National Museum of the Marine Corps - Quantico, VA

The National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC) has been open for some time, but the initial exhibits focused on World War II to Vietnam.  Last night the Museum and the Marine Heritage Foundation hosted a black tie reception to open the doors to the next phase of the museum exhibits, expanding on the history of the Corps from its birth in 1775 through World War I.

Three new galleries will open to the public next week, encompassing around 12,000 square feet of new exhibit space, including 250 new Marine artifacts. The new galleries include the founding of the Corps, the Civil War, global trade expansion in the 19th century, and World War I.  There is also a spectacular exhibit on John Phillip Sousa, and the President’s Own Marine Corps Band.

Several of our US Marine Corps Historical Company interpreters assisted in the black tie opening reception in uniforms representing earlier periods in the history of the Corps.

The new displays and exhibits are incredible. Whether your a Marine, a Corpsman, a military historian, or just a good old American, I urge you to take a trip to Quantico to see them – even if you’ve already been to the museum before these exhibits opened.  It is well worth the journey – Semper Fi!

US Marine Corps Historical Company Uniform Pageant Program

Long View of the NMMC (Literally located off I-95, Triangle, VA

The historical photographic chronicle, Crimean Memories: Artefacts of the Crimean War, photographed by me and written with my co-authors (Michael Vice and B.J. Small), received a 2010 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Silver Award for best reference book.

My most recent novel, The Gettysburg Conspiracy, received a 2010 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Bronze Award for best regional fiction.   In addition, The Gettysburg Conspiracy was selected as a finalist in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award (BOTYA) for historical fiction.

IPPY Awards –         http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1362&urltitle=Announcing%20the%20Results%20of%20the%202010%20Independent%20Publisher%20Book%20Awards

BOYTA Award Finalists –         http://www.bookoftheyearawards.com/finalists/2009/category/fiction-historical/

The Gettysburg Toy Soldier Show Sunday was great fun.  My talk was well attended and no one fell asleep.  I was watching .

Now I’m in full swing preparing for UK Book Tour 1 – 20 May.  Looking forward to a pint and a curry on arrival, which might be a bit dicey at 9:30 AM –  UK time    

Unfortunately my blog may suffer a bit in my travels … but I will be back if I can’t get on the internet over there … I’ll bring back loads of stories and adventures.

My schedule in UK is posted on my web site for my mates in old Blighty. (http://www.willhutchison.com)

Just me at the table

It is always good to be surrounded by like-minded folks.  For me that is especially true if they are historians, and the folks at this meeting are some of the best of the best.  It was last weekend from Thursday through Sunday.  I was able to renew old acquaintances and make new ones.  Mike Vice and I set up a table to talk about our book, “Crimean Memories: Artefacts of the Crimean War,” and that served as an introduction to many of the attendees I might not otherwise have engaged with.  The displays of military artifacts were among the best I’ve seen – all the personal collections of the members.

A room full of history

The accommodations were superb at the Sheraton Hotel – Reston, and the meeting went like clockwork. There was plenty of time to chat about military history with the elite of military historians, who were more than willing to share their knowledge and research.  It was gratifying to discover how many of the members knew of our book, and how many already had a copy.  They were most kind in their praise for the work, which was for us a labor of love.

I would like to take this opportunity to thanks the CMH for an outstanding weekend.

Officer's Coatee of Capt Hervey Tower

The Coldstream Guards landed at Kalamita Bay in the Crimea in September 1854, as part of the Guards Brigade, 1^st Division, English Army of the East.  These were Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s elite personal guards.  In the Crimea the Guards Brigade consisted of the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, and Scots Fusilier Guards.  The Guards’ battle honours include Alma, Inkerman, and the Siege of Sevastopol.

Although they may have modified or discarded uniform parts later, when the Guards Brigade landed, they wore their full parade dress uniform with epaulettes and bearskin cap.  This photograph shows a fine example of a Coldstream Guards’ officer’s coatee, worn during his Crimean service by Captain Hervey Tower, 1st Battalion, 2nd (Coldstream)Regiment of Foot Guards.

The Star of the Order of the Garter, the badge of the Coldstream Guards, can be seen on each side of the Prussian collar.  It is also identified as Coldstream Guards by the sets of two buttons in double rows down the coatee front, thus the 2nd Regiment of Foot Guards.   The 1st (Grenadier) Regiment of Foot Guards buttons are evenly spaced, and the 3rd (Scots Fusilier) Regiment of Foot Guards buttons are in sets of three.  The back of the collar and cuff facings are blue, as were all Guards regiments.  There is a rose and crown in silver on gold on the strap of the epaulettes, designating the rank of Captain.  There was also a difference in the size and shape of the bullion descending from the crescent, depending on the rank.

