Help identifying uniform please

[LWM]

Hello, 

I'm just getting started researching the military aspects of my family history and wonder if anyone can shed any light on the uniform in the attached?

It is a photograph of my great-grandfather, Charles Chaney, born 10th Mar 1872, in Charney Bassett, Berkshire. He died in 1954 in Bishopstone, Wiltshire.  I have also attached a photo of him in his senior years. I'm guessing the medals are the British War Medal and the Victory Medal - no idea what the other 2 are or the pin on his lapel? 

Many thanks in advance,

Lucy

[ss002d6252]

First two medals with all the clasps are most likely something like Boer War,

Craig

[RNCVR]

Lucy, I regret I cannot assist you with your great grandfather Chaney, but I can tell you what his medals are based upon the photo of him & his wife(?) in old age.

he wears the QSA (Queens South Africa) medal with three campaign/battle clasps, & the KSA (Kings South Africa) medal with clasps SA '01 & SA '02.

The 3rd medal appears to be the British War medal for service during 1WW.  He likely only saw service in the UK as he wears no Victory medal.

The 4th medal appears to be the Imperial Service medal, awarded for long service in the civil service.  Was he perhaps a postman after he left the army? Many employees of the post office were awarded this medal.

 

Frogsmile or another mate will be along to ID his uniform & Regiment in due course.

[PRC]

There are surviving service records for a Charles Chaney, born in the parish of Bishopton circa 1872, who served with a Militia Battalion attached to the Wiltshire Regiment. That has to be be before the 1908 reform of the British Army, when Militia Battalions became the Special Reserve. Unfortunately my online source is playing up at the moment so I can get to the underlying details. Records are to be found in the WO96 series for those able to track them down via FindMyPast and Ancestry.

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 13 January , 2022 by PRC
Typo

[ss002d6252]

5 minutes ago, PRC said:

There are surviving service records for a Charles Chaney, born in the parish of Bishopton circa 1872, who served with a Militia Battalion attached to the Wiltshire Regiment. That has to be be before the 1908 reform of the British Army, when Militia Battalions became the Special Reserve. Unfortunately my online source is playing up at the moment so I can get to the underlying details. Records are to be found in the WO96 series for those are to track them down via FindMyPast and Ancestry.

Cheers,
Peter

There are Boer War roll records for a #3062 C Chaney, 2nd Wiltshires. This man forfeited his medals in 1907.

EDIT:
The militia record you refer to was #3314. These records mention the attestation in 1890 and nothing after that.

Craig

[ss002d6252]

I think #3314 may have transferred to the regulars as #3062 as the dates match.

FMP shows






Craig

[LWM]

8 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said:

There are Boer War roll records for a #3062 C Chaney, 2nd Wiltshires. This man forfeited his medals in 1907.

EDIT:
The militia record you refer to was #3314. These records mention the attestation in 1890 and nothing after that.

Craig

What does forfeited his medals mean? They were withdrawn/removed from him? Or he gave them back? Or something else entirely? I'm sorry, for my lack of understanding -  I'm very new to this!

[ss002d6252]

For completeness, the man above served in WW1 as

To be sure if he is your man we need clarification on the cap badge @FROGSMILE

Craig

[LWM]

14 minutes ago, RNCVR said:

Was he perhaps a postman after he left the army? Many employees of the post office were awarded this medal.

No, he wasn't. My understanding is that when he came back from the war he was in a bad way mentally and never worked again. Instead he learnt to knit (socks being his speciality) and looked after the children. 

Thank you so much for your information about the medals. 

[ss002d6252]

5 minutes ago, LWM said:

What does forfeited his medals mean? They were withdrawn/removed from him? Or he gave them back? Or something else entirely? I'm sorry, for my lack of understanding -  I'm very new to this!

Just hanging fire on further confirmation if it is your man until we get an identification of the cap badge.

Medal forfeiting would mean that the medal entitlement had been withdrawn, although it could be restored.

Who were Charles' parents ?

Craig

[LWM]

Don't want to clutter the thread with individual 'thank you' posts, but I'm blown away with all your help!  Thank you all so much. 

[PRC]

22 minutes ago, RNCVR said:

He likely only saw service in the UK as he wears no Victory medal.

