Wimbledon Ranges have been used by the “Civil Service” from the very commencement of the Corps. The Sub-Committee appointed by the Council in 1860 to seek for a Range were not long in discovering Wimbledon. The Ranges were then in thepossession of the 11th Surrey Volunteers, who rented them from the Lord of the Manor, Earl Spencer, for the sum of one shilling yearly. They agreed to allow the “Civil Service” to share the shooting accommodation, on the understanding that the latter paid three-fourths of the cost of the erection of the Butts.

One feels compelled to remark that the Regimental authorities have never been very happy in their management of matters connected with these ranges. Affairs were commenced with a lawsuit, brought by the contractor who erected the Butts, and the Corps lost the day.

In 1861 the London Scottish, who had opened adjoining ranges, proposed to build a Shooting House. They invited the “Civil Service” to join them in the undertaking, and to become joint owners. The Council, however, did not consider it advisable to do so, but preferred to pay a yearly rent for a share in the tenancy. In 1864 the Council again refused an offer to become joint owners, and the result has been that the Corps has paid in annual rent considerably more than would have sufficed to build the house, enjoying meanwhile comparatively poor accommodation, and having no voice in its management.

Matters were considerably disturbed in 1871 by the passing of the Wimbledon Commons Act, and by the appointment of Conservators to protect the interests of the Common-holders. The Act went so far as to recognise the established privileges of the Volunteers in using the Ranges, although shooting was henceforth restricted to certain days of the week, and to certain hours of the day. But ever since then the Conservators of the Common, with their restrictions, protests, and objections, have been a thorn in the side of the Regimental Range Committee.

In 1880 a lawsuit was commenced by the tenant of the land bordering the Common near the Range, on the ground that injury was caused by bullets falling on his land. The action was brought against the “Civil Service” only, but had for its object the closing of the whole of the Ranges in this corner of the Common. After being protracted over a period of several years, the action resulted in the closing of the 1st class targets, and the substitution of wooden or canvas targets, instead of iron, at the 2nd class range.

With this concession the Corps may be said to have established its title to the use of the Ranges. The War Office have lately instituted more than one careful inspection, and have decided that they are “safe,” so that it may be hoped that the Corps will continue to enjoy possession for many years to come.

A noteworthy object on the Wimbledon Range is the flagstaff. This is 153 feet high, and has the reputation of being the tallestflagstaff in England of one piece only. It is known as the “Douglas Pine,” and is the product of Vancouver’s Island. It was presented to the London Scottish in 1872 by an old member of the Corps, who had settled on that island and felled it on his own land. The recruit is usually informed that it took two ships to bring it over; the explanation that one ship brought it to Liverpool and the other to London being reserved.

It will be noticed that the little stick in question is protected by a somewhat formidable lightning-conductor, its predecessor having been destroyed by lightning one afternoon whilst shooting was going on at the Range.

We must not quit Wimbledon without a passing comment on the Wimbledon Camp.

The “Civil Service” was among the earliest of the Metropolitan Corps which formed its own private camp at the great rifle meeting, and from 1864 to 1885 the dark blue flag with its Prince of Wales’s Feathers was always to be seen flying in its own peculiar corner of the enclosure. This unbroken record of nearly a quarter of a century was not obtained, however, without some trouble. In the early days, when camping out was a novelty, and Wimbledon afforded the only means of enjoying that novelty, there was little difficulty in ensuring a good attendance; but, with the rise of Camps of Instruction and the Aldershot Camps, applications for the Wimbledon tents, with their somewhat heavy fees, began to fall off. For many years it was kept up merely by the efforts of a small band of enthusiasts, to whom the Wimbledon “picnic,” with its jovial round of holiday mirth, had a peculiar charm. The support of the general body of the Corps fell off to such a marked extent that in 1886, four years before the National Rifle Association removed to Bisley, the Camp was discontinued.

To pass from Wimbledon and to remark briefly on the shooting records of the Regiment is an easy digression.

The “Civil Service” has never yet had the good luck to provide the winner of the Queen’s Prize, and this fact is sometimes thrust forward by the thoughtless to detract from its merits as a “good shooting Corps.” A simple computation will show that, with 200,000 Volunteers to shoot for it, a Corps of 600 strong will have done its duty if it wins the prize once in 333 years! But members of the Corps have on more than one occasion run the winner very hard. Lord Bury himself was second for the prize in 1861.

