Officer, 3rd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers, 1895 (c)

Glass negative, William Gregory and Company, London, 1895 (c).

When an invasion scare in 1859 led to a flood of volunteers forming new military units to defend Great Britain, artillery volunteers corps were formed. The 3rd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers were raised in 1861 with headquarters in Kennington Lane. It became the 5th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery on the formation of the Territorial Force in 1908.

This officer wears a full dress uniform and busby. Uniquely the 3rd Middlesex officers wore busby's made from racoon fur, giving them as distinctive appearance. They gained the nickname 'Truro's Tigers' as a result, referring to Lord Truro who was intrumental in setting up the unit.

Behind the subject is a 9 Pounder Rifled Muzzle Loading (RML) field gun, which equipped part of the unit at the time.