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British unit identification needed


pukman

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Hello everybody ,

I'm trying to find out a little information on British soldier, Sergeant Harry Mack.He is pictured in a family portrait along side his sisters,father and brother ,who is in the 6th Manawatu squadron of the New Zealand Mounted rifles (which was the reason i bought it)

The portrait was taken in July 1919 in S .Norwood ,London.

Sergeant Harry Mack has a 1914 Star medal ribbon,crossed signallers arm patch and a distinctive looking button design.Any information regarding his unit and war service would be appreciated.

cheers Iain

post-44632-0-58076100-1325906255.jpg

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Hello everybody ,

I'm trying to find out a little information on British soldier, Sergeant Harry Mack.He is pictured in a family portrait along side his sisters,father and brother ,who is in the 6th Manawatu squadron of the New Zealand Mounted rifles (which was the reason i bought it)

The portrait was taken in July 1919 in S .Norwood ,London.

Sergeant Harry Mack has a 1914 Star medal ribbon,crossed signallers arm patch and a distinctive looking button design.Any information regarding his unit and war service would be appreciated.

cheers Iain

Hello Iain, he looks to be Royal Engineers Signal Service.

post-599-0-16357800-1325935301.jpg

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Crossed flags above chevrons = Assistant Instructor in Signalling.

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Do you know where he was from Iain?

Rgds

Tim D

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The two men who looked most interesting both received 1915 Stars:-

Name: Harry Mack

Regiment or Corps: Royal Engineers, Labour Corps

Regimental Number: 125390, 295987

28.10.15

Name: Henry Herbert Mack

Regiment or Corps: Royal Field Artillery, Royal Field Artillery, Royal Engineers

Regimental Number: 759, 925212, 549759

4.10.15 and discharged 6 March 1919

However, service papers survive for the latter, who originally signed up in 1908 aged 17 years 6 months, re-enlisted in 1913 and was embodied 5.8.14, albeit as Home service. It was a compulsory transfer and his rank is only shown as Pioneer, so I don't know if that would tie in, but he does look that little bit older to me.

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Hello everybody ,

I'm trying to find out a little information on British soldier, Sergeant Harry Mack.He is pictured in a family portrait along side his sisters,father and brother ,who is in the 6th Manawatu squadron of the New Zealand Mounted rifles (which was the reason i bought it)

The portrait was taken in July 1919 in S .Norwood ,London.

Sergeant Harry Mack has a 1914 Star medal ribbon,crossed signallers arm patch and a distinctive looking button design.Any information regarding his unit and war service would be appreciated.

cheers Iain

Iain, if you are interested there is a very good online history of the RE Sigs Service at the following link that you can either read on your screen, or save as a PDF and print off to read at your leisure: http://www.archive.o...erviceine00prie

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Service papers also for the former...he was a RE Pioneer and his unit appears to have become part of the Labour Corps in 1917. Did not reach SGT rank. There do not appear to be any men named Harry or Harold MACK in the MIC who reached the rank of SGT.

What is his brother's name? Perhaps it can be narrowed down that way?

Rgds

TD

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Service papers also for the former...he was a RE Pioneer and his unit appears to have become part of the Labour Corps in 1917. Did not reach SGT rank. There do not appear to be any men named Harry or Harold MACK in the MIC who reached the rank of SGT.

What is his brother's name? Perhaps it can be narrowed down that way?

Rgds

TD

Perhaps he was a Lance Sergeant and showed on records as a substantive Corporal?

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Mmmm...in that case the only candidate with a MIC seems to be 46559 CPL Royal Field Artillery who enlisted in 1907 and went to France with the BEF in August 1914.

1914 Star and POW in May 1918. He was initially a Bombardier and then transferred to a Trench Mortar Battery, hence Corporal rank.

Rgds

Tim D

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I've got to say a big thankyou to everyone that has added comment to this thread,I'm a little suprised by the response(in a good way)

Fortunately the subjects of the photo have added their signed names to the back,in which appears to be in order.I have already identified the soldier wearing 6th Manawatu badges,NZMR, as Lance corporal Eric Farrell Mack 24858 ,14th reinforcements.However by process of elimination its possible that that the father and the other brother (previously identified as Harry) maybe out of order.The other name is Cecil G Mack..So forgive me if i have identified them wrong!!!!!

This families portrait was taken in South Norwood London,so they are English with one son who served in the New Zealand army and one in the British.

I collect and research New Zealand WW1 portrait photo's .i reckon collecting these types of photo's is a still undervalued and cheap way to collect WW1 memorabilia,

once again,thanks for the interest shown,

regards Iain

post-44632-0-24069900-1325961892.jpg

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Great pic. Cecil does look more promising:-

Name: Cecil G Mack

Regiment or Corps: 2nd The Queens R, RC of Sigs

Regimental Number: L/9073, 6076200

Private and Sgt in the Queens and then CQMS with the Signals. Complete with 1914 Star. Still serving when the MIC was prepared.

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Now thanks for that,That sounds as though that Cecil G Mack is the soldier pictured,

And apoloigies for identifying the wrong name in the first place,

As for the Mack family,they didn't want to make it easy for an amatuer researcher like myself,but at least they did write their names on the back.So many photo's that i have are unidentified,and only a few i have stumbled across there identities .

Thanks for the help.everybody.Has this mans army file survived.If so is it online or is it user pays?

cheers Iain

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His MIC is online with Ancestry and NA,

Entered the war France on 14/10/1914. He was still serving when the 1914 Star and Roses, British War Medal and Victory Medal were issued in 1921/22. Looks like his address is Elishott? (definitely not Aldershot) Camp, hr Fleet, Hants...whatever that means!

Last number was L/9073 in the Queens. RC of Signals...number 6076200 which is a post war number and as he was still serving his papers should still be with the British MoD.

Rgds

Tim D

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His MIC is online with Ancestry and NA,

Entered the war France on 14/10/1914. He was still serving when the 1914 Star and Roses, British War Medal and Victory Medal were issued in 1921/22. Looks like his address is Elishott? (definitely not Aldershot) Camp, hr Fleet, Hants...whatever that means!

Last number was L/9073 in the Queens. RC of Signals...number 6076200 which is a post war number and as he was still serving his papers should still be with the British MoD.

Rgds

Tim D

I think 'Elishot' is likely a mispelling by someone not familiar with the name when first writing it down, as it was always traditional to describe it as Aldershot Camp, nr (i.e. near) Fleet, Hants. It is interesting that he is wearing the RE button, as the first regimental button adopted by the Royal Corps of Signals was a representation of Mercury with the title Royal Signals written around the edge. It looks as if he might have been a founding member of the new Corps.

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