Half a photo conundrum.

[MikeyH]

I found this several years ago at a flea-market, the original post card size print has been roughly chopped in half. The photo may predate the Great War period as the subjects are proudly displaying what seem to be .303 Lee-Metford Mark 1 rifles. Does the presence of a pick over the shoulder of the smoker at centre rear suggest a Pioneer Battalion?

The card bears the suppliers name of:- F.Scovell & Co., 18 Queens Road, Aldershot. Expert Military and Commercial Photographers.

The message, to Dear Lucy reveals that the sender (Horace) 'is the first sitting down from the end', one wonders if he has been given 'the chop', as there would originally have been others sitting down, or could he have been the chap in the right foreground.

Mike.

[Ron Clifton]

Most of the men are in "civvies" so it may date from the early Great War period, before uniforms had been issued and when only older rifles (they could be Long Lee-Enfields or Lee-Metfords) were available for training.

Ordinary infantry battalions also had about a dozen pioneers so I don't think the pick necessarily indicates a pioneer battalion.

Ron

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Mike,

F. Scovell, were photographers well known in the Aldershot area before and during WW1.

The men in your photograph look to be wearing the blue ' Kitchener's Army ' uniforms, as shown in the attached 2 photographs also taken by F. Scovell, at the ' Kitchener's Army ' Bourley Camp, held at Aldershot in September/October, 1914, which may also be the location and date of your photograph.

Regards,

LF

2

[Ron Clifton]

Thanks LF

Those photos do seem to add weight to my guess: new recruits under training in 1914/early 1915.

Ron

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Thanks LF

Those photos do seem to add weight to my guess: new recruits under training in 1914/early 1915.

Ron

Ron,

When looking at the faces of the men in those photographs, you cannot help but wonder, how many survived the war ?

Regards,

LF

[MikeyH]

Lancs and Ron,

Many thanks for your input, even the B in the ref. no. in the first photo in #3, is consistent with the B on 'my' example. As you say wonder how many of these new recruits survived the war.

In Horace's message he goes on to say 'had one took by myself, I will send you one. Good morning, love from Horace'.

Mike.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

the B in the ref. no. in the first photo in #3, is consistent with the B on 'my' example.

Mike,

The ' B ' suffix on your's and the other photograph, was I am sure, Scovell's code for the photographs taken at the Bourley Camp.

So your photograph is of men wearing the blue ( emergency ) uniforms issued to recruits to ' Kitchener's Army ' who were attending the Bourley Camp, held at Aldershot in September/October 1914.

Regards,

LF

[trajan]

I found this several years ago at a flea-market, the original post card size print has been roughly chopped in half. ...

I wonder - has it been chopped in half? True, there is only half-a-chappie on the right, but the rounded corners at top and bottom on the right look original to me! If it had really been chopped in half then I would have expected squared-off corners there. Perhaps the photographer was happy to make p/card size (if that is what it is) prints of selected areas in a group shot?

Trajan

[ss002d6252]

I wonder - has it been chopped in half? True, there is only half-a-chappie on the right, but the rounded corners at top and bottom on the right look original to me! If it had really been chopped in half then I would have expected squared-off corners there. Perhaps the photographer was happy to make p/card size (if that is what it is) prints of selected areas in a group shot?

Trajan

I was thinking exactly the same after looking at the corners.

Craig

[MikeyH]

Trajan and Craig,

The post card has definitely been cut in half along the rough edge, sometime after being received. Think the 'rounded' corners are just down to wear and handling. The recipients name and address in the section to the right on the back are still partly visible.

Mike.

[trajan]

Well, that's one idea shot down in flames...!