Others who have been within measurable distance are: PrivateW. A. Impey (Audit Office) in 1869, Lieutenant J. Mitford (Post Office) in 1875, and Sergeant W. W. Akhurst (Post Office) in 1885.

Wimbledon honours have also been earned for the Corps by Sergeant J. P. Wright (Bank of England), winner of the Grand Aggregate in 1874; Captain H. W. E. Jeston (National Debt Office), winner of the N.R.A. Challenge Cup in 1869; and teams who have on various occasions won the Mappin Challenge Cup for running and shooting.

Nor can we in the present year (1891) admit that the shooting of the Corps shows any sign of declining. In the War Office Returns for the last two years it stood first of the Metropolitan Corps, and second in the Home District. The Regimental Team rejoice in an almost unbroken series of victories in the numerous matches it has shot in the same period; whilst Private Rothon, Corporal Matthews, and Corporal Clunan well maintained the credit of the Corps at the first meeting of the National Rifle Association on Bisley Common. In addition to this, in Private Rothon the Corps has the winner of the Champion Badge of Middlesex for 1890, and, having been chosen to shoot in the English “twenty,” he made the highest score in the International Match of 1891.

A few words about Aldershot.

The Aldershot Summer Drills appear to have been instituted when the Autumn Manœuvres, held in 1872-3, were discontinued. The “Civil Service” first sent a detachment to Aldershot in 1875, and from that date, with but few exceptions, they have annually sent a Company. This Company has been almost always attached to the Provisional Battalion commanded by Colonel Du Plat Taylor, of the Post Office Volunteers. Of all the efforts taken to instil a military training into the Volunteer none perhaps have had so great an effect as the “Aldershot Week.” The complete change of life experienced by thus suddenly adopting the soldier’s daily routine and hard fare, the living with and fraternising with soldiers, the feeling that you are for the time being actually paid as a soldier, that you are watched by military police lest you should desert, that the Mutiny Act has been read over you, which says that if you disobey your officer you shall be shot—all this is calculated to make the most light-hearted Volunteer feel that he is in earnest at last. He enters into the spirit of the work, enjoys the novelty of the situation—knowing that it won’t last long—and generally comes home, grimy, sunburnt, and, in his own eyes at least, a soldier to the backbone. The stamp it puts on a man is never effaced. To say “he is an Aldershot-man” means that he is entitled to considerable respect as a good Volunteer.

Aldershot may have been instrumental in giving us a leaven of good soldiers, but nothing has had so great an effect in changing the conditions of our Volunteer life as the Camps of Instruction. As the greater part of Battalion drills are now done in Camp, it is hardly possible for a member, as was the case in old days, to make himself efficient by toddling round the quadrangle at Somerset House; and this change has almost banished from the ranks the individual generally described as the “old-fashioned Volunteer.”

The first Regimental Camp of Instruction was pitched on Wimbledon Common on the 12th May, 1873. It lasted three days only, a longer time being forbidden by the provisions of the Wimbledon Commons Act. The weather was very cold, with occasional snow. The nightly attendance averaged about 100.

In the following year, 1874, Major Currie lent a field at Esher for the purpose. This Camp lasted six days, and was memorable for being the scene of one of those foolish escapades—a night attack, delivered with great spirit by a local corps, and repulsed with equal ardour by the “Civil Service.” In the present day, with increased knowledge of military tactics, Volunteer officers recognise the absurdity of such attacks.

In 1875, the Camp was pitched in a portion of Wimbledon Park known as the Leg of Mutton Field, Southfields. Here also it was located in 1876 and 1877. In the following year, 1878, a very enjoyable Camp was held in Sandown Park, Esher.

1879 will be for ever memorable, to those who took part in it, as the year of themudCamp, held in a small field, or rather swamp, attached to an empty house near Putney Heath.

Finally, in 1880, was discovered that very acme of positions—a spot suited above all others for an encampment of Metropolitan Volunteers—the Old Deer Park at Richmond.

