GWF1967 Posted 14 September , 2021 Share Posted 14 September , 2021 "Taken by an Arab photographer while at a rest camp at the Base (Alexandria) a few days after landing" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 15 September , 2021 Share Posted 15 September , 2021 On 12/09/2021 at 16:39, FROGSMILE said: The work party photo is a cracker and shows the typical huts that were erected at various camps over Salisbury Plain, including Larkhill and nearby Durrington. I think that they’re either, digging a drainage ditch between the huts, or perhaps making the necessary hardcore bed for the small gauge railway that was constructed to connect all the camps and ease the transportation of supplies and building materials. Forum member @Moonrakerwill have a particular interest in your photographs. Thank you for posting. More likely a drainage ditch. The railway was in fact standard gauge and didn't run that closely between huts. (There was a small tramway that transported shells from the railway to the Hamilton Battery, but this was not so close to the huts.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 15 September , 2021 Share Posted 15 September , 2021 (edited) On 15/09/2021 at 06:31, Moonraker said: More likely a drainage ditch. The railway was in fact standard gauge and didn't run that closely between huts. (There was a small tramway that transported shells from the railway to the Hamilton Battery, but this was not so close to the huts.) Thanks Moonraker, that makes sense. I used to live at Codford and often took the opportunity to take a walk over the site of the NZ Hospital in the Punchbowl. Some surviving huts could still be seen in the Chitterne valley below and of course several spurs of the rail track ran there too. Edited 16 September , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 16 September , 2021 Share Posted 16 September , 2021 "3rd Mon(mouthshire) Battalion Territorials at camp in Cheshire 1908" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 16 September , 2021 Share Posted 16 September , 2021 (edited) 40 minutes ago, GWF1967 said: "3rd Mon(mouthshire) Battalion Territorials at camp in Cheshire 1908" Quite a mixture of uniform too. The company rear left in the traditional grey but the company rear right wearing 02 service dress. The officer on the right of the group in the foreground appears to be from a fusilier regiment. Edited 16 September , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 17 September , 2021 Share Posted 17 September , 2021 18 hours ago, FROGSMILE said: Quite a mixture of uniform too. The company rear left in the traditional grey but the company rear right wearing 02 service dress. The officer on the right of the group in the foreground appears to be from a fusilier regiment. Thanks. Would the three figures, left hand side with their back to camera, be bandsmen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 17 September , 2021 Share Posted 17 September , 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, GWF1967 said: Thanks. Would the three figures, left hand side with their back to camera, be bandsmen? I don’t think so. If they were flute cases they would be worn on the front of the belts. The whitened object left rear of waist-belt is more likely a Slade-Wallace pattern bayonet frog fitted with bayonet. The movement to fix bayonet was carried out with the left hand behind the back so that it could easily be grasped there. They are probably from the Guard of Honour. Edited 17 September , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 18 September , 2021 Share Posted 18 September , 2021 16 hours ago, FROGSMILE said: I don’t think so. If they were flute cases they would be worn on the front of the belts. The whitened object left rear of waist-belt is more likely a Slade-Wallace pattern bayonet frog fitted with bayonet. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 18 September , 2021 Share Posted 18 September , 2021 On 14/09/2021 at 20:58, GWF1967 said: Mine too. Might it be another word rather than Button? It doesn’t make any sense that we can’t find a reference to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 18 September , 2021 Share Posted 18 September , 2021 41 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said: Might it be another word rather than Button? It doesn’t make any sense that we can’t find a reference to it. Indeed. I posted the original hoping for suggestions. Perhaps a nickname/in joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 18 September , 2021 Share Posted 18 September , 2021 46 minutes ago, GWF1967 said: Indeed. I posted the original hoping for suggestions. Perhaps a nickname/in joke. Yes I suppose that’s possible, odd though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 18 September , 2021 Share Posted 18 September , 2021 (edited) "The Territorials Under Canvas" Posted from Scarborough Camp July 8th 1912, by 1399. Pte. John Longstaff Edmondson. 1/5th Durham Light Infantry. B. 1895. France. 