Postcards

[GWF1967]

3 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

The lenses on his glasses betray that he was clearly short sighted.  I imagine him as a numerate man able to see better down the barrel of a pen than down the barrel of an SMLE, hence perhaps his departure from the infantry.  I’ll be surprised if he didn’t survive the war unless he was unlucky with Spanish Flu.

As well as short sighted, he had a weepy ear and "considerable deafness" which made him unfit for the infantry. He worked in Shrewsbury , and fortunately was a survivor.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

The subject of this quite unusual and artistic Portrait, taken with Great War ribbons up, was Australian Imperial Force Lieut. Arthur John Rafferty (1882-ca.1957). 

A Chemist, when he enlisted in the AIF (1915), A. J. Rafferty was a subaltern in "D" Coy., 18 Bn., AIF. Served on Gallipoli. Subsequently appointed Machine Gun Officer. Seriously wounded on Hill 60, Rafferty lost an arm (discharged 1918).

He farmed on alloted but sub-standard Land in New South Wales post-Great War and experienced floods and fires, losing his homestead. Despite battling on, he went bankrupt and received little sympathy or help from the authorities. So much for a country fit for heroes...

Kindest regards,

Kim. 

[aodhdubh]

Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps 944 (Lincolnshire Regiment 3/171944) Rifleman Wentworth Gray Trimingham (commissioned into 11th Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers, and killed in action 4th January, 1918)....second is with his brother, 976 (3/17160) Joseph Lightbourn Trimingham, also killed in action (13 September, 1915). Also seen in this group photograph of the BVRC First Contingent to the Lincolns: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BVRC-Great-War-Contingent_1914.jpg

Edited 26 October , 2023 by aodhdubh

[GWF1967]

2 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

A fine portrait image.  I believe he is wearing the shoulder title below.  I wonder if he survived the war.  He was clearly yet another combed out into the infantry.  Many were killed during 1918.

Good call with the shoulder title. A check on the Long Long Trail shows his 1917 number 562482, falls in a block allotted to the London Electrical Engineers.

Edited 26 October , 2023 by GWF1967

[GWF1967]

Royal Field Artillery group.

[GWF1967]

Royal Artillery group. Military Medal winner front left.

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

Plymouth photographer, so I thought it might be T-R.E - Cornwall, but unfortunately it isn't clear enough.

I was squinting and thought it started with an L, but I might well be wrong.  Others might be able to see better.

18 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

Royal Artillery group. Military Medal winner front left.

The warrant officer 1 at far left as we look is an armaments artificer I think, as also the warrant officer 2 at far right.  Ordinarily I’d expect them to be seated which makes me wonder if they might be visitors carrying out a technical inspection.  I’m not sure if they would be on the permanent establishment of such a small unit. 

Edited 26 October , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[FROGSMILE]

25 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

Good call with the shoulder title. A check on the Long Long Trail shows his 1917 number 562482, falls in a block allotted to the London Electrical Engineers.

Thank you for the confirmation. 

[FROGSMILE]

Just now, GWF1967 said:

I think T-R.E London was a good shout as posted above. 

Sorry yes I just spotted that and edited to avoid bothering m’learned fellow enthusiasts.

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, aodhdubh said:

Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps 944 (Lincolnshire Regiment 3/171944) Rifleman Wentworth Gray Trimingham (commissioned into 11th Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers, and killed in action 4th January, 1918)....second is with his brother, 976 (3/17160) Joseph Lightbourn Trimingham, also killed in action (13 September, 1915). Also seen in this group photograph of the BVRC First Contingent to the Lincolns: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BVRC-Great-War-Contingent_1914.jpg

A great tragedy to lose fine men from the educated echelons of a relatively small island community.

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said:

Dear All,

The subject of this quite unusual and artistic Portrait, taken with Great War ribbons up, was Australian Imperial Force Lieut. Arthur John Rafferty (1882-ca.1957). 

A Chemist, when he enlisted in the AIF (1915), A. J. Rafferty was a subaltern in "D" Coy., 18 Bn., AIF. Served on Gallipoli. Subsequently appointed Machine Gun Officer. Seriously wounded on Hill 60, Rafferty lost an arm (discharged 1918).

