Object: Brassard red wool with GR in black felt, 1914

Category: Objects

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A fine-wool red armband lined with linen displaying the letters GR in black felt. The armband is secured to the rear with a single black metal buckle. It has suffered significant damage, likely to moths, and is threadbare in parts. On the inside is written 151 W.P. Blackman, the last three numbers of the service number and the name of the owner. A search of military records online failed to locate an individual matching these details; further research required.

Armbands, or brassards, such as this were issued to men who joined the Volunteer Training Corps (VTC). They received the nickname Gorgeous Wrecks due to the initials GR on the armband (actually standing for GR, George Rex, or King George the Monarch at the time). The VTC became a vast militia network of ex-soldiers and eager volunteers, often training and equipping themselves at personal expense. The organisation predates the nationalised enlistment of the Derby Scheme.

Image reuse licence agreement: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Object: Brassard red wool with GR in black felt, 1914 the Frontline Ulster Collection