Patrick Parkes Connaught Rangers

[cathalgearoid]

Hi all

I posted a topic a few weeks ago looking for information on my great-uncle Patrick Parkes and with the help of the forum members discovered that he enlisted in the 4th Battalion of the Connaught Rangers in 1911,was drafted into the 2nd Battalion in October 1914,transferred to the 5th Battalion and fought in Gallipoli and ended up in the Labour Corps in 1918.Many thanks to everybody who helped me with Patrick.

Just last week I discovered this photo in my aunt's dusty old album.I'm presuming that the drummer in the centre of the photo is Patrick but this is total guesswork.I'd be most grateful if anyone could tell me if the men in the photo are wearing British Army uniforms or Free State Irish uniforms,if the uniforms and caps correspond to Connaught Rangers uniforms and if anyone can date the photo approximately.Is it a pre-war reserve photo, a photo taken during the Great War or a photo taken after The Great War?

There probably wasn't much use for drummers on the battle-front.

Apologies,I have no idea whatsoever of military uniforms,for all I know this could be a drummer from the 40's but I'd love to hear your suggestions and again many thanks for all who have helped me find out about Patrick in the past.

Regards

Cathal

[James Blonde]

Any possibility of a higher resolution picture or scan?

The uniform style is very reminiscent of members of the

Irish F.C.A. (An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúl) from the mid 1950's

on up to the 1970's.

I believe the Irish Army of post WW1 vintage / WW2 vintage

including the Local Defence Force (L.D.F.)wore the chip-bag

side cap as opposed to berets, which I gather did not come

into much use in either the Irish and the British Army until

the 1950's apart from the British Paras, and Tank Regiment,

(but stand open to correction on that.)

Connaught Ranger.

[cathalgearoid]

Any possibility of a higher resolution picture or scan?

The uniform style is very reminiscent of members of the

Irish F.C.A. (An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúl) from the mid 1950's

on up to the 1970's.

I believe the Irish Army of post WW1 vintage / WW2 vintage

including the Local Defence Force (L.D.F.)wore the chip-bag

side cap as opposed to berets, which I gather did not come

into much use in either the Irish and the British Army until

the 1950's apart from the British Paras, and Tank Regiment,

(but stand open to correction on that.)

Connaught Ranger.

Unfortunately I know as little about scanning photos as I do about military uniforms.The photo is very possibly a photo of the F.C.A. in the 50's.I had no info on the photo,just found it in an album and was wondering.I'll try and get someone to improve the quality though.Many thanks for your reply

Cathal