Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 14 April , 2005 Share Posted 14 April , 2005 Three pics of G.Grandfather Sgt. William Hazell. We belive them to be of the 16th K.R.R.C. ( Church Lads Brigade) C Coy taken prior to leaving for France . He is the chap leading the band through the streets (rank Sgt.bugler ), conducting the band and in the centre of the group of buglers , the older man with the moustache. Two of the uniforms look the same but the pic marching in streets look different. Any thoughts, thanks, Roland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harribobs Posted 14 April , 2005 Share Posted 14 April , 2005 great pictures Roland to my eyes it's the last picture of the band that looks different, my first thoughts were that must be the CLB band but would they be wearing puttees? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 14 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 14 April , 2005 He looks a proud man.The family were very poor so he must have enjoyed his army life. I think a uniform expert needs to have a look. Cheers, Roland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 14 April , 2005 Share Posted 14 April , 2005 Roland, At the start of the war, with the influx of men joining up, many units ran out of Khaki. As a result many units in training were dressed in blue serge. This is probably the case here. The badges are pretty unclear but do appear consistent with KRRC. Rgds Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harribobs Posted 14 April , 2005 Share Posted 14 April , 2005 Roland, At the start of the war, with the influx of men joining up, many units ran out of Khaki. As a result many units in training were dressed in blue serge. This is probably the case here. The badges are pretty unclear but do appear consistent with KRRC. Rgds Tim <{POST_SNAPBACK}> you must have better eyes than me Tim, i thought the badges were circular! chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 14 April , 2005 Share Posted 14 April , 2005 You may well be right Chris, I blew the photo up but is still very blurry without the original. If they are circular they seem to have some sort of pattern like a Maltese type cross on them. Can you blow some of the hat badges up Roland? What does the CLB badge look like? Rgds Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rap1943 Posted 14 April , 2005 Share Posted 14 April , 2005 Really good pictures Roland. I agree that the uniforms in the last picture look different and that may well be that they were wearing blue. The CLB badge was similar to the KRRC badge in that it had the Maltese Cross basis. One thing that points to that particular photo being the 16th is that the photo was taken by a photographer from Uxbridge (can't quite make out the name - any clues) which was the closest town to Denham where the battalion did their initial training. I have a photo of my dad also taken by someone from Uxbridge (can't say who at the moment as I am at work and the photo isn't). Try this link: www.clcgb.org.uk/History.html then click on 'Looking Back'. This is a pdf doc that has a picture of the CLB badge used around WW1. Cheers Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harribobs Posted 15 April , 2005 Share Posted 15 April , 2005 The link to the PDF doc doesn't work for me and i can't find it on the CLB site ( did you see the pictures of the old band marching though? ) Bob, was it you that has the fantastic CLB cadet badge? this is the modern badge, showing the maltese cross in the centre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 15 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 15 April , 2005 Some interesting pics on site. One line of text stood out for me on their history. " The Battalion ( 16th K.R.R.C. ) trained at Denham Bucks is brutally decimated in 1916 on the Somme battlefields " How many of the boys in the pictures who sailed to France soon after the pics were taken never returned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rap1943 Posted 15 April , 2005 Share Posted 15 April , 2005 Sorry Chris twern't me that has the badge, my pride and joy is my dads KRRC badge. Sorry you can't get the pdf to work theres a good picture of the cadet badge there - used 1917-1930. Now that raises a point the photos were taken before 1917 so maybe some badges were different. Try this: http://www.clcgb.org.uk/Looking%20Back.pdf Hey Roland they may have been called 'The Churchmen's Battalion' in polite circles but they were also known as 'The Black Button ********'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 15 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 15 April , 2005 Who gave them the name and why ?? Apart from their buttons being black , of course ! Roland. Diaries still coming, a great read.Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 15 April , 2005 Share Posted 15 April , 2005 Roland, The 16th KRRC was decimated in the attack on High Wood at the Somme on 15th September 1916. I've just been browsing in town and saw an explanation for the "Black Button ********", but I didn't take it in! It was in either the Somme or Voices of the Great War by Lyn McDonald, the former I think, and had a lot of 1st hand accounts by at least one soldier of the 16th KRRC at the battle. Might be worth a look, eh? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Russell.Gore@crawley.gov.uk Posted 15 April , 2005 Share Posted 15 April , 2005 I have the personal Diary of CSM A E Broughton D.C.M. of the 16th KRRC at Home and he simply mentions The Fighting at High Wood and Guillemont as a bit of a hot time !,this came from a Man who was shot through the Chest at Cambrai,whilst engaged in Hand to Hand Fighting with the Germans,he was left for Dead,but a German Officer impressed by his Bravery insisted that he was taken to the German Hospital in Cambrai.The German Docs did not think he would live through the Night so he was placed in his Coffin ready for burial,however he survived and was repatriated to the U.K. where he was killed in an industrial accident whilst employed at Vickers in Sheffield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harribobs Posted 15 April , 2005 Share Posted 15 April , 2005 Roland, The 16th KRRC was decimated in the attack on High Wood at the Somme on 15th September 1916. I've just been browsing in town and saw an explanation for the "Black Button ********", but I didn't take it in! It was in either the Somme or Voices of the Great War by Lyn McDonald, the former I think, and had a lot of 1st hand accounts by at least one soldier of the 16th KRRC at the battle. Might be worth a look, eh? Steve <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i've just had a look in 'the hell they called high wood' and there's a good description of the attack by the 16th KRRC, it wouldn't be fair to post them here but if anyone emails me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrB Posted 15 April , 2005 Share Posted 15 April , 2005 I think the "BBB's" was the name given to all rifle regiments who wore black buttons vice the brass one. DrB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riflegreen Posted 16 April , 2005 Share Posted 16 April , 2005 The second photo of the band in front of some shops was taken in Rayleigh High Street , Essex. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 16 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 April , 2005 Hi Chris. How do you know for sure ? Do you have a pic from today you could post ? The battalion spent some time in Rayleigh so it makes sence. Many thanks for the information, regards Roland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 16 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 April , 2005 Rayleigh from 1902.The street looks wider.Does part of it narrow ? Roland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riflegreen Posted 16 April , 2005 Share Posted 16 April , 2005 Hi Roland , There is a book " Rayleigh - A pictorial History , the center page is a photo of most of the battalion lined up in the high street , I will try to scan the picture and post it . Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 16 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 April , 2005 Fantastic stuff Chris. Look forward to seeing pic. Roland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riflegreen Posted 16 April , 2005 Share Posted 16 April , 2005 KRR in Rayleigh high Street 1915 , they are on the right hand side of the 1902 picture , the High Street is still as wide but with a road down the middle and the paved . All the old shops and houses went in the seventies . Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 16 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 April , 2005 Did you manage to post pic. I cannot see it if you did. Roland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riflegreen Posted 16 April , 2005 Share Posted 16 April , 2005 Roland , having problems with the picture , will try again later , in the second photo of the band , I think they are are on the left of the 1902 picture as you look up the high Street as the sign behind them Hockley/Rochford would be pointing towards the chuch at the top of the High street . Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riflegreen Posted 16 April , 2005 Share Posted 16 April , 2005 Hi Roland , Second go . Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 16 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 April , 2005 Great picture Chris. Cannot see my G.Grandad in pic but the guy with the bugle on the left of your pic seems to be the same guy on the left of my pic of the 15 buglers. Thanks ! Roland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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