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Remembered Today:

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trenchtrotter

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From the studios of Dura Ltd.

"Driver Alfred Charles Spurrier.  (117831-T.F.)  810547. F. Sub. Sec. D. Bty. 230 Brigade R.F.A. 

 B.E.F. France." and Chums.

 

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A/Sgt. Henry Muckmore Burnett. 75618.  Royal Garrison Artillery.

Burnett.jpg.8c4d15d4f49e0bf9d587d4b1a352515a.jpg

 

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4 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

A/Sgt. Henry Muckmore Burnett. 75618.  Royal Garrison Artillery.

Burnett.jpg

That’s a substantial SNCO type cane rather than a swagger stick that he’s carrying.  Relatively unusual for a trainee gunner.  He’s certainly not wearing the rank of an Acting Sergeant?

Edited by FROGSMILE
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34 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

That’s a substantial SNCO type cane rather than a swagger stick that he’s carrying.  Relatively unusual for a trainee gunner.  He’s certainly not wearing the rank of an Acting Sergeant?

An A/Sgt. by the time he went overseas. 

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2 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

An A/Sgt. by the time he went overseas. 

Thank you. Understood 👍

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Armourer staff Sergeant Albert Henry Bright. A/1866 Army Ordnance Corps.   -   14/3/1917.

 

 Pre war Albert worked as a draughtsman for the B.S.A cycle department, he had four years experience in the machine shop, and five in the drawing office.  He first applied to join the A.O.C. 24/1/1915, stating that he was competent with cycles, and that he was required to give one weeks notice, as his employer would not give permission for men to join up. His application was refused as his employer was engaged on essential Government work.

 He successfully applied, with the permission of B.S.A, on 6/4/1915. He was 25.

 As a draughtsman he had designed engines from 2 1/2 to 200hp, auto wheels, including test equipment for same, cycles; standard, Military and folding, and had the run of the whole of the shop floor at B.S.A. He had taken the opportunities this afforded to acquaint himself with the service rifle, and the Maxim gun, which he could strip and rebuild. He had also been instructed in the operation and service of the Lewis Auto gun by the chief instructor. 

 Albert saw service as the Armourer Sgt of "2nd/4th London Regt. R.F. T.F" at Gallipoli, and later in France. He also served as Armourer Sgt. for the 3rd Bedfordshire Regiment  

1897937220_AlbertH.Bright..jpg.d886c238c4aafc747c753bdbe80bc625.jpg

 

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That’s an excellent little biography that you’ve put together.  Was he a family member?  Such detail seems unusual.

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Thanks GWF1967.

 

I now have a photograph to go with his Service Records.

 

I’m unsure whether you’re aware the page commencing “What are we to do, Medwin? is the mandatory “specimen of handwriting” routinely requested of the Recruiting Officer by the Colonel Commanding AOC, given “no such applicant is to be attested who is unable to read and write”.

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5 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

That’s an excellent little biography that you’ve put together.  Was he a family member?  Such detail seems unusual.

No, not a relative; an interesting chap with an extensive surviving service record. 

 

3 hours ago, Peter35 said:

Thanks GWF1967.

 

I now have a photograph to go with his Service Records.

 

I’m unsure whether you’re aware the page commencing “What are we to do, Medwin? is the mandatory “specimen of handwriting” routinely requested of the Recruiting Officer by the Colonel Commanding AOC, given “no such applicant is to be attested who is unable to read and write”.

Glad the photograph was of interest. 

 I was aware of the literacy requirement for applicants, I hadn’t realised that was his submission. 

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21 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

No, not a relative; an interesting chap with an extensive surviving service record. 

 

Glad the photograph was of interest. 

 I was aware of the literacy requirement for applicants, I hadn’t realised that was his submission. 

Very interesting, also the literacy tester explained by Peter.  Thank you both for posting.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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1 hour ago, GWF1967 said:

Glad the photograph was of interest. 

 I was aware of the literacy requirement for applicants, I hadn’t realised that was his submission. 

 

Sorry. I scanned through his records very quickly and missed that the CO’s memo was included.

 

The “specimens” are often quite strange. The first couple I came across had no accompanying CO’s memo. It took a little while for the penny to drop.

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8 hours ago, Peter35 said:

 

Sorry. I scanned through his records very quickly and missed that the CO’s memo was included.

 

The “specimens” are often quite strange. The first couple I came across had no accompanying CO’s memo. It took a little while for the penny to drop.

When I first started to read the document I thought Medwin was in a lot of trouble, and that Sgt Bright was a witness. 

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Photo. Gill + Son. Colchester.

 

  Pte. Leopold Griffin. 250532.  2/6th Manchester Regiment. February 1917.   

France. 26/4/1917.    Commissioned 2/Lt. South Lancashire Regiment. 26/2/1918.    France. 2/Lt. Manchester Regiment. 

 

B. 1891. Ladbroke, Warwickshire.   C.1911 - Culham Teacher Training College,  Abingdon,  Oxfordshire.  

GBOR_TCHIX_GREENA-GRIFFITHS_0400.jpg.2fd68a9ed5005dab628afeebc7c62d07.jpg

 

 

 

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Pte. Stanley Robert Martin. 34718.  15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Pte's Llewelyn Jones + J. Jones. 

R.W.F. Sweetheart wearing shoulder title brooch.

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266276530_Urquhart.(3).jpg.51f8f892a0b81019bbfbcbe224fc4666.jpg

 

 

 

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The Lady with the RWF broach looks a little like Virginia Woolf and her attire has a bohemian look as if she could be a writer or an artist.

Edited by Gardenerbill
Typp
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On 14/05/2021 at 20:12, Gardenerbill said:

The Lady with the RAF broach 

I see it as RWF?

 

It's possibly an actual regulation shoulder title on a pin?

rwf.JPG.eec489c272a1122d134277333f9623a6.JPG

 

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Agree with Alan, I too see RWF.

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It’s an RWF shoulder title that very cleverly has had a miniature flash crafted from silk or similar black cloth attached to the base.  Something not that difficult for a reasonable seamstress to achieve.  I used to have one myself as a lapel pin.  The ribbons were at that time often configured in a wider fan than the example below.

 

Cracking photos, thank you for posting them.

CAC3212C-9937-4F58-833D-0714E5AFFA5A.jpeg.2f58997fe5a3abcfd7f9714a9ce856aa.jpeg

 

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Dvr. Gilbert Urquhart - M2/081948.  Army Service Corps.  

 

Royal Army Medical Corps and Army Service Corps group. Sergeants wearing Imperial Service badges; two farriers within the ranks.      Somewhere in !   -   Northampton, 4th February 1916.   

To Mrs. K. Thomas, 26 Gwendoline Street, Treherbert, Rhondda.      "Things are slow and lazy here". From D.  

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R.A.M.C.  - "Staff Sgt. Bulger".

1791015229_RGAVOL(7).jpg.18bf8602229d171487cdb88766b2263a.jpg

 

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Modern reproduction photograph.

Wounded men from Builth Wells, Mid Wales.  All appear to be wearing wound stripes and/or overseas service chevrons on civilian clothing, with Silver War Badges worn on the wrong lapel. 

676888756_BuilthWellsMen.(2).jpg.5862df97a649283328e6e035ea709c25.jpg

 

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19 minutes ago, Gardenerbill said:

Reversed image possibly?

But they do correctly have wound stripes on the left, and overseas service chevrons on the right sleeves of their civilian jackets. I doubt they would have worn them on the wrong sides.

 

 

Edited by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr
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