Postcards

[FROGSMILE]

2 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

It certainly does, I assumed he'd served with them pre war, or someone had recorded the wrong details on the card.

Unless it’s one of the TF units like the Isle of Wight Rifles, but the badge still doesn’t quite seem to match.  Perhaps as an older man time served with the Hampshire’s he was indeed RAMC TF before the war. 

[SHJ]

On 26/01/2021 at 11:28, FROGSMILE said:

Glad to help, it will be interesting to know if you learn more.

 

No luck yet on who the 17th Lancer might be but while trying to find him I have found the reason* for the Scots Guards Postcards in my inherited collection.  They were inspired, I think, by a school friend of my GGG & GGU called Jack Collins.  My GGU who had emigrated to Canada in June 1910 wrote home to his Mother on 6th Nov 1910 "...Well fancy Jack Collins going into the Army I hope he will get on all reet I guess he will..."  After doing some digging (which I've been meaning to do for a long time) I found Jack.  It turns out that Jack, or rather, John William joined the Scots Guards. He was Guardsman John William Collins 7730, C Coy 1st Battalion. He was declared missing 29th Oct 1914 (I assume during first day of the Battle of Gheluvelt) and finally, presumed dead in August 1915.  I'm looking forward to reading up on the Scots Guards after finishing Battle of Loos and then History of the East Surreys, oh, and Vol 6 of the Royal Engineers History.

 

* The Scots Guards Postcards may also have been collected because of the Sidney Street Siege which is also mentioned in the postcards and letters exchanged between family & friends.  So the two typical dilemmas: details of someone and I'd like a photo of and a photo but no details on who it is. :-)

[FROGSMILE]

51 minutes ago, SHJ said:

 

No luck yet on who the 17th Lancer might be but while trying to find him I have found the reason* for the Scots Guards Postcards in my inherited collection.  They were inspired, I think, by a school friend of my GGG & GGU called Jack Collins.  My GGU who had emigrated to Canada in June 1910 wrote home to his Mother on 6th Nov 1910 "...Well fancy Jack Collins going into the Army I hope he will get on all reet I guess he will..."  After doing some digging (which I've been meaning to do for a long time) I found Jack.  It turns out that Jack, or rather, John William joined the Scots Guards. He was Guardsman John William Collins 7730, C Coy 1st Battalion. He was declared missing 29th Oct 1914 (I assume during first day of the Battle of Gheluvelt) and finally, presumed dead in August 1915.  I'm looking forward to reading up on the Scots Guards after finishing Battle of Loos and then History of the East Surreys, oh, and Vol 6 of the Royal Engineers History.

 

* The Scots Guards Postcards may also have been collected because of the Sidney Street Siege which is also mentioned in the postcards and letters exchanged between family & friends.  So the two typical dilemmas: details of someone and I'd like a photo of and a photo but no details on who it is. :-)

It all sounds very interesting.  Good luck with your research and do please advise if you learn more.

[GWF1967]

10/12/1917

[FROGSMILE]

What a cracking photo, Guy.  I wonder what that type of quite small sleigh was used for (it reminds me in scale of a Maltese Cart), as there doesn’t appear to be much room for a cargo and the two soldiers are sat on a bale of animal feed.  It makes for a rather Christmassy scene.

Edited 31 January , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

4 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

What a cracking photo, Guy.  I wonder what that type of quite small sleigh was used for (it reminds me in scale of a Maltese Cart), as there doesn’t appear to be much room for a cargo and the two soldiers are sat on a bale of animal feed.  It makes for a rather Christmassy scene.

It's snowing here now, which prompted me to post it.

Edited 31 January , 2021 by GWF1967

[FROGSMILE]

1 minute ago, GWF1967 said:

It's snowing here now, which prompted me to post it.

It’s a really evocative scene and not to be seen in mid-Wales, snowing or not.  I’m curious as to whether the sleighs were issued equipment for German infantry regiments.  Perhaps @The Prussian or @GreyCwill be able to tell us.

