Postcards

[Derek Black]

30 minutes ago, Terry_Reeves said:

Some of the officers in this photograph may well have served in WW1. I suspect it was taken early 1900s - and was at a camp witness the bell tents in the background. Some wear ranks on their shoulder and the officer front left has his on the cuff as does the  officer with the pill box cap who I presume is RHA, but I may be mistaken.

 

Comments invited.

 

TR

There was absolutely no need for the chap in front to lay down in the grass! Plenty room in the standing section

[FROGSMILE]

16 hours ago, Terry_Reeves said:

Some of the officers in this photograph may well have served in WW1. I suspect it was taken early 1900s - and was at a camp witness the bell tents in the background. Some wear ranks on their shoulder and the officer front left has his on the cuff as does the  officer with the pill box cap who I presume is RHA, but I may be mistaken.

 

Comments invited.

 

TR

 

I think it dates from around 1905 Terry.  The officers in SD are wearing the 1902 pattern jacket that had a shorter skirt and was closed at the collar, and headdress is the new universal coloured forage cap. The seated junior officers on each flank are elderly and so almost certainly gunnery staff, commissioned from warrant rank assistant instructor, white trousers were long a feature of specialist gunnery experts tramping around the gunline.  The scenario is almost certainly an annual Summer gunnery camp, which was a routine part of artillery life.  I agree that the officer with pill box cap is very likely RHA.  

 

Gunnery Training Camps were important annual events for all artillery units and were the venues for competitive shooting where other ranks of the RA could earn highly incentivised arm badges at a variety of levels according to rank and the placing achieved.  They were the artillery equivalent of skill at arms meetings undergone by infantry and cavalry units and batteries could win or lose considerable reputation by doing well, or doing badly.  It was a time when commanding officers could be justified in having a nervous disposition. 

Edited 24 August , 2018 by FROGSMILE

[Terry_Reeves]

Thanks Frogsmile.

 

TR

[GWF1967]

On 20/08/2018 at 17:37, MBrockway said:

 

 

 

Any chance you could post a re-scan of the bottom section of your postcard where the lettering is?  With a better scan I might make some better headway on deciphering what it actually says.

Mark

 

I now think it reads, "Easter Training 1913 7th City Battalion Lon Reg at" ???? - ylake Rd"

[Toby Brayley]

Pre-war shot (ERVII Cap BAdges) of T.F Royal Engineer Farriers. It provides a very good study of the hefty (well padlocked) field veterinary chest and mobile forge. 

 

Edited 30 August , 2018 by Toby Brayley

[Toby Brayley]

Number 2, all from the same chap "Jack". 

[Toby Brayley]

[FROGSMILE]

Superb and rare images Toby, thank you for posting them.  I wouldn’t want to arm wrestle those chaps given all the hard, physical graft that was part and parcel of their everyday lives.

Edited 30 August , 2018 by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry.

 The chap front and centre looks like he's ready for all-comers!

[Jerry B]

On 08/08/2018 at 21:50, GWF1967 said:

South Wales Borderers.

 

 

very nice.  I think they only wore white facing collar and cuffs for a  very short period, can't remember exact dates at this time.

Edited 9 September , 2018 by Jerry B

[Jerry B]

On 09/08/2018 at 17:04, themonsstar said:

 

 

 

Two Welch PC 

 

 

Two great pics

[FROGSMILE]

They look very much like brothers, or cousins to me.  The likeness is striking.  I wonder how many survived.

Edited 9 September , 2018 by FROGSMILE

[Loader]

The badge over their right pockets indicates they were Territorials who volunteered for active service.

[FROGSMILE]

8 hours ago, Loader said:

The badge over their right pockets indicates they were Territorials who volunteered for active service.

 

Yes and there is a distinctly melancholy look to the pose in greatcoat, I wonder if the others had fallen.

Edited 10 September , 2018 by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

Sjt. Marksman. Cameronians. - Scottish Rifles. 

[FROGSMILE]

Unusual for collar badges to be worn by a regular battalion so it suggests a New Army (Service) battalion.

[Gardenerbill]

He appears to be wearing a bracelet and rings is that unusual?

[Scalyback]

Signet rings on both hands and a bracelet. On an NCO also most odd.

Edit Mr Bill same thoughts.  Post war cadet, he looks a bit young. 

Edited 10 September , 2018 by Scalyback

[FROGSMILE]

10 hours ago, Scalyback said:

Signet rings on both hands and a bracelet. On an NCO also most odd.

Edit Mr Bill same thoughts.  Post war cadet, he looks a bit young. 

 

Yes, quite possibly, on reflection the waist belt pattern is obsolescent, which is also unusual.  He bears a bayonet which is correct for all sergeants in walking-out-dress.

[MBrockway]

Not certain, but his rank stripes and skill-at-arms badge may be in the SR regimental colours of light grey/green on a dark grey/green/black background?

Edited 11 September , 2018 by MBrockway
typo

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, MBrockway said:

Not certain, but his rank stripes and skill-at-arms badge may be in the SR regimental colours of light grey/green on a dark grey/green/black background?

 

I’m not sure Mark, they later wore black on green very similar to the RB, but without the gold Russia braid outline.

Edited 11 September , 2018 by FROGSMILE

[MBrockway]

Looking at Grumpy's Trade Badge pamphlet, he includes extracts from PVCN 1913.  The section for rank chevrons is skipped unfortunately, but in the section covering the Bugle badge on Worsted, worn by buglers, the KRRC have scarlet backing and the RB, the SR and the Royal Irish Rifles have green (1667 and 1666), so it would seem likely that the Scottish Rifles followed the Rifle Brigade practice in rank chevrons also.

 

That said, I notice that for the Bandmaster badge the RB does its own variant (silk and gold bullion) while the KRRC, SR and RIR stick with silk.  For the silk Star used in the QMS badge, there are three rifles variants!  KRRC; RB; and SR/RIR.

 

The KRRC did not lose the red backings on rank chevrons till 1969 as part of the second stage reductions in the RGJ period.

 

[GWF1967]

21 hours ago, Gardenerbill said:

He appears to be wearing a bracelet. 

 I believe it's a private purchase identity disc. 

[FROGSMILE]

4 hours ago, MBrockway said:

Looking at Grumpy's Trade Badge pamphlet, he includes extracts from PVCN 1913.  The section for rank chevrons is skipped unfortunately, but in the section covering the Bugle badge on Worsted, worn by buglers, the KRRC have scarlet backing and the RB, the SR and the Royal Irish Rifles have green (1667 and 1666), so it would seem likely that the Scottish Rifles followed the Rifle Brigade practice in rank chevrons also.

 

That said, I notice that for the Bandmaster badge the RB does its own variant (silk and gold bullion) while the KRRC, SR and RIR stick with silk.  For the silk Star used in the QMS badge, there are three rifles variants!  KRRC; RB; and SR/RIR.

 

The KRRC did not lose the red backings on rank chevrons till 1969 as part of the second stage reductions in the RGJ period.

 

 Yes Mark, that is as per my understanding.  I believe the difference for RB Bandmaster, et al, is to match with the gold Russia braid outlines on chevrons.  I’m not sure when that style was taken up, as it did not exist at the beginning of Victoria’s reign.

[Toby Brayley]

Unknown RA chap on studio horse 1915 on rear.

 

 

 

 

Interesting that I have an 1890s Cabinet card of another Gunner on what I believe is exactly the same horse with exactly the same studio background! 

Edited 24 September , 2018 by Toby Brayley