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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Negatives discovered in fireplace


Barke02

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I'd like to put this one in the Middlesex Regiment, but would like your opinions. Did many regiments have 10 battalions? 1247 the name is Furgeson.

.

John,

Furgeson or Ferguson?

Al.

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Steve Broomfield is correct 1429/1430 Towlson is indeed Volunteer Training Corps and wearing the red armbad with the letters 'GR' in black and so some wag christened them 'Gorgeous Recks'. The uniform was actually grey/green in colour as instructed by the War Office, who had the monopoly on khaki SD.

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This Forum never ceases to amaze me!! What an absolute nugget of a find.

How exciting it is to see the faces behind the dusty documentation available. Incidentally the RFC chappie TREZISE came from Brazil according to his MIC.

Lionboxer

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Al, I'll have to check tomorrow. As all the names are handwritten they're open to interpretation (as with the Australian Blinkhouse/Blinkhorne in an earlier post) I'll scan just the name and post it for you to have a look.

Royal Field Artillery

Major Wolff 1289, 1178, 1177

Capt.Thompson 1126, 1110, 1109, 1107

Lt. Underwood 1155, 1156

2nd.Lt. Wace 1151, 1145, 1144, 1115 (photo posted)

2nd Lt. Warde 1377

officer Kodura 1331, 1337

officer Wilson 1216

officer Waller 1409

officer Sing 1300, 1301

officer unknown, copy photo with two horses 1346

Sgt. Tucker 1387

L.Cpl. Maskell 1270, 1415

L.Cpl. Malin 1261, 1262, 1160

Turell (T RFA KENT) 1334

Whitburn (gun, limber and full horse team, poor quality) 1473, 1485

Marsh (family group) 1272

Alec Young 1404, 1480

Whiteside 1068

Fuller 1254

Weaver 1230

Westaway 1227

Sinden 1307, 1308

Slatter 1467

Cooke 1456

Waters 1381

Here is Second Lieutenant Wace 1115.

post-32475-1215982079.gif

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Hi Lionboxer. Here he is 1399 Trezise RFC.

That uniform's easy. That's INTERNATIONAL RESCUE!

F.A.B.

Al.

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The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)

Capt. Shaw 1506

Capt. Booth 1492

Capt. Bouchuer? 1295

Capt. Kodura 1242

officer Thompson 1102

Lt. Smith 1281, 1282, 1283

Sgt. G. Collier 1339

Markland (group, Sgt. and Cpl.) 1199

Underwood 1158

Taylor 1326

Here is Sgt. G. Collier1339.

post-32475-1215984476.gif

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1289.1178.1179 JOHN ALFRED WOLFF MAJOR RFA LT/COL RFA (TF) deceased 23-10-18 widow Barrett House Rossett Nr Wrexham. Ralph.

edit, CWGC Romeries Comm Cem Ext possibly one of John Hartleys men Hale Barnes Cheshire.

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King's Own Lancaster Regiment

Singleton, three officers including Capt. and Lt. 1296

unknown officer (copy photo) 1374

Usher 4th Batt. 1223, 1157

Keen 5th Batt. 1388

Singleton 1302

Smith 1465

Mason 1449

Blades 1439

Here is plate 1465 Smith in full kit, unusual for a studio portrait.

post-32475-1215985326.gif

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1155.1156 UNDERWOOD FREDERICK LEWIS medals c/o Cox and Co Bombay or VINCENT JOHN 12 The Crescent -- cannot decipher the remainder poss Rumney ? Ralph.

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1223.1157 RICHARD USHER T4/2410 A/COL SGT KIA 8-8-1916 SON OF JOHN and JANE USHER 191 ALBERT STREET MILLOM CUMBERLAND 1/4TH KINGS OWN. Ralph.

