jgreen789 Posted 26 October , 2010 Share Posted 26 October , 2010 Hi everyone, Can anyone help identify the uniform, regiment or rank of the soldier on the attached photograph. This photograph was discovered with a lot of other photographs in the belongings of a late relative - he is not named or identified in anyway and the only thing I know is that he is a relative but no idea who. It would be helpful if anyone could identify what type of soldier he is - my guess is it's a horse regiment by his dress - this would give me a starting point. Many thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 26 October , 2010 Share Posted 26 October , 2010 Hi everyone, Can anyone help identify the uniform, regiment or rank of the soldier on the attached photograph. This photograph was discovered with a lot of other photographs in the belongings of a late relative - he is not named or identified in anyway and the only thing I know is that he is a relative but no idea who. It would be helpful if anyone could identify what type of soldier he is - my guess is it's a horse regiment by his dress - this would give me a starting point. Many thanks, It looks to me as though he might be a driver in the Royal Engineers. Shoulder brasses look like they could be RE to me. Certainly a mounted role - with crop, spurs etc. I notice the photographer is Salamons of Bedford who seems to have taken a lot of soldiers portraits both of the Highland Division there in 1914-15. There was an RE unit in Bedford later in the war (I have pictures somewhere). Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutchbarge Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Possibly the Bedfordshire Yeomanry? The cap badge in the foto doesn't look to be RA. The Bedford Yeomanry badge looks more likely but I can't make out any detail in your foto. Any chance of a close up? Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Possibly the Bedfordshire Yeomanry? The cap badge in the foto doesn't look to be RA. The Bedford Yeomanry badge looks more likely but I can't make out any detail in your foto. Any chance of a close up? Cheers, Bill Do you mean RA Bill, or RE? isn't the yeomanry badge an eagle? or in eagle form? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutchbarge Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Do you mean RA Bill, or RE? isn't the yeomanry badge an eagle? or in eagle form? Sorry, somehow I thought you said RA. Must be the late hour. The cap badge in the foto does look like RE. And you're right, the BY is has an eagle as part of its badge, but it looks more like the cap badge in the foto than RA. Not that that's a relevent point to your post. Still, a close up of the cap badge would help to positively identify the chap's unit. Cheers, Bill PS: I'd better sign off as obviously I'm losing it (if I ever had it to begin with). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgreen789 Posted 27 October , 2010 Author Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Thank you for your replies. I had looked at some photos of Royal Artillery and the uniform looked similar. I have tried to enlarge the badge but I am not sure it is any clearer but I am attaching anyway. We have in our family history a Corporal Kirby who died in action 5th August 1917 and when he died he was a Corporal RFA C Bty 119 Bde. Would this match up to his uniform, although I realise this photo was probably taken before he set of for France. Many thanks. Jo Sorry, somehow I thought you said RA. Must be the late hour. The cap badge in the foto does look like RE. And you're right, the BY is has an eagle as part of its badge, but it looks more like the cap badge in the foto than RA. Not that that's a relevent point to your post. Still, a close up of the cap badge would help to positively identify the chap's unit. Cheers, Bill PS: I'd better sign off as obviously I'm losing it (if I ever had it to begin with). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 RA badge is a gun (Cannon). definitely not that shown. I still remain convinced this is a member of the ROYAL ENGINEERS, close ups of badge reinforce that for me. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 I attach an RE badge, which seems too small in scale for the hat to me. The badge in picture looks significantly larger. My speculation is King Edwards Horse - King's Colonials, also attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headgardener Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 I'd agree with FROGSMILE that the badge is too big for RE, but I don't think it's KEH either; it's too rounded, except in the larger close-up in which the perspective appears to be quite distorted. I wonder if it could be City of London Yeomanry. Outside chance of transport section of the 7th West Yorks. The shoulder titles do look right for RE, though. Any chance of a close up of those shoulder-titles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 I concur that the KEH badge is very rectangular looking compared with the photo. CLY looks more likely and fits the bill for that highly polished bandolier. Would fit with a CLY (3 letter) shoulder title perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Well I think I disagree about the badge: how about this by way of comparison? I would say that (ignoring the modified crown on the cap on my picture)this would seem to exhibit very similar proportions to me (albeit with better detail etc) This is a detail from a picture which exhibits great similarity in unifrom (yes I know it is pretty generic) and is from a Bedford photographer. I had always been pretty certain that this was RE. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piorun Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 Driver in RE or Yeomanry (City of London is a close fit). Definitely not RA. Antony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 The clue is the S/t - it is 2 letters - probably RE. City of London Y it is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 I had always been pretty certain that this was RE. Chris The clue is the S/t - it is 2 letters - probably RE. City of London Y it is not. Agree with Chris/Max here - first thoughts were RE cap badge, backed up by the short two-letter shoulder title visible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 29 October , 2010 Share Posted 29 October , 2010 Fun to try and establish which it is. I agree that the second photo depicts a very similar form of dress, but the cap badge on the first photo still looks out of proportion to my eyes. That said I concede that a 2 letter title is a clincher for RE. Our joint effort cracked it in the end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgreen789 Posted 29 October , 2010 Author Share Posted 29 October , 2010 I'd agree with FROGSMILE that the badge is too big for RE, but I don't think it's KEH either; it's too rounded, except in the larger close-up in which the perspective appears to be quite distorted. I wonder if it could be City of London Yeomanry. Outside chance of transport section of the 7th West Yorks. The shoulder titles do look right for RE, though. Any chance of a close up of those shoulder-titles? The soldier came from Yorkshire so may be could be transport section of 7th West Yorks. I am going to try and get some better close ups of the badge and the shoulder titles but may take a day or two! On the original photo the badge looks as though it's either got a cross on it or star shape or could even be a bird shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 30 October , 2010 Share Posted 30 October , 2010 In that case his title might be "MT"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 30 October , 2010 Share Posted 30 October , 2010 If he were West Yorks then it would have been the West Yorks title and not MT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 30 October , 2010 Share Posted 30 October , 2010 If he were West Yorks then it would have been the West Yorks title and not MT. I agree, but there are some in this forum who believe that at the latter part of the war unit transport sections were using the title MT. Not convinced myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 31 October , 2010 Share Posted 31 October , 2010 Like 4th Gordons I am happy this is a RE driver. Most defiantly nor Beds Yeomanry or RA or RGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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