john gregory Posted 7 January , 2011 Share Posted 7 January , 2011 473374, Pte Percy Alfred T Godley, born 1897. Killed in action 9th April 1917, aged 19. 12th London Regiment (The Rangers) Percy had also served with 16th London (Queens Westminster Rifles)Pte Godley is buried in London Cemetery, Nueville-Vitasse. Grave: I A 77 Tocemma Superb photo, complete with his Rangers flash, exellent, thanks for showing Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 Thank you very much. This is fascinating. What do we know: smart turn-out post Jan 1918 [the overseas chevrons] only the scarlet 1914 chevron missing. photo is printed right way round, so appointed something-major [the four rank chevrons] rather than 16 years good conduct [wrong sleeve for that] wears non-Royal regiment drum/bugle dress cords [presumably green, certainly not yellow/scarlet/navy] carries a set of pipes waers the intertwined bugles badge, not an ordnance item, but not unknown for buglers and bugle-majors. plus all the detailed unit etc indicators already described. Obverse says "piper" The badging may be a reflection of the fact that pipe badges were never an official issue until c. 1940 ..... indeed the earliest instance detected is Australian 1917 [from memory] and then immediately post-war Scots regiment on homecoming parade. Definitely a must for the "oddities and curios" folder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 Thank you very much. This is fascinating. What do we know: smart turn-out post Jan 1918 [the overseas chevrons] only the scarlet 1914 chevron missing. photo is printed right way round, so appointed something-major [the four rank chevrons] rather than 16 years good conduct [wrong sleeve for that] wears non-Royal regiment drum/bugle dress cords [presumably green, certainly not yellow/scarlet/navy] carries a set of pipes waers the intertwined bugles badge, not an ordnance item, but not unknown for buglers and bugle-majors. plus all the detailed unit etc indicators already described. Obverse says "piper" The badging may be a reflection of the fact that pipe badges were never an official issue until c. 1940 ..... indeed the earliest instance detected is Australian 1917 [from memory] and then immediately post-war Scots regiment on homecoming parade. Definitely a must for the "oddities and curios" folder. Tocemma - thanks for posting this - will be of interest to the LIR museum. There is no WW1 Piper or Pipe Major Taylor listed in the History of the London Irish Rifles Pipes and Drums! So, this should puzzle them,. Grumpy: the London Irish Rifles have nearly always worn green bugle cords with an occasional foray to black. The saffron kilt was adopted in 1916 - from the Irish Guards whose original pipers were taught by the London Irish Rifles. Certainly an interesting uniform - the lengths they go to to be "different". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tocemma Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 Thanks Squirrel, On the back of the card in pencil is 'Piper R Taylor, 56 Bromley Hall Road, Poplar. With best wishes' Shame it can't be Id'd Tocemma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandy hall Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 This is one of my favourite threads, that I check every time I log on. I find it very haunting. I suggest that you put Bromley Hall Road, Poplar into google maps and look at the name of the road that crosses it coincidence or what? Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 Thanks Tocemma and thanks Mandy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 Not Light Infantry, but clearly they liked fancy uniforms. The green has nothing to do with Light Infantry....just an Irish thing! Two bugles intertwined. He might have been a bugle major but unlikely as he describes himself as piper on the back of the postcard. Tocemma It has everything to do with a light infantry tradition since they were a Rifle Regiment and therefore wore quite normally bugle badges and had a long association with 'Rifle Green', as well as saffron. Like the Royal Irish Rifles, the battalion formed a corps of Pipes, Bugles and Drums and the man concerned was perhaps both Bugle and Pipe Major, with bugles taking precedent as it was a Rifle Regiment. The London Irish Rifles were originally formed in 1859 during the Victorian Rifle Volunteer Movement as the "28th Middlesex (London Irish) Rifle Volunteer Corps". In 1908, the London Irish were transferred to the Territorial Force and renamed the "18th (County of London) Battalion, the London Regiment (London Irish Rifles)". In 1937, the London Regiment was disbanded and the LIR became known as "London Irish Rifles, The Royal Ulster Rifles". After the war, the Battalion re-formed as a Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles. In 1967, with the disbanding of the London Regiment again, The three Irish Regular Infantry Regiments had combined to form The Royal Irish Rangers, and the LIR became D Company (London Irish Rifles), 4th Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers, remaining so until the re-formation of The London Regiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 On the back of the photo is says "Harry Travis" Wondered if this were him. Appears to have a Royal Fusiliers cap badge? Photo by Kenworthy, Oldham, Rochdale & Wigan TRAVIS, HARRY Rank: Private Regiment/Service:Royal Fusiliers Unit Text: 7th Bn. Age:19 Date of Death: 27/03/1918 Service No: 74677 Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Travis, of 421, Manchester Rd., Hollinwood, Oldham. