PJS Posted 20 August , 2019 Share Posted 20 August , 2019 I've been meaning to post this photo for a while. It's one of those pictures that the more you look at it the more you see. I like the fact that the main civilian in the middle (presumably a medical professional) is smoking a crafty cig. If anyone has any idea about where it is or can contribute any information about anything or anyone in the photo please let me know. It was in my Grandfather's stash of photos but I do not think that he took it. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 21 August , 2019 Share Posted 21 August , 2019 Can't help,sorry. But it struck me that the leftmost man with his head under the railings looks an awful lot like the soldier in the Somme film: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travers61 Posted 21 August , 2019 Share Posted 21 August , 2019 Soldier standing on the right, second row up looks like a French, Belgian or other allies soldier. Could this mean its an outing from a hospital/convalescent Hospital in France ? Real mixture of headgear including a pith helmet, and a trilby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 21 August , 2019 Share Posted 21 August , 2019 Fabulous array of hats; Tam O shanters, glen garries, pith helmets, straw boaters, slouch hats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS Posted 21 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 21 August , 2019 Like I said, the more you look at it ... If this is overseas then I wonder where they got the kids from? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 21 August , 2019 Share Posted 21 August , 2019 I think the tropical helmet suggests this is in the UK somewhere, otherwise they would all have tropical gear or none of them would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 21 August , 2019 Share Posted 21 August , 2019 9 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: Can't help,sorry. But it struck me that the leftmost man with his head under the railings looks an awful lot like the soldier in the Somme film: At first, Dai, I groaned, but you do have a point. However, the ears are different. 4 hours ago, Gardenerbill said: Fabulous array of hats; Tam O shanters, glen garries, pith helmets, straw boaters, slouch hats. 2 hours ago, Gardenerbill said: I think the tropical helmet suggests this is in the UK somewhere, otherwise they would all have tropical gear or none of them would. I wonder if some of the headgear was "borrowed" so the soldiers could mug for the camera (as I've noticed in other soldiers' group photos). I've always associated hospital blues with soldiers convalescing in British, but I could be completely wrong. Note also the black soldier behind the "medical professional". Very interesting photo. Hope more can be found out about it. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS Posted 21 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 21 August , 2019 I'm also curious about the rather intense looking young lad top left dressed in all black. What's his role I wonder? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 21 August , 2019 Share Posted 21 August , 2019 Curious collection of non-reg ties & a neckerchief being worn with Blues. Man on Pith man's left seems to have uniform under his Blues. TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 21 August , 2019 Share Posted 21 August , 2019 59 minutes ago, PJS said: I'm also curious about the rather intense looking young lad top left dressed in all black. What's his role I wonder? Peter Could that be a St John Ambulance uniform? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 22 August , 2019 Share Posted 22 August , 2019 8 hours ago, seaJane said: Could that be a St John Ambulance uniform? I don't think so Jane, his hat badge looks fusilier and I think he has a matching collar dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 22 August , 2019 Admin Share Posted 22 August , 2019 Could the deck chairs indicate a coastal location? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraG Posted 22 August , 2019 Share Posted 22 August , 2019 (edited) Any possible clues with where your grandfather served? (Pte Leonard John Monks RAMC) Edited 22 August , 2019 by BarbaraG spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS Posted 22 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2019 50 minutes ago, BarbaraG said: Any possible clues with where your grandfather served? (Pte Leonard John Monks RAMC) I don't think so. He attested in February 1915 and was trained at Aldershot for about three months before shipping out to Egypt at the end of May 1915. He was assigned to BGH 21 in Alexandria but within approximately a year he was serving on board a hospital ship (VITA) which sailed mainly between Bombay, Basrah and up and down the coast of East Africa. He did 3 months at Deolali at the end of 1918 and then returned to the UK in January 1919 where he was demobed. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS Posted 22 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2019 1 hour ago, DavidOwen said: Could the deck chairs indicate a coastal location? Yes, those deck chairs are intriguing. Three of them look to be identical but Mr. Trilby has a different one. Those deck chairs and the civilian with the straw boater make it feel a bit coastal. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS Posted 22 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2019 10 hours ago, seaJane said: Could that be a St John Ambulance uniform? Yes, I had not thought about that. I think you may be right sJ. He needs to work on his bedside manner though. It almost looks like he's wearing some kind of frock coat or something. Peter 1 hour ago, Gardenerbill said: I don't think so Jane, his hat badge looks fusilier and I think he has a matching collar dog. I think you are referring to the gent with his arm in a sling standing next to Mr. Pith Helmet. I am talking about the young lad standing top left slightly away from everyone else. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 22 August , 2019 Share Posted 22 August , 2019 Ah sorry my mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimE Posted 22 August , 2019 Share Posted 22 August , 2019 It could be at a pavilion in a country house in Britain. Any country house would have had deck chairs for sitting in the garden (around the tennis court etc) and boaters would have been in common use in those houses. The chap wearing the boater might be the house owner. The soldiers could have deliberately selected a range of headwear for the photo from whatever they could find around, just for fun. So it could be in the grounds of large house used as a convalescent home or perhaps a party from a convalescent home invited to a large house for a tea party as a treat (this certainly did happen). Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Hall Posted 23 August , 2019 Share Posted 23 August , 2019 The chap with the pith helmet seems to be wearing goggles. Does this add weight to the jolly jape theory or is this a medical treatment? For gas burns perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 24 August , 2019 Share Posted 24 August , 2019 I can't see goggles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 24 August , 2019 Share Posted 24 August , 2019 41 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: I can't see goggles. I'm not sure what I see - odd shadows which could be construed as goggles, I suppose ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Hall Posted 9 September , 2019 Share Posted 9 September , 2019 They looked like goggles to me, until I looked at the blow up. Poor bloke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmeg Posted 12 September , 2019 Share Posted 12 September , 2019 It looks to me like a sports stand- the railings and the stacked benches they are sitting on, a cricket ground somewhere (given the deckchairs)? NZ has a lot of similar buildings at horse racing grounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS Posted 12 September , 2019 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2019 13 minutes ago, Madmeg said: It looks to me like a sports stand- the railings and the stacked benches they are sitting on, a cricket ground somewhere (given the deckchairs)? NZ has a lot of similar buildings at horse racing grounds. Hmm, that's interesting. A little bit like this: Convalescent's day out for a cricket match? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmeg Posted 12 September , 2019 Share Posted 12 September , 2019 (edited) or the gallops.... source- https://bestbettingoffers.net/horse-racing-history-nz/ Wondering if the children belong to the men holding them- in which case if the men's regiments were identified then it might give a clue to where in the country the picture was taken? I'm guessing that the presence of the children indicates probably the UK somewhere. Napsbury had a cricket pavilion but it was an Arts and Crafts style building. Edited 12 September , 2019 by Madmeg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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