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

[Toby Brayley]

 

Unsent postcard, "With love to all , from Danny"    A nice view of an Royal Garrison Artillery trumpeter. 

 

 

 

[Dragoon]

10 hours ago, Toby Brayley said:

 

Unsent postcard, "With love to all , from Danny"    A nice view of an Royal Garrison Artillery trumpeter. 

 

 

 

 

Are they metal shoulder titles?

They look worsted?

 

Chris 

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Dragoon said:

Are they metal shoulder titles?

They look worsted?

 

Chris 

 I too think that they are woven worsted. 

[Toby Brayley]

I know this one will be appreciated here! A rather wonderful candid unsent postcard of the SNCOs mess Tent of the 4th Territorial Force Btn of the Royal Berkshires.   Proficiency star in use post 1908, a Sergeant Major seated front and a TF Instructor of Musketry with his 4-bars and crossed rifles. 

 

The Sergeant that has clearly been interrupted enjoying his meal, has a shoulder protector on his S.D. They have clearly been out in the sun looking at the tanned faces and white foreheads! 

[FROGSMILE]

Super picture, Toby, thank you for sharing it.  It’s good to see the Musketry Instructor with his soon to be abolished badge of appointment.  Interesting too to note that the Sgt Maj, a man opposite him, and the instructor, are all wearing the blue patrol jacket. It is apparent from this and other photos that the blue patrol jacket became a particularly popular order of dress for members of the battalion staff in the period straddling the 2nd Boer War.  It is notable that the Sgt Maj’s jacket has the taller collar as worn by the officers.  I wonder if the man in smart civilian attire is the adjutant, or perhaps the sutler of the canteen.

Edited 25 March , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[RNCVR]

The Serg't on the left wearing 3 stars on his cuff with his hands over his knees appears to be wearing the ribbon of the Geo V Coronation medal.

 

Unable to see xactly what the Serg't Major in the patrol uniform is wearing perhaps a QSA\KSA pair?

 

Very nice photo Toby!

Thanks for posting.

Bryan

[Muerrisch]

Toby, thank you. How did you date it?

[Toby Brayley]

Thank you all, I dated it from the T 4 cloth title rather than V.  As RNCVR has  pointed out theres the GRV coronation medal ribbon also. 

[Muerrisch]

So post  22 June 1911.

 

Very interesting, the 4-point star certainly did not die despite never appearing in TF Regs.

 

Why spoil a nice uniform by removing a badge earned previously?

[Toby Brayley]

Royal Artillery Sergeant with 2nd Prize Battery (guns and star) and possible G in wreath for efficient gunners? 

[FROGSMILE]

Great picture, the style of belt and carriage tells us that he is field artillery too.

[Toby Brayley]

This one slipped through the net, I have only just scanned it in. NCOs of a TF Btn of the Gloucesters, 1912.  Nice to see the short lived "B Type" Patrol being worn by the officer. Also a decent study of the staff sergeants belt and sword. Note the Imperial Service Tablet worn on the sash. 

 

Crossed Axes of the Pioneer Sgt

 

Colour Sgt with best shot in Company, crossed rifles with star. Nice to see a Colour Sgt with his own award for once! 

 

 

Edited 31 March , 2020 by Toby Brayley

[Pat Atkins]

Nice, clear photo and interesting about the Imperial Service Tablet, I had never considered it outside a Great war context. Thanks Toby.

[FROGSMILE]

Super picture, Toby. The first time that I’ve seen the Imperial Service tablet worn on a sergeants sash. The “sword and carriage, staff sergeant”, is I think the 1903 pattern that was made from brown rather than buff leather. He seems to be a sergeant and I’m wondering what his appointment was. My guess is Orderly Room Sergeant.  It’s typical of the regular colour sergeant to make his superior status clear by being seated alongside the officer.  The type B blue patrol frock required a white, stiff collared shirt (with the collar either upright or folded over) and a black, ribbed silk tie, a look that always appears odd to me.  The choice between Type A or Type B was supposed to be optional for each individual officer, which emphasised that it was a dress not to be worn under arms, or when parading with formed bodies of men. As I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a photo where one unit was wearing both types, I rather suspect that regimental colonels insisted on uniformity within battalions, thus ignoring the intended individual ‘choice’.

Edited 31 March , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Muerrisch]

4 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

Super picture, Toby. The first time that I’ve seen the Imperial Service tablet worn on a sergeants sash. The “sword and carriage, staff sergeant”, is I think the 1903 pattern that was made from brown rather than buff leather. He seems to be a sergeant and I’m wondering what his appointment was. My guess is Orderly Room Sergeant.  It’s typical of the regular colour sergeant to make his superior status clear by being seated alongside the officer.  The type B blue patrol frock required a white, stiff collared shirt (with the collar either upright or folded over) and a black, ribbed silk tie, a look that always appears odd to me.  The choice between Type A or Type B was supposed to be optional for each individual officer, which emphasised that it was a dress not to be worn under arms, or when parading with formed bodies of men. As I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a photo where one unit was wearing both types, I rather suspect that regimental colonels insisted on uniformity within battalions, thus ignoring the intended individual ‘choice’.

 

What do you see of the colour sergeant that makes him a regular please? If unit staff he should not be competing for a company musketry prize.

[FROGSMILE]

24 minutes ago, Muerrisch said:

 

What do you see of the colour sergeant that makes him a regular please? If unit staff he should not be competing for a company musketry prize.

 

I had thought that he was the Colour Sergeant Instructor of Musketry.  It did seem odd that he had no campaign medals.

Edited 31 March , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Toby Brayley]

Acting Serjeant Major Ford (centre), Netley, c1910, part of 2nd London General Hospital  RAMC. Unsent but annotated Postcard.  He has Six TF efficiency Stars above his chevrons.

Edited 6 April , 2020 by Toby Brayley

[FROGSMILE]

Superb clarity Toby, thank you for posting.

[Toby Brayley]

T.F? Royal Engineers ( cap badge and the large stripe on trousers) Trumpeter, unsent postcard.  

 

[RNCVR]

Toby those are really fine RPPC's you have posted!  I have really enjoyed viewing them & learning more about the 1WW era British Regiments & Corps.

 

Thanks,

Bryan

[Toby Brayley]

52 minutes ago, RNCVR said:

 

 

Thanks,

Bryan

 

Glad you enjoy them! I am all for sharing, else they would just sit in my albums and never see the light of day for the next 40 years.  As you can see, by posting them I can add so much more info to them with the wealth of knowledge on this forum!  In some cases I have even managed to identify individuals.

 

Regards

Toby

Edited 8 April , 2020 by Toby Brayley

[FROGSMILE]

59 minutes ago, Toby Brayley said:

T.F? Royal Engineers ( cap badge and the large stripe on trousers) Trumpeter, unsent postcard.  

 

 

Yes, definitely RE and wearing rarely seen p1898(?) scarlet serge patrol frocks with 03 bandoliers and 05 universal forage caps.  I wish it were in colour.

[RNCVR]

Toby, I feel same as you about my many Naval postcards, really pleased to being able to show them & receive  some feedback, & feel they are being enjoyed as well!

 

Thanks, Bryan

 

[RNCVR]

18 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

  I wish it were in colour.

Yes sir, dont we all,sure save a lot of guesswork!!!

Edited 8 April , 2020 by RNCVR

[Muerrisch]

STARS, STRIPES AND CHEVRONS PDF.

 

The complete seven chapters are now edited into one PDF, available to anyone, all I need is a PM with your email address: the PDF is about 5 MB.