WW1 Bedfordshire Yeomanry Attributed Officer’s Uniform.

WW1 Bedfordshire Yeomanry Attributed Officer’s Uniform.

A very rare near complete uniform worn by Captain Sidney Frank Brown

Comprising:

Floppy Trench style cap. Tailored with regimental bronze OSD cap badge, General service buttons and correct thin brown leather chinstrap. The interior with full cotton lining. Some mothing remains a good display item

1917 pattern shoulder rank cavalry style tunic, complete with Bedfordshire Yeomanry collar badges, and brass buttons Leather to the cuffs). The right cuff with five blue overseas service chevrons and to left breast a 1914/15 Star trio medal ribbon. The interior with full cotton lining and pocket watch pocket. Under the collar provision for buttoning the collar. The tunic appears to be a trench working tunic with period neat repairs. Tunic with moth damage (see photographs) not effecting the overall appearance.

Trousers. These are tailored with turn ups and retain original 1916 tailors label with name. Overall moth peppering.

Issue “Dog Tags” “2 LIEUT BROWN S.F. BEDS YEO”.

Personnel wrist ID engraved “2ND LT S.F. BROWN BEDS YEO (C OF E)”

Trench whistle made from a German bullet, complete with original leather lanyard.

Sam Brown Leather Belt with brace strap and sword frog.

Pistol Lanyard.

In the pocket a Barclays Bank Ampthill paper silver coin bag.

This is a very good grouping which remains as worn and is a good representation of a Circa 1917 British Officer. Despite moth damage remains a good attributed display item.

Captain Sidney Frank Brown was a pre war member of the Bedfordshire Yeomanry serving with the ranks with the Regimental number 281. He landed in France with the Regiment on the 10th June 1915 and was commissioned into the Regiment in September 1916. The MIC gives his address as Manor Farm Dean kimbolton Huntingdon. I can only assume that he gained the rank of Captain towards the end of his career, this tunic has never had Captain rank Stars fitted, another indication this is a working fighting tunic.

The 1st/ 1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry landed

10 June 1915 : landed at Le Havre in France on the 10th June 1915 and two days later came under orders of 9th Cavalry Brigade in 1st Cavalry Division. It remained with the Division until March 1918 when it left to become a cyclist unit and form a machine gun battalion with the Essex Yeomanry, but this did not take place. Remounted and returned briefly to 1st Cavalry Division. Split up, one squadron going to each of the 8th, 15th and 19th Hussars, in April 1918. It remained on the Western Front throughout the war.