Photos from my grandmothers 1916/17 album UPDATE Jan 2019

[Madmeg]

Hi all,

 

I have been going through my grandmother's photo album for 1916/17 and have found a number of photos of officers which I am prepared to copy digitally for relatives (if any).

 

Please note- these photos are absolutely NOT for sale , don;t even ask :-)

My grandmother was a prolific snapper of her friends and acquaintances - unfortunately her interests did not usually extend to labeling her photos for the benefit of future family historians so identification is my best effort. 

Most of the photos are low quality, small, contact shots of the sort that might be expected from a new photographer using a cheap camera of the early 1900's, however faces are visible in the ones listed.

All are officers - generally young lieutenants from what can be seen.

Please note I have NO other information regarding these men other than what is given below, Regiment etc info has been taken from web sources.

 

1) F Mocatta -believed to be Frederick Elias Mocatta, d 1919 at home, RFC

2) G Lindo - believed to be Geoffrey Marcus Lindo, married after WW1, RFC

There are three photos of these men together- a group shot with them posed on motorcycles (number plates legible but very very small!) and the pair riding horses.

Identification has solely been made on the first initial and unusual surnames. One group shot on motorcycles identified as being taken July 1916 Eastbourne

3) Monty Priday- believed to be Sydney Montague Priday, HAC, posed on a motorcycle (number legible) with my grandmother (1) and friend (2), married post WW1

Identification made on unusual surname and "Monty". Undated but probably taken at Eastbourne c 1916.UPDATE- Riding an Indian rego AA9059, cap badge does not appear to be HAC.

4) John Porter- unidentified- Army (?Lt?), 2 pictures (one very blurred) with "Ewan". John Porter mentioned in my grandmother's diary of 1918- she hadn't seen him for 18 months at that stage. Undated - possibly taken at Eastbourne c 1916.UPDATE- lapel badge- round blob with aother blob above it-?Fusilliers?

5) George Robey- unidentified Naval Lt-several photographs of varying quality, often in company with another Naval Lt identified only (and most unhelpfully) as "Freckles". Photos believed to be c1916 possibly taken at Eastbourne. UPDATE- Cuffs- two twisted ropes rings with hexagonal rope twisted knot. Cap top is white. "Freckles" - one twisted ring on cuff with haxagonal knot, no cap, white trousers. Update I haven;t been able to find any likely candidate but note that George Robey wasa music hall star of the time so this is (knowing my GM) quite likely a nick name)

6) Baird and Bennet- unidentified "Newfounders"- UPDATE Baird is probably Alexander Boyd Baird- later in Candaian parliament.

7) Billy Burke- unidentified, Army, several photos in groups containing my grandfather- c 1917, probably Bournemouth.UPDATE two pips on shoulder. Lapel badge- possibly Leicestershire Regt, wears glasses- UPDATE ? tentaively id as JB Burke see other thread.

8) Brack- ?Army- in same groups as Billy Burke

9) Ginger - in same groups as above- UPDATE-one pip on shoulder, lapel badge- looks like a sphinx over a rectangle and three letters- something ?W ? B- is NOT the same as the South Wales Borderers badges I have found on line as no wreath around the badge.Shown with sphinx facing left on rt lapel, rt on left lapel. Wearing jodphurs. UPDATE- Old Bedfordian but still as yet unidentified

10) Captain Lennard- three photos all extremely unhelpful- photo one- in bathing costume, photo two head sticking out of sea! photo three in civvies, all taken at Eastbourne c 1916

11) Ewan- see John Porter above- also several larger clear photos possibly the same man, probably Eastbourne. UPDATE- Lapel badge Fusiliers- NB this is definitely not the same man in the better photos- see below

12) General Paton and Mrs Paton-  Group photo of several people taken at the conservatory Hydro Hotel Eastbourne. General John Paton AIF led the Dardenelles landings.

13) Jimmie (my grandfather William James Pearson, D of Lancs Yeomanry and RFC). Numerous photos.

14) Freddy- dark hair, moustache, Army Lt ? taken at Eastbourne? Group and single shot UPDATE- Wiltshire Regt, Probable 2nd Lt. Appears to have amputated left foot

15) Gerald- civvies, black eye patch over right eye ? Eastbourne c1916.

16) Captain Forward (I can find no likely record so it may have been a nickname- or not), Older man, white hair, group shot with "friends" (all unnamed officer) in car at Colchester Barracks undated but c1916-17. UPDATE- id as Ernest Lionel Forward RAMC see other thread.

17) Frank Mullen-in group shots with Jimmie but also single shot. In group shot is wearing a Diggers hat (face indistingushable), single shot has [initial}]?F? Mullen written on it.UPDATE- Not an officer- Appears to have two light chevrons either side of a dark chevron, above chevron a shape similar to a butterfly, On upper arms light square with a dark rectangle (possibly lighter rectangle on outer side of this?), appears to have amputated right hand. Photo seems to be signed J F mullen- ? James Francis- but he didn't join up until 1918.UPDATE- Identified and sent home to Australia see other thread.

 

UPDATE- 18) NOT Ewan... Captain? (three shoulder pips) RFC pilot

UPDATE- 19) Unnamed One pip on cuff, blurred cap and lapel badge appear similar to RFC (wreath with something inside but no wings on uniform)- could be Suffolk regt or similar Wearing medal ribbon- L-R- light bar dark bar light bar. UPDATE- Identified as Lionel John BAKER DFC, see other thread

 

If any of those look interesting to anyone please reply to post. I would like to get photos of the identified officers (I'm working on the others) to relatives if there are any surviving as I suspect they are quite unique being very informal.

