Here Be Seamonsters Posted 12 November , 2022 Share Posted 12 November , 2022 Hi, I wonder if anyone can help? In amongst our family photos we found a curious picture, seemingly from the Great War. I have no information what so ever. Could someone point me in the right direction? I've tried zooming in on insignia but can't make anything out. Any info would be gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 12 November , 2022 Share Posted 12 November , 2022 They are pre-war Territorial Force soldiers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 12 November , 2022 Admin Share Posted 12 November , 2022 Welcome to the forum. The cap badge might be Royal Engineers. As Max says, they are Territorial soldiers, you can see the Imperial Service tablet being worn by some of the men, above the right breast pocket. @FROGSMILEshould be able to add more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 13 November , 2022 Share Posted 13 November , 2022 (edited) 22 hours ago, Michelle Young said: Welcome to the forum. The cap badge might be Royal Engineers. As Max says, they are Territorial soldiers, you can see the Imperial Service tablet being worn by some of the men, above the right breast pocket. @FROGSMILEshould be able to add more. A super, spontaneous looking photo. Definitely Royal Engineers Territorial Force as mentioned. The visible cap badge, multi-tier shoulder titles and an Imperial Service tablet making that clear. The three Douglas motorcycles indicate a Signals Service unit just prewar or at its beginning, with the men looking delighted with their modern vehicles for equipping dispatch riders in the unit. The scene is very likely the back courtyard area of a ‘Drill Hall’ (training venue) for the unit, it is typical of those I spent time around as a boy. Some of the men are wearing spurs (and one a bandolier) so they are probably ‘linesmen’ within the unit. If the original poster can suggest his family’s likely location during that time it might be possible to pin down a drill hall that matches up, as they were commonly not far away. ”The Douglas 2 3/4hp came on the market in 1907. It was an excellent creation and was renowned for being ‘vibration-less’ due to the horizontal, ‘fore and aft’ twin arrangement. With the outbreak of war in 1914, the British Army needed thousands of motorcycles and Douglas became one of the main suppliers to the War Office; eventually supplying around 70,000 2 3/4hp and 4hp motorcycles. The 350cc Douglas 2 3/4hp leant itself perfectly to motorcycle duties such as dispatch and convoy work in every theatre of the war, from France and Belgium to Salonika and East Africa.” NB. My guess is that the photo marks a point when the motorcycles had just been received in the unit. Edited 13 November , 2022 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Here Be Seamonsters Posted 13 November , 2022 Author Share Posted 13 November , 2022 Thank you all, so much! Within 24 hours of posting, you have provided us with more information than my family have had in the past 60 years. You are wonderful and incredible, thank you all. (We believe my great grandad was located in Hereford and is one of the people in the photograph; unfortunately we don’t know which one he is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 13 November , 2022 Share Posted 13 November , 2022 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Here Be Seamonsters said: Thank you all, so much! Within 24 hours of posting, you have provided us with more information than my family have had in the past 60 years. You are wonderful and incredible, thank you all. (We believe my great grandad was located in Hereford and is one of the people in the photograph; unfortunately we don’t know which one he is) Unfortunately there were no Royal Engineers TF units based at Hereford, which had just Yeomanry, infantry, Army Service Corps and Royal Army Medical Corps units. The nearest RE units were Cardiff, Llanelly and Carmarthen. Perhaps a different area or member of family. Edited 13 November , 2022 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorporalPunishment Posted 13 November , 2022 Share Posted 13 November , 2022 8 hours ago, FROGSMILE said: A super, spontaneous looking photo. Definitely Royal Engineers Territorial Force as mentioned. The visible cap badge, multi-tier shoulder titles and an Imperial Service tablet making that clear. The three Douglas motorcycles indicate a Signals Service unit just prewar or at its beginning, with the men looking delighted with their modern vehicles for equipping dispatch riders in the unit. The scene is very likely the back courtyard area of a ‘Drill Hall’ (training venue) for the unit, it is typical of those I spent time around as a boy. Some of the men are wearing spurs (and one a bandolier) so they are probably ‘linesmen’ within the unit. If the original poster can suggest his family’s likely location during that time it might be possible to pin down a drill hall that matches up, as they were commonly not far away. ”The Douglas 2 3/4hp came on the market in 1907. It was an excellent creation and was renowned for being ‘vibration-less’ due to the horizontal, ‘fore and aft’ twin arrangement. With the outbreak of war in 1914, the British Army needed thousands of motorcycles and Douglas became one of the main suppliers to the War Office; eventually supplying around 70,000 2 3/4hp and 4hp motorcycles. The 350cc Douglas 2 3/4hp leant itself perfectly to motorcycle duties such as dispatch and convoy work in every theatre of the war, from France and Belgium to Salonika and East Africa.” NB. My guess is that the photo marks a point when the motorcycles had just been received in the unit. Frogsmile, your second photo down has to be a rare one, a "Leeds Pals" despatch rider, or so he appears. I suppose he could have just been posing for a photo of course. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 13 November , 2022 Share Posted 13 November , 2022 1 minute ago, CorporalPunishment said: Frogsmile, your second photo down has to be a rare one, a "Leeds Pals" despatch rider, or so he appears. I suppose he could have just been posing for a photo of course. Pete. Ha yes! Perhaps posing on a friend’s or sibling’s bike. When I looked at his badge on my phone I thought it was GS, but now I see his shoulder titles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorporalPunishment Posted 13 November , 2022 Share Posted 13 November , 2022 3 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said: Ha yes! Perhaps posing on a friend’s or sibling’s bike. When I looked at his badge on my phone I thought it was GS, but now I see his shoulder titles. Yes, LEEDS over W.YORK shoulder titles. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 13 November , 2022 Share Posted 13 November , 2022 6 minutes ago, CorporalPunishment said: Yes, LEEDS over W.YORK shoulder titles. Pete. Yes the overall shape is quite clear and fits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorporalPunishment Posted 13 November , 2022 Share Posted 13 November , 2022 5 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said: Yes the overall shape is quite clear and fits. The shoulder title you show is not the pattern worn in the photo. Yours is the broader variant. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 13 November , 2022 Share Posted 13 November , 2022 34 minutes ago, CorporalPunishment said: Understood. So this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorporalPunishment Posted 13 November , 2022 Share Posted 13 November , 2022 1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said: Understood. So this one. Spot on. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 13 November , 2022 Admin Share Posted 13 November , 2022 Could we keep this on topic to the OP please? It’s rather gone off on a tangent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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