Volunteer Training Corps Uniform?

[johndavidswarbrick]

Hi,

 

I am interested in the man standing on the right of the two young soldiers, who were his sons. I know about them, they both served with the Liverpool Regiment, but I am keen to know if their father served in the Volunteer Regiment; he would have been in his early fifties in 1917, when I believe this photo was taken. The family lived at Scarisbrick, near Ormskirk. Can anyone confirm that the father is wearing the uniform of the Volunteers or if not what might he be? 

Thanks,

Dave Swarbrick

[FROGSMILE]

Can you provide a better scan of the image that is currently very blurred?  It makes discerning detail very difficult and that is what is needed to answer your questions with any confidence.  The man at left appears to wear Army uniform but the untidy wrapping of puttees (leg wrappings) show he is only recently joined.  The central man and older man at right both wear the same insignia and what looks like an auxiliary forces uniform together with leather leggings, of which one is ‘Stohwasser’ type (with a winding leather strap).  The shape of their badge makes me wonder if they might be National Motor Volunteers, an organisation of motor car owners who volunteered their services to the war effort at home.  Alternatively the uniform might be Volunteer Training Corps, but that was quite a pale greenish grey and wouldn’t match the Army drab khaki on the left.  After 1917 the VTC were issued standard Army khaki.

 

[Ken Lees]

Who are these men? I have quite a lot of information about men from the Ormskirk area in the Great War.

Ken

[PaulC78]

@johndavidswarbrick Hi Dave, do you have the names and details of the three men in this photo? I did a lot of research on Scarisbrick men for the WW1 centenary so I'd be interested to know more about them.

Paul

Edited 14 March by PaulC78

[johndavidswarbrick]

Hi Paul,

The three men in the photo are Henry Swarbrick [1863 - 1938]and his two sons: Henry Edward [1895 - 1928] and Thomas [1895 - 1966]. The family lived at Scarisbrick from the early 1900s and had a business as pork butchers. If you want more details I'd be happy to supply them, but it would be better done by email. I will message you with my email address.

Dave

 

[PaulC78]

To briefly expand on the above...

Pte Henry Edward Swarbrick 2395 The King's (Liverpool Regiment), later 164296 Army Service Corps. Enlisted 1914 and discharged 14/05/1919, he was badly gassesd and never regained full health. Post-war he was a pork butcher in Ormksirk, he died suddenly in 1928 and is buried at St Anne's RC Churchyard in Ormskirk. He was the father of the late Gerard Swarbrick, well-known in the area as a local historian and cartographer.

His twin brother, Pte Thomas Swarbrick 109295 The King's (Liverpool Regiment), attested on 08/12/1915 but not mobilised until 22/05/1918; he was demobilised on 24/02/1919 having spent several months overseas. He was later ordained as a Catholic priest and died at Frizington in 1966.

Their father, Henry Swarbrick, was a pig farmer at New Hall Farm in Scarisbrick. He died in 1938 and is buried at St Elizabeth's RC Churchyard.

The following extract from the Ormskirk Advertiser (24/05/1917) provides some detail of the family. It confirms that Henry was with the National Motor Volunteers, and that Thomas was a dispatch rider for the Volunteers prior to his mobilisation, so Frogsmile's analysis above seems to be spot on:

(Source: FindMyPast)

[FROGSMILE]

35 minutes ago, PaulC78 said:

To briefly expand on the above...

Pte Henry Edward Swarbrick 2395 The King's (Liverpool Regiment), later 164296 Army Service Corps. Enlisted 1914 and discharged 14/05/1919, he was badly gassesd and never regained full health. Post-war he was a pork butcher in Ormksirk, he died suddenly in 1928 and is buried at St Anne's RC Churchyard in Ormskirk. He was the father of the late Gerard Swarbrick, well-known in the area as a local historian and cartographer.

His twin brother, Pte Thomas Swarbrick 109295 The King's (Liverpool Regiment), attested on 08/12/1915 but not mobilised until 22/05/1918; he was demobilised on 24/02/1919 having spent several months overseas. He was later ordained as a Catholic priest and died at Frizington in 1966.

Their father, Henry Swarbrick, was a pig farmer at New Hall Farm in Scarisbrick. He died in 1938 and is buried at St Elizabeth's RC Churchyard.

The following extract from the Ormskirk Advertiser (24/05/1917) provides some detail of the family. It confirms that Henry was with the National Motor Volunteers, and that Thomas was a dispatch rider for the Volunteers prior to his mobilisation, so Frogsmile's analysis above seems to be spot on:

(Source: FindMyPast)

A fascinating snapshot in time to get the Swarbrick family’s full story Paul, thank you for posting the update.  I especially appreciated learning that there was indeed a connection with the National Motor Volunteers.

[Ken Lees]

Any connection to the renowned Swarbrick family butchers, of Burscough Street, Paul?

[PaulC78]

Yes, Henry Edward was a butcher on Burscough Street. He had an obituary in the Ormskirk Advertiser (now available on FMP). I don't know the specifics, but I believe Gerard was a butcher also.