Chris Posted 8 November , 2004 Share Posted 8 November , 2004 Hi all Recently acquired this photo, but i am useless when it comes to identifying bages, ribbons etc. Can anyone please help and tell me what the medal ribbon is, the cap badge and the badge on the collar, so that i can hopefully determine which unit this man was in. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg1 Posted 8 November , 2004 Share Posted 8 November , 2004 Interesting photo. Cap badge indicates General Staff . Different staffs had different colours had different colours.General Staff was Red Intelligence was green. Scrambled eggs on cap peak indicate I think general rank. Cap band indicates staff. Now the interesting bits I dont recognise the linked circles on thelower lapels and the rank badges on the shoulder appear to have a shoulder title which would be very odd on a general but could also indicate some appointment such as ADC etc. Buttons have the Royal Arms and he is wearing the double braced SamBrowne. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_H Posted 8 November , 2004 Share Posted 8 November , 2004 Greg I think that the collar badge is Indian Army ( can someone else help here? one of the Sikh regiments??) and the medal ribbon looks like George V Coronation or Delhi Durbar 1911 M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrB Posted 9 November , 2004 Share Posted 9 November , 2004 If I recall correctly, the Cameronians were the only infantry regiment to wear the double braces for the Sam Browne. That was not the case in the Indian Army, as both infantry and cavalry regts wore them, although I cannot tell you for certain which ones. They were apparently popular however. Perhaps your general is from the IA. DrB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bert Posted 9 November , 2004 Share Posted 9 November , 2004 The lads are right, DrB, and yr man is an Indian Army type. The cap badge looked as if it might be the 8th Punjab Reg't, but the collar devices are indicative of a Sikh battalion (they represent the iron quoit or chakran), so the cap badge is probably not the 8th Punjab, as this was mostly Punjabis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archer Posted 9 November , 2004 Share Posted 9 November , 2004 To my eyes the cap badge looks very like a lion atop a crown, in other words a Brigadier-General's cap badge on top of scrambled eggs. But as Greg says - the plot thickens. Is that a single Crown on his epaulette - and a shoulder title? Or is that my imagination? By the way, the 8th Punjab Regiment was definitely post war - it was only formed in 1923. That being the case there are too few medal ribbons. [The 8th Punjab's badge was a Chinthe (mythical lion-headed dragon) standing on a mantling wreath, below which was the numeral 8 and scroll inscribed Punjab Regt.] I would agree that the medal ribbon is either the 1911 Delhi Durbar Medal, or the 1911 Coronation Medal. I am not confident that we have got the collar dogs right, either. William P.S. Bert - I see I have just been commissioned. I hope you will now consider me to be a gentleman!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg1 Posted 9 November , 2004 Share Posted 9 November , 2004 It is really interesting. He is wearing both Staff Gorget Patches and 'regimental' badges. The 'regimental badges are worn in the wrong place on the lapels - normaly they are located where the gorget patches are. The Royal Crest Cap badge was a sign of the staff in the Great War like gorget patches it could be worn by officers lower in rank than the full colonels and above who are allowed to wear it today, but the officer cap peak has scrambled egg for Generals rather than smooth braid sutiable for a field officer. There was a strand which looked at other units with the Royal Crest as a cap and or collar badge the Royal Devon Yeomanry and Royal West Kents were mentioned. This could be due to excessive and illegal regimental pride or be some special appointment. He wears shoulder titles and a 'Majors Crown' or at least that is what it looks like.This would not be normal for a staff officer or a general officer . Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted 9 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 9 November , 2004 Hi Thanks for all the helpful tips, it seems i have started a good debate here. Sorry i am not able to contribute anything of use, but it is definetly turning into an interesting thread. I will try and take the pic out the frame tonight and see if it has some clues or writing on the rear or hidden under the mounting card. Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 9 November , 2004 Share Posted 9 November , 2004 I at first thought "shoulder title" but it overhangs the edge of the epaulette slightly and looks to be more like braided material. And it`s a bit wavy, not like stiff metal. Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted 9 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 9 November , 2004 Hi Not sure if the following will help but have tryed to zoom in on the cap badge in the first attachment, and in the second is the only bit of writing i could find, which looks like a signature (maybe of the man in the photo who knows?), which could begin alfred although my ability to decipher this signature is nearly as bad as my knowledge of insignia Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted 9 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 9 November , 2004 and the signature Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 9 November , 2004 Share Posted 9 November , 2004 Looks like Albert Jenkins to me! Phil B PS Could that be Simla underneath? Wasn`t there an Indian Staff College there? It was British HQ India. Just where a staff officer would have his photo taken! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bert Posted 10 November , 2004 Share Posted 10 November , 2004 Archer You're quite right, old man, it is the lion on crown, and just now, looking at the blow-up, it looks like a wire-embroidered variant, which is why it looked odd. Didn't know the 8th Punjabi was a post-Great War organization - that leaves them out. Being commissioned isn't enough, I'm afraid. We have to take you for a drink and watch to see if you say 'cheers' (which is bad form), then we have to see if you call your servant a 'batman', and finally, we have to know if you smoke a pipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archer Posted 10 November , 2004 Share Posted 10 November , 2004 I say cheers - but perhaps I am one of nature's gentleman ? I was commissioned from the ranks, after all! I see you are also about to get your first pip. Cheers, Bert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg1 Posted 10 November , 2004 Share Posted 10 November , 2004 Signature does look like Albert Jenkins but it could be a fancy underline and then a rank- Lieut Gen? although this would seem to be rather high whilst Lt Colonel would seem to be too low. Regards Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 10 November , 2004 Share Posted 10 November , 2004 Of course, Albert Jenkins could be the officer or the photographer. Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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