Help identifying the uniform

[Rob B]

Just to add to the issue, what do others think?

Rob

On 11 January 1879, a Royal Warrant established Conductors of Supplies (in the Army Service Corps) and Conductors of Stores (in the Ordnance Store Branch) as Warrant Officers, ranking above all non-commissioned officers. In 1892, Conductors of Supplies were renamed Staff Sergeant Majors 1st Class, but Conductors of Stores remained in what in 1896 became the Army Ordnance Corps. Staff Sergeant Majors in the new corps were renamed Sub-Conductors. In February 1915, with the general introduction of warrant officers throughout the army, Conductors and Sub Conductors became Warrant Officers Class I. Sub-Conductors reverted to the appointment of Staff Sergeant Major in 1967, but the appointment of Conductor passed to the new Royal Logistic Corps in 1993.

[michaelpcoyle]

There's more information on the Appointment of Conductor at: www.rlc-conductor.info

Happy viewing. Mike

[FROGSMILE]

Just to add to the issue, what do others think?

Rob

On 11 January 1879, a Royal Warrant established Conductors of Supplies (in the Army Service Corps) and Conductors of Stores (in the Ordnance Store Branch) as Warrant Officers, ranking above all non-commissioned officers. In 1892, Conductors of Supplies were renamed Staff Sergeant Majors 1st Class, but Conductors of Stores remained in what in 1896 became the Army Ordnance Corps. Staff Sergeant Majors in the new corps were renamed Sub-Conductors. In February 1915, with the general introduction of warrant officers throughout the army, Conductors and Sub Conductors became Warrant Officers Class I. Sub-Conductors reverted to the appointment of Staff Sergeant Major in 1967, but the appointment of Conductor passed to the new Royal Logistic Corps in 1993.

At the time of the photograph (i.e. after 1918), Conductors were in the AOC and Staff Sergeant Majors were in the ASC. Neither Conductors, nor Staff Sergeant Majors wore the plain coat of arms badge worn by the man in the photograph, which was and still is the badge of an RSM. The other two Warrant Officer Class I appointments mooted were both highly specialised and thus wore a different badge of rank, i.e. within a laurel wreath, as per below left.

[Andrew Upton]

RASC warrant officer, medal bar is DCM (in my opinion), KSA, 14 or 15 star trio, possibly with an MID oakleaf on the VM ribbon, and an LS&GC.

Medals are I think India Medal 1995-1902, Kings South Africa and the last one is a LSGC. I would go for the RASC/Indian Army Service Corps. He certainly doesn't have the deportment of an RSM in a line Regiment.

Except the KSA cannot be awarded on it's own - so unless the QSA is also present, the identification of one of the ribbands as the KSA must be incorrect.

[headgardener]

Except the KSA cannot be awarded on it's own - so unless the QSA is also present, the identification of one of the ribbands as the KSA must be incorrect.

I stand corrected. Having looked at the close-up again, it makes sense that the first ribbon is a QSA. It clearly has several 'stripes' which are in keeping with the number on a QSA, although the proportions don't look quite right (this could just be an effect of the light on watered silk, or of the angle of the ribbon to the camera). I can't think of an alternative explanation for the 2nd ribbon other than it being a KSA.

[FROGSMILE]

Thank you all for your help. I would never have worked this out.

Given the RASC/IASC likelihood does that still indicate the late 20s/early 30s?

Yes Toni, I think that time span is the most likely.

[munce]

Just thinking aloud here, but the badge looks a lot more like an ASC one than an RASC one (which the ASC became in 1918). It feels unlikely to me that a WO would wear an out of date badge, so I wonder if that dates the photo to slightly earler - perhaps in the narrow time frame between his WW1 ribbons being issued and the new cap badge making its way out to India (if there was such a time frame). Any views?