He would have had to serve overseas, although not in a Theatre of War. Home service only men in the British Army did not qualify for any service medals.

Hopefully the WW1 service records identified by Craig will clarify how he qualified for the British War Medal.

Cheers,
Peter

[TullochArd]

33 minutes ago, LWM said:

I'm guessing the medals are the British War Medal and the Victory Medal - no idea what the other 2 are or the pin on his lapel? 

Medals (L to R)  QSA/three clasps, KSA/two clasps, BWM and BVM.  The lapel badge is a numbered British Legion badge of the type worn 1921-1925 ....... that is before the organisation became the Royal British Legion.

[ss002d6252]

3 minutes ago, PRC said:

He would have had to serve overseas, although not in a Theatre of War. Home service only men in the British Army did not qualify for any service medals.

Hopefully the WW1 service records identified by Craig will clarify how he qualified for the British War Medal.

Cheers,
Peter

Hmmmm, this man only had home service in WW1 from what I can see.

 

16 minutes ago, LWM said:

What does forfeited his medals mean? They were withdrawn/removed from him? Or he gave them back? Or something else entirely? I'm sorry, for my lack of understanding -  I'm very new to this!

Do you know his wife and children's names?

Craig

[LWM]

4 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said:

Who were Charles' parents?

His father was Henry William Chaney (b. 1839) and his mother was Jane Moss (b.1842)

He married Mary Jane Pearse (b.1880). They had 7 children (Edith, Frederick, Charles, Ethel, Margaret, Albert and William).

[ss002d6252]

2 minutes ago, LWM said:

His father was Henry William Chaney (b. 1839) and his mother was Jane Moss (b.1842)

He married Mary Jane Pearse (b.1880). They had 7 children (Edith, Frederick, Charles, Ethel, Margaret, Albert and William).

It's definitely the man whose records I have put above.

The ww1 record shows




Craig

[ss002d6252]

22 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said:

For completeness, the man above served in WW1 as

Craig

This period of service lasted only 49 days before he was discharged unfit on 15 October 1914, having enlisted on 8 September 1914.

He'd not be the first man however who then re-enlisted again.

Craig

[ss002d6252]

It appears he may have later enlisted and served in the Labour Corps as we have this man.

https://www.fold3.com/image/644765499?terms=100282,chaney,charles

In 1953/1954 his wife, Mary Jane, lodged a claim as a widow.

https://www.fold3.com/image/690153024?terms=100282,chaney,charles

The medal card for this man shows overseas service.


https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1262/images/30850_A000307-02535?usePUB=true&_phsrc=aQC211&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=1667406

Craig

[TullochArd]

3 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said:

He'd not be the first man however who then re-enlisted again.

 ..........there is a 10028? Pte Charles Chaney who earned BWM/BVM in late war Labour Corps?

Well done Craig.

[CorporalPunishment]

He is wearing a Wiltshire Regiment glengarry badge and collar badge (1?) so photo is pre-1898-ish.    Pete.

[ss002d6252]

Just now, CorporalPunishment said:

He is wearing a Wiltshire Regiment glengarry badge and collar badge (1?) so photo is pre-1898-ish.    Pete.

Original regular enlistment was 1894, so that fits.

Craig

[ss002d6252]

Credit to Peter for spotting the first records for the man.

He certainly wanted to do his bit and serve.

Craig

[FROGSMILE]

15 minutes ago, CorporalPunishment said:

He is wearing a Wiltshire Regiment glengarry badge and collar badge (1?) so photo is pre-1898-ish.    Pete.

Yes I agree.  It’s a great pity the photo has been so poorly scanned/photographed.

He’s wearing a glengarry which suggests a date pre 1894.

Edited 13 January , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[ss002d6252]

By way of comparison for the later service numbers;

#54635 Devons was allocated in Feb1917 (to a man transferred from the Wiltshire regiment, having mobilised in June 1916) . This man was later transferred to the Labour Corps in May 1917 as #100555.

Craig

[TullochArd]

100282 was a 3rd Infantry Labour Company Devonshire Regiment number.  This unit became 168th Labour Company (AO85 1917)