Here the Corps has encamped every year since,3and, indeed, it would be difficult to find a more advantageous camping-ground. Interesting in its associations as one of the oldest Royal Parks in England, originally attached to Richmond Palace, it gives for drill purposes an extensive area of slightly undulating parkland, ornamented with picturesque groups of trees, among which are some patriarchs so venerable as to make one imaginethat they might have looked down upon the grand tournaments held on that spot by the Tudor Kings.

3Up till 1898, but not since.

Long may it be before any over-zealous War Office official shall reform the Richmond Camp of Instruction out of existence. Let us hope that for many a future generation the Civil Service Recruit may do his lonely midnight sentry-go, in the quiet seclusion of the Old Deer Park, with no greater peril to encounter than the ghost of a Maid of Honour!

About the year 1888 a considerable decline in the recruiting power of the Regiment became apparent, owing chiefly to the reduction of the establishments of many Government Offices in consequence of the lengthening of the official day to seven hours. There were no new entrants into the Service, and consequently no material for recruiting.

By many, however, the cause was ascribed to the unattractive uniform. This idea gained ground, and Lord Bury allowed the opinion of the whole Regiment to be taken on the matter.

This was not the first time that the members of the Regiment had been canvassed with regard to a change of uniform. In 1862 a proposal was raised in favour ofscarlet; and again, in 1881, when Lord Bury wished his Corps to take the lead in adopting a recommendation of the War Office Committee, of which he was Chairman, and change to a uniform similar to “regulars”; but on both of these occasions a large majority of the members were found to be thoroughly conservative. The helmet had been adopted in lieu of the Shako in 1881, but, with this exception, the uniform remained as it had been fixed in 1863.

Other views now prevailed, and out of 300 who answered the circular addressed to them, and who expressed any opinion at all in the matter, 220 were in favour of a change. After a considerable time had been taken in arriving at a decision, it was resolved to discard the dark grey for a very light grey, retaining the Royal blue facings and the black belts of the old uniform.

The sanction of the Honorary Colonel and of the War Office having been obtained, the change was carried out at the commencement of 1890. Taking advantage of a grant from the Volunteer Equipment Fund raised by the Lord Mayor (Sir James Whitehead), the Corps at the same time furnished itself with greatcoats and the full equipment considered necessary by the War Office; so that at the Inspection of this year the Regiment paraded in its new uniform, and, for the first time, fully equipped.

The Inspection of 1890 was also remarkable for another event of importance. For some time past Lord Bury had beenannouncing his intention of shortly resigning the command of the Corps, which he had now held for thirty years.

A few months before, the officers of the Corps, foreseeing the coming resignation, had presented Lady Bury with an oil painting of his Lordship, in the uniform of the C.S.R.V. The portrait, by a rising young artist of the day, had been exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery, and had been very favourably noticed.

At the close of the Inspection referred to (held in the Camp in the Old Deer Park, Richmond) Lord Bury, in a few earnest words, regretfully bade farewell to the Regiment in which he had spent so large a period of his life, and with which he expressed a hope that his family would henceforward be always connected. He then formally handed over the command to his successor, Major and Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel Mills; and, with an outburst of hearty cheering in his honour, the Civil Service Corps took leave of its first Commanding Officer.

On the resignation of Lord Bury, and the appointment of Lieutenant-Colonel Mills to the command of the Regiment, Captain and Honorary Major J. J. Cardin, of the Post Office, was promoted to the post of Major; and it is doubtful if in the whole history of the Corps can be recorded any more popular promotions than these two.

There remains now but one more event to chronicle in order to bring this brief category to a close, viz., the building of a Regimental Headquarters. Ever since its formation the only apology for a Headquarters which the Corps possessed consisted of a single room, kindly lent by the authorities of the Exchequer and Audit Department, in which the business of the Regimental Staff was conducted. It had been felt for some time that the satisfactory condition of the Corps justified an effort being made to provide its members with similar accommodation to that possessed by most of the London Corps. The chief difficulty was that of obtaining a favourable site at an outlay within reasonable limits. This difficulty was at length overcome mainly by the exertions of Colonel Mills, through whose agency the Government were induced to lend, under very favourable conditions, a piece of ground between the two west wings of Somerset House, approached from the Embankment by what was originally the West Watergate.

