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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Is this an army uniform?


carlineric

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Hi

I have come across a photograph of my grandfather in uniform and am unsure if it is an army uniform. If it is what is his regiment.

post-85151-0-32463400-1321182846.jpg

and the cap badge

post-85151-0-76347400-1321182877.jpg

Thanks

Eric

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Welcome to the Forum, Eric.

The cap badge is British Red Cross Society. The uniform looks to be army issue apart from the shoulder cords, but others with more knowledge will be able to confirm it.

David.

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He may have served overseas - both the BRCS and ST John were awarded campaign medals.

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Hi

I have come across a photograph of my grandfather in uniform and am unsure if it is an army uniform. If it is what is his regiment.

post-85151-0-32463400-1321182846.jpg

and the cap badge

post-85151-0-76347400-1321182877.jpg

Thanks

Eric

Red Cross and wearing an SD Jacket of a type introduced in 1903: 29-Jul-03 Modification of Pattern--(Shoulder Cord added).

post-599-0-58044200-1321210341.jpg

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What is he holding in his left hand?

A swagger cane. He is wearing walking out dress.

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Guernsey have issued a set of stamps to celebrate the centenary of the British Red Cross uniform. The WW1 man in this set has a uniform which is basically the

standard British Army private's apart from

  • The cap badge
  • The buttons
  • The shoulder pieces
  • The belt (which appears to be a brown leather job not unlike that worn by some officers)
  • A Red Cross brassard on the left arm

The photo in the OP appears identical apart from the belt which seems different and the missing brassard.

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Hello Eric,

Welcome to the Forum. You may be able to find a medal record card for your Grandfather on Ancestry, or the National Archives. What was your grandfather's name? I saw a very similar photograph a Linlithgow on Saturday?

Regards,

Alf McM

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Hello Eric,

Welcome to the Forum. You may be able to find a medal record card for your Grandfarher on Ancestry, or the National Archives. What was your grandfather's name?

Regards,

Alf McM

Would a Red Cross man have an MIC? - who would have kept it?

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He may have served overseas - both the BRCS and ST John were awarded campaign medals.

The BRCS issued their own campaign medals.

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Alf McM that would be me at Linlithgow on Saturday. Tried putting in British Red Cross into the medal card search on Ancestry and think I have found him. Will also be contacting the Red Cross as they appear to have the records of the volunteers.

Eric

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Alf McM that would be me at Linlithgow on Saturday. Tried putting in British Red Cross into the medal card search on Ancestry and think I have found him. Will also be contacting the Red Cross as they appear to have the records of the volunteers.

Eric

Eric, The belt he is wearing doesn't look like leather to me. I am not aware of any leather belt using the Patt. '08 style double Twigg buckle. I think he is wearing one of the the 2 1/4-inch wide OTC/TF versions of the Patt. '08 web belt. This is the first time I've seen a photo of this type of belt on a Red Cross man. Can I use it on Karkee Web?

John

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Eric, The belt he is wearing doesn't look like leather to me. I am not aware of any leather belt using the Patt. '08 style double Twigg buckle. I think he is wearing one of the the 2 1/4-inch wide OTC/TF versions of the Patt. '08 web belt. This is the first time I've seen a photo of this type of belt on a Red Cross man. Can I use it on Karkee Web?

John

The illustration I referred to definitely had a leather belt with a normal buckle. There was also a Sam Browne type cross belt to some sort of pouch (obscured by the arm). Possibly the original uniform was partly based on an officers uniform but the jacket was very close to that of a private's. They were spared puttees.. It's possible, I guess, that this was the 1911 Red Cross uniform and during WW1 webbing replaced leather.

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Hi

1) John Thorne, yes it would be OK to use the photo.

2) Centurion there is a MIC for him and he was awarded the British War Medal. The interesting thing about it is that it show the theatre of war first served in as Switzerland.

Thanks to all those who helped identify the uniform.

Eric

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Hi

2) Centurion there is a MIC for him and he was awarded the British War Medal. The interesting thing about it is that it show the theatre of war first served in as Switzerland.

Is this a proper image of an MIC? Ancestry managed to cock up some of the transfers from TNA so that many British soldiers had their theatre of war recorded as Aldershot!

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This is the MIC image, I have had a quick look at some other images for those who served with the Red Cross and none show Switzerland. Hopefully when I contact the Red Cross they will be able to give details of his service.

Eric

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