Any clues about this soldier?

[cladhan]

[Neil 2242]

Uniforms are not my thing, but just giving your post a bump so others might see it.

Corporal, Scottish regiment......do you have a possible name to go with the image?

[cladhan]

Thanks Neil. No name. It's been found in a photo collection in Blantyre, Lanarkshire. No other info.

[FROGSMILE]

He’s quite mature and seems to have added an SD jacket to Oxford Mixture rather than drab khaki trousers, or plaid trews.  The glengarry badge bears no resemblance to any regular Scottish regiment and has the look of an old style (Victorian era) badge, probably for a TF regiment battalion that still wore ‘special’ (former rifle volunteer) insignia of it’s own.

Edited 5 December , 2018 by FROGSMILE

[cladhan]

Thanks! So, perhaps wanting to be on the front line but not quite there? What do SD and TF mean?

[FROGSMILE]

24 minutes ago, cladhan said:

Thanks! So, perhaps wanting to be on the front line but not quite there? What do SD and TF mean?

 

SD = Service Dress, the khaki uniform issued from 1902, and worn in the field throughout WW1 and beyond.  TF = Territorial Force, from 1908 the principal auxiliary force (there was also a Special Reserve) of part-time, citizen soldiers intended to bolster the regular army in war.

 

The man in the photo is almost certainly an auxiliary rather than regular soldier.  Unusually, his pocket buttons are a different pattern to those fastening the front.

Edited 5 December , 2018 by FROGSMILE

[cladhan]

Impressive knowledge! Thanks so much. I've posted this info on the Blantyre Project forum.

[FROGSMILE]

3 hours ago, cladhan said:

Impressive knowledge! Thanks so much. I've posted this info on the Blantyre Project forum.

 

Assuming that the photo might perhaps be before 1908, rather than after, which would predate the formation of the TF, then I think he is maybe from one of several Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer units that at that time were categorised as ‘Volunteer Battalions’ of whichever regular army Scottish infantry regiment that they had been aligned with by the Cardwell/Childers Reforms.  These latter included the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and Highland Light Infantry.  On that premise it seems likely to me now that the trousers and glengarry are perhaps green and the ‘ball’ buttons on his pockets black.  I’m unclear if the snake buckle belt is a long standing rifles pattern of Slade Wallace type, or if it is from the 1914 leather equipment.  If the latter then the unit ID is less clear beyond its undoubted auxiliary and rifles status.

Edited 5 December , 2018 by FROGSMILE