Uniform Identification Help

[Young_dirk]

This is a picture of my great grandmother wearing her husband's uniform. I know that the far left medal is his military cross, but I'm confused as to what the next one over is. It almost looks like a Victoria Cross, but I can't explain the star-like spires that come out of the corners. Additionally, what is the wing sewn above the awards? And the insignia on the cover? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Jools mckenna]

Military Cross and French Croix de Guerre(palm leaf means mentioned in french dispatchs 5 times). The 'wing' is means he was an Observer in the RFC. He was a lieutenant(2 pips) and was injured once(the strip on her lower left arm). The MC usually comes with a citation with why he was awarded it(in the London gazette) so if you provide a name, I'm sure a forum member should be able to find it. I'm not sure of the badged regiment.

Edited 6 September by Jools mckenna

[Steven Broomfield]

In the words of Rod Stewart, she wears it well.

 

Badge might be RFC: the forage cap is RFC-style and although one would expect an RFC-style maternity jacket, I guess he might have worn a 'normal' jacket depending on his original provenance.

[CorporalPunishment]

The ribbons of the British War Medal and the Victory Medal date the photo to post-September 1919. The Royal Flying Corps ceased to exist in April 1918.   Pete.

[FROGSMILE]

The badges, collar and cap are OSD pattern of one of the Gibraltar honoured regiments and so with a 3-towered castle at the badges centre.  Probably Essex regiment, but possibly the Suffolk’s, Northamptonshire’s or Dorset’s. There’s something at the top centre of the badge but I can’t make out on a phone screen whether it’s a crown or a Sphinx.

 

Edited 6 September by FROGSMILE

[CorporalPunishment]

28 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

The badges, collar and cap are OSD pattern of one of the Gibraltar honoured regiments and so with a 3-towered castle at the badges centre.  Probably Essex regiment, but possibly the Suffolk’s, Northamptonshire’s or Dorset’s. There’s something at the top centre of the badge but I can’t make out on a phone screen whether it’s a crown or a Sphinx.

 

The problem there is that none of the four regiments in question had collar badges that were the same design as the cap badges. The collar badges in the photo appear to be smaller versions of the cap badge.  Pete.

 

 

[FROGSMILE]

29 minutes ago, CorporalPunishment said:

The problem there is that none of the four regiments in question had collar badges that were the same design as the cap badges. The collar badges in the photo appear to be smaller versions of the cap badge.  Pete.

 

 

 

That’s not the case with the Suffolk Regiment OSD collars Chris and the blob at the top of the badges in the OPs photo matches with the Suffolk’s crown. By a process of elimination I think it’s Suffolk’s.

 

A longer shot would be Essex TF.  Not all TF battalions wore the same badges as their regular brethren.

 

Edited 6 September by FROGSMILE

[CorporalPunishment]

6 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

 

That’s not the case with the Suffolk Regiment OSD collars Chris and the blob at the top of the badges in the OPs photo matches with the Suffolk’s crown. By a process of elimination I think it’s Suffolk’s.

 

A longer shot would be Essex TF.  Not all TF battalions wore the same badges as their regular brethren.

 

I thought that went out the window when the TF were granted the right to wear the Regular pattern badges. As the photo is post-war I assumed they had followed the Regulars by then.  Pete.

[FROGSMILE]

12 minutes ago, CorporalPunishment said:

I thought that went out the window when the TF were granted the right to wear the Regular pattern badges. As the photo is post-war I assumed they had followed the Regulars by then.  Pete.

 

I think it is Suffolk’s as I’ve mentioned.  

 

The Essex is just a longer shot, and they would have changed from 1916 onward, after the introduction of the Military Service Act rendered the differences meaningless, as you say.

Edited 6 September by FROGSMILE

[CorporalPunishment]

4 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

 

I think it is Suffolk’s as I’ve mentioned.  

 

The Essex is just a longer shot, and they would have changed from 1916 onward, after the introduction of the Military Service Act rendered the differences meaningless, as you say.

Frogsmile, sorry to carp on but in your photos, as in all the photos I have seen of WW1 Suffolk Regiment officers, the collar badges are the same size as the cap badges, those in the opening post appear much smaller.   Pete.

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, CorporalPunishment said:

Frogsmile, sorry to carp on but in your photos, as in all the photos I have seen of WW1 Suffolk Regiment officers, the collar badges are the same size as the cap badges, those in the opening post appear much smaller.   Pete.

 

Okay Pete, we seem to be close to an ID, but don’t yet agree.  I can certainly see the Gibraltar castle on both badges, and it seems like a crown on the top.  Let me know what you think it is and we can explore things further. 

Edited 6 September by FROGSMILE

[FROGSMILE]

Can Young_dirk attempt a better scan?

It might be that what looks like a rather blurred Gibraltar castle is in fact the earlier suggestion of Royal Flying Corps ‘RFC’ letters at the centre of badges.  The collars were slightly smaller as Pete has noted.  Although a photo in 1919 the girlfriend might be wearing an old uniform. 

[BillyH]

Members should note that Young_dirk has three other posts all to do with his/her great grandparents, see this one in particular :

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/261129-identification-help/?tab=comments#comment-2645444

 

Moreover, they have never acknowledged the help they have previously received from GWF members.

 

BillyH.

[FROGSMILE]

Thank you, that helped to build a picture.