Soldiers in front of Salvation army hut I.D. please

[Marilyn Jones]

What are these soldiers doing at a Salvation Army hut?   Over towards the left hand side, the 3 chaps standing behind the 2 kneeling have different cap badges to the rest.  

[high wood]

They appear to be members of the Royal Field Artillery. The Salvation Army provided recreational canteens, reading rooms and home comforts for the troops through out the Great War, particularly in the training camps.

[mancpal]

The 3 non matching cap badges appear to be General Service, similar in appearance to the Manchester Regiment but not quite as square looking.

Simon

[Bob Davies]

The soldier 3rd from right, front row, kneeling, looks to be wearing a particular badge on his right hand pocket flap. I believe this means he was a territorial but signed up to serve overseas. @FROGSMILEI you would oblige here, in reminding me what the badge is called please. Regards, Bob.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

There's also a solitary 'Star & Scroll' type badge, Cheshires or similar.

He's a short chap peeping over the shoulder of the man standing behind the civilian with the dog.

[butler]

20 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

The soldier 3rd from right, front row, kneeling, looks to be wearing a particular badge on his right hand pocket flap. I believe this means he was a territorial but signed up to serve overseas. @FROGSMILEI you would oblige here, in reminding me what the badge is called please. Regards, Bob.

Bob,

You're referring to the Imperial Service Badge, but that was a crown OVER a bar saying 'Imperial Service'. I think what you can see is the end of a watch chain showing in the button hole

[Bob Davies]

6 minutes ago, butler said:

You're referring to the Imperial Service Badge, but that was a crown OVER a bar saying 'Imperial Service'. I think what you can see is the end of a watch chain showing in the button hole

That's the one butler. Yes, it looks now to be too small and in the wrong place to be 'Imperial Service Badge'. Also it would be upside down, so the button on his pocket is below the watch chain bar. I stand corrected, thanks :-)

Edited 28 September , 2021 by Bob Davies

[FROGSMILE]

3 hours ago, Marilyn Jones said:

What are these soldiers doing at a Salvation Army hut?   Over towards the left hand side, the 3 chaps standing behind the 2 kneeling have different cap badges to the rest.  

As Mancpal has mentioned the different cap badges are general service badges in the form of coats of arms.  The men wearing the badge are very likely Labour Corps as that was the badge that they wore when they were formed and until 1918 when they received a special badge designed for them.  The war ended before all Labour units had received the new badge.

[FROGSMILE]

36 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

The soldier 3rd from right, front row, kneeling, looks to be wearing a particular badge on his right hand pocket flap. I believe this means he was a territorial but signed up to serve overseas. @FROGSMILEI you would oblige here, in reminding me what the badge is called please. Regards, Bob.

Yes as butler says it’s the Imperial Service Badge that you’re thinking of Bob.  Like him I think that what you saw was the T-bar from his pocket watch fob.

[Bob Davies]

13 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Yes as butler says it’s the Imperial Service Badge that you’re thinking of Bob.  Like him I think that what you saw was the T-bar from his pocket watch fob.

Thanks for your reply FROGSMILE, yup, I had a senior moment there ;-) ***  An interesting set of pictures that Marilyn has posted over a few threads.

[FROGSMILE]

48 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

Thanks for your reply FROGSMILE, yup, I had a senior moment there ;-) ***  An interesting set of pictures that Marilyn has posted over a few threads.

It’s interesting to see that even back then the Salvation Army wore their famous ‘S’ collar badge even on working dress.

Edited 28 September , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[Moonraker]

Googling "Salvation Army Huts 1916" will lead to several informative threads.

My notes on "Military Wiltshire" include several very appreciative comments by soldiers about the food served at the huts. The one at Corton Camp; at one stage in the war  was selling a variety of tinned food: salmon for 9d, sardines for 5d, pineapples for 7d, pears for 8d, peaches for 10d and apricots for 10d, with mineral drinks at 1d a glass and custard and fruit at 2d a plate.

[Bob Davies]

18 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

It’s interesting to see that even back then the Salvation Army wore their famous ‘S’ collar badge even on working dress.

Thanks for sharing that picture FROGSMILE, I never saw one close up like that before.

[FROGSMILE]

5 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

Thanks for sharing that picture FROGSMILE, I never saw one close up like that before.

They are a cracking organisation and even during my own service in Britain and Germany (‘Red Shield Shops’) during the Cold War they provided among the best canteens, sadly now all gone.

Edited 29 September , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[Michelle Young]

Royal Scots Greys or Bedfordshire Yeomanry, at least to my eyes. Can @FROGSMILEor @CorporalPunishment help please.

21 hours ago, mancpal said:

The 3 non matching cap badges appear to be General Service, similar in appearance to the Manchester Regiment but not quite as square looking.

Simon

 

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Michelle Young said:

Royal Scots Greys or Bedfordshire Yeomanry, at least to my eyes. Can @FROGSMILEor @CorporalPunishment help please.

 

I can see why you might think that Michelle, especially with one of the three men that are stood together slightly left forward of the doorway, but personally I’m confident that all three men are wearing the general service badge (clearest on the central of the three with walrus moustache) and very probably Labour Corps.

Edited 29 September , 2021 by FROGSMILE