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WW1 Photograph Help


Tegan

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Can anyone help me to identify the collar badge on the photograph of my Great grandfather William James Thomas? I am not sure if they are rifles or swords crossed, there doesn't look as though they have anything between them.  From his uniform he was mounted gunner/driver as a driver wore spurs with leather instep pad, and although in this photograph he doesn't have one there is a photo of him with such a whip as he is wearing spurs which would tie in with the story of the being left with just the reins when the horse he was leading got blown up in an explosion on the front.  He joined the South Wales Borders at the start of the war, it is thought that he was transferred to the Royal Field Artillery and towards the end of the war was asked to become a Batman to the officer in charge.   I haven't been able to find any information on him apart from I know he was not home in 1916. He did survive. 

Scan.jpg

Edited by Tegan
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Hi,

The collar badges look like those worn by members of Pioneer battalions.

Owain.

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Hi Jrmh I spoke to the regimental museum and they said he would have been with the South Wales Borderers, but then joined the Royal Field Artillery.

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23 minutes ago, Tegan said:

Hi Jrmh I spoke to the regimental museum and they said he would have been with the South Wales Borderers, but then joined the Royal Field Artillery.

 

The man in the photography is South Wales Borderers without a doubt.

 

His collar badges - Pioneers - would have been the 5th and 6th Battalions only.

 

His dress tells us he would have been in the mounted section of one of those.

 

Without a name, we can't go further.

 

Cheers,

 

GT. 

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Common-ish Welsh name unfortunately.

 

Any more please - date/ year of death?

 

Home town or place of birth?

 

A service number perhaps?

 

What did the museum have so they could be so specific please?

Edited by Grovetown
Misread OP.
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Hi Grovetown    He didn't die in the war, his home town was Llanelli, Carmarthenshire may have been spelt Llanelly. I don't have his service number, I know that he was a mounted driver at the start of the war and I have been told that by the end of the war he was a Batman/Gunner.  I was meant to fill a form out for the museum, but I had a stroke and haven't been able to continue until now.  I know that he joined at the beginning of the war 1914, he was born 1872 but lied about his age stating that he was actually younger, he was not home in 1918 as it stated away on the absent voters list.  any help would be great thanks.

Edited by Tegan
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Sorry I read it as "He didn't survive".

 

There is one man - William James Thomas, Private, 18381 - who served in the 5th Battalion, SWB; consistent the photograph. However, he did not go into the RFA.

 

I can't find another man with that name in that or the 6th. There is a plain William Thomas, 14491, in the 6th. 

 

If that's not him, it's going to take a better researcher than me I'm afraid.

 

Cheers,

 

GT.

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Hi Tegan,

I'm really new to all this but I think I may have found your Great Grandfather in the WW1 Pension records?:

On his attestation form he states he is an Ironworker and that he was 27 in 1914 (born 1887?) He joined the SWB service #13160

His wife was Gertrude Thomas of 1, Seaview Terrace, Bwlch y Gwynt, Llanelli.

Children: James and John

There is other information on the records that is quite difficult to read - if you think this is him I could direct you to the records/see if I can find further info?

 

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Hi Slipperchicken,

My Great grandfather was indeed an iron worker, his wife was not Gertrude However his children were James John, Ada and Nancy.

 

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41 minutes ago, Tegan said:

Hi Slipperchicken,

My Great grandfather was indeed an iron worker, his wife was not Gertrude However his children were James John, Ada and Nancy.

 

 

Sadly, the other problem with the man proposed by Slipperchicken, apart from the birth year, is that he was discharged in October 1914 after only 52 to 54 days service, and only home service at that. The reason was asthma.

 

Cheers,

 

GT.

Edited by Grovetown
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Hi Grovetown

Sadly I am aware this was not the man I was looking for.  I have taken another look at the photograph of my great grandfather and he seems to only be wearing one collar badge, although it could be pioneers it does look like two crossed swords due to the shape.

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33 minutes ago, Tegan said:

he seems to only be wearing one collar badge, although it could be pioneers it does look like two crossed swords due to the shape.

 

To my eyes he is wearing two. There is no crossed swords collar badge that I'm aware of, and none in the SWB context. It is 99.99% that illustrated below:

 

Cheers,

 

GT.

Pioneer Collar.jpg

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Hi Grovetown

Sadly I am aware this was not the man I was looking for.  I have taken another look at the photograph of my great grandfather and he seems to only be wearing one collar badge, although it could be pioneers it does look like two crossed swords due to the shape.

Thank you for the confirmation, I will contact the museum and see if they can find any information for me

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I've hunted high and low for information but to no avail im afraid. Where did you get the information about his transfer to the RFA? 

I can find loads of MIC's with his name and SWBorderers but none with SWB and RFA? 

Frustrating, I know.

 

Chris 

 

PS, defiantly pioneers badges and on both collars

Edited by Dragoon
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