JoMH Posted 26 September , 2009 Share Posted 26 September , 2009 This is a photo of Rev Charles Dobson as published in The Auckland Weekly News in 1917. The date of the photo is not given, but my guess in 1914. Could you take a look at the photo in the link here, and tell me whether you can spot the same man as shown in the Auckland Weekly News photo, please? I will be interested to hear your thoughts. Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 26 September , 2009 Share Posted 26 September , 2009 Joanna, 3rd from the left certainly looks very similar. Same nose and mouth anyway. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 26 September , 2009 Share Posted 26 September , 2009 Hi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT-Guards Posted 26 September , 2009 Share Posted 26 September , 2009 Same man for me, I have blended both the faces together and all the features fit. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMH Posted 26 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 26 September , 2009 That was quick! And my thoughts are that the man third from the left is the same man too. Charles Dobson, my grandfather, had suffered severely with dysentery on an off for an extended period. This, I imagine, to some extent accounts for the weight loss - that and several years of war... Also, the information on the site states that 'The C of E padres include Bishop Nelson.', and Bishop Sadlier of Nelson was Dobson's bishop. Thanks all - very impressed with the technical wizardry! Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT-Guards Posted 26 September , 2009 Share Posted 26 September , 2009 Glad to be of service. All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMH Posted 26 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 26 September , 2009 By the way, showing my complete ignorance, can anyone tell me what that is above his left breast pocket in the (reversed) photo in post #3? Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT-Guards Posted 26 September , 2009 Share Posted 26 September , 2009 By the way, showing my complete ignorance, can anyone tell me what that is above his left breast pocket in the (reversed) photo in post #3? Joanna Looks like the ribbon for the Military Cross. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMH Posted 26 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 26 September , 2009 Many thanks again, C T. He was awarded the MC. Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT-Guards Posted 26 September , 2009 Share Posted 26 September , 2009 Do you know how he won his MC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 26 September , 2009 Share Posted 26 September , 2009 Do you know how he won his MC? Quote from zacknz on this forum; “During an attack the 2nd Battalion Auckland regiment was heavily shelled prior to its advance. The Regimental Medical Officer, Capt H Simcox, and many of his men became casualties. Mr. Dobson immediately took charge of the situation, establishing a regimental aid post, organise stretcher bearers and himself priest wounded men under intense fire, and with few facilities. His example of gallantry and unselfish devotion to duty were the admiration of all who came in contact with him”. (Citation to award) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMH Posted 26 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 26 September , 2009 Thank you IPT. It was Zack who discovered and sent the Auckland Weekly News photo to me. It has enabled me to identify him in the Timeframes image. (Thanks again, Zack!) Prior to that I had a rather blurry image of him, though interestingly this is consistent with the image I found today and it is also posted on the Otago Mounted Rifles thread on this site. I have tracked down the date of action for the MC as 30th August 1918 on the line Fremicourt - Bancourt - Riencourt, Second Battle of Bapaume, through 'The Auckland Regiment' by O E Burton. Strangely, his war file gives two dates for the granting of an MC - one 19.10.18, and the other 15.12.18. This may be a kind of over sight, but my mother always says that he was entitled to a bar for the MC... I guess those two stripes on his left arm are wound stripes. This fits as well. It's been an extraordinary week for me, finding this photograph today, and earlier being sent copies of letters he wrote from hospital on Lemnos and HMHS Aquitania, amongst others - one from France 1917. I'm a bit overwhelmed. All this, despite starting research with no family papers whatsoever. I had little doubt that the new photo shows Dobson, but I wanted some subjective views on it. Thank you all for your interest. Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bingo794 Posted 26 September , 2009 Share Posted 26 September , 2009 Same man for me, I have blended both the faces together and all the features fit. Regards Thats a nice bit of kit! How do you do the superimposing, what do you use? Most impressive. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT-Guards Posted 27 September , 2009 Share Posted 27 September , 2009 Thats a nice bit of kit! How do you do the superimposing, what do you use? Most impressive. Dick Photoshop CS2, just resize the images and blend 1 picture over the other. It's a very useful tool when overlaying old battlefield landscapes with how they look today. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bingo794 Posted 27 September , 2009 Share Posted 27 September , 2009 Photoshop CS2, just resize the images and blend 1 picture over the other. It's a very useful tool when overlaying old battlefield landscapes with how they look today. Regards I was discussing this overlaying process with WW2 collector only last week, neither of of us are particularly brilliant with computers, but love to play with this sort of thing. He did say he had photos from his visits he would like to compare exactly what you mentioned, then and now. We had another photo comparison a couple of weeks ago and this would have been ideal. Thanks for the information. Regards DickW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMH Posted 29 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 29 September , 2009 It's good to know how CT-Guards did the blending process. However, I can't even save the image from the Time Frames site! How did you do it? By the way, I am ordering a CD copy from NZ in any case. [edit] Also asking Alexander Turnbull Library/Time Frames if they have more information of who is in the photo. Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMH Posted 20 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 20 October , 2009 Quite independently today I received a pdf copy of the group photo which I felt certain contained Charles Dobson. This came from the diocesan office in NZ where he used to be based. I had not mentioned my discovery to them. They identify the third man from the left as Charles Dobson. For your interest, the chaplains are from left to right: Rev J Jermyn Rev H Parata Rev C J H Dobson Rev J R Young Bishop Sadlier Rev G C Cruikshank Rev G T Robson Here is the link to the photo again in case it no longer functions. It's great to have this confirmation. Many thanks again, Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMH Posted 21 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 21 October , 2009 There are eight men in the photo, and I now realize I only listed seven. The list should read: Rev J Jermyn Rev H Parata Rev C J H Dobson Rev J R Young Bishop Sadlier Rev G C Cruikshank Rev H D Burton Rev G T Robson Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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