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Remembered Today:

Postcards


trenchtrotter

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24 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

It is not surprising how so many threads are connected in one way or another, just a matter of keeping ones mind liked to them all :lol: I was just trying to imagine the tonnage of canvas/poles and pegs not to mention the other accoutrements that make up a camp. All pitched in precise order so the whole becomes one, from men to an army.

Yes, they were like tented towns, with all the necessities to sustain human life, but in a decidedly utilitarian way.   

Edited by FROGSMILE
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"East Anglian Royal Engineers. At Milton"  Etches + Hall, Press Photographers, Peterboro'. 

R.E. Pontoon (4).jpg

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7 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

"East Anglian Royal Engineers. At Milton"  Etches + Hall, Press Photographers, Peterboro'. 

R.E. Pontoon (4).jpg

A super clear photo of sappers just after completing a stretch of pontoon bridging across what looks like a small lake as the water appears still.  There’s a good view of the drab single breasted greatcoat on some of the men (an early version with turn back cuffs) and a majority are wearing the canvas, fatigue suit often used for any training that’s likely to get their service dress inordinately dirty.  There even a corporal of engineers front left demonstrating that he can ‘walk on water’!  He appears to have two efficiency stars on his right cuff, demonstrating attendance at 8-annual training camps.  Thank you for posting.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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Noel Edward Higley.  A carpenter from Shrewsbury who enlisted to the Lancashire Fortress Coy. Royal Engineers 8/2/1916 as Spr. T- 1438 and tested "skilled" as a carpenter/joiner in April 1916.

 16/12/1916 saw him posted to 14th Training Reserve Battalion, and renumbered TR/37060. 

 He landed in France 19/1/1917 and proceeded to No.5 Infantry Base Depot, where he was posted to the 1st Batt. South Wales Borderers.  In early February he was posted to 3rd Infantry Brigade Dugout Coy, not one I'd come across before, or could find in a forum search. (image courtesy of FMP.)

Wounded in action on 10/11/1917 he was returned to the UK and on 27/9/18 to the Royal Engineers.  He trained, and was rated as skilled, as an electrician with R.E. searchlight operations, and was then attached to 7th Royal Garrison Artillery Anti Aircraft Coy.  image.jpeg.24cea9339ce9b9d0f5583a4afa7a437f.jpeg

Higley. R.E (3).jpg

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A very interesting example of how a man could be moved so peremptorily between arms of service.  I too have never heard of a “dugout company” before.  Thank you for posting.  His uniform and shoulder insignia show that the photo is from the time of his initial enlistment.

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19 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

  His uniform and shoulder insignia show that the photo is from the time of his initial enlistment.

Thanks for your thoughts as always.

He signs himself as serving with “L.F. R.E.”

I thought it interesting that he was trained as R.E., posted as an infantryman, only to undertake R.E. carpentry work with a different hat on. 

Edited by GWF1967
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38 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

 His uniform and shoulder insignia show that the photo is from the time of his initial enlistment.

With regard to the tunic he is wearing without the pleats in the top pockets FROGSMILE, I have read elsewhere but can't remember the terminology, is it a later pattern due to low stocks/availability of the original ones?

 

31 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

He signs himself as serving with “L.F. R.E.”

A great picture GWF1967, he looks smart and I think proudly signs himself as a member of the 'Lancashire Fortress Coy. Royal Engineers' !

Edited by Bob Davies
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21 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

With regard to the tunic he is wearing without the pleats in the top pockets FROGSMILE, I have read elsewhere but can't remember the terminology, is it a later pattern due to low stocks/availability of the original ones?

 

A great picture GWF1967, he looks smart and I think proudly signs himself as a member of the 'Lancashire Fortress Coy. Royal Engineers' !

No it’s the early on emergency ‘simplified’ jacket Bob, introduced because the production of that type was quicker and so speeded up the rate of manufacture during the initial surge of recruitment.  Late summer 1914 through to early autumn 1915 IIRC and then turning up in stores occasionally after that.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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31 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

No it’s the early on emergency ‘simplified’ jacket Bob, introduced because the production of that type was quicker and so speeded up the rate of manufacture during the initial surge of recruitment.  Late summer 1914 through to early autumn 1915 IIRC and then turning up in stores occasionally after that.

Thanks for clarifying that FROGSMILE. 'simplified' so missing the pleats in top pockets and the beaded edge above the top pocket to the shoulder? Were there other patterns later into the war or just the two?

Edited by Bob Davies
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20 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

Thanks for clarifying that FROGSMILE. Were there other patterns later into the war or just the two?

Basically the two although there were some very minor manufacturing tweaks to the standard pattern supplied subsequently by suppliers.  The next main change was in 1922 when the cut was smartened up (made a closer fit) to suit a peacetime army denied the smart coloured uniforms that had previously been the norm. 

Edited by FROGSMILE
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9 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Basically the two although there were some very minor manufacturing tweaks to the standard pattern by different suppliers.  The next main change was in 1922 when the cut was smartened up (made a closer fit) to suit a peacetime army denied the smart coloured uniforms that had previously been the norm. 

Thank you, just the caps I have to learn about now. All of a sudden I know there are differences but I do not know the finer details. Noel Edward Higley. in the OP I believe has a 1905 cap, quite stiff, no ear flaps or stitching on the peak. So then I believe came the 'gor blimey' cap with ear flaps and then the floppy cap with stitching on the peak?

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6 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

Thank you, just the caps I have to learn about now. All of a sudden I know there are differences but I do not know the finer details. Noel Edward Higley. in the OP I believe has a 1905 cap, quite stiff, no ear flaps or stitching on the peak. So then I believe came the 'gor blimey' cap with ear flaps and then the floppy cap with stitching on the peak?

