COMPASS VESTA CASE WITH A DIFFERENCE

[Gil Boyd]

Purchased this yesterday, not because it was a vesta case but because it had a working compass on one side and the initials F.V. 18th Hussars enscribed on the other.
Now the battle starts to track down the owner.
Pieces like this really intrique me, as the owners when this was enscribed and particularly as its solid silver, would have been fairly wealthy, so one has to assume it belonged to an officer. Hopefully with V surname, easy to trace in a small Cavalry Regiment who fought at Balaclava.
I'll keep you updated if I find the original owner,

Information

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[Surpmil]

The date hallmark should help, but is it "F.J." or "F.V." or even "F.I."?

[Gil Boyd]

That is the question...........any enscribers out their or lithograph experts on old characters it would very helpful?
I have asked their Regimental museum for help to identify the perosn if the right initials are followed of course!

[Gil Boyd]

The case was owned by SQUADRON SERGEANT MAJOR 3542 F. STENSON of A Squadron 18th Hussars, formed in 1858 and disbanded in 1902.
SSM Stenson fought predominantly in the Boer War 1899-1902 on return from Africa.
He was discharged on the 18th December 1912 it is not known what Regiment he was in when he did.

Amazing when you ask the right people a question on our British Regimental history what comes back.

[Surpmil]

"S" - now there's one that didn't occur!

What's the date hallmark? A compass for use on the veldt perhaps?

The use of the eszett for "ss" is a rather peculiar affectation, though the "cavalwy" was certainly the place for affectations and those disposed thereto!

Wiki says they were amalgamated with the 13th Hussars in 1922 by the way.

"In the Battle of Talana Hill, on 20 October, part of the regiment was cut off by Boer forces and about 249 officers and men, including Lieutenant Colonel Bernhardt Möller, were taken prisoner"

A connection with the eszett matter perhaps?

[Gil Boyd]

Yes the 18th went on through 1914-18 merging as it went.
It was a local Light Dragoon Officer who gave me his opinion which changed things slightly. He knew that Officers of the Boer War had silver snuff boxes and those that could afford it had matches and cigarettes, normally SNCO's.
Interesting when someone who knew his Regimental history comes along and fills some gaps on etiquette back then.

[Surpmil]

The maker is a silversmiths named Zimmerman.

[Gil Boyd]

The silver stamps tell a tale on their own, I found the Lion and the border means it was made in Birmingham and hope someone on here can read the full date story from the stamps for me.

[Surpmil]

Here and here.

You can see they don't have that Zimmerman mark listed, though it seems to be the most common.

As for the date, it looks like 1900 to me. So, Stenson may have done some act which was felt worthy of a private recognition?

There was a bit of a fuss made about a troop of B Squadron who escaped the trap that Lt. Col. Möller led the rest of them into at Glencoe/Talana Hill. Stenson might have been one of those, but not as a senior NCO presumably as he is not mentioned whereas another is. He might still have been a corporal (or cavalry equivalent) at that point.

In this book Stenson is shown as in B Squadron.

Apparently there was an inquiry and Lt. Col. Möller was "acquitted", but Lord Roberts decided he was not to be given another command after his release. By the time he died in 1918 he had become just "Bernard Moller".

[Gil Boyd]

Surpmill,
Thanks for that. I have tried to copy/print that page of the book where it shows he was wounded on the 8th December 1899. Do you hold the book and can copy me that page so I can try and find out which battle they all appeared to get injured in on that day please. All I could do was enlarge it and take a snapshot on my phone and send it to myself in the normal way