[GWF1967]

Isle of Wight photographer.

"Arthur".   T - R.W.F.  Cloth shoulder titles, flaming grenade and "T"

[GWF1967]

35 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

10/12/1917

Here's the back of the card. I'm not sure if the writing is legible.

11 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

It’s a really evocative scene and not to be seen in mid-Wales, snowing or not.  I’m curious as to whether the sleighs were issued equipment for German infantry regiments.  Perhaps @The Prussian or @GreyCwill be able to tell us.

 

[FROGSMILE]

19 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

Isle of Wight photographer.

"Arthur".   T - R.W.F.  Cloth shoulder titles, flaming grenade and "T"

A super photo, although odd that he has Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, but no overseas service stripes.  Perhaps a new jacket.  They’re metal shoulder titles, not cloth.

Edited 31 January , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[GreyC]

Carl is writing to his friend Gustav, a Sergeant and cavalryman, who is at that time part of a training-course to handle minethrowers. Carl, it seems, has a job in the military administration in Pinsk from where the photo was mailed.

I don´t know wether the troops were equipped with sleds, I know they requisitioned these typical durable Russian small horses (Panje-Pferd in German) to draw the sleds that were mostly also requisitioned locally. However there were also motor-driven sleds, that were designed by the Germans. How many there were and who got them I don´t know. Some were used to transport the wounded.

GreyC

Edited 31 January , 2021 by GreyC

[FROGSMILE]

3 minutes ago, GreyC said:

Carl is writing to his friend Gustav, a Sergeant and cavalryman, who is at that time part of a training-course to handle minethrowers. Carl has a job in the military administration in Pinsk, it seems from where the photo was mailed.

I don´t know wether the troops were equipped with sleds, I know they requisitioned these typical durable Russian small horses (Panje-Pferd in German) to draw the sleds that were mostly also requisitioned locally. However there were also motor-driven sleds, that were designed by the Germans. How many there were and who got them I don´t know. Some were used to transport the wounded.

GreyC

Thank you GreyC.  I’m surprised that cavalry would learn to operate minenwerfers.  The sleds do look a good size and low silhouette to transport a few wounded men on the Eastern Front.

[GreyC]

In 1917 large cavalry formations like Regiments were useless. So they gave away their horses and were retrained as Schützen (infantry). Some of the regiments were reformed to Dragoner Schützen Regimenter, e.g. A bit like Luftwaffen-Feld-Divisonen or Marine-Feld-Divisonen in WW2, when the Germans had no more planes and a large number of Luftwaffen guys or naval personnel were twiddling their thumbs. So they were used in land combat instead.

GreyC

Edited 31 January , 2021 by GreyC

[FROGSMILE]

4 minutes ago, GreyC said:

In 1917 large cavalry formations like Regiments were useless. So they gave away their horses and were retrained as Schützen (infantry). Some of the regiments were reformed to Dragoner Schützen Regimenter, e.g. A bit like Luftwaffen-Feld-Divisonen or Marine-Feld-Divisonen in WW2, when the Germans had no more planes and a large number of Luftwaffen guys or naval personnel were twiddling their thumbs. So they were used in land combat instead.

GreyC

Thank you that makes complete sense and the converted Luftwaffe/Marine formations are a good analogy.

[GWF1967]

31 minutes ago, GreyC said:

Carl is writing to his friend Gustav.

GreyC

Many thanks indeed, it certainly adds life to the picture.  I hope Carl had a good Xmas.

[GWF1967]

43 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

A super photo, although odd that he has Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, but no overseas service stripes.  Perhaps a new jacket.  They’re metal shoulder titles, not cloth.

The titles looked unusual, the flaming grenade looks to have a texture more like a bombers cloth badge under a glass. 

 I was told he was 7th Batt.  Do you see a number between T and grenade?

