mike050443 Posted 22 April , 2011 Share Posted 22 April , 2011 Could anybody identify or take a guess at or make an assumption about the regiment that these soldiers served in? This photo is among a number of photos entrusted to me by a good friend. The other photos I have are all of the Churchill family from Wyke Regis in Dorset. There were at least 4 Churchill brothers who had a WW1 military record but the soldiers in the photo do not have a Churchill family resemblance. The absence of service chevrons or wound stripes and rank markings lead me to assume that the photo is probably pre WW1. But why no rank badges or markings? Ok then, BY THE RIGHT.... Number.... ....... Soldier on the left looks very Sergeant Majorish and is holding what looks like a swagger stick or riding crop. But why does he have a watch chain on his tunic? Is it perhaps a trench whistle in his pocket? But the moustache is something wonderful. Soldier in the middle is a bugler? and his tunic is well pressed and he has a medal bar on his chest. Soldier on the right is holding a rifle. Would this mean that he is still on active service? He has two large medals on his chest both have campaign bars on the ribbons. The left medal has two bars on a light colour ribbon and the right medal has three campaign bars on a darker ribbon. Although I have tweaked the photo, there is just not enough detail identify them. Just above the medals is a longer light coloured horizontal patch and to the left of that is something which looks like the numeral '7'. All rather a puzzle. Maybe they were just old pals who met at a pub and a passing photographer snapped them!! Your homework assignment for this Easter weekend, but no pressure. Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 22 April , 2011 Share Posted 22 April , 2011 Actually, I'm not even sure that they are British ! I'm sure a uniform and medal expert will come along soon ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATNOMIS Posted 22 April , 2011 Share Posted 22 April , 2011 Looks Boer War time to me. Not 100%. Close up of the medals would be nice Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainfleet Posted 22 April , 2011 Share Posted 22 April , 2011 Mike They are British, probably c. 1890-1900, possibly even a bit earlier. The khaki drill tunics have some typically Indian-made features, so that is probably where they were serving. Regards, W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 22 April , 2011 Share Posted 22 April , 2011 Yes they are all bandsmen in KD and the 2 on the right are wearing the India Pattern KD frock with triangular pocket flaps. I don't think it is a stick in his hand, it looks like the long part of a Horn, as used to play the Post Horn Gallop, always a popular turn by British Regimental Bands. The men are in undress, perhaps after band practice, and it was quite common to wear a pocket watch in the top pocket, although the wearing of medals does seem odd and was perhaps done in an impromptu way just for the photographer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 23 April , 2011 Share Posted 23 April , 2011 Ball buttons on the right and left hand men? RHA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cossack Wolf Posted 23 April , 2011 Share Posted 23 April , 2011 Yes they are all bandsmen in KD and the 2 on the right are wearing the India Pattern KD frock with triangular pocket flaps. I don't think it is a stick in his hand, it looks like the long part of a Horn, as used to play the Post Horn Gallop, always a popular turn by British Regimental Bands. The men are in undress, perhaps after band practice, and it was quite common to wear a pocket watch in the top pocket, although the wearing of medals does seem odd and was perhaps done in an impromptu way just for the photographer. Beat me to it Bob, I think both the outer chaps are holding different sized post horns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 23 April , 2011 Share Posted 23 April , 2011 Beat me to it Bob, I think both the outer chaps are holding different sized post horns! Yes, I think they are Post Horns Andy. Ball buttons on the right and left hand men? RHA? Yes, they do look like ball buttons, although Hussars also wore that type of button, which is where the RHA got the tradition from, so it's difficult to tell without other evidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike050443 Posted 23 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 23 April , 2011 Thankyou all for your comments. It was just what I was expecting. I have another clue. I showed the post and your comments to my pal who has the photos and he identified the soldier on the LHS as his grandfather William Henry King (1876-1937) who lived for most of his life in Kelvedon, Essex. From that perhaps someone may be able to pin his regimental service down and by association maybe his soldier pals. I do apologise I did not know that included with the photos that were given to me, were a few photos of his immediate family. We have no other information on WH King apart from the fact that he owned` a grocer shop in Kelvedon on the London Road. The photo is unfortunately quite small and I have scanned it at the maximum dpi I can achieve. I have cut out a few sections from it (digitally) and will post them here in one post if I can work out how to do it. Otherwise it will be separate in the next few posts. The instrument that the soldier on the RHS has in his hand doesnt look very 'musical' to me. You can just make out a sight on the barrel, I think. The separate post of the soldier with the medals is the very best I can do and as I have described previously. The details on the face of the medals is just too indistinct to pick out any features, but the campaign bars on the ribbons are clearer. Separate posts to follow. Mike Next, Offcut no 2 Detail No 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike050443 Posted 23 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 23 April , 2011 Ah Ha, I see now how its done. Final Detail No 4, the real posthorn and a bugle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 23 April , 2011 Share Posted 23 April , 2011 Ah Ha, I see now how its done. Final Detail No 4, the real posthorn and a bugle. Very good close ups now. Its a trumpet rather than a bugle. In the cavalry trumpeters carried both a trumpet for regimental calls when dismounted and a bugle for the came calls when mounted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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