queens, royal west surrey frame, Gallipoli

[garfyboy]

Morning all

Please take a look at this seemingly wonderful unique frame I picked up on ebay, all looks good and my thought are to find out who L.HALL  from the 2/4th Queens Royal west Surrey is.

A quick search tells me that the 2/4th were indeed at Gallipoli at that time and the Aussie badge is certainly weathered so my thoughts are that it has been out in the elements for a few months, maybe from the Anzac landings earlier in the year, everything in the frame looks good, writing, wear etc so far... so good.

I then spot that the Queens cap badge is from 1924 onwards ? which kind of throws it all into doubt?

 

Your thoughts would be appreciated please

[michaeldr]

Their War Dairy for the month of December 1915 is very concise, one entry covering 1^st to 13^th (the latter date being that upon which they evacuated the peninsula)

quote:

Battalion (to which the 1/4^th R. Sussex was linked*) quartered in dugouts on E slope of LALA BABA and occupied in digging trenches round the Hill. There was considerable spasmodic shelling by enemy and on DEC 2^nd one shell killed one officer (TEMP. CAPT. HEWETT) and 2 NCO'S and wounded 3 men. Weather on the whole was fine, days warm and nights cold.

19.15 Embarked by lighter on H.M.T. “ELKAHIA”. Strength of Battn. 14 officers, 224 O.R.

 

* They had formed a composite battalion since 21^st October 1915

[Note – re the evacuation: in Westlake's book British Regiments at Gallipoli he gives the name of the transport as El Kahirah]

 

There is no indication as far as I can see that they were at Anzac Beach, however, this Australian badge could easily have been a souvenir which L. Hall had swapped with someone during his service

Edited 7 July , 2018 by michaeldr
spelling

[FROGSMILE]

The later pattern Queen’s badge (beyond dispute) suggests that the frame was made up between the Wars, perhaps to impress a lady friend, although that latter comment is just conjecture.