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:II. B. 10 .Cemetery:LEBUCQUIERE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION Caryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 9 January , 2011 Share Posted 9 January , 2011 I think that he has a Lancashire Fusiliers cap badge.Possibly, Pte 202602 Harry Travis, 1/5th or 2/5th Btn Lancashire Fusiliers. Yes, Lancashire Fusiliers, you can see the distinctively angled scroll in the photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 9 January , 2011 Share Posted 9 January , 2011 Thanks for identifying the cap badge. These two were in the same batch as the photo above, and the handwriting on the back is the same as the 'Harry Travis' one. First one has 'Uncle Jack' written on the back and it was taken in Rochdale. Second photo has 'Uncle Jim' More Lancashire Fusiliers? and what is the badge on the arm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 9 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 9 January , 2011 Arm badge is a tank and above is cloth TC patch...Tank Corps. TT Thanks to all keeping this running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 9 January , 2011 Share Posted 9 January , 2011 Thanks TT. Hadn't even noticed the cloth shoulder badge!! I've learned more about badges, insignia and uniforms in this thread than anywhere else. Helps to see them all in situ on the soldiers themselves. Can't work out why I'm getting so much white space above photos? Caryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 9 January , 2011 Share Posted 9 January , 2011 Unknown Coldstream Guardsman; Epsom photographer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 9 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 9 January , 2011 Well he certainly is every inch the Guardsman!! Nice image. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 9 January , 2011 Share Posted 9 January , 2011 Unknown Coldstream Guardsman; Epsom photographer. Interesting that he is wearing regimental buttons. I believe it was only the Household troops (Foot and Horse) who had these officially approved for wear on SD by ORs at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 9 January , 2011 Share Posted 9 January , 2011 Thanks for identifying the cap badge. These two were in the same batch as the photo above, and the handwriting on the back is the same as the 'Harry Travis' one. First one has 'Uncle Jack' written on the back and it was taken in Rochdale. Second photo has 'Uncle Jim' More Lancashire Fusiliers? and what is the badge on the arm? Can you try and do a close up focused on the curved title of the second man? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 9 January , 2011 Share Posted 9 January , 2011 It has everything to do with a light infantry tradition since they were a Rifle Regiment and therefore wore quite normally bugle badges and had a long association with 'Rifle Green', as well as saffron. Like the Royal Irish Rifles, the battalion formed a corps of Pipes, Bugles and Drums and the man concerned was perhaps both Bugle and Pipe Major, with bugles taking precedent as it was a Rifle Regiment. The London Irish Rifles were originally formed in 1859 during the Victorian Rifle Volunteer Movement as the "28th Middlesex (London Irish) Rifle Volunteer Corps". In 1908, the London Irish were transferred to the Territorial Force and renamed the "18th (County of London) Battalion, the London Regiment (London Irish Rifles)". In 1937, the London Regiment was disbanded and the LIR became known as "London Irish Rifles, The Royal Ulster Rifles". After the war, the Battalion re-formed as a Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles. In 1967, with the disbanding of the London Regiment again, The three Irish Regular Infantry Regiments had combined to form The Royal Irish Rangers, and the LIR became D Company (London Irish Rifles), 4th Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers, remaining so until the re-formation of The London Regiment. The London Irish had Buglers from when they were first raised as Rifle Volunteers - they were never "Light Infantry". They had a miltary band well before Pipers came along in 1906, with a small complement of drums - one bass drum and one snare drum originally to six Pipers; and the saffron kilt was not adopted until 1916. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 9 January , 2011 Share Posted 9 January , 2011 Can you try and do a close up focused on the curved title of the second man? I will but do you mean the badge on his shoulder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron2165 Posted 9 January , 2011 Share Posted 9 January , 2011 My G G Uncle Pte Noah Powell, 10th Btn RWF, is in the middle of this group. Regards Cam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 10 January , 2011 Share Posted 10 January , 2011 The London Irish had Buglers from when they were first raised as Rifle Volunteers - they were never "Light Infantry". They had a miltary band well before Pipers came along in 1906, with a small complement of drums - one bass drum and one snare drum originally to six Pipers; and the saffron kilt was not adopted until 1916. I'm not saying that they are a Light Infantry Unit per se squirrel, but that they follow the light infantry tradition. Light infantry came before Rifles and therefore take precedence in military cultural protocol. There were light companies long before there were Rifles and the bugle badge was first worn by light infantry men. It follows that all Rifles in the British service follow the "light infantry tradition" and that is what I said. This includes the wearing of dark green cords, hackles and plumes, buglers, bugle majors and 'sounding' their orders rather than 'beating' them. Ergo tocemma was wrong (on this rare occasion) to suggest it had nothing to do with light infantry and that they merely "liked fancy uniforms", it was nothing to do with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 10 January , 2011 Share Posted 10 January , 2011 I will but do you mean the badge on his shoulder? Yes, the curved badge is a shoulder title and worn on the shoulder. Many were curved and a close up might enable us to identify his regiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 10 January , 2011 Share Posted 10 January , 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 10 January , 2011 Share Posted 10 January , 2011 Hard to see clearly, but looks as if it might be "KING'S" = King's Liverpool Regiment. Would that fit in with family geography? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 10 January , 2011 Share Posted 10 January , 2011 Hard to see clearly but looks as if it might be "KING'S" = King's Liverpool Regiment. Would that fit in with family geography? The photos aren't members of my family, I bought the three together recently. The photos all had the same handwriting on the back ('Harry Travis', 'Uncle Jack' and 'Uncle Jim') and the two others were taken in Lancashire and one was a Lancashire Fusilier, so it's possible Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trsp62 Posted 10 January , 2011 Share Posted 10 January , 2011 Driver T3/026936 Walter Yates, Army Service Corps. Survived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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