amb Posted 10 June , 2018 Share Posted 10 June , 2018 I'm still trying to identify a soldier and having tried to improve the quality of my photo someone has suggested that the number 381 (could be a partial number) appears on his shoulder title. Is this likely? Is there a list of all the variations which could appear on the shoulder titles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetrenchrat22 Posted 10 June , 2018 Share Posted 10 June , 2018 21 minutes ago, amb said: I'm still trying to identify a soldier and having tried to improve the quality of my photo someone has suggested that the number 381 (could be a partial number) appears on his shoulder title. Is this likely? Is there a list of all the variations which could appear on the shoulder titles? Hi, without actually seeing the photo, it would impossible to give a reasonable answer to your question. Please submit a couple of photos Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amb Posted 10 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 10 June , 2018 Hi Alan - I posted the photo here ages ago and at that point wondered about it being SB as in KOSB but apart from the MM I hit a brick wall. He was my aunt's father and she wrote that he died of wounds in 1918. No name sadly, not even on her or her brother's birth certs. Here is the image, as enhanced as I have it but it's so very faded unfortunately. Any help would be much appreciated. Thankyou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetrenchrat22 Posted 10 June , 2018 Share Posted 10 June , 2018 Hi It’s hard to read the titles there seems to be 7169 men who held the Military Medal who died in 1918 44 from the KOSB. what is your Aunts maiden name and the place she was born. Somebody who has access Soldier died in the Great War, should be able nearer it down further. The only way to go, is by the maiden name and where she was born Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amb Posted 10 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 10 June , 2018 (edited) Hi again - yes various people have tried to enhance the photo but what's hardly there can't really be enhanced! My aunt's maiden name was Jamieson, same as my grandmother's. She was born in June 1918 in St Pancras Workhouse hospital (my grandmother wasn't 'in' the workhouse as she had a job in the area, but had made use of the free hospital facilities there). Her older child, a boy, was born in Jan 1916 in Marylebone Workhouse hospital. At that time she was in service in the area. Neither birth cert has the father's name. My aunt was a forewoman in the WAAC based at Hare Hall OTC in Romford with the 2nd Artists Rifles and is supposed to have been stationed (possibly not as a WAAC at that time) near Lille. As she was a cook perhaps she went with another organisation. She is supposed to have joined the WAAC very early on (so early 1917) but with the number shown on the photo attached, where she is seated 2nd left, I've been told it would have been taken around October 1918 so we don't think she could have known the soldier there. Goodness knows how my grandmother managed with 2 young children, their father dead, and her family miles away in Scotland! I should add her service records with the WAAC didn't survive the Blitz unfortunately. There is also an anomaly in the birth certificate of the first child she had after she married my grandfather, born 1920, in that her name is shown as Reid, nee Jamieson, formerly Cameron. There are no marriages to a Cameron in England, Wales or Scotland so maybe that is the soldier's name. However on the back of the photo my aunt had written 'this is a photo of my father, the eldest son of an old English Catholic family, who died of wounds in 1918.' Whether her memory was still intact at the time she wrote it, I don't know. Edited 10 June , 2018 by amb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amb Posted 10 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 10 June , 2018 Before I give up on my quest, I've been sent another enhanced photo which seems to be the best so far. You can almost see the shoulder title but perhaps someone with more knowledge than I have might be able to make out something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetrenchrat22 Posted 11 June , 2018 Share Posted 11 June , 2018 Sorry im clearly stumped now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 11 June , 2018 Share Posted 11 June , 2018 Long shot..Scots Greys?? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 11 June , 2018 Share Posted 11 June , 2018 The more I look at it the more I can see EYS on the end Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 11 June , 2018 Share Posted 11 June , 2018 (edited) Thinking about it, I believe the Greys wore RSG metal titles in WW1, 'GREYS' titles were 1920's. Chris Edited 11 June , 2018 by Dragoon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amb Posted 11 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 11 June , 2018 Thanks both - I thought you were on to something there! I started to see the EYS too but it seems now that it wouldn't have been so before 1920. Out of interest, having tried to find them on CWGC, what was the official name of the regiment - Royal Scots? I've tried on ww1photos too but there seems to be many battalions for the Royal Scots and I wondered if one in particular was called the Greys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 11 June , 2018 Share Posted 11 June , 2018 (edited) Shoulder title was ‘ROYALSCOTS’ in a curve. It looks more like the ‘SB’ of KOSB to me too. Afternote: I see now that I have misread your last post. My response was referring to the infantry regiment, the Royal Scots and I now realise you meant the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys). Edited 11 June , 2018 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon92 Posted 11 June , 2018 Share Posted 11 June , 2018 In placing a magnifier over the enhancement in the 2nd photo of post #3, it also looks to me like the SB of KOSB. As a side point, the shoulder title for the Royal Scots Greys pre-1920 was 2D according to Westlake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 11 June , 2018 Share Posted 11 June , 2018 27 minutes ago, gordon92 said: In placing a magnifier over the enhancement in the 2nd photo of post #3, it also looks to me like the SB of KOSB. As a side point, the shoulder title for the Royal Scots Greys pre-1920 was 2D according to Westlake. I thought it was RSG, I'll go with Westlake 2D, I'll stand corrected! I can still make it out at S on the end?? Can you make out dark edges around the title? almost as if its a cloth stitch on title? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon92 Posted 11 June , 2018 Share Posted 11 June , 2018 2 minutes ago, Dragoon said: I thought it was RSG, I'll go with Westlake 2D, I'll stand corrected! I can still make it out at S on the end?? Can you make out dark edges around the title? almost as if its a cloth stitch on title? Chris S is possible. If so, Westlake shows a straight line QUEEN'S title existed, but without information as to when it was worn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amb Posted 11 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 11 June , 2018 Thanks for the comments. Very interesting. I'm not sure of the significance of Westlake and please could you explain QUEENS? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon92 Posted 11 June , 2018 Share Posted 11 June , 2018 1 minute ago, amb said: Thanks for the comments. Very interesting. I'm not sure of the significance of Westlake and please could you explain QUEENS? Thank you. Ray Westlake published a book entitled COLLECTING METAL SHOULDER TITLES and is regarded as the authoritative encyclopedia on such titles. QUEEN'S was one of the shoulder titles worn by the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment. If the shoulder title in the image ends in S, as suggested by member Dragoon, then this Regiment becomes a possibility. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amb Posted 12 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 12 June , 2018 Many thanks. Will try looking into a possible Queens connection. It's so frustrating that the image is so faded! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amb Posted 20 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 20 June , 2018 Another couple of rather blurry close ups if anyone has suggestions.... As you can see I don't want to give up on this! Many thanks once again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul61 Posted 21 June , 2018 Share Posted 21 June , 2018 Second letter in could be a W, could it be the SWB of the South Wales Borderers? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amb Posted 21 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 21 June , 2018 Thanks Paul - another one to consider! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now