10th Cameronians

[Stevejm]

5 minutes ago, Derek Black said:

Your relatives battalion feature in one of the most reproduced images of the war, from 1917.

 

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/10th-scottish-rifles-trench-raid-and-an-oft-used-photograph/

Thanks for that but my relative was killed at Loos in 1915 so I haven’t researched beyond that date 

[Derek Black]

I just thought it'd be an interesting side note.

Good luck with the continuing research.

[Stevejm]

5 minutes ago, Derek Black said:

I just thought it'd be an interesting side note.

Good luck with the continuing research.

It is interesting. Thanks for taking the time to post 

[Stevejm]

On 28/11/2020 at 16:52, FROGSMILE said:

Steve, it can’t be taken in France, as they’re dressed pristinely, unarmed, without equipment, and carrying swagger sticks for walking-out of barracks.  There are also three officers in the front row, one in Douglas tartan trews not usually worn in the trenches, and a rather elderly colour sergeant seated far left.  It has all the hallmarks of a photo taken ‘at home’ (in Britain).  They also have not yet been provided with black, rifles pattern buttons, although it did take time for these to be provided for some battalions early in the war.

 

NB.  The most likely location for such a small group of mixed ranks is when the battalion was dispersed into winter billets at Winchester in February 1915.

 I received new information about the photo. My mother who is always looking at the new newspaper uploads on FindmyPast ( I think that's where she gets them) found a local newspaper article in the Sporting Chronicle Jan 1916 that mentions that Sam won a running competition whilst training and was presented with a photo by the officers   

Edited 10 August , 2021 by Stevejm
typo

[FROGSMILE]

11 minutes ago, Stevejm said:

 I received new information about the photo. My mother who is always looking at the new newspaper uploads on FindmyPast ( I think that's where she gets them) found a local newspaper article in the Sporting Chronicle Jan 1916 that mentions that Sam won a running competition whilst training and was presented with a photo by the officers   

That’s excellent corroboration Steve.  It’s nice that you can now add some definitive context to the setting of the photograph.  I know that it can be an overused cliche but it’s difficult to escape the conclusion that your image truly is a rather evocative and sad snapshot in time.  So many talented men lost in the war, and who knows what they might have become.

[Stevejm]

6 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

That’s excellent corroboration Steve.  It’s nice that you can now add some definitive context to the setting of the photograph.  I know that it can be an overused cliche but it’s difficult to escape the conclusion that your image truly is a rather evocative and sad snapshot in time.  So many talented men lost in the war, and who knows what they might have become.

Yes I was really pleased. My mother is 82 but she never tires of searching the latest newspaper uploads for new information. The loss of all those talented young men is very sad but that makes me determined to research their history and document their story to honour their service in any way that I can 

[FROGSMILE]

31 minutes ago, Stevejm said:

Yes I was really pleased. My mother is 82 but she never tires of searching the latest newspaper uploads for new information. The loss of all those talented young men is very sad but that makes me determined to research their history and document their story to honour their service in any way that I can 

I wish you well with your worthy endeavours in that regard and thank you for sharing the photograph with us.

Incidentally I’ve just realised that the odd coloured dark trousers that he wears in the photo showing him on his own are very likely the special, dark-rifle-green colour trousers that were part of the undress uniform worn by the regiment as working dress before drab khaki became general issue. Interestingly, when better quality colour-fast dye led to the bulk of rifle regiments adopting a more greenish shade in the 1890s, the Cameronian’s alone retained the old shade with a more blackened tint.

Edited 10 August , 2021 by FROGSMILE