Help with photo of a family.

[Kemrl5]

Hello,
I have a photo of a family taken during WW1. I bought it online because there is a chance that the people on it are related. 
If they are, they would be (from left to right):
-Cyril Howard, born 1898 in South Shields, Durham.
-Sarah Jane Howard (nee Benson), born in 1873 in Gateshead, Durham.
-Thomas William Joseph Howard, born 1873 in Newcastle upon Tyne.
-Margaret Elizabeth Howard, born in 1894 in South Shields.

 

Thomas Howard was a Driver in the 1st Northumbrian Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. According to his service record these were his injuries:
“Contused Abdomen, 27/6/1916, On duty not to blame.” and “Contusion of head + fractured ribs, France, 16/11/1916. On duty not to blame.”
He returned home on 5 December 1916 and was admitted to the 4th General Hospital, Stobhill, Glasgow on 6 December.

Cyril Howard, I believe, was in 44th Battery, 13th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. His service record hasn’t survived. He turned 18 in 1916 and on his marriage certificate in 1917 he was a miner.  Could he have been called up?

 

Here is the photo:

 

The back of the postcard has "Miss Wright, Photographer, Middlesbrough." written on it.

 

The man on the right has a wound stripe and a patch with two crossed flags. I’ve seen some posts saying this patch was given to signallers. Can someone explain exactly what this patch meant?

It looks like the man on the left has a wound stripe as well, although he is wearing civilian clothing.

 

I’m also putting this picture up just in case anyone recognises any of them.

 

Thank you,

[asanewt]

Crossed flags. Qualified signaller. 

[charlie962]

2 hours ago, Kemrl5 said:

Thomas Howard was a Driver

If he was a Driver then would he have been a signaller? I thought it was Gunners who obtained that qualification ?

 

Charlie

[asanewt]

Seem to be mounted role, to me, and definitely signaller's crossed flags. 

[Kemrl5]

Thank you for getting back to my question. Can anyone recommend any good websites/books to find out the roles of Drivers, Gunners, Signallers...etc in the Royal Field Artillery?

[RaySearching]

On 01/05/2018 at 19:30, Kemrl5 said:

The back of the postcard has "Miss Wright, Photographer, Middlesbrough." written on it.

 

As an aside

The photographer was , Margaret Wright of Middlesbrough. Margaret was born in Scotland and first worked as a photographer in conjunction with her brother in law, Alexander Phillip. When this partnership was dissolved in 1894, Margaret took studios at 75 Albert Road, Middlesbrough, where she was joined by her niece Gladys, acting as her apprentice, a partnership which lasted until the late 1920s. Margaret may have returned to Scotland in later years to end her days in her home country

 

 

Richard William Phillip shown on the above census served with the 4th Yorks + West Rid Regiment