Pre-War Cloth Shoulder Titles, Rank and Insignia photos.

[GWF1967]

RFA group.  Wound stripe, no overseas service chevrons,  (After June 1916, before end of  Dec 1917?).

[Toby Brayley]

On 1/17/2017 at 13:47, FROGSMILE said:

 

4 VB Queen's.

 

Would you mind if I borrowed this image for a a page I run. I will of course watermark it and give you full credit. 

[Sepoy]

The RSM's delight

A very scruffy Private in the Suffolk Regiment. Cloth shoulder titles are just visible.
He is also wearing the first pattern 1908 pattern webbing equipment shoulder straps and a leather 1907 bayonet scabbard with an internal chape.

Sepoy

 

[Steven Broomfield]

What are the gaiters (by which I mean what date and so on)?

[FROGSMILE]

42 minutes ago, Sepoy said:

The RSM's delight

A very scruffy Private in the Suffolk Regiment. Cloth shoulder titles are just visible.
He is also wearing the first pattern 1908 pattern webbing equipment shoulder straps and a leather 1907 bayonet scabbard with an internal chape.

Sepoy

 

 

I would put money that he is a Territorial.  Note marching gaiters and Long Lee, yet he has 08 patt web equipment.

 

26 minutes ago, Steven Broomfield said:

What are the gaiters (by which I mean what date and so on)?

 

Marching gaiters from before 1908 for regulars, after which date they were issued with puttees that were previously for India establishment troops only.  TF had them for longer as they had a lower priority for new kit.

Edited 25 January , 2017 by FROGSMILE

[Sepoy]

8 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

 

I would put money that he is a Territorial.  Note marching gaiters and Long Lee, yet he has 08 patt web equipment.

Hi Frogmsile

You could be correct about the TF, but he is carrying a Short Magazine Lee Enfield with 1907 pattern hook quillon bayonet.
In fact as a charger bridge is not visible, his Rifle may be a SMLE No1 Mk1 with a floating charger guide on the bolt head.

Sepoy

Edited 25 January , 2017 by Sepoy

[FROGSMILE]

2 minutes ago, Sepoy said:

Hi Frogmsile

You could be correct about the TF, but he is carrying a Short Magazine Lee Enfield with 1907 pattern hook quillon bayonet.

Sepoy

 

Thanks Sepoy, I see that now.  I thought I saw a protruding muzzle at first, but I should have focused on the overall length anyway.

[Toby Brayley]

A nice studio shot taken in Marks Tey, Colchester of a member of one of the Essex Volunteer Battalions, possibly the 2nd VB as they were based in Colchester.

 

[GWF1967]

Ernest Henry George Skinner. Rfn.12879. 16th Batt. K.R.R.C.  KIA. 20/5/1917.

[FROGSMILE]

On 25 January 2017 at 10:16, Toby Brayley said:

 

Would you mind if I borrowed this image for a a page I run. I will of course watermark it and give you full credit. 

 

Don't give credit to me, I cannot remember from where or how long ago I found it.  As far as I'm concerned you should use it in honour and memory of the young men concerned, but then I am a complete anarchist when it comes to my feelings about copyright with regard to images of soldiers.

Edited 22 May , 2017 by FROGSMILE

[FROGSMILE]

On 26 January 2017 at 12:22, Toby Brayley said:

A nice studio shot taken in Marks Tey, Colchester of a member of one of the Essex Volunteer Battalions, possibly the 2nd VB as they were based in Colchester.

 

 

Great photo, Toby, thanks for posting it.

[FROGSMILE]

10 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

Ernest Henry George Skinner. Rfn.12879. 16th Batt. K.R.R.C.  KIA. 20/5/1917.

 

Great photo of a member of the Church Lads Brigade battalion that was established with former members of that church youth group.

Edited 22 May , 2017 by FROGSMILE

[Toby Brayley]

 

Above: RF Volunteer Battalion. 

 

Below: 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers c1906. A really great shot of the cloth Shoulder Titles surmounted by the Flaming Grenade. Note the different variation of Shoulder Title worn by the chap writing on his mess tin that appears to be as above. 

 

 

 

[Toby Brayley]

 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Buffs! Some great detail in this shot not only do the men wear the efficiency lozenge and stars the NCOs at rear wear the very rare "Special Services Section" appointment badge. Note the piped breeches of the VF.

 

 

[Muerrisch]

SSS badge: lovely find!

 

Being an appointment, should have been worn upper right but hey-ho, a very nice "in wear" shot.

 

Thank you.

[Toby Brayley]

21 minutes ago, Muerrisch said:

SSS badge: lovely find!

 

Being an appointment, should have been worn upper right but hey-ho, a very nice "in wear" shot.

 

Thank you.

 If they are ever of use to you just let me know and I can PM across some Hi-res versions. 

[Toby Brayley]

Member of the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Royal Berkshires. Still using a MLM and the 1882 style brown Volunteer Pattern Equipment 

 

[Toby Brayley]

19th Hussars Recreation Tent, Norfolk

Men of the 19th Hussar rest outside the recreation tent. A nice image of the 19H cloth shoulder titles. Note mix of fixed and twist shoulder straps.

Sent July 7th 1908.

 

 

 

[Toby Brayley]

Postcard Sent from Portsmouth to Tunbridge Wells, Kent, January 6th 1910. "A Trio of Rough + Ready Chums, Quite Well".

 

Interesting to see the Royal Field Artillery Cloth Shoulder Titles in use as late as 1910 (providing that the image wasn't taken earlier). Notice the distinct cut out shape.

Also note the crossed guns prize badge awarded to members of the Prize Battery (the Crown Denoting 1st Prize).

 

 

[Toby Brayley]

 

Hampshire Carabiniers Yeomanry (HCY). 

[Toby Brayley]

A new one on me, the VF/TF Efficiency Star being worn with the Distance Judging star?  Captioned as B458 Sergeant Charles Rhymes, 4th Nottinghamshire Volunteer Battalion.Post 1907 as he carries the Charger Loading Lee Enfield.

 

[Muerrisch]

6 hours ago, Toby Brayley said:

A new one on me, the VF/TF Efficiency Star being worn with the Distance Judging star?  Captioned as B458 Sergeant Charles Rhymes, 4th Nottinghamshire Volunteer Battalion.Post 1907 as he carries the Charger Loading Lee Enfield.

 

A puzzle! No "this year" efficiency diamond.

Of course the TF efficiency star and Distance Judging star are identical and supposed to be worn lower right.

The inference is that TF were not eligible for the latter. I am away from library.

Perhaps he is a regular attached with naughty extra star on left cuff. Also of interest is bandolier equipment on infantry. Is he transport? 

May we see all the group for context please?

 

 

[FROGSMILE]

Bandoliers were decreed for TF infantry not officially 'earmarked' for first line deployment overseas.

[Toby Brayley]

Sadly no other images, it has been cropped in this tight. Regrettably it is not mine but on floating around on the web. Quite common to see the TF in the Bandolier Equipment so that doesn't open any leads! 

 

 The CLLE can give us a firm date of post 1907, he appears to have large brass shoulder titles so very probably post 1908 and a member of the TF  rather than a VF.

Edited 12 July , 2017 by Toby Brayley

[Muerrisch]

Thank you. Another thought: here we have a sgt likely to be captain or member of a winning musketry squad ....... but no marksman badge  ..... these old photos fascinate me with their secrets. Some of which the GWF team solve, some not.