17/4/915 - Served as John Longstaff. Promoted. Colour Sergeant/ Company Quartermaster Sergeant Died. 5/11/1918. Buried. St. Sever Communal Cemetery Extension, Rouen. Edited 18 September , 2021 by GWF1967 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 18 September , 2021 Share Posted 18 September , 2021 2 hours ago, GWF1967 said: "The Territorials Under Canvas" Posted from Scarborough Camp July 8th 1912, by 1399. Pte. John Longstaff Edmondson. 1/5th Durham Light Infantry. B. 1895. France. 17/4/915 - Served as John Longstaff. Promoted. Colour Sergeant/ Company Quartermaster Sergeant Died. 5/11/1918. Buried. St. Sever Communal Cemetery Extension, Rouen. What a cracking picture. It looks as if the photographer was able to get atop a water tower or some other elevated structure to get such an overview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B Posted 18 September , 2021 Share Posted 18 September , 2021 Buttow outpost in India, mid 19th century, probably does not help https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/120769377?mode=transcription Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 18 September , 2021 Share Posted 18 September , 2021 50 minutes ago, Jerry B said: Buttow outpost in India, mid 19th century, probably does not help https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/120769377?mode=transcription A nice try but probably not Jerry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaretnolan Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 Somerset Light Infantry. No date or other details I’m afraid. From my collection but I don’t have it yet! Hope it might be clearer when it arrives. Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 (edited) 16 minutes ago, Margaretnolan said: Somerset Light Infantry. No date or other details I’m afraid. From my collection but I don’t have it yet! Hope it might be clearer when it arrives. Margaret The backdrop is typical for an annual summer training camp Margaret. It’s a very human scene with the men looking rather disheveled having been gathered for an impromptu photo opportunity. Several of them are wearing the bleached canvas fatigue suits worn routinely for dirty chores. Thank you for posting. Edited 19 September , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaretnolan Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said: The backdrop is typical for an annual summer training camp Margaret. It’s a very human scene with the men looking rather disheveled having been gathered for an impromptu photo opportunity. Several of them are wearing the bleached canvas fatigue suits worn routinely for dirty chores. Thank you for posting. One happy face among them. I’ve just noticed the really small guy in the second row. Tiny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Margaretnolan said: One happy face among them. I’ve just noticed the really small guy in the second row. Tiny. Yes I saw him too and at first thought he was a boy soldier, but it became obvious on examination that he was just stunted, as some men were at that time due to childhood malnutrition. The better one’s were channeled into so-called bantam battalions, but it became impossible to sustain them with sufficient replacements. I wonder what happened to him, he was truly tiny as you say, and would probably have struggled to bear the load required for ‘marching order’. Edited 19 September , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaretnolan Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 19 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said: Yes I saw him too and at first thought he was a boy soldier, but it became obvious on examination that he was just stunted, as some men were at that time due to childhood malnutrition. The better one’s were channeled into so-called bantam battalions, but it became impossible to sustain them with sufficient replacements. I wonder what happened to him, he was truly tiny as you say, and would probably have struggled to bear the load required for ‘marching order’. He’s well under 5ft. I also just noticed the blue cross on the man extreme left in the same row. The sender of the card! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 (edited) 28 minutes ago, Margaretnolan said: He’s well under 5ft. I also just noticed the blue cross on the man extreme left in the same row. The sender of the card! Yes and he looks suitably dozy doesn’t he! Edited 19 September , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 Royal Field Artillery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 (edited) Cracking picture and on the left is I think maybe a quite rare badge of appointment. It needs a close up really, but I think it’s a ‘Quarter-Master-Sergeant Wheeler’, marked out by a wheel superimposed on four inverted stripes. Can someone do a close up to confirm? Edited 19 September , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 (edited) Correct. Badged on both sleeves. Edited 19 September , 2021 by GWF1967 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 20 September , 2021 Share Posted 20 September , 2021 8 hours ago, GWF1967 said: Correct. Badged on both sleeves. Excellent, yes it is. Quite a rare badge to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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