Before & After Dorking

At the time of the Battle of Dorking the bulk of the regular Army was overseas, serving around and about The Empire.  As such, domestic defence primarily rested on the Royal Navy and various coastal artillery forts. Should an enemy defeat the Royal Navy and then breach the shore defences, any counterattack by the Army would be dependant on the capability and enthusiasm of a somewhat ad-hoc and scratched-together mixed-ability force that comprised of: Army Regulars in Home Service Ballations, perhaps fulfilling ceremonial duties Army Regulars  at UK regimental depots for refitting and retraining while  reinforcing with new, young recruits Army Reserves being former Regulars allocated to county-based Regiments of Militia for administration and annual training  The county-level Yeomanry force of part-time Light Cavalry volunteers who could be called-out at a time of civil crisis The various Rifle Volunteer Corps formed from local civilians who paritpcated in shooting pr...

The representative units of the British regular infantry - the Line Infantry - will be on Home Service and as such occupied with garrison, training or ceremonial duties.    The regulars in the UK were but a small part of the British Army, the vast bulk of which was serving elsewhere around The Empire. To clearly differentiate them from Rifle Volunteers, the regulars will wear the Home Service Helmet. This project is set in 1875 whereas the Home Service Helmet was not formally adopted until 1878 and was not in widespread use until 1879. Before 1879 a shako was worn in non-colonial settings. However, the Home Service Helmet was trialled for several years before being formally adopted, and so - to take advantage of its distinctive appearance - it is assumed that the small number of regular units that will feature in this project are a part of that trial.  By 1875, the Line Infantry were organised into 2 battalions who almost without exception served apart. Each battalion had...

To the disquiet of the War Department, the Rifle Volunteers were raised in 1859 in response to public enthusiasm and a fear of invasion. They were organised into local Corps, usually comprising civilians from a specific location, occupation or profession, with membership ranging from say 50 to 1,000 men. By 1875, if there were numerous small Corps in a locality, they might be overseen by an Administrative Corps. From the outset each Corps chose and paid for its own uniform and voted for its own officers. In addition to the payment of an annual subscription for membership, the Volunteer was expected to purchase a uniform coat, trousers, waist belt, bayonet sheaf, cartouche (cartridge) box and cap. Other purchases might include a knapsack and great coat.    A bayonet, rifle and 60 rounds were provided for free by the War Department.     To some extent the Corps were shooting and social clubs under the umbrella of military training.    While only the even...

The Yeomanry were a volunteer units raised at County level, almost totally at their members’ own expense. Being a mostly light cavalry force (and from 1876 exclusively so) each member was expected to own or otherwise have access to a horse. The Yeomanry Cavalry wore a variety of uniforms, many adopting the style of the regular light cavalry such as Hussars. While uniforms were specific to each County, it is assumed that horse furniture and some personal equipment was as per that of the regular army.  For example, horse furniture for Other Ranks: For more detailed information on the uniforms and equipment of the Victorian regular army, see  www.uniformology.com .

Comprised of part-time volunteers, the West Essex Yeomanry Cavalry was established in 1830, ostensibly to protect the Royal Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Forest and the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock. A demi-battery of light artillery was added in 1851 and its name changed to the West Essex Yeomanry Artillery & Cavalry. In 1871, it reverted to the name that had been used by its Napoleonic forebear, the Essex Yeomanry Cavalry (EYC). In 1876 the government redesignated all Yeomanry units as light cavalry, ordering the removal of all artillery functions, and then in 1877 - when it was in decline at a time of agricultural depression - the residual    cavalry elements of the EYC were disbanded. However, subsequently in 1889 an Essex Troop was established in the Loyal Suffolk Hussars. For wargaming purposes, the EYC deploys as green light cavalry in two units of 6 figures, with 12 figures in total. The finished figures:  An officer of the West Essex Yeomanry Cavalry,...

The 23rd Middlesex Rifle Volunteers Corps was a body of men raised from the legal fraternity of the Inns of Court, Holborn, London. As a wealthier and therefore bigger Corps, for wargaming purposes it is modelled as comprising of two battalion-size units of 12 figures each. As civilians in uniform they are played as untested in combat though they are generally considered to be good shots.  The first unit, with officer and bugler: The second unit, lead by the Sergeant: And examples in close up: The custom Rifle Volunteer casts were modified to remove the cap plume and light infantry badge, replacing with a pompom and a circular badge. The reference image represents 1860 but by 1875 various Volunteer Corps seem to have been wearing a medium height shako, which is reflected in the taller headwear that has been portrayed. Despite the lack of direct evidence, a central pom-pom* has been carried over from the 1860s to the 1870s, as it helps to distinguish the units on the wargaming table...

The 35th (Royal Sussex) were garrisoned in Chichester, just along the coast from Worthing. Nicknamed “The Orange Lillies”, at its formation in 1701 the regiment was given orange facings on its red coats. This colour was decided on because of the Duke of Donegal's earlier connections with King William's House of Orange. The orange distinctions were retained until 1832 when facings of royal blue were adopted. Silver epaulettes and braiding were worn by the officers until gold was adopted in 1830. The regiment is represented by 2 units of 12 models each. With a wargaming scale of 12 figures per notional battalion, that there are two units suggests the regiment is fielding the UK depot battalion and an equivalent emergency scratch unit comprised of whomever else is available.  The 24 minis are assembled from Perry Zulu War plastics using the Home Service Helmet heads.    They are pretty much all assembled ‘as is’, though the bugler/drummer and the runner are conversions. The ...