What unit is this shoulder flash? - help please

[Minijimaus]

Can someone please help to identify the shoulder flash of the British WW1 solider in the photograph (my grandfather). He served in both the Army Service Corps and the Corps of Hussars and probably served in Mesopotamia. The photograph may have been taken in 1919

Any help would be gratefully received.

[jay dubaya]

It's definately a territorial shoulder title with a 'T' at the top and I would say followed by 'A.S.C' although this is difficult to say for certain. The writting on the bottom curve is impossible to make out at this resolution. What's his name and where did he come from/live as this may help with the wording on the lower part of the ST. Do you have the full photo and does it hold any further clues/

Jon

[Minijimaus]

Thanks jay dubya for the information and good questions. Further information on the soldier in question is below:

• The soldier is my grandfather, Leslie Graham Collier and he lived in Harborne outside Birmingham.
• His medal card says he served in the Army Service Corps (Regimental number T/822) as well as the Corps of Hussars (Regimental number 305955).
• He did not qualify for the 1914-15 Star so presumably joined in 1916 or later.
• My father tells me that Leslie Graham Collier served in Mesopotamia.
• The only Hussars regiments which served in Mesopotamia were the 7th, 13th and 14th Hussars
• The Absent Voters Registers of 1918 and 1919 show him as a Private in the 2nd Reserve Cavalry Regiment. Reserve cavalry regiments trained replacements for front line units.
• The 7th Hussars is the only regiment which served in Mesopotamia and which was reinforced by troops from the 2nd Reserve Cavalry Regiment
• Therefore the most likely units which the shoulder flash may depict are the Army Service Corps or 7th Hussars

The photo in my earlier post is the only one with insignia. Below is a wider shot of the same photo.

Any help would be most appreciated.

[Stebie9173]

The number you have given for Leslie actually falls in a range given to the Suffolk Yeomanry from early 1917 (though that number may be later).

http://www.1914-1918.net/TF_renumbering_yeomanry.htm

http://www.1914-1918.net/renumbering.htm

The shoulder title looks more Territorial ASC than Yeomanry / Cavalry to me. The uniform also bears none of the extra insignia more common later in the war.

Of interest may be the records of 305951 William Henry Layfield who was transferred to the 2nd Reserve Regiment of Cavalry in April 1918 from the A.S.C. His records are marked Suffolk Yeomanry on one page but he later transferred to the 1/1st Dorset Yeomanry in August 1918 and embarked overseas to serve in Egypt. This may at least pin the date of transfer.

Whilst I doubt he served much (if at all) in the Suffolk Yeomanry you may need to consider the Yeomanry units fed by the 2nd Reserve Regiment of Cavalry as well.

Steve.