 

Edited 31 January , 2021 by GWF1967

[GWF1967]

Three identical cards - Two overseas service stripes and, " Your Ever Loving Boy, Harry. Palestine 1918." is all the information I have.

 Does anyone recognise patch Harry is wearing please?

 

[Gunner 87]

The first postcard is titled 'British Chaplain writing home for Tommy' stamped by the A.P.O. on the 20th March 1918, the day before the German Spring Offensive. The second postcard is 'Bombarding the German Trenches' stamped on the 22nd March 1918.

Edited 31 January , 2021 by Gunner 87

[The Prussian]

1 hour ago, GWF1967 said:

Three identical cards - Two overseas service stripes and, " Your Ever Loving Boy, Harry. Palestine 1918." is all the information I have.

 Does anyone recognise patch Harry is wearing please?

 

Hello!

I´ve got the book "WWI british battle insignia"

I haven´t found a white upside-down triangle. There are several yellow ones, but those units haven´t been in Palestine...

But in the book ain´t ALL units listed...

[FROGSMILE]

7 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

The titles looked unusual, the flaming grenade looks to have a texture more like a bombers cloth badge under a glass. 

 I was told he was 7th Batt.  Do you see a number between T and grenade?

 

That’s a great close up.  The title is configured as normal for a TF metal title with T and numeral atop universal grenade and RWF.  Unfortunately despite much squinting I can’t discern which number it is.  The letters RWF in particular can be seen to be metal. I think that the apparent texture of the universal grenade that you mentioned is just the reflection of light on what is clearly highly polished.

Edited 31 January , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

7 hours ago, The Prussian said:

Hello!

I´ve got the book "WWI british battle insignia"

I haven´t found a white upside-down triangle. There are several yellow ones, but those units haven´t been in Palestine...

But in the book ain´t ALL units listed...

Thanks for checking. I have looked through the same book. 

 

2 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

That’s a great close up. - I think that the apparent texture of the universal grenade that you mentioned is just the reflection of light on what is clearly highly polished.

Many thanks.  

[CorporalPunishment]

10 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

Isle of Wight photographer.

"Arthur".   T - R.W.F.  Cloth shoulder titles, flaming grenade and "T"

 "Arthur" has Wilfred on Squeak's ribbon and Squeak on Wilfred's ribbon, also Squeak is showing back-to-front. At least the ribbons are in the correct order.    Pete.

[FROGSMILE]

9 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

Three identical cards - Two overseas service stripes and, " Your Ever Loving Boy, Harry. Palestine 1918." is all the information I have.

 Does anyone recognise patch Harry is wearing please?

 

I’ve had a really good scour through David Bilton’s excellent book The Badges of Kitcheners Armies and cannot find an inverted triangle in a colour that would appear so pale on orthochromatic film.  I think it is likely to be a Territorial Force unit, but we will have to wait for his forthcoming accompanying work on TF badges to see.

[SHJ]

12 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

Isle of Wight photographer.

"Arthur".   T - R.W.F.  Cloth shoulder titles, flaming grenade and "T"

 

12 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

A super photo, although odd that he has Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, but no overseas service stripes.  Perhaps a new jacket.  They’re metal shoulder titles, not cloth.

 

What a great image.  It looks to me as if he's holding his right arm and hand really awkwardly, hiding an injury presumably.  I knew a fellow who suffered from a broken elbow and held himself in exactly the same manner.

[FROGSMILE]

9 minutes ago, SHJ said:

 

 

What a great image.  It looks to me as if he's holding his right arm and hand really awkwardly, hiding an injury presumably.  I knew a fellow who suffered from a broken elbow and held himself in exactly the same manner.

Yes, he doesn’t look very relaxed does he.  It’s also noticeable that he has a thousand yards stare.  We’ll never know but perhaps the poor chap was traumatised.  What with Pete spotting his medals being somewhat awry, all told it is quite a stimulating photo on several levels.