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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Boy Soldier - Pre WW1


Rich0148

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Hi

 

Man/teen in picture is my granddad who later went to join as a regular Northumberland Fusilier when 30 in 1914, so guess this is about 1900.  Any observations on this?  Was there a TA service pre 1914?

Rich

5975a28d9cf34_grandadboy.jpg.0510e7a0dd3702848efc97c073e9c3da.jpg

 

 

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Red jacket and blue trousers.

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He is dressed for walking out in a 7-button undress frock (there was also a 5-button variant), which was scarlet serge with a white collar and white jam-pot cuff, as is correct for the Northumberland Fusiliers.  The dress would be appropriate for both a regular (battalion) and a militia (battalion) soldier.  His field cap indicates a date for late 1890s or early 1900s.

 

The Territorial Force was formed in 1908 from the Volunteer Force that had provided so-called 'volunteer battalions' (VB) for the regiments in addition to the regulars and militia.  The VBs usually had an additional decoration to their cuffs in the form of an Austrian knot.

 

I suspect that your man joined either, the militia, or the regulars (or both, the former was often a route into the latter) in the period between the Boer War and WW1 and completed a short-service engagenment of 7-years with the colours and 5-years with the reserves.

wellington-1st-batt-autrain-knot.jpg.844905163645064f6088ae4e6a1081fc.jpg

369-2014916122941_original.jpg.6671e732691aa7bca82c5a9e5f95cef9.jpg

 

 

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5 hours ago, Rich0148 said:

Hi

 

Man/teen in picture is my granddad who later went to join as a regular Northumberland Fusilier when 30 in 1914, so guess this is about 1900.  Any observations on this?  Was there a TA service pre 1914?

 

Rich

 

grandad boy.jpg

What his name ?

 

Craig

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If you look on the other thread which I post, on trade markings on sleeve, its the Cpl in the back left row.  In the other picture he is 30, here, we are unsure how old he is but he does not look very old.

 

His name is Robert William Nichol and from why I have found, he enlists in 1914 into 4 NF.

Edited by Rich0148
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Dear FrogSmile, thankyou so much for the information.  I would love to try to get this colourised.  Would you think the ripped part have anything special?  Cant see why

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7 minutes ago, Rich0148 said:

If you look on the other thread which I post, on trade markings on sleeve, its the Cpl in the back left row.  If the other picture here is 30, he, we are unsure.

 

His name is Robert William Nichol and from why I have found, he enlists in 1914 into 4 NF.

#1710 Nichol from Billingham ?

 

Craig

Edited by ss002d6252
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Dear FrogSmile.  I read this thread here, which you are part of and is similar:

 

 

 

Was the 7 button pre-dating the 5 button?  Also is the 'chip hat' a pre-curser to the peaked?

 

Thanks again

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On 24/07/2017 at 23:03, ss002d6252 said:

#1710 Nichol from Billingham ?

 

Craig

Yes, that is what I have - -and have a researcher digging into his actual war service

5975f0e018064_attestation1sep1914.jpg.5c777f794ea66cbaac59f576bdb0700f.jpg

 

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1 minute ago, Rich0148 said:

Yes, that is what I have - -and have a researcher digging into his actual war service

attestation 1 sep 1914.jpg

What's odd is that he doesn't declare any prior service.

Are you sure that the man is Robert and not another relative ?

Craig

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Just now, ss002d6252 said:

What's odd is that he doesn't declare any prior service.

Are you sure that the man is Robert and not another relative ?

Craig

Hi Craig

 

To be honest, I do not know anything for sure!  Early days of finding my way but match looks good (I got this from a web-site).

 

Also did not get the 'no' to prior service as family story says he was a reservist before 1914.  When I looked at where the enlistment is, this is a few miles only from where he was born, which is Knowes Gate/Kirk/Kirkwhelpington, Northumberland and his DOB is 8 Dec 1883 which makes him 30 on enlistment which then fits this date HOWEVER is 6 months out and his attestation says 30 and 0 months (the attestation date is 1 Sep 1914)

 

So yes, maybe I have the wrong enlistment paper!

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3 minutes ago, Rich0148 said:

Hi Craig

 

To be honest, I do not know anything for sure!  Early days of finding my way but match looks good (I got this from a web-site).

 

Also did not get the 'no' to prior service as family story says he was a reservist before 1914.  When I looked at where the enlistment is, this is a few miles only from where he was born, which is Knowes Gate/Kirk/Kirkwhelpington, Northumberland and his DOB is 8 Dec 1883 which makes him 30 on enlistment which then fits this date HOWEVER is 6 months out and his attestation says 30 and 0 months (the attestation date is 1 Sep 1914)

 

So yes, maybe I have the wrong enlistment paper!

The man in the link enlisted on a 1yr Home Service in the Territorial Force and then re-enlisted to the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 - if he had been a reservist prior to this then he'd seen out his service but decided not to declare it for some reason. What family history do you have on this service ?

It's worth a try to see if he can be found on earlier censuses and see what can be found with that information - any idea on parents etc ?

Craig

Edited by ss002d6252
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8 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said:

The man in the link enlisted on a 1yr Home Service in the Territorial Force and then re-enlisted to the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 - if he had been a reservist prior to this then he'd seen out his service but decided not to declare it for some reason. What family history do you have on this service ?

It's worth a try to see if he can be found on earlier censuses and see what can be found with that information - any idea on parents etc ?

Craig

Hi Craig, so it seems maybe there is another Robert William Nichol, almost fitting the bill and maybe I have the wrong enlistment paper.  I think my Dad would have know if he was flying corps and hes always said he was an NF.  I do have the details of his parents.  May I ask how you access your information?

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Just now, Rich0148 said:

Hi Craig, so it seems maybe there is another Robert William Nichol, almost fitting the bill and maybe I have the wrong enlistment paper.  I think my Dad would have know if he was flying corps and hes always said he was an NF.  I do have the details of his parents.  May I ask how you access your information?

The Flying Corps bit, would as you say, usually stick in the mind. Who were his parents ?

The information re the RFC is on the 2nd page of the record, at the lower left side.


Craig

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2 hours ago, Rich0148 said:

Dear FrogSmile.  I read this thread here, which you are part of and is similar:

 

 

 

Was the 7 button pre-dating the 5 button?  Also is the 'chip hat' a pre-curser to the peaked?

 

Thanks again

 

The 5-button predates the 7-button but both were in use at the same time.

The field cap does indeed predate the peaked forage cap with the latter being issued from 1905 onward.

The Northumberland Fusiliers reverted from white 'facings' to their pre-1881 gosling green colour a little before WW1, which along with the cap helped to date your photo.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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1 hour ago, ss002d6252 said:

The Flying Corps bit, would as you say, usually stick in the mind. Who were his parents ?

The information re the RFC is on the 2nd page of the record, at the lower left side.


Craig

Oh hi Craig, seems I only got the front page from this site.

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33 minutes ago, Rich0148 said:

Oh hi Craig, seems I only got the front page from this site.

If you're using Ancestry It's common for that to happen- the navigation isn't always intuitive

 

Craig

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3 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

If you're using Ancestry It's common for that to happen- the navigation isn't always intuitive

 

Craig

Hi

 

Yes, now other pages open!  So I think I am safe to say this is not Grandad therefore if he was a TA before, I need to go further back.

 

Rich

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