He farmed on alloted but sub-standard Land in New South Wales post-Great War and experienced floods and fires, losing his homestead. Despite battling on, he went bankrupt and received little sympathy or help from the authorities. So much for a country fit for heroes...

Kindest regards,

Kim. 

I think such men often experienced some of the best times of their lives serving with the armed forces during a world war.  Despite the danger they frequently enjoyed the comradeship and sense of shared endeavour with other men of a similar ilk and didn’t have to worry so much about their hearths and homes in the existential way that you described.

[GWF1967]

Army Service Corps, Territorial Force. One wears plain A.S.C. shoulder titles, the Lance Corporal wears drivers goggles, an Imperial Service badge, and an Efficiency Star on the wrong sleeve.

 

Edited 26 October , 2023 by GWF1967

[FROGSMILE]

4 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

Army Service Corps, Territorial Force. One wears plain A.S.C. shoulder titles, the Lance Corporal wears drivers goggles, an Imperial Service badge, and an Efficiency Star on the wrong sleeve.

 

The star could mean different things depending upon its location.  One I recall was to militiamen/special reservists who signed on beyond their initial engagement.  That was left sleeve if I recall correctly.  It’s mentioned in the forum somewhere.

Edited 26 October , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said:

The star could mean different things depending upon its location.  One I recall was to militiamen/special reservists who signed on beyond their initial engagement.  That was left sleeve if I recall correctly.  It’s mentioned in the forum somewhere.

I had a look through Edwards and Langley - British Army Proficiency Badges, but couldn’t find a star for the left sleeve. 

[squirrel]

Not unusual for TF to wear badges in "the wrong place"... wonder if it is the 5 pointed star for distance judging which should be on the right forearm?

[FROGSMILE]

3 minutes ago, squirrel said:

Not unusual for TF to wear badges in "the wrong place"... wonder if it is the 5 pointed star for distance judging which should be on the right forearm?

Yes right forearm, whereas the SR reengagement star was left forearm.

Edited 26 October , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

29 minutes ago, squirrel said:

Not unusual for TF to wear badges in "the wrong place"... wonder if it is the 5 pointed star for distance judging which should be on the right forearm?

Distance judging was the other 5 point star option, but I wondered if it were an A.S.C. qualification?

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

I had a look through Edwards and Langley - British Army Proficiency Badges, but couldn’t find a star for the left sleeve. 

It was a subsequent discovery I recall.  There’s a thread about it somewhere I’ll try to find it as I can’t recall the full details offhand.

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

I had a look through Edwards and Langley - British Army Proficiency Badges, but couldn’t find a star for the left sleeve. 

We talked about it before.  I think it was a 4-pointed star and suggested that a 5-pointed star was in lieu.  Here’s one thread: 

 

I’ll try to find the original.

Edited 26 October , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[FROGSMILE]

Here’s the other one confirming the intent for a 4-pointed star: 

 

[gunnerwalker]

A postcard of an unnamed soldier of the Northumberland Fusiliers. Lovely clear examples of his Machine Gunner's Proficiency Badge, good conduct stripe, wound stripes and overseas chevrons.

Edited 26 October , 2023 by gunnerwalker

[GWF1967]

1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said:

Here’s the other one confirming the intent for a 4-pointed star: 

 

Thanks, I’d forgotten about that thread. 

[GWF1967]

10 minutes ago, gunnerwalker said:

A postcard of an unnamed soldier of the Northumberland Fusiliers. Lovely clear examples of his Machine Gunner's Proficiency Badge, good conduct stripe, wound stripes and overseas chevrons.

Great postcard.  

[FROGSMILE]

16 minutes ago, gunnerwalker said:

A postcard of an unnamed soldier of the Northumberland Fusiliers. Lovely clear examples of his Machine Gunner's Proficiency Badge, good conduct stripe, wound stripes and overseas chevrons.

An absolutely superb portrait, thank you for sharing it.

[CorporalPunishment]

9 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

Royal Artillery group. Military Medal winner front left.

 

9 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

Royal Artillery group. Military Medal winner front left.

I think I can make out four MM ribbons and an MSM ribbon amongst them.     Pete.