What Are These?

[Ian C]

Hi

I was shown this photo last week at the Europeana 1914-18 event in Dublin, the guy standing is Gerald Cromwell (served as Cronwell), am I right in thinking that those are Wound Stripes on his sleeve and that the crossed rifles indicate that he was a marksman of some sort?

Regards

IanC

[Kitchener's Bugle]

Hi Ian, I agree, The Crossed Rifles is the marksmans insignia, with 2 wound stripes below.

Some additional info on the "wound stripe".

Wound Stripes

On 6th July 1916, the War Office issued Army Order (AO) No. 204 requiring all officers and men who had received wounds in any of the campaigns from the first day of declared war, i.e., 4 August, 1914, to wear a two inch strip of gold ‘Russia braid No.1’, sewn perpendicularly on the forearm in the centre of the left sleeve with subsequent stripes sewn either side of the first at half –inch intervals. For other ranks, including Warrant-Officers and non-commissioned officers, the lower edge of the braid was sewn three inches from the bottom of the sleeve. As Officers wore a different type jacket, the lower end of the first strip of gold braid was sewn immediately above the upper point of the flap on cuff.

On 22nd August 1916, the Army Council decided that it needed to define the term ‘wounded’ and so issued its instruction (ACI) No. 1637 clarifying the conditions for receiving a Wound Stripe. The term ‘wounded’ referred only to the officers and OR’s whose names actually appeared in the official Casualty Lists as ‘wounded’, but not those that were listed as;- ‘wounded – gassed’ and ‘wounded – shell-shock’. Obviously the men that suffered self-inflicted wounds were also excluded.

A subsequent ACI (2075) on 3rd November 1916 further clarified the conditions for the issue of Wound Stripes by stipulating that only those men that appeared in casualty lists rendered by an Adjutant’s office overseas, or by a GOC of any force engaged in active operations. That led to the interpretation that reports in hospital lists might not have been a trustworthy indication that a man was wounded by the enemy in battle.

Later ACI’s and AO’s widened the scope for those eligible to receive the stripes by including Military Nursing Services and Voluntary Aid Detachments. Also, extended the eligibility of those wounded in any campaign prior to 4th August 1914 where official casualty lists constituted the authority for the issue.

Wound stripes were discontinued in 1922.

[Hywyn]

Two wound stripes

See

http://1914-1918.net/research/index.php/find-your-soldier/interpreting-photographs-of-men-in-ww1-uniform/wound-stripes/

Marksman.

This thread should confirm your suspicion

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=192482&hl=marksman

Hywyn

[Ian C]

Thanks Guys

IanC