Northumberland Fusiliers from Bedlingtonshire in France.

[Peterhastie]

Hopefully a NF expert will be able to shed some light as to which Pioneer Battalion this is. It came with the title attached.

Edited 16 June , 2022 by Peterhastie

[kenf48]

The ‘Bedlington Terriers’ have featured before on the GWF 

When it was suggested they were the 7th Battalion, who converted to PIoneers in February 1918 (42nd Division).

[PRC]

As @kenf48 says, converted to Pioneers in February 1918 but no-one present is wearing the 14/15 Star Ribbon. As the Long, Long Trail has the 1/7th Battalion landing in France in April 1915 you would have thought some of them would be eligible.

So possibly narrows down the period when the picture was taken.

And that in turn could lead to identifying who the officer present might be.

War Diary for the period might firm up when they converted to Pioneers - available at the National Archive here https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354429

(If of course the right unit has been identified

Cheers,
Peter

[kenf48]

1 hour ago, PRC said:

no-one present is wearing the 14/15 Star Ribbon.

14/15 Star ribbon authorised November 1918, due to wartime priorities issue was delayed with priority given to men in the field. A few shoulder titles visible but I doubt they can be given more clarity, or indeed have much relevance by 1918.  

Local newspaper at Morpeth reported over 1000 men from Bedlington had enlisted by December 1914, large numbers apparently joining the "Tyneside Scottish" Battalion(s).

@Graham Stewart is the go to expert on the Northumberland Fusiliers and may shed more light.

 

 

[Peterhastie]

Thanks for your replies so far.

My problem is that it has been indicated that one of the men is 13/11280 Hugh Beldon. From his medal rolls 13/11280 Hugh Beldon served in the 13th and 2nd Battalions NF. Neither of them Pioneer Battalions

Hugh had a brother, GS9361 John Ritson Beldon, who served in the 23rd and the 18th (Pioneer) Battalion, NF, and then in the Royal Fusiliers.

The owner is adamant that it is Hugh Beldon.

[FROGSMILE]

Perhaps the Bedlingtonshire caption is an error and based upon the pioneer badges and some other misinformation.  The family connection with the 18th (Pioneer) Battalion seems worth pursuing I think.  They are definitely a pioneer unit, and the overall dress of the men and officers (caps, etc.) and absence of ribbons suggests a date 1917 to early 1918.  Some typical one piece shoulder titles favoured by the NF are visible.

Edited 26 June , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[6RRF]

The owner may be adamant but apart from one man [extreme left centre row] they are all wearing pioneer badges on their collars

 

[FROGSMILE]

I’m surprised that there are no wound stripes at all that I can see, just a few good conduct stripes, and a few men still have the 1915 gor-blimey caps, so on reflection those two factors might even suggest an earlier date, perhaps in the first half of 1916. 

Edited 26 June , 2022 by FROGSMILE