Victorian Rifle Volunteer

The British Rifle Volunteer Movement was a peculiarly Victorian military and social phenomenon that has been almost completely forgotten by subsequent generations.

Formed in 1859 in response to a perceived threat of French invasion the rifle volunteers were an incredibly popular movement that created part-time volunteer militia units to defend the country. The volunteers were originally formed as local units under the authority of the various county lord-lieutenants, but they were gradually brought under central state control. In just two years the movement had a strength of around 160,000 armed men and reached a peak of 280,000 at the turn of the nineteenth century. The movement also spread throughout the British Empire, with units raised by white settlers.

The volunteer movement finally saw action during the second Boer War 1900-02, and provided the regular British Army with individual trained volunteers throughout its history.

The Volunteer movement was largely a middle class phenomenon (members had to pay for their own weapons and uniforms) and they had an important social and political role in their respective communities.

Individual local Rifle corps chose their own officers and uniforms (scarlet, rifle green and militia grey uniforms were all seen). Occasionally photographs of grey uniformed Rifle Volunteers turn up in militaria auctions and publications identified as Confederate soldiers.


THERE is a sound of thunder afar,
Storm in the south that darkens the day,
Storm of battle and thunder of war,
Well, if it do not roll our way.
Form! form! Riflemen form!
Ready, be ready to meet the storm!
Riflemen, riflemen, riflemen form!

Be not deaf to the sound that warns!
Be not gull'd by a despot's plea!
Are figs of thistles or grapes of thorns?
How should a despot set men free?
Form! form! Riflemen form!
Ready, be ready to meet the storm!
Riflemen, riflemen, riflemen form!

Let your Reforms for a moment go,
Look to your butts and make good aims.
Better a rotten borough or so,
Than a rotten fleet or a city of flames!
Form! form! Riflemen form!
Ready, be ready to meet the storm!
Riflemen, riflemen, riflemen form!

Form, be ready to do or die!
Form in freedom's name and the Queen's!
True, that we have a faithful ally,
But only the devil knows what he means!
Form! form! Riflemen form!
Ready, be ready to meet the storm!
Riflemen, riflemen, riflemen form!

[A call for volunteers published in the London Times, May 9, 1859]

Alfred, Lord Tennyson