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Royal Engineers

Lt. Norman 1490, 1491

2nd.Lt. Marwood 1267, 1268, 1422

Cpl Boustead? 1077

Tatlock 1330

Royal Engineers Signal Service

Cpl. Taylor 1325

Makin 1306

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Steve Broomfield is correct 1429/1430 Towlson is indeed Volunteer Training Corps and wearing the red armbad with the letters 'GR' in black and so some wag christened them 'Gorgeous Recks'. The uniform was actually grey/green in colour as instructed by the War Office, who had the monopoly on khaki SD.

Was the nickname of "Gorgeous (W)recks" (derived from Georgius Rex, King George, for those who have forgotten their O-level Latin) used in England? I have heard of it in Dublin but I thought it was anti-Unionist derision.

Did they carry real rifles or imitation/decommissioned ones?

Michael

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1339 COLLIER GILBERT either 240009 Silver War Badge COL SGT, or 87 COLLIER GILBERT Q M SGT discharged. The crown above his sergeants stripes is the clue? which of the above ranks wore this ? I do not know. Ralph.

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Private Smith in Post #110 is armed with an Arisaka type 38, so would be quite early on in the war.

Gaz

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I think 1191 Smith is 7th Middlesex.

I think it might be Somerset. Here is a partially corrected view of the badge.

Michael

post-3328-1215987990.jpg

post-3328-1215987572.jpg

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1339 COLLIER GILBERT either 240009 Silver War Badge COL SGT, or 87 COLLIER GILBERT Q M SGT discharged. The crown above his sergeants stripes is the clue? which of the above ranks wore this ? I do not know. Ralph.

I believe 3 stripes and a crown was Colour Sgt

Jan

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1295 Capt Bouchier - either Charles Fitzhenry Bouchier or George James Bouchier. Both brothers served with LNLR and held rank of Capt, Charles later became Major. Both MICs give a post war addresses though these are different. 1901 census gives them as sons of Henry J and Annie living Stangeways House, Hindley where Henry was a Colliery general manager. Dobs Charles c 1876 and George c 1878.

Sorry can't tell you which brother is your Capt Bouchier

Jan

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The Australian in Post #8 is almost certainly 5054 Private Harold Ellis Mansfield, 12th Battalion. He was wounded in 1916 and spent time at Chepstead Kent (wound stripe on sleeve) and attended signal school in Belgium during 1917 (hence the signaller patch on his sleeve). Perhaps this was taken on a susequent return to England and Kent. i.e. after the war.

Cheers,

Tim L.

Hi Tim

I think you may be right. Pre war Harold Mansfield also saw service in the 14th FCE which also could have led to him being put in signals for his battalion.

Cheers

Andrew

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Was the nickname of "Gorgeous (W)recks" (derived from Georgius Rex, King George, for those who have forgotten their O-level Latin) used in England? I have heard of it in Dublin but I thought it was anti-Unionist derision.

Did they carry real rifles or imitation/decommissioned ones?

Michael

The term was used generally throughout the UK to describe members of the VTC, who for the best part were of an age well beyond military service. As for their rifles they were indeed the real thing, but because of supply restrictions they had to use anything they could get their hands on, especially in the ealry days.

Regarding the suggestion that the shoulder title could be 'T/7/Somerset', the Somersets didn't have a 7th Territorial Battalion and if they had, as a Light Infantry unit it would have been of a three tier pattern i.e. T7/Bugle/Somerset. I think the suggestion Middlesex is probably correct.

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Regarding post 79 of KLR men, the Captain would be Maurice Tweedale of the 7th Bn. He was KIA on 16.5.1915 aged 26. The other officer - who ended up a Captain - would be Cyril Edward Balmforth but I'm not sure of his battalion yet. I haven't got v far with the others I'm afraid.

Apropos rjaydee's post (no 95) the men of the 5th Bn (as shown in your photographs) wore a blackened badge but the 7th Bn wore regular badges for the duration of the war.

By the way, do you have any idea of the date range of these photographs ? (they obviously start before May 1915)

Julian

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