The Rifle Volunteers

Dave Dycher has studied the Rifle Volunteers and has kindly shared below some of his research on officers. Starting as the 9th Devonshire Rifle Volunteers the group evolved into the 5th Devonshire Rifle Corps and then became the 5th Volunteer Battalion the Devonshire Regiment. This was its heyday, with a company at both Ashburton and Buckfastleigh - Buckfastleigh became a separate detachment in 1879. It then declined back to a half company with the forming of the Territorial Force in 1908. Ashburton and Buckfastleigh then became a detachment of the Totnes headquartered H Coy, with Richard Bennett Berry being a supernumerary Capt (ie outside the formal establishment) between 1908 and 1912. After this date it was officered out of Totnes.

For a general introduction to the Volunteers, see the Join the club page above.

 


          Ashburton Officers 1859 - 1908
 Throughout the period the Hon Lt Col. was Peter Fabyan Sparke Amery       
1859
Maj -
Hon Maj. -
Captain - Thomas Eales Rogers
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Robert Coard Tucker
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - William Richard Coulton


1860 - 1861
Maj -
Hon Maj. -
Captain - Robert Coard Tucker
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant -
William Richard Coulton
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - Peter Fabyan Sparke Amery


1862
Maj -
Hon Maj. -
Captain -
Robert Coard Tucker
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Peter Fabyan Sparke Amery
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - Robert Michelmore Bovey

1862 - 1871
Maj -
Hon Maj. -
Captain -
Robert Coard Tucker
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Peter Fabyan Sparke Amery
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - John Robert Phillips (becomes sick 1869. Post appears to be vacant 1870 onwards)

1872 - 1875
Maj -
Hon Maj. -
Robert Coard Tucker
Captain -
N/A
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Peter Fabyan Sparke Amery
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - vacant ?

1876
Maj -
Hon Maj. -
Robert Coard Tucker
Captain -

Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Peter Fabyan Sparke Amery
Lieutenant #2 - Roberts
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - vacant ?

1877 -1879
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -
Peter Fabyan Sparke Amery
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - vacant?
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - Edmund Fearnley Tanner

1880
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -
Peter Fabyan Sparke Amery
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Solomon Tozer
Lieutenant #2 - Robert Edward Tucker
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - Solomon Tozer

1881 - 1884
Maj -
Hon Maj. -
Peter Fabyan Sparke Amery
Captain -
N/A
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Solomon Tozer
Lieutenant #2 - Robert Edward Tucker
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - N/A


1885 - 1886
Maj - Peter Fabyan Sparke Amery
Hon Maj. -

Captain -
Solomon Tozer
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Solomon Tozer
Lieutenant #2 - Robert Edward Tucker
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - vacant ?


1887
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -
Solomon Tozer
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant -
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - vacant ?

1888 -1889
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -
Solomon Tozer
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant -
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - Robert Edward Bovey

1890 -1894
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -
Solomon Tozer
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Robert Edward Bovey
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - vacant ?

1895
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -

Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Robert Edward Bovey
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - William Petrie Hamlyn

1896 -1898
Maj -
Hon Maj. -
Robert Edward Tucker
Captain -

Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - William Petrie Hamlyn
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - William Petrie Hamlyn

1899 -1900
Maj -
Hon Maj. -
Robert Edward Tucker
Captain -

Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - William Petrie Hamlyn
Lieutenant #2 - Henry Squire Steele
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - vacant ?

1901 -1902
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -
William Petrie Hamlyn
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant -
Lieutenant #2 - Henry Squire Steele
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - vacant ?

1903
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -
William Petrie Hamlyn
Captain #2 - Henry Squire Steele
Lieutenant -
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - vacant ?

1904
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -

Captain #2 - Henry Squire Steele
Lieutenant -
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - Richard Bennett Berry

1905
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -

Captain #2 -
Lieutenant - Richard Bennett Berry
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - vacant ?

1906 -1907
Maj -
Hon Maj. -

Captain -
Richard Bennett Berry
Captain #2 -
Lieutenant -
Lieutenant #2 -
Ensign/ 2nd Lieut. - vacant ?

1908
Richard Bennett Berry becomes the Supernumerary Captain of the 5th Devons H Coy Ashburton (left half)



Ashburton Officers 1908 - 1914

The company was H Company and the headquarters were at Totnes. They were the 5th (Prince of Wales's) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment.
The Sup. Capt was always from the Ashburton and Buckfastleigh (left half) detachment, and the Capt. (Coy CO), Lieut. and 2nd Lieut(s)  were from the Totnes (right half) detachment.

1908
Sup. Capt - Richard Berry
Capt. (Coy CO) - John Windeatt
Lieut. - George Windeatt
2nd Lieut. - vacant
1909
Sup. Capt - Richard Berry
Capt. (Coy CO) - John Windeatt
Lieut. - George Windeatt
2nd Lieut. - Cedric Collisson
1910
Sup. Capt - Richard Berry
Capt. (Coy CO) - John Windeatt
Lieut. - George Windeatt
2nd Lieut. - Cedric Collisson
2nd Lieut. - William Trevenen
1911
Sup. Capt - Richard Berry
Capt. (Coy CO) - John Windeatt
Lieut. - George Windeatt
2nd Lieut. - Cedric Collisson

1912
Sup. Capt - Richard Berry
Capt. (Coy CO) - John Windeatt
Lieut. - George Windeatt
2nd Lieut. - vacant
1913

Capt. (Coy CO) - John Windeatt
Lieut. - George Windeatt
2nd Lieut. - vacant
1914

Capt. (Coy CO) - John Windeatt
Lieut. - George Windeatt
2nd Lieut. - vacant

Many thanks to Dave Dycher for all the information on this page