My grandmother worked as a private nurse for a wealthy lady who based herself at the Linden Hall Hydro Hotel in Bournemouth (now demolished), but also appears to have visited the Hydro Hotel (still standing), Eastbourne in 1916. My grandfather was injured in Feb 1917 and sent to convalesce in England- during this period he met my grandmother and a number of the group photos are presumably of officers convalescing with him. My grandmother was therefore meeting and socialising (dinners, dances and card parties from her 1918 diary) with a lot of young men in uniform and this is reflected in the album. 

 

 

 

 

Edited 8 August , 2019 by Madmeg
addition

[asanewt]

Very kind/thoughtful offer. Thanks for sharing.

[DavidOwen]

There was a Captain Ernest Lionel Forward who was in the RAMC - his medal card is intriguingly almost blank - a possible candidate? Service record exists at TNA.

(Image courtesy of Ancestry free access)

[Martin Feledziak]

Great idea.

Anyone doing a random search IE "a Google"

is most likely to land on your thread.

 

It is the reason why I arrived on the forum when I did a search and landed on a thread which had content I was searching for.

 

Martin

 

[DavidOwen]

Just checked re Captain EL Forward (above) on the Army Lists and he was based in Upper Chorlton Road, Manchester, 2nd East Lancashire RAMC TF Field Ambulance in September 1916 and October 1917 so possibly not going to be him.

[Madmeg]

On 12/09/2018 at 21:00, DavidOwen said:

There was a Captain Ernest Lionel Forward who was in the RAMC - his medal card is intriguingly almost blank - a possible candidate? Service record exists at TNA.

(Image courtesy of Ancestry free access)

Yes after posting I had another look and found this chap who I think must be him. There is no date on ths photograph but it's in the album with others dated 1915 and 1916 and some which must go into 1917 as my grandfather is in them post his injury. Plus this pictcure may have been taken by someone else and sent to her. 

On a second look he isn;t quite as old as I thought, b 1874 I think. 

Edited 18 September , 2018 by Madmeg
addition

[Madmeg]

Brack- I found a possible but haven;t written him down, possibly RFC looking closer at the photos.

Billie Burke I found some possibles

Ewan- now believed NOT to be the same man in the larger (unnamed) photos

I've found reasonable amounts on Mocatta, Lindo, Priday and Forward- including a couple of trees on ancestry but I can;t contact the owners without a personal subscription.

[Madmeg]

On 13/09/2018 at 21:00, DavidOwen said:

Just checked re Captain EL Forward (above) on the Army Lists and he was based in Upper Chorlton Road, Manchester, 2nd East Lancashire RAMC TF Field Ambulance in September 1916 and October 1917 so possibly not going to be him.

Looking at a book from the library on MO's in WW1 there is an extremely brief mention of Colchester barracks as a training base for MO's .

 

[DavidOwen]

1 hour ago, Madmeg said:

Looking at a book from the library on MO's in WW1 there is an extremely brief mention of Colchester barracks as a training base for MO's .

 

His service record is available at TNA http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C695271 though it might not have what you need.

It is not available online but an independent researcher should be able to copy it relatively cheaply for you (the last 2 I have had done cost just £4.50 each at around 40 pages)

[DavidOwen]

Meg

Thanks to a tip from another thread (search RAMC Database) I have found the Corps' Journal archives and done a search for Captain Forward.

Here is his promotion to Lieutenant in July1915 https://jramc.bmj.com/content/jramc/25/1/1.2.full.pdf

and his promotion to Captain in December 1915 https://jramc.bmj.com/content/jramc/26/2/27.full.pdf

Sadly no mention of him in Colchester.

David

 

[Madmeg]

2 minutes ago, DavidOwen said:

Meg

Thanks to a tip from another thread (search RAMC Database) I have found the Corps' Journal archives and done a search for Captain Forward.

Here is his promotion to Lieutenant in July1915 https://jramc.bmj.com/content/jramc/25/1/1.2.full.pdf

and his promotion to Captain in December 1915 https://jramc.bmj.com/content/jramc/26/2/27.full.pdf

Sadly no mention of him in Colchester.

David

 

Thanks David,

I'll guess that he was in Colchester to be taught how to square bash (apparently this was the cause for much complaint from the MO's ) . When I find a magnifying glass (or maybe even a microscope :-) ) I can have a closer look at the cap badges and see if they are all RAMC.

He was a surgeon before the war (1911 census) which might be how my GM met him- she was a nurse by profession.

 

[Madmeg]

Progress has been made on the above...

 

6)- Baird- believed to be Alexander Boyd Baird - became member of Canadian parliament in later life, Bennet- coul possibly be 2nd Lt Frank Bennet- more work needed

7) - Billy Burke- possibly John Edmund Burke of Buffs Rgt- still working on this one

9) - "Ginger"- old boy of Bedford school, SWB - still working but getting closer- possibles to follow up found

16) Captain Ernest Lionel Forward RAMC, address shown as The Coppice, Notts- this was a private Mental Asylum- my GM worked as an asylum nurse and as a private nurse for mental health cases- presumed that she knew him as a Doctor at some stage during his civilian career, or could have met him through her B-i-L Capt Arthur O'Neill RAMC and superintendent Napsbury Military Hosp.

17) - Frank Muller- Francis James Muller, signaller of 5th Pioneers AIF now positively identified.

19) - Lionel John Baker Suffolk Regt MC now (despite being unnamed in the photo) positively id'd an contact made with a relative- result!

 

Thanks for all the help so far folks, still trying to bring a few more of these home.

 

 

 

[Miranda Forward]

Ernest was my grandfather too. I understand that he was studying 'shell shock so that would fit 

Miranda Forward