Postcards

[FROGSMILE]

2 minutes ago, 58 Div Mule said:

Is the black (Afro-Carribean) soldier on the left of the group, standing next to an older lady, wearing a Tam o Shanter (TOS)?

58 DM.

Yes he is, and although very blurred the outline shape of his badge suggests King’s Own Scottish Borderers.

NB.  I recall that there was quite a famous black soldier who served with (I think) both, KOSB and the Royal Scots Fusiliers.  I wonder if it is he.

Edited 28 August , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[charlie962]

Once again a photo has sparked off a whole series of posts that merit a thread of their own- or in this case  maybe added to one of the existing Bermuda contingent threads? 

What do you think, Marc? It's your photo. @Marc Thompson

[aodhdubh]

On 28/08/2022 at 08:52, FROGSMILE said:

I understand.  I suppose it is possible that the OP photo shows a group of men who are all from Bermuda, regardless of cap badge (and so including the KRRC sergeant), perhaps along with a few of the administrative staff from the repatriation centre, such as CQMS Waldren.  The photo has been most intriguing I feel, including the revelation that such repatriation centres were set up, presumably in readiness to return overseas citizens to their homes.  I wonder if it was unique (given its nearness to Southampton as the shipping hub), or whether there were other regional examples near Felixstowe (East), and Liverpool (North West).

A couple of my relatives I know of, and probably others I am unaware of, went to the Western Front in the Bermuda contingent RGA. I've looked through the service papers of my step-forebear, 1189 Gunner Horatio Josiah Fanshaw Smith, RGA (previously 676 on militia enlistment, but militia rems of service were for local service only, so all volunteers for the contingent were re-enlisted as regulars for the duration...also served after the war as a JNCO), which definitely show he was in Winchester in May, 1919, though not too precise as to where in Winchester. I'm sure one of the two photographs above is dated Empire Day, which as far as I know is the 24th of May...previously the Queen's Birthday 'til 1902...still a holiday in Bermuda, though the name has been changed more than once (and traditionally the earliest date to go swimming). Smith's papers show the contingent embarked on the 22nd of May, however. This was actually most of the contingent, not all of it. Of those who were still serving in Europe at the end of the war, some returned in small groups at different dates, or individually, including the OC, Major TM Dill, who returned to Bermuda on leave at the end of 1918, had his leave extended, and was still in Bermuda when the main body of the contingent returned in 1919. As I mentioned in another thread (), the bulk of the contingent (four commissioned officers, a Warrant Officer, the acting CQMS, and 194 other ranks) returned to Bermuda aboard the SS Ulua, arriving on the 11th of July, 1919. I do not know if that was a direct journey across the Atlantic, or if they went first to Canada and changed vessels.....

 

2022-08-30 UPDATE: The SS Ulua sailed to Bermuda from London. After arriving at the City of Hamilton, Bermuda at 08:00 (according to one source, another indicates after 09:00) on the Friday, the 11th of July, 1919 (another source stated on Saturday [the 12th], and another the 13th), it disembarked the Bermuda Contingent RGA and possibly other soldiers and offloaded cargo, and departed for New York at 16:30 on the same day.

Edited 31 August , 2022 by aodhdubh

[aodhdubh]

Last two pages of the above were knocked off the upload as being over the data limit, though the total MB was below 14...

[aodhdubh]

17 hours ago, Marc Thompson said:

A few service chevrons, wound stripes, 14 star and gallantry ribbons on show here...

I would like 1200 dpi scans of both of these photographs if possible, Marc. They would be greatly appreciated for the Bermuda's Defence Heritage Exhibit (Bermuda Maritime Museum/"National" Museum of Bermuda) and the Bermuda Archives collections. The Bermuda Contingent RGA are rather poorly documented in photographs...That I can recollect, I have only ever seen six other photographs of the unit, or groups from the unit, and several studio portraits, while serving abroad.

Edited 28 August , 2022 by aodhdubh

[Marc Thompson]

38 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

Once again a photo has sparked off a whole series of posts that merit a thread of their own- or in this case  maybe added to one of the existing Bermuda contingent threads? 

What do you think, Marc? It's your photo. @Marc Thompson

Fine with me. Are the mods able to split this thread and add content elsewhere (as on other forums that I belong to)?

[ianjonesncl]

10 minutes ago, Marc Thompson said:

Fine with me. Are the mods able to split this thread and add content elsewhere (as on other forums that I belong to)?

@Marc Thompsonif you are happy I can add the photographs onto my blog.

[GWF1967]

25 minutes ago, Marc Thompson said:

Fine with me. Are the mods able to split this thread and add content elsewhere (as on other forums that I belong to)?

It would be great if the images could also continue to feature here. 

[Marc Thompson]

3 hours ago, ianjonesncl said:

@Marc Thompsonif you are happy I can add the photographs onto my blog.

Fine with me.

Just a correction to the detail provided. The images derive from CQMS William Thomas Waldren MM and Bar. I may have erroneously referred to his brother RQMS Frederick Henry Waldren in this thread.

Edited 28 August , 2022 by Marc Thompson

[FROGSMILE]

4 hours ago, Marc Thompson said:

Fine with me.

Just a correction to the detail provided. The images derive from CQMS William Thomas Waldren MM and Bar. I may have erroneously referred to his brother RQMS Frederick Henry Waldren in this thread.

I note that CQMS Waldren was MGC in the photo.  Assuming he was a prewar regular (he has the look of one) do you know what his original regiment was?  I’m guessing Hampshire’s given your interest and knowledge of his sibling too.

[Marc Thompson]

19 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

I note that CQMS Waldren was MGC in the photo.  Assuming he was a prewar regular (he has the look of one) do you know what his original regiment was?  I’m guessing Hampshire’s given your interest and knowledge of his sibling too.

