Overseas chevrons ?

[Pierre]

Hello All,

I am in trouble with this photo.

A private, he wears chevrons on his sleeve.

But this boy died in 01/1916.

He was stretcher bearer or maybe bandsman

He was aged 34 when he died, so this photo is a lot before the war, he seems very young.

Some details of his uniform could maybe help about the year of photo ?

Are they overseas chevrons, so the photo is from 1918 and he is not the man I think ?

Or do they have another signification ?

Many thanks for your help.

[punjab612]

They certainly look like overseas chevrons to me so after 1917

Peter

[alex falbo]

That lad looks quite young for 34. The chevrons put him in 1918.

No evidence if he was a stretcher bearer as he would wear the armlet or various patch types indicating so ... these taken from this thread

http://1914-1918.inv...ic=144577&st=25

[roughdiamond]

The man in the photo has what seems to have a South Wales borderers Cap Badge Pierre, which regiment do you believe your stretcher bearer belonged to?

Sam

[headgardener]

Just to focus on the immediate issue here, this photo was taken in early 1918 AT THE EARLIEST. It shows a Private in the SWB who is wearing o/s service stripes.

It can't be your man.

[Pierre]

The family sent me his portrait for

Pte William LOVERIDGE

23010 South Wales borderers 22/01/1916 Aged 34

buried in Rue du Bacquerot n1 Military

But I had a doubt seeing the age and the overseas chevrons, four blues so 1918.

(Sam, You are right for the Regiment.)

Couldn't be him.

I have checked the graves beside him, all from 1916, so the date of death is right.

I ask more information to the family.

Many thanks to you all.

Pierre

[alex falbo]

Query on the chevron: was one awarded the chevron at the end or beginning of the year the stripe represents or having completed service for so many months within that year?

Best wishes on helping out that family Pierre.

[headgardener]

Query on the chevron: was one awarded the chevron at the end or beginning of the year the stripe represents or having completed service for so many months within that year?

Any period of service in a theatre of war in any given year was sufficient to allow an o/s service chevron to be worn.

Given that the chevrons were only issued in 1918 the issue of when they would be awarded (end of a year, beginning of a year) was an effectively redundant issue for most recipients; for the vast majority it would represent a retrospective recognition of their previous service. For those men who entered a theatre of war during 1918, I suspect (having seen a lot of photographs) that the issuing of chevrons was not standardized, regardless of the exact rules; I have many images of men in France in 1918, some of whom are wearing chevrons, while others aren't. I am also aware of images of men wearing more chevrons than they were entitled to (on the basis of information from their service papers.

Chevrons were also issued for some post-1918 service.

[alex falbo]

Any period of service in a theatre of war in any given year was sufficient to allow an o/s service chevron to be worn.

Given that the chevrons were only issued in 1918 the issue of when they would be awarded (end of a year, beginning of a year) was an effectively redundant issue for most recipients; for the vast majority it would represent a retrospective recognition of their previous service. For those men who entered a theatre of war during 1918, I suspect (having seen a lot of photographs) that the issuing of chevrons was not standardized, regardless of the exact rules; I have many images of men in France in 1918, some of whom are wearing chevrons, while others aren't. I am also aware of images of men wearing more chevrons than they were entitled to (on the basis of information from their service papers.

Chevrons were also issued for some post-1918 service.

Thanks for that. I had previously thought that the distinction had come into service in 1917 somewhere.

[headgardener]

Thanks for that. I had previously thought that the distinction had come into service in 1917 somewhere.

I believe that they were created in December 1917, but the relevant Army Order authorizing their use was definitely January 1918. I don't think there's clear info on exactly when they were first used, but I reckon it's a safe bet that there would have been a gap of a month or 2 before they even started appearing on battledress tunics.

[Pierre]

William Loveridge buried in Rue du Bacquerot n1 Military is well relative

The boy on the photo is unknown and I am pretty sure survived the war.

I believe this photo was end of 1918 and maybe just post war.

Four chevrons begin 1918 must be

1914 red

1915 blue

1916 blue

1917 blue

Four chevrons end 1918 must be

1915 blue

1916 blue

1917 blue

1918 blue

To have the 1918's one the Year must be ended.

Thank you again for your help.

Pierre