Wigan Album

Ron. What regimental badge is displayed in the stonework?.

Ron. Was the drill hall built in the reign of Queen Victoria?. I see that it is the Queen’s crown that is shown.

I would also like to know where this stone is situated would like to see it for real .

It's outside the Army Reserve Centre on Woodhouse Lane - in front of it is a WW2 gun - you can just see the back of it in the left-hand corner of the pic.

DAVID, THANKS FOR THE INFO.

The elements of this display may be seen in their original position in the Album: Item #: 1069

The drill hall was built in 1884 - foundation stone laid in June, and opened in December - by the Earl of Balcarres and Crawford.
Volunteer forces were encouraged to save having a permanent army on the taxes. The 21st Wigan Volunteers was raised in 1854. They became part of the 4th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1860/63 - and became the Manchester Volunteer Battalion in 1888 - so I'd guess the regalia in the carvings relates to the period between those dates - when the corps was the Rifle Volunteers. There was a major overhaul of volunteers in 1908 when the Territorial Force was formed - and the Wigan Battalion became the 1st/ 5th Manchesters... sadly famed for their great sacrifices at Gallipoli - one of Winston Churchill's greatest disasters.

Albert S., The cap badge shown is Light Infantry. The crown appears to be the Queen Victoria crown. I would be interested to know the year the Drill Hall was built, and how the Light Infantry pattern badge was associated with the Wigan Volunteers. I presume the period would be the 1850s - 60s. Were the Volunteers Light Infantry? I have a vague recollection of having seen the original building and the stonework depicted.

Rev.d. Long, -- Many thanks for your info. Your comment had not been published when I submitted my questions. Obviously an inherited cap badge from predecessor "Rifles" regiments.

When I was a young lad I went several times to the drill hall to practice rifle shooting. A neighbour who was a policeman used to take me, his name was Ken Harrison.

Remember going along to a Cat Show held at the Drill Hall in the early 1960s, the show opener and judge was Margot Bryant who played Minnie Caldwell on Coronation Street, the character had a cat named Bobby so probably why she was tasked as being the judge. She was nothing like the character she played though, talking ever so posh and wore a silvery white fur coat with a fluffy collar, we was saying at the time it must have cost a fortune. She looked to be enjoying the attention and most probably was overjoyed with her late life TV stardom. I can't remember the name or breed of the winning cat, though I doubt it would have been an ordinary Tom or Molly.

In 1908 they became the 5th Bn Manchester Regt (Territorial Force). They were only designated 1/5th Manchesters to show they were 1st Line troops at the start of WW1 when they volunteered foe Imperial Service overseas. Wigan subsequently formed two more battalions, the 2/5th which served on the Western Front and the 3/5th which just trained and supplied replacements to the other two battalions. In 1920 the Territorial Force became the Territorial Army.

Rev. David Long. This statement "They became part of the 4th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1860/63". isn't quite correct. As part of the War Office Regulations, Volunteers had to have an Adjutant that had served with the Regular Army. Nathaniel Eckersley, who was the Captain Commandant at the time, spoke to a friend who commanded the 8th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers. The Adjutant was Captain Edward Lovelock, he had served with the Middlesex Regt. The Wigan Volunteers were attached to the 8th (Bury) until 1869. The Wigan Volunteers were then Adminstered by the 4th Adminstrative Battalion located to Eccles. They retained thier title of 21st LRV. Later in the 1870's the names were changed again. They were named the 4th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers. There was a bit of a dingdong about the name at the time. The Lancashire Units wanted the name , "Lancashire Rifles' and submitted the name to the War Office. The Manchester Corps objected and submitted the objection to the War Office. The Lancashire title was upheld.