Bert Sneddon can he be identified from 1914 photo

[wulsten]

Photograph with a name which appears to say Bert Sneddon, tried mic but nothing sticks out, can anyone id him ?

 

Edited 20 April , 2022 by wulsten
H

[Matlock1418]

Rather looks like Lothian and Border Horse cap badge

M

Edit: Wildly speculating: Could he perhaps be Herbert SNEDDON, 51107 Royal Scots [Lothian Regiment] ?

MIC = 21.9.16 - 15.7.19  BWM & VM and SWB (S) - There are pension cards - wound to L Knee - From Glasgow

Hmm ... How well does that sit with an apparently 1914 photo?

Edited 20 April , 2022 by Matlock1418
edit plus

[wulsten]

23 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said:

Rather looks like Lothian and Border Horse cap badge

M

Edit: Wildly speculating: Could he perhaps be Herbert SNEDDON, 51107 Royal Scots [Lothian Regiment] ?

MIC = 21.9.16 - 15.7.19  BWM & VM and SWB (S) - There are pension cards - wound to L Knee - From Glasgow

Hmm ... How well does that sit with an apparently 1914 

I see what you mean, enlisted September 1916

[Matlock1418]

The problem I foresee, which many will also spot, is that 'Bert' is a diminutive for a considerable number of forenames! [Rather stating the obvious I am! ]

The cap badge isn't helping me further - Anyone?

M

[wulsten]

5 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said:

The problem I foresee, which many will also spot, is that 'Bert' is a diminutive for a considerable number of forenames! [Rather stating the obvious I am! ]

The cap badge isn't helping me further - Anyone?

M

It is a Lothian and Border Horse cap badge, the name is as you say  problematic 

Edited 20 April , 2022 by wulsten

[jay dubaya]

Cap and collar badges are Lothian and Borders Horse Yeomanry, a good spot from M

[Matlock1418]

1 hour ago, wulsten said:

Photograph with a name which appears to say Bert Sneddon,

Any photographer's mark?

Or indication where this chap might have been from?

Anything on the reverse?

M

Edited 20 April , 2022 by Matlock1418

[david murdoch]

3 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said:

Any photographer's mark?

Or indication where this chap might have been from?

M

Sneddon being a predominantly Scottish name - it's more likely Bert is short for Robert , rather than  say Bertram or Herbert. Being Lothian and Borders Horse Yeomanry puts him being from that part of Scotland. On the 1911 Scottish Census there are 35 Robert Sneddons between 15 and 25, (and by the same search criteria) no Herbert Sneddons. I'd say this lad is in his 20's in 1914. There are 8 possible from West Lothian or Midlothian  At least one of those died 1916 aged 19 with 1/5 Northumberland fusiliers. Will try and narrow down the rest.

[FROGSMILE]

It’s a nice portrait of Lothian and Border Horse man with both, regimental buttons, and the special, facing cloth covered collar, favoured by that regiment.

Edited 20 April , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[david murdoch]

8 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

It’s a nice portrait of Lothian and Border Horse man with both, regimental buttons as the special facing cloth covered collar favoured by that regiment.

 

 

Certainly seeing the references with the collar and buttons - it's spot on when you look back to the original photo!  Now as the photo is dated 1914 - he may already have been serving as a territorial prior to the outbreak of the war which would put him in 1/1st or if he enlisted September 1914  into 2/1st. Likely looking for someone with a 1915 Star.

Per the Long Long Trail .... if he stayed with them

"In the 1917 renumbering of the Territorials, the Lothians & Border Horse Yeomanry issued numbers from the block 120001-125000. Corps of Dragoons".

He could have transferred to another unit or he may have discharged from the Yeomanry  to re enlist  to get into action. I've seen this with a  few Yeomanry men from Scotland who did this when stuck on home defence duties.  

[Matlock1418]

1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said:

It’s a nice portrait of Lothian and Border Horse man with both, regimental buttons, and the special, facing cloth covered collar, favoured by that regiment.

Thanks for pointing out those nicities  - earlier I'd only spotted the cap badge which seemed pretty distinctive on its own.

M

[wulsten]

There is also nothing written on the reverse of the photograph, interesting that the shortened name could be Robert 

[FROGSMILE]

5 hours ago, wulsten said:

There is also nothing written on the reverse of the photograph, interesting that the shortened name could be Robert 

Yes I agree, I’ve never heard of Scottish men named Robert called Bert, all those I worked alongside in both, highland and lowland regiments, were Robbies, as in Robbie Burns, but perhaps things were different during the WW1 era.

[rolt968]

33 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Yes I agree, I’ve never heard of Scottish men named Robert called Bert, all those I worked alongside in both, highland and lowland regiments, were Robbies, as in Robbie Burns, but perhaps things were different during the WW1 era.

I've known a lot of Roberts over the years - none called "Bert". Unfortunately "Bert" is one of those names which may not be a diminutive of anything. It could be a diminutive of second forename. Also how about AlBert?

RM

[FROGSMILE]

29 minutes ago, rolt968 said:

I've known a lot of Roberts over the years - none called "Bert". Unfortunately "Bert" is one of those names which may not be a diminutive of anything. It could be a diminutive of second forename. Also how about AlBert?

RM

It does seem odd, but I guess it depended upon family practice and preference at the time.

[wulsten]

Does have mcnab landside printed on the corner

[david murdoch]

5 hours ago, rolt968 said:

I've known a lot of Roberts over the years - none called "Bert". Unfortunately "Bert" is one of those names which may not be a diminutive of anything. It could be a diminutive of second forename. Also how about AlBert?

RM

In reality lots of possibilities - "Albert, Bertram, Egbert, Gilbert, Herbert, Hubert, Lambert, Norbert, Robert and Wilbert" including some first names not in common usage today. Back in WW1 era there were so many Roberts in my family (all in the same town) they all had variations to distinguish them. My grandfather was Wee Rab, his cousin Big Rab, Rob, Bert and Robbie. My grandmother always called my grandfather Bobby but she was the only one. 

If you Google "Bert Sneddon" brings up a couple but invariably flags to Robert Sneddon. 

Looking on Scotland's People name search between 1885 and 1910 no Bertrams, no Huberts , 2 Alberts ect  but 925 Roberts! Then again on the 1911 census looking at all male Sneddons who would be "fighting age" in WW1 There are 401 for the whole of Scotland - as they are listed with full first name can quickly see any possible names that could be shortened to Bert  - only one I can see is Robert. Again Sneddon  surname shows up in localised clusters - So by his "local" regiment likely one of the Lothians.

 

[wulsten]

Noticed on the glasgow evening times there is a Robert sneddon listed as wounded 1915, though with scottish rifles  would be nice to compare the image, though not on bna