Leather holster for revolver and belt : Trooper S Duffell, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles Contingent

Brown natural leather holster for revolver with folding flap. The flap is secured by a circular brass button and leather flap which is broken. A rectangular shaped leather loop is sewn into the inside of the holster for attachment to a belt. The atacched belt is made from a brown natural leather and a brass buckle. On the rear outside facing surface of the belt is hand stitched 'S.D'.

This holster and belt are associated with the service of Sidney Duffell. Duffell was born in September 1880 in Staffordshire England to Samuel and Emma Duffell (nee Sharp). He enlisted in the Victorian Mounted Rifles (VMR) as a private and was allocated the service number 1435. Duffell served in the South Africa approximately 18 months with the 5th Contingent of the VMR.

The 5th Contingent of the VMR departed Melbourne on 15th February 1901. It consisted of 46 officers, 971 other ranks with 1,099 horses. The VMR fought in several significant actions against the Boers such as Rhenoster Kop, Klippan, Kornfontein, Drivelfontein, Wilmansrust, Kambuladraai, H'Lobane, Luchiel's Nek, Loch's Kraal, Vryheid, Onverwacht, Johnston Hoek and the one sided Boer victory at Wilmansrust on 12 June 1901. The VMR suffered the highest losses of all Australian based forces sent to the South African (Boer) War with six officers and forty-eight other ranks killed in action or dying of wounds or illness during their time in South Africa.

This holster and belt were acquired by Sidney and used in South Africa during his time there with the VMR. This particular holster and belt are not military issue but are a private purchase from a civilian source. The use of non-issued military equipment is still common in today's forces. There are several reasons why this may occur such as when the issued equipment is either lacking in supply, in 'style' or considered inferior to the privately purchased product. The type of revolver carried in this holster is likely to have been a .32 calibre weapon due to the relatively small size of the holster.

After Duffell's return to Australia he served as a Police Constable in Victoria with the Police service number 5036. On 30 September 1911 he married Ethan Bowman (born 14 November 1883 in Glasgow Scotland) in Victoria. Sidney Duffell died aged 88 on 12 November 1968.

Some of his children were also involved with the military. His daughter Lola, born in 1915, served with the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force as a telegraphist and her younger brother, Ivo, born in 1919, served with the Royal Australian Air Force, both during the Second World War. Their older sister Elva, born in 1912, was involved in the post-war Occupation of Japan.