It was estimated that a building suitable for the purpose could be erected on this site for about £3,000. At a meeting ofofficers, at which Lord Bury presided, held at the Audit Office on 19th February, 1890, it was decided to attempt to raise this sum by an appeal for subscriptions addressed principally to the upper ranks of the Civil Service. H.R.H. the Prince of Wales was graciously pleased to head the list with a donation of one hundred guineas. The Governor and Directors of the Bank of England subscribed a like sum, and within a few months Colonel Mills had personally collected £1,300 from the ministerial and permanent heads of Departments and others of high rank in the Government Offices.

In 1892 the Headquarters Building was formally opened. The Prince of Wales, as Honorary Colonel, had announced his intention of performing the ceremony, but was prevented by the lamentable death of the Duke of Clarence which occurred in January, and the duty was carried out by H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught. The event was followed by a succession of “At Homes,” dances, and other festivities to give the Regiment a house warming in its new home.

The home itself was much appreciated, and at once began to have a marked effect on the popularity and, consequently, upon the strength and efficiency of the corps. It had, moreover, the great merit of having been provided free of all future debt; for it had been the firm principle of Colonel Mills, to whose efforts the building was due, that not a brick should be laid until the whole of the money required for building and furnishing had been deposited in his hands.

Many London Regiments had built themselves fine Headquarters about this time, but in doing so had left themselves with the burden of a debt which sadly crippled them for many years. It was not indeed until the buildings were handed over to the War Office on the formation of the Territorial Force that many Commanding Officers were relieved of heavy financial embarrassments on this account.

Colonel Mills having successfully carried out the final task he had set himself, now retired after thirty-three years of arduous service. He was then the only member left in the corps who had served in it from its commencement. In the following year he became Comptroller and Auditor-General, and received the honour of knighthood.

Major Viscount Bury4succeeded to the Command, and the vacant post of Field Officer was filled by the promotion of Major H. B. H. Tytheridge.

4In 1891 the 6th Earl of Albemarle died. He was a Waterloo veteran. By his death the first Commanding Officer succeeded to the earldom, and gave his name to the Hon. Arnold Keppel.

The Regiment now entered upon an era of rising strength and vigorous efficiency. Officers keen to learn found in Captain Barton an Adjutant who was as keen to teach. Parties on outpost work, road sketching, military topography, etc., were soon to be found ranging the outskirts of London and of any other place where the Civil Service were encamped, and the result was seen in after years, when the Army List recorded a far higher list of qualifications in “extra subjects” to the officers of the Corps than to any other in the country.

Recruiting flourished, until in 1896 the Corps attained its full strength of 800, and returns were only kept within authorised limits by ruthlessly striking off would-be non-efficients.

In 1894 the Earl of Albemarle, the Regiment’s first Commanding Officer, died, and Colonel Viscount Bury succeeded to the title.

The Corps attended the Easter manœuvres at Windsor in this year, when its Commanding Officer secured for it the much appreciated privilege of being quartered at Eton College.

In July, 1894, Lieutenant-Colonel Cardin (Senior Major) resigned after a period of thirty-four years’ service in the Corps. The vacant post was filled by the promotion of Captain and Honorary Major J. Mitford.

On the 25th May, 1895, the Prince of Wales held an inspection of the Regiment at Chelsea Barracks. The parade strength was 719 Civil Service, and 93 Bank of England (25th Middlesex). The Prince, who wore the new light grey uniform of the Corps, presented the first issue of the Long Service Medal to 40 officers and men. The Officers’ Volunteer Decoration had been bestowed in 1892 on 17 officers (retired and serving) of the Corps, with the Prince’s own name heading the list.

The shooting of the Regiment was much restricted this year by the closing of all but the short (300 yards) range at Wimbledon, owing to the efforts of the Conservators of the Common, who alleged danger to the public.

It was not until 1898, that by the opening of the ranges at Runemede, the Regiment was again able to fire the full musketry course, and the Wimbledon ranges were finally abandoned.

In 1896 Captain G. Lamb, Leinster Regiment, was appointed Adjutant in the place of Captain Barton, whose time having expired, returned to his regiment. It was with great regret that the Civil Service parted with this officer.

