GWF1967 Posted 7 April , 2020 Share Posted 7 April , 2020 (edited) 34 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said: Just for your info, the buttons are not ‘blackened’, but a brown leather, utilitarian type that were issued for a while. Having viewed the postcard using the eyeball extenders, marks 1-4 pictured, I find you are, of course, correct. Many thanks. I have a leather button, I was told it was for an overcoat; would you think it is military, or more likely civilian? Edited 7 April , 2020 by GWF1967 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 7 April , 2020 Share Posted 7 April , 2020 (edited) It’s a button for a ‘British Warm’ officers overcoat, invariably made using a heavy, 32oz Melton cloth milled by Crombie of Scotland. Edited 7 April , 2020 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 7 April , 2020 Share Posted 7 April , 2020 12 minutes ago, GWF1967 said: Sorry no. I guessed he’d been adopted. The photographers “studio” has a very “somewhere in France” look to it. The boot prints suggest he wasn’t the first band member to pose Thank you. I’ll have to look out for further mention of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 7 April , 2020 Share Posted 7 April , 2020 1 minute ago, FROGSMILE said: It’s a button for a ‘British Warm’ officers overcoat, invariably made using a heavy, 32oz Melton cloth milled by Crombie of Scotland. Many thanks. Every day a school day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 8 April , 2020 Share Posted 8 April , 2020 (edited) More on the ASC buttons here (with another Gor' Blimey cap as a bonus!) ... Pics reproduced here for convenience ... Full details and picture credits are in the linked post. Mark Edited 8 April , 2020 by MBrockway Pics added Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themonsstar Posted 8 April , 2020 Share Posted 8 April , 2020 Hi all Can anyone help with this as someone posted this on another site I visit. The soldier name is John Wynne Batten. Cheers for any help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 8 April , 2020 Share Posted 8 April , 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, themonsstar said: Hi all Can anyone help with this as someone posted this on another site I visit. The soldier name is John Wynne Batten. Cheers for any help He is a part-time citizen soldier of the 1st Volunteer Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. You can determine this from his shoulder strap title, which reads: 1 V grenade RWF in white embroidered worsted thread. He’s wearing a 1902-1912 pattern full dress scarlet tunic with dark blue facings (collar and cuffs) with white piping trim. In 1912 the piping moved from the edge of the collar to just its base. He is holding a long Lee Enfield rifle with which he appears to have won the musketry trophy that stands on the table. The depot and headquarters of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers was in Hightown Barracks, Wrexham. Volunteer Battalion’s existed for all except the Irish regular infantry regiments and had formerly been part of the nationwide volunteer movement formed in 1859 to counter the possibility of invasion from a bellicose France. The movement comprised small independent corps usually of company size located in towns and city parishes across the country apart from in Ireland. These companies were rather like gentlemen’s shooting and social clubs with a heavy emphasis on musketry skills. They were eventually concentrated into battalion’s in 1880, became volunteer battalion’s of regular regiments in the late 1880s and then Territorial Force battalion’s of their regiments in 1908. In the case of 1VB RWF, they became the 4th (Denbighshire) Territorial Force Battalion RWF: https://rwfmuseum.org.uk/downloads/territorial-battalion-colours.pdf Both, Volunteers and Territorials attended twice weekly training sessions in local drill halls, usually with one or two companies at each. The drill halls of the 1st VB were located in various small towns throughout Denbighshire. NB. You can just about make out his field service cap laying on the table, which has a small, plain brass (‘universal’) grenade as it’s insignia. Edited 8 April , 2020 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themonsstar Posted 8 April , 2020 Share Posted 8 April , 2020 You are a star thank you. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Brayley Posted 8 April , 2020 Share Posted 8 April , 2020 "Us in Durban 1917" Unsent postcard. Struggling to work out if the Lance Corporal on left has Crossed rifles surmounted by crown, for Section Commander from best shooting Company of a Battalion, or the RA crossed guns (not cannon) of the 1st prize battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 8 April , 2020 Share Posted 8 April , 2020 Looks like crossed cannons with crown above to me Toby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 8 April , 2020 Share Posted 8 April , 2020 Yes I believe he is a lance-bombardier with two GCBs. A very dangerous sight, artillerymen with rifles. Slightly less dangerous than ratings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 8 April , 2020 Share Posted 8 April , 2020 (edited) Yes I think it shows a gunnery prize badge too (nowadays the badge of a Sgt Maj Instr of Gunnery (SMIG)). 2 hours ago, Muerrisch said: Yes I believe he is a lance-bombardier with two GCBs. A very dangerous sight, artillerymen with rifles. Slightly less dangerous than ratings. Or maybe an Acting Bombardier..... Edited 8 April , 2020 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 8 April , 2020 Share Posted 8 April , 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 11 hours ago, FROGSMILE said: Yes I think it shows a gunnery prize badge too (nowadays the badge of a Sgt Maj Instr of Gunnery (SMIG)). Or maybe an Acting Bombardier..... Maybe ...... would one be permitted to keep GCBs though? That is why I hesitated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 The man on the far right also has a badge on his left sleeve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 48 minutes ago, Muerrisch said: Maybe ...... would one be permitted to keep GCBs though? That is why I hesitated! I did muse on that. As acting bombardier was not a substantive rank, and it was substantive JNCOs and above that were not permitted to wear GCB, then I think probably not. 40 minutes ago, Gardenerbill said: The man on the far right also has a badge on his left sleeve. Yes, looks like crossed gun barrels too, but I can’t make out if there’s a crown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 Any chance it might be a WO rank badge? Reason I ask is - he is the only soldier without a rifle or cartridge case(?), perhaps he is in charge of that detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 "A Smart Convoy" . 494 Coy. M.T. A.S.C. Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 I don't think so. Far too ordinary in clothing. I would expect senior man to be on the right flank if no bugler etc. Might be a quarter guard with a stick orderly included. Frogsmile can provide detail on procedure, my learning is book learning. What surprised and frightened me was RA with rifles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 30 minutes ago, Muerrisch said: ...What surprised and frightened me was RA with rifles! Well, RHA and RFA did carry two rifles on the gun limber so perhaps they had some clue how to use them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 True, but negligible training compared with infantry, cavalry, RE and ASC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, RNCVR said: Any chance it might be a WO rank badge? Reason I ask is - he is the only soldier without a rifle or cartridge case(?), perhaps he is in charge of that detail. As Muerrisch says it's a Quarter Guard with either a stick orderly, or duty runner. It's unusual to not have a Trumpeter on parade, as they were responsible for sounding 'Alarm' and 'Call out the Guard'. Edited 9 April , 2020 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, GWF1967 said: "A Smart Convoy" . 494 Coy. M.T. A.S.C. Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire. Here is approximately the same view more recently. Edited 9 April , 2020 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said: As Muerrisch says it's a Quarter Guard with either a stick orderly, or duty runner. It's unusual to not have a Trumpeter on parade, as they were responsible for sounding 'Alarm' and 'Call out the Guard'. I Interesting, now perhaps you might reveal to a naval person what a stick orderly might be pls? PS --- I like the convoy photo.... Thanks, Bryan Edited 9 April , 2020 by RNCVR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 9 April , 2020 Share Posted 9 April , 2020 2 hours ago, FROGSMILE said: Here is approximately the same view more recently. Thanks Frogsmile. I was parked where the first group of trucks are pictured, just last summer 1 hour ago, RNCVR said: PS --- I like the convoy photo.... Glad you liked it Bryan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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