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Remembered Today:

Australian Light Horse Uniform?


jacksdad

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Can anyone advise on these two photos?

John F Spencer Garrett 11th ALH

post-60057-0-95489500-1320749785.jpg

thanks Roger

second photo - same bloke.

post-60057-0-41249000-1320749849.jpg

post-60057-0-33764500-1320749916.jpg

any help or clues ?

thanks Roger

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Can anyone advise on these two photos?

John F Spencer Garrett 11th ALH

post-60057-0-95489500-1320749785.jpg

thanks Roger

second photo - same bloke.

post-60057-0-41249000-1320749849.jpg

post-60057-0-33764500-1320749916.jpg

any help or clues ?

thanks Roger

All three photos are of the same man Roger (as you might be aware). In the last photo he is a an Other Rank (i.e. below commissioned officer) and wearing the 2 stripes of a Corporal, who would usually have been a section commander in control of 8-10 in the infantry and as the Light Horse fought as mounted infantry I imagine the same applied.

In the first photo he is dressed in the Service Dress of a junior officer and has clearly been commissioned as a subaltern. The uniform looks to be very new and I suspect that this is a photo he had done to show his family his new status and new uniform. The pride is almost tangible.

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Excellent thanks frogsmile

That is very valuable observation, he was sent to England in January 1917 to a regiment Artillary Cadet School, so this photo is most likely dated then, the person cut out of the photo is therefore his English mother (wedding ring) - he was sent back to France June 1917

I wonder then if that is an artillery badge of some sort in this photo?

thanks that information is much appreciated

He is the grandfather of a bloke at work, so that is very interesting

Roger

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Some of the LH units had their own collar badges and not all LH units wore feathers. If you can scan at a really high resolution and crop the collar badge it would give us a better view of it.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

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Excellent thanks frogsmile

That is very valuable observation, he was sent to England in January 1917 to a regiment Artillary Cadet School, so this photo is most likely dated then, the person cut out of the photo is therefore his English mother (wedding ring) - he was sent back to France June 1917

I wonder then if that is an artillery badge of some sort in this photo?

thanks that information is much appreciated

He is the grandfather of a bloke at work, so that is very interesting

Roger

As Sandra says, if you can focus on and enlarge the collar badge it will be possible to offer an opinion. From what I can see now it does not look like artillery.

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Furthermore, have you checked his service record to see what dates he was promoted etc?

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=4104007

Bright Blessings

Sandra

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I checked his service record and just before he was gassed he was with the 4th FAB and posted to the 111th Battery.

Before his appointment was terminated he was with the 4th FAB and the 111th Howitzer Battery.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

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Hi Roger,

Your man joined up early on and enlisted at Innisfail in Far North Queensland. He was initially LH as were many of them early on, especially from the bush.

It seems he became Corporal (as per photo) while with the LH, which correlates with the wearing of the P1903 Bandolier which was part of the LH uniform.

He then later was transferred to the Artillery upon shipping to France, eventually being promoted to Lieutenant whilst serving with the 11th Aust F.A. Brigade.

He has a very 'busy' service record being transferred, promoted and wounded several times, before finally being repatriated back to Australia in early 1918.

You can find it all in his service record, which I find is best viewed HERE on the Mapping our Anzacs website. Just click on the NEXT tab to read all the info.

Cheers, S>S

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Thanks everyone for your advice.

I have been supplied this close up photo of the badge

post-60057-0-67111000-1320831437.jpg

any ideas?

thanks roger

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Hey Roger, I think it is just the standard Rising Sun badge of the AIF that has been twisted around showing mainly the left side in the photo.

You can make it out a little better in the enlargement below which I have rotated to the right. So it seems all is now in order with the badge. :thumbsup:

Cheers, S>S

post-52604-0-89991800-1320834351.jpg

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Hey Roger, I think it is just the standard Rising Sun badge of the AIF that has been twisted around showing mainly the left side in the photo.

You can make it out a little better in the enlargement below which I have rotated to the right. So it seems all is now in order with the badge. :thumbsup:

Cheers, S>S

post-52604-0-89991800-1320834351.jpg

Well spotted S>S, definitely the standard AIF collar badge gone awry.

post-599-0-79124500-1320854789.jpg

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The intersting part is both badges are not in position with one another ... I have to say that I have never seen them worn in the postion of our left. I wonder if perhaps it got damaged durring fighting some time ... mind you his uniform and leather are spotless.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

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The intersting part is both badges are not in position with one another ... I have to say that I have never seen them worn in the postion of our left. I wonder if perhaps it got damaged durring fighting some time ... mind you his uniform and leather are spotless.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

To be hanging awry like that either the cotter pin has slipped out of one lug, or a lug has snapped off leaving just one.

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Now why didn't I think of that :)

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Excellent. thank you all for your valuable advice it has been a great help.

roger

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Excellent. thank you all for your valuable advice it has been a great help.

roger

In his officers SD uniform he is wearing Stohwasser Gaiters.

Australian Imperial Force MO 119 of 1909 noted "Approved pattern leather leggings and lace boots may be worn by all arms, in lieu of butcher boots, black with blue pantaloons, brown with cord pantaloons." These were adopted by Light Horse Officers, RAA, Engineers, Infantry, AASC, and AAMC.

10,960. Stohwasser, F. J., and Winter, G. B. May 25. Gaiters.-Relates to gaiters of the kind described in Specification No. 24,893, A.D. 1896. The gaiter a is made so that in wear one edge overlaps the other. A strap c is attached to the upper edge of the gaiter at d and passed through a buckle e attached to the opposite edge, after which it is wound helically around the leg, and its lower end f, which is reduced in width, is passed through a buckle g. The coils of the strap may be supported at the back of the leg by passing the strap through loops or other fastenings on the gaiter. The object of the invention is to enable the gaiter to be tightened both at the top and bottom as required, and also to improve the appearance of the gaiter.

post-599-0-43034400-1320957696.jpg

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