1897 was the year of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Unlike the Jubilee of 1887, when the Metropolitan Volunteers turned out in their full strength to line the route, battalions were now restricted to two companies of 25 file each. The Civil Service Companies were commanded by the two senior captains, Major Miall and Captain Merrick.

At the great Royal Naval Review at Spithead, the “H” (Admiralty) Company under Captain Danter had the unique experience of providing a Guard of Honour in the battleshipEmpress of India; perhaps the only occasion on which the Volunteer Force was represented in a Naval Review.

In this year the Regimental Signalling Party, who for some time had never failed to secure a high place in the list of those presenting themselves for official examination, now passed first in the Kingdom.

In February, 1898, the Prince of Wales honoured the officers by attending a Mess Dinner held at the Whitehall Rooms. Responding to the toast of his health, the Prince complimented Lord Albemarle on the efficiency of the Regiment, and spoke warmly of the pleasure it gave him to remember how long he had been its Honorary Colonel—the oldest Colonel, he thought, in the Volunteer Force. It was announced shortly afterwards that the Regiment was to be called “The Prince of Wales’s Own.”

Facilities were now being given for Volunteers to do as much training as possible with regular troops, and the Civil Service took advantage of this during the Easter period. In 1898 a strong detachment were quartered at the Albuhera Barracks, Aldershot, and in 1899 the whole Battalion were accommodated at the Inkerman Barracks, Woking, with the 2nd East Surrey Regiment. In reporting on outpost operations carried out on the latter occasion, the Brigadier said: “The outpost work was good. The placing of picquets, groups and supports left nothing to be desired and reflects great credit on the Company officers.”

An admirable test of the state of efficiency at which the Volunteer Force had now arrived was afforded this year by the Royal Review of Metropolitan Volunteers on the Horse Guards Parade, held to commemorate the fortieth year of the Force. Before midday hardly a uniform was to be seen in the streets; but by four in the afternoon 30,000 Volunteers had mustered at their Headquarters, marched to St. James’ Park, and formed up in Brigades. From thence in rapid succession, after a complicatedand trying movement, owing to the awkwardly confined space, they marched past in column of double Companies, debouching from the Park by the gate allotted to them to their respective Headquarters, and by 8.0 p.m. this little army had vanished back to civilian life. The steadiness and precision of movement, the quiet, orderly behaviour, the neat and soldierly appearance of the men made, without doubt, a great impression on authorities and public alike.

It was well that this was so, for before the year had closed the first demand of the country for real service was to be made on the Force. The South African war was straining the powers of our small regular army to its utmost limit, and in December there was a sudden call upon the Volunteers for detachments for voluntary service in South Africa. This call would have been responded to much more readily if the military authorities had not hampered it with many apparently needless restrictions. The City Imperial Volunteers raised by the Lord Mayor was the only body allowed to retain its identity as a Volunteer unit. It was to this force, therefore, that London volunteers pressed forward, and for the small quota which the Civil Service were asked to supply, three or four times the number at once presented themselves for medical inspection.

The Regiment had the pleasure of seeing its Commanding Officer, the Earl of Albemarle, chosen for the command of the infantry battalion; but although several other officers volunteered their services these posts were almost entirely reserved for members of the City Corps.

The history of the City Imperial Volunteers has been recounted at length elsewhere. Suffice it to say that the Regiment embarked on the 20th January, 1900, and after a period of preliminary training in South Africa, joined the 21st Brigade under General Bruce Hamilton. After continuous marching for about fifty days the Battalion reached Pretoria on the 5th June, and on the 12th June fought in the battle of Diamond Hill.

An interesting impression of the effect they produced on that occasion was furnished in a speech made at a public gathering by an officer commanding a squadron of the Royal Horse Guards present on the field:

“We were drawn up,” he said, “on the flank of the line at the foot of the hill, when word came down to us that the City Imperial Volunteers were advancing to attack. With great interest we watched through our glasses to see how volunteers would act in coming into action. They came over the brow of the hill in excellent formation, pressing forward as steadily as at a review. ‘Why!’ we exclaimed, ‘You can’t tell them from Regulars!’”

So impressed was the speaker that he determined then andthere that if ever he had the chance he would command a battalion of Volunteers.

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