Close observation shows usage stains on the white lining of the skirts.  In addition, the small slash pockets inside the turn backs can be seen.  These were used to carry such necessary and essential items to a Guards officer as white gloves, or a dance card.

This artifact was photographed courtesy of the Guards Museum, London, UK.

Other Ranks Shako Badge - 19th Regt of Foot

The 19^th Regiment of Foot, nicknamed the Green Howards, landed at Kalamita Bay in the Crimea in September 1854, as part of the Light Division of the English Army of the East.  Their battle honours include Alma, Inkerman, and the Siege of Sevastopol.

The soldiers of most regiments in the British army who landed in the Crimea wore a shako introduced in 1844.  It was said to have been designed in part by Prince Albert, and was not so affectionately known as the Albert Shako.  The 19th Regiment’s Battalion Company enlisted soldiers, called ‘other ranks’, proudly wore the badge in this photograph on the front of their Albert shako.

Its actual size is much smaller than depicted, with the brass circular laurel wreath about 3 inches across and the wreath with crown above it about 4 1/2 inches high.

There were three types of companies in a British line infantry battalion in the Crimea.  Battalion Companies (All other companies than the grenadier company and the light company.) of Regiments of the Line wore this type badge, with their own regimental number.  The Grenadier Company on the right flank would have had a grenade somewhere within the wreath as well as the number.  The Light Company on the left flank would have had a hunting horn within the wreath, as well as the regimental number.

This artifact was photographed courtesy of The Green Howards Museum, Richmond, UK.

Epaulettes of Ensign and Lieutenant Fotheringham - Scots Fusilier Guards

The Scots Fusilier Guards landed at Kalamita Bay in the Crimea in September 1854, as part of the Guards Brigade, 1^st Division, English Army of the East.  These were Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s elite personal guards.  In the Crimea the Guards Brigade consisted of the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, and Scots Fusilier Guards.  The Guards’ battle honours include Alma, Inkerman, and the Siege of Sevastopol.

Although they may have modified or discarded uniform parts later, when the Guards Brigade landed, the officers wore their full dress parade uniform with epaulettes and bearskin cap.  The photograph is of a fine example of Scots Fusilier Guards officer’s epaulettes, worn by Ensign and Lieutenant Fotheringham.

They are identified as Scots Fusilier epaulettes belonging to a subaltern (Lieutenant) by the thistle standing alone on the strap within the crescent.  A Captain would have had the same thistle with a crown on the epaulette, and a field officer would have had a Saint Andrew’s star, with crown above it.  There was also a difference in the size and shape of the bullion descending from the crescent depending on the rank.

Scots Fusilier Guards records indicate that Fotheringham served honourably in the Crimea.  He left active service as a Lieutenant and Captain in 1859.

This artifact was photographed courtesy of the National War Museum, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Officer's Albert Shako 1844 - 55, Grenadier Company, 1st Battalion, 1st (The Royal Scots) Regiment of Foot

The 1^st Regiment of Foot, commonly known as The Royal Regiment or The Royal Scots, landed at Kalamita Bay in the Crimea in September 1854, as part of the 3^rd Division, English Army of the East.  Their battle honours include Alma, Inkerman, and the Siege of Sevastopol.

This photograph shows an excellent example of the officer’s Albert Shako, which was authorized in December 1843, and began appearing in the ranks in 1844.  It became regulation headgear with the publishing of the 1846 Uniform Regulations, and was replaced by a more stylish, sloping-forward shako in 1855.

The gilt chain chinstrap and shako badge denote an officer’s cap, while the white ball tuft and grenade within the shako badge indicate the Grenadier Company, on the right flank of the regiment.  The Grenadier Company led the way in an attack, and often functioned as skirmishers for the regiment, operating with the Light Company (A hunting horn in the badge and a green ball tuft) on the left flank.

The shako badge is a gilt eight-pointed star with battle honours on the star’s rays.  In the center of the badge is a laurel wreath surmounted by a crown.  Below the wreath is a scroll with the word “Peninsula,” and below that a Sphinx over the word “Egypt.”  Within the wreath is a grenade with “1” on the ball, circled with the words “Royal Regiment.”

The shako is black beaver.  Regulations specify it will be six and three quarters inches high.  The actual height measurement of this shako is six and seven eighths inches.  Perhaps it stretched a bit over the years or it was merely made that way for the officer, who would have contracted for its manufacture and paid from his own pocket.  It is correctly a quarter inch less in diameter at the top than at the bottom.  There is a two and three eighths inches wide front peak, and an inch and a quarter wide peak at the rear.  The gilt chin chain is fastened at the sides with rose-pattern ornaments.

This artifact was photographed courtesy of The Royal Scots Museum, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland.