Photo ID - Makeshift Pontoon Bridge

[depaor01]

Hi all,

Another photo ID if possible please - this photo is captioned "Liffey at Athgarvan - Charleton Curragh Newbridge Kildare" and I'm hoping for anything else that you experts might be able to glean from the picture.

They seem to be building a makeshift pontoon bridge out of barrels. I think the photo is from the WWI period, pre-1916, as they are wearing trench caps and puttees. The officer has WWI era cuff markings and there are also no medal ribbons evident. I think they may be Royal Engineers.

I'm intrigued by the pale uniforms a lot of them are wearing and wonder what their purpose is. They would look very out of place on the Somme!

If anyone could correct any of the above assumptions or supply info about the white uniforms I'd be very grateful.

Thanks,

Dave

[centurion]

The light coloured uniforms could be Kitchener Blues worn by some New Army recruits whilst undergoing training as there was a shortage of Khaki. It has the look of a training exercise.

[centurion]

BTW service caps and puttees were worn right through the war. The Brodie helmet was worn in the front lines and during some field exercises but otherwise the service cap was worn

[David B]

Wonder if the contents of the barrels were knocked off the night before and this was a way to get fit afterwards. Notice the officer and the sergeant are the ones closest to the bank of the river.

Democracy at work there.

[centurion]

Can't see an officer only a tall OR

[depaor01]

Thanks Centurion for the pointers. Are "Kitchener Blues" the same as "hospital blues"?

By the way here's a closeup of the tall guy:

[Rockdoc]

They are different blues. Hospital blues were issued to in-patients and substituted for their service dress while they were under treatment. Kitchener blues were, I seem to remember, modified from Post Office uniforms as there was a severe shortage of khaki cloth and their temporary use was mostly for the Kitchener battalions, hence the nick-name.

Keith

[centurion]

They are different blues. Hospital blues were issued to in-patients and substituted for their service dress while they were under treatment. Kitchener blues were, I seem to remember, modified from Post Office uniforms as there was a severe shortage of khaki cloth and their temporary use was mostly for the Kitchener battalions, hence the nick-name.

Keith

I'm sure I've seen something about them being made from blue denim but to the standard army pattern. When no longer needed they were sent to Germany for use by British POWs whose normal uniform had been rendered unwearable.

[Terry_Reeves]

Dave

This may well be a pre-war photograph. I strongly suspect the tunics are canvas work jackets which were normally accompanied by baggy canvas work trousers, but the men in this picture appear to be wearing a curious combination of puttees and long johns.

TR

[Andrew Upton]

This may well be a pre-war photograph. I strongly suspect the tunics are canvas work jackets which were normally accompanied by baggy canvas work trousers, but the men in this picture appear to be wearing a curious combination of puttees and long johns.

I agree with Terry - this photo has all the appearance of being a pre-war photo of manouvres or similar. The "tall OR" is an Officer, as shown by his cuff-rank jacket with Captains rank visible. It is also the pre-war pattern with the closed collar and braid epaulettes that was replaced in 1912 (although this style did soldier on to a degree during the war).