Yes, correct on all counts.  The stiff 1905 pattern does seem to have been issued throughout the war at home though, both to the wounded in hospital blue, and new recruits, but as the war went on the soft trench cap, with its stitched peak became the norm, as it was designed to be easily stowed away in equipment whilst the steel helmet was being worn.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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22 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Yes, correct on all counts.  The stiff 1905 pattern does seem to have been issued throughout the war at home though, both to the wounded in hospital blue, and new recruits, but as the war went on the soft trench cap, with its stitched peak became the norm, as it was designed to be easily stowed away in equipment whilst the steel helmet was being worn

Do you or anyone  have any date for the soft cap introduction please?

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39 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

Do you or anyone  have any date for the soft cap introduction please?

1916, it replaced the ‘Gor-Blimey’ with the ear flaps.

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On 04/09/2022 at 05:45, GWF1967 said:

"East Anglian Royal Engineers. At Milton"  Etches + Hall, Press Photographers, Peterboro'. 

R.E. Pontoon (4).jpg

I have number 10 in this set. It belonged to Sapper H G Quarry who sits middle row 5th right

83045969_2570277039907163_5463457339795308544_n.jpg

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5 minutes ago, Raster Scanning said:

I have number 10 in this set. It belonged to Sapper H G Quarry who sits middle row 5th right

83045969_2570277039907163_5463457339795308544_n.jpg

Good to see them reunited- digitally at least. 
My card has “Next to John Bunny/Bunney” written on the back. 

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No 4 Section, 2/2 Field Company (Reserve Unit), Luton, Bedfordshire. Sapper (Boy) 1003 Quarry is on the fence, 2nd right. Early war, probably winter 1914/15image.jpeg.aa4f565117b8a3d52e4cb5c26dd8941f.jpeg

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EARE. Sapper 1003 Quarry is kneeling far right. Summer 1915.

image.jpeg

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Sapper 1003 Quarry East Anglian Royal Engineers is a bandsman his badge is evident on his upper arm (back row, 3rd left). Plenty of Imperial service tablets on view, dating this to early summer 1915.

82957492_2570277309907136_5028372655879749632_n.jpg

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Possibly Bedford or Luton at the EARE Drill Hall. Sapper 1003 Quarry is sitting at the front to the right of the sign as we look at it.

82762337_2570276973240503_6594971026591842304_n.jpg

Captioned, No 2 Section, 1/2 Field Company (Foreign Service) East Anglian Royal Engineers. Rowhedge, Colchester 1914. 1003 Sapper H G Quarry is sitting in front row far left.

83155073_2570277056573828_7284324800997097472_n.jpg

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Caption on back reads" Cpl J Lightfoot, Royal Engineers" from collection of Sapper H G Quarry 1003 EARE's

82509558_2570277589907108_8644082146643804160_n.jpg

Caption reads "Depot Band, 15th Convalescent Depot, Trouville-sur-mer, August 4th 1918. Sapper H G Quarry, 248 Field Coy, RE's 63rd Royal Naval Division, BEF"'
Quarry sits with his clarinet, front row, 2nd from right. He has a wound stripe on his lower sleeve. It seems the band was made up of recovering patients as can be noted by the many different units represented. A quick look identifies, RFC, MGC, RE, RA to name a few.

82581708_2570277383240462_1899092078520958976_n.jpg

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34 minutes ago, Raster Scanning said:

I have number 10 in this set. It belonged to Sapper H G Quarry who sits middle row 5th right

83045969_2570277039907163_5463457339795308544_n.jpg

Yet another super image.  There’s a lot of very young Territorial sappers in this particular photo.

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13 minutes ago, Raster Scanning said:

Caption on back reads" Cpl J Lightfoot, Royal Engineers" from collection of Sapper H G Quarry 1003 EARE's

82509558_2570277589907108_8644082146643804160_n.jpg

Caption reads "Depot Band, 15th Convalescent Depot, Trouville-sur-mer, August 4th 1918. Sapper H G Quarry, 248 Field Coy, RE's 63rd Royal Naval Division, BEF"'
Quarry sits with his clarinet, front row, 2nd from right. He has a wound stripe on his lower sleeve. It seems the band was made up of recovering patients as can be noted by the many different units represented. A quick look identifies, RFC, MGC, RE, RA to name a few.

82581708_2570277383240462_1899092078520958976_n.jpg

Quarry's hand written pass from the time he was at the 15th Convalescent Depot. A long list of establishments and ladies that were out of bounds !

82937925_2570334859901381_5227083556961910784_n.jpg

83009238_2570334856568048_3288356914643075072_n.jpg

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47 minutes ago, Raster Scanning said:

Quarry's hand written pass from the time he was at the 15th Convalescent Depot. A long list of establishments and ladies that were out of bounds !

82937925_2570334859901381_5227083556961910784_n.jpg

83009238_2570334856568048_3288356914643075072_n.jpg

Clearly that particular Convalescent Depot relates to France.  The depots were usually adjacent to the Stationary Hospitals at the Base (area).  The out of bounds record is a fantastic piece of social record for historians.  I doubt if even the Imperial War Museum have that degree of detail immediately to hand, although God knows what lies untapped in their basement archives.

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Three old Sgt's of the 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment in England 1915. Charles Kitchener CSM 3/8491. Sgt. Germany and Sgt. French. None of them went to France with the battalion.

Kitchener served with the 7th and 8th Battalions and then at The Ampthill Command Depot (Bedfordshire Training Depot). He came from Luton and was sadly admitted to an asylum in 1922. The other two also appear on a named group photo of the NCO's of the battalion and as they were not issued medals I am having trouble tracing them.

 

 

 

lkjb.jpeg

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