William Waldren was an Old Contemptible with 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment, and transferred to the MGC on their formation. He later became an active member of the Old Contemptibles Association, Dorking Branch. 

Edited 28 August , 2022 by Marc Thompson

[FROGSMILE]

17 minutes ago, Marc Thompson said:

William Waldren was an Old Contemptible with 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment, and transferred to the MGC on their formation. He later became an active member of the Old Contemptibles Association, Dorking Branch. 

Thanks Marc, confirms what I suspected reading between the lines.

[MikeyH]

German Artillery Reserve 1907

Outside of our timeframe, but I thought this card of interest.  Is anyone able to translate?

Mike.

[FROGSMILE]

2 minutes ago, MikeyH said:

German Artillery Reserve 1907

Outside of our timeframe, but I thought this card of interest.  Is anyone able to translate?

Mike.

@GreyC @charlie2and @knittinganddeath might be able to help.

[aodhdubh]

On 28/08/2022 at 16:19, Marc Thompson said:

William Waldren was an Old Contemptible with 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment, and transferred to the MGC on their formation. He later became an active member of the Old Contemptibles Association, Dorking Branch. 

I was hoping to find his service papers, but have not. I wondered if he may have served in Bermuda 1905 to 1907 in the 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment.

 

This is an article from the Royal Gazette newspaper of Bermuda dated 15th of July, 1919.

[FROGSMILE]

6 hours ago, aodhdubh said:

I was hoping to find his service papers, but have not. I wondered if he may have served in Bermuda 1905 to 1907 in the 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment.

 

This is an article from the Royal Gazette newspaper of Bermuda dated 15th of July, 1919.

A fascinating article to bring meaningful, thought provoking context to the photo(s) of the Repatriation Camp.  Thank you for posting it.  I take it that ‘BMA’ refers to Bermuda Militia Artillery?

 

Edited 31 August , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[aodhdubh]

17 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

A fascinating article to bring meaningful, thought provoking context to the photo(s) of the Repatriation Camp.  Thank you for posting it.  I take it that ‘BMA’ refers to Bermuda Militia Artillery?

 

Yes...no mention of Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps in the article, though Rifle Brigade are mentioned. BMA would indeed be the Bermuda Militia Artillery....the name was not updated in 1902 when those of Militia Artillery units in the British Isles were (to "Territory Artillery RGA (Militia)"). It was reorganised on TA lines in 1928, but the name was not modified to reflect this.

Edited 31 August , 2022 by aodhdubh

[FROGSMILE]

20 minutes ago, aodhdubh said:

Yes...no mention of Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps in the article, though Rifle Brigade are mentioned. BMA would indeed be the Bermuda Militia Artillery....the name was not updated in 1902 when those of Militia Artillery units in the British Isles were (to "Territory Artillery RGA (Militia)"). It was reorganised on TA lines in 1928, but the name was not modified to reflect this.

Thank you, I recall those salient facts from your earlier postings and just want to confirm that the BCRGA were still referring to themselves in that way.

[ianjonesncl]

Although I was aware of this topic, and indeed it has become a classic,  I had not really followed it's contents. Something I am now doing catch up on and thanks to the many contributors that make it so fascinating. 

Taking a couple of points that were raised;

On 28/08/2022 at 10:38, Marc Thompson said:

Fine with me. Are the mods able to split this thread and add content elsewhere (as on other forums that I belong to)?

On 28/08/2022 at 11:07, GWF1967 said:

It would be great if the images could also continue to feature here. 

I have started to link a blog entry recording the Gunners that people have kindly posted on the thread. If I have linked any photographs that anyone does not want linked, please let me know. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marc Thompson]

18 hours ago, aodhdubh said:

I was hoping to find his service papers, but have not. I wondered if he may have served in Bermuda 1905 to 1907 in the 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment.

William Waldren enlisted in 1912 and served with the 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment.

[morrisc8]

 

I have this postcard dated 1907 to L/Cpl J. [ jim ] Bundley North Staff Rgt. H Coy 1st Vol Batt. Morfa Camp.
North Wales. The camp was used in ww1 and ww2.
Link to camp info.
https://historypoints.org/index.php?page=site-of-army-camp-conwy

 

Edited 1 September , 2022 by morrisc8

[FROGSMILE]

4 hours ago, morrisc8 said:

 

I have this postcard dated 1907 to L/Cpl J. [ jim ] Bundley North Staff Rgt. H Coy 1st Vad? Batt. Morfa Camp.
North Wales. The camp was used in ww1 and ww2.
Link to camp info.
https://historypoints.org/index.php?page=site-of-army-camp-conwy

 

An amusing card with a theme I’ve not seen before.  His unit is the 1st Volunteer Battalion that a year later (in 1908) became the 5th Territorial Force (TF) Battalion when the auxiliary forces underwent wholesale reforms.

Edited 1 September , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[morrisc8]

Thank you Frogsmile for the info. Postcard of the camp pre ww1. Huts were put up later.

[FROGSMILE]

3 minutes ago, morrisc8 said:

Thank you Frogsmile for the info. Postcard of the camp pre ww1. Huts were put up later.

It gives a particularly good indication of the extent of varied Army tentage.  Theirs a thread on that precise subject somewhere for which this would be a good addition I think.

[Bob Davies]

11 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

It gives a particularly good indication of the extent of varied Army tentage.  Theirs a thread on that precise subject somewhere for which this would be a good addition I think.

This is probably the thread you refer to FROGSMILE. That is quite a view of tentage, thanks @morrisc8.

British Army tents

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By goldeagle1939,
16 August , 2009 in Other Equipment