sarahwalker Posted 15 June , 2011 Share Posted 15 June , 2011 I am trying to identify the uniform in the photo of William Seaton - he was born in Jan 1889 in London and died in January 1954 in Feltham in Middlesex. I have searched or rather trawled through all the military records in Find My Past and Ancestry - I have emailed the Imperial War Museum all to no avail. I am unable to find any military records and am completely stuck with the uniform. Thank you Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 15 June , 2011 Share Posted 15 June , 2011 Hello Sarah, Welcome to the forum. I don't claim to be an expert {there are others on the forum who are}, but this photo appears show the pre war uniform of a Private {Fusilier?} of one of the Fusilier Regiments, perhaps a Territorial Batallion. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 15 June , 2011 Share Posted 15 June , 2011 (edited) I'll mark time until the experts show up. Looks like a fusilier type grenade on his Busby/Fur cap. The equipment is definitely pre war (or old stock brought out early in the was as an emergency) but appears to be of the slade wallace pattern, so quite a bit earlier. He also appears to be wearing a scarlet frock/tunic with what I believe are called "Lancer cuffs"? perhaps this is one for Grumpy? Although it is foreshortened by the camera angle I think his rifle is a MLM/MLE with a P1888 so that would give an earliest possible date of 1889. Nice shiny boots! Chris Edit: (looking at the shape of the flames - Is it possible this is Grenadier Guards?) Edited 15 June , 2011 by 4thGordons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 15 June , 2011 Share Posted 15 June , 2011 Quaygirl (Sarah) 1) welcome! (sorry - where are my manners) 2) you might ask a moderator to move this thread to the Uniforms section (under Paraphanelia of War) - you are more likely to attack the attention of the experts there and get proper answers!) Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahwalker Posted 15 June , 2011 Author Share Posted 15 June , 2011 Thank you Chris for your responses. How do I move this or rather how do I contact a moderator??? Lost again and only just started! Sarah Quaygirl (Sarah) 1) welcome! (sorry - where are my manners) 2) you might ask a moderator to move this thread to the Uniforms section (under Paraphanelia of War) - you are more likely to attack the attention of the experts there and get proper answers!) Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted 15 June , 2011 Share Posted 15 June , 2011 Welcome Quaygirl, The 1911 Census shows a William Seaton with that birth year as a Police Constable. Therefore we can rule out the Regular Army. Looking at the MICs, there is a William Seaton who was a Corporal in the 2/4th London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), so the uniform makes sense. It also explains the difference in uniform, as it looks like a frock with bullet loops on the breast., plus the lack of shoulder titles. His MIC indicates Corporal 2552, later Sergeant, with number 280652 in the 1917 renumbering. Entitled to a 1914-15 Star trio, first service Egypt from August 24, 1915. Certainly entitled to a Metropolitan Police 1911 Coronation Medal, but my book's at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted 16 June , 2011 Share Posted 16 June , 2011 Warrant 97992, Joined 28/02/1910 Rank PC, B Division To pension 04/03/1935 Rank PC T Division Reserve Officer during Second War. So medals are: 1915-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal Defence Medal (probably) 1911 Coronation Metropolitan Police Depending on the length of his Territorial service he might have qualified for an Efficiency Medal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahwalker Posted 17 June , 2011 Author Share Posted 17 June , 2011 Dear Michael Thank you so much for all your trouble and your replies. However, this is not my William Seaton. I am unable to find him in the 1911 census and I have trawled through the whole country, just in case. He was born in Pancras in Jan 1889, in 1891 census he was living in Shoreditch - Gopsall Street with his parents and siblings and in 1901 he was living in Ivy Street, next door to his father who was widowed by that time. I know that my William married Frances Lee in 1916 and therefore is unlikely to have been the William in the 1911 census married to Rachel (Kent I believe was her maiden name - married in 1909). I have reached a brick wall and am unsure as to how I should proceed now. Thank you once again. Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 17 June , 2011 Share Posted 17 June , 2011 Dear Michael Thank you so much for all your trouble and your replies. However, this is not my William Seaton. I am unable to find him in the 1911 census and I have trawled through the whole country, just in case. He was born in Pancras in Jan 1889, in 1891 census he was living in Shoreditch - Gopsall Street with his parents and siblings and in 1901 he was living in Ivy Street, next door to his father who was widowed by that time. I know that my William married Frances Lee in 1916 and therefore is unlikely to have been the William in the 1911 census married to Rachel (Kent I believe was her maiden name - married in 1909). I have reached a brick wall and am unsure as to how I should proceed now. Thank you once again. Sarah Given those dates the uniform isn't right unless, as I suggested in the parallel thread, he is dressed up in an old uniform. So either the man in the photo isn't your William Seaton or he's wearing a uniform that's older than he is! The headgear does not look right for the RWF see one from the late Victorian period http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/army_cap_badge_glossary/fusiliers_fur_cap.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahwalker Posted 17 June , 2011 Author Share Posted 17 June , 2011 Thank you. I shall keep battling on to find more information but this has given me something to go on. Given those dates the uniform isn't right unless, as I suggested in the parallel thread, he is dressed up in an old uniform. So either the man in the photo isn't your William Seaton or he's wearing a uniform that's older than he is! The headgear does not look right for the RWF see one from the late Victorian period http://www.britishba...ers_fur_cap.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WipersGirl Posted 21 June , 2011 Share Posted 21 June , 2011 Hi Sarah, Try the Royal Fusilier's museum at the Tower of London. Given his place of birth and residence it seems likely he is with the Royal Fusiliers and they should have an archive of uniforms with which to compare your picture. Alternatives are the Royal Welch Fusiliers, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Royal Munster Fusiliers so it may be that a family connection with Wales or Ireland saw him in one of these regiments. I am pretty sure he is not Grenadier Guards. I suspect, in common with the posts above, he is part of a Territorial battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. Helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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