the_ageing_young_rebel Posted 14 March , 2023 Share Posted 14 March , 2023 (edited) Hi All, Can anybody with better eyes (and knowledge) ID this cap badge? Thanks Edited 14 March , 2023 by the_ageing_young_rebel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin RussT Posted 14 March , 2023 Admin Share Posted 14 March , 2023 Looks like Royal Artillery Regards Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_ageing_young_rebel Posted 14 March , 2023 Author Share Posted 14 March , 2023 Just now, RussT said: Looks like Royal Artillery Regards Russ Thanks! Thats really helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin RussT Posted 14 March , 2023 Admin Share Posted 14 March , 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 March , 2023 Share Posted 14 March , 2023 (edited) Definitely Royal Artillery as mentioned and it’s really quite rare to see a gunner wearing the brown leather modified Slade Wallace pattern belt of 1903 with Union Clasp (inscribed DIEU ET MON DROIT) which was not usually worn by any branch of the artillery. He’s also wearing the emergency simplified jacket issued pro tem early in the war to simplify production during the initial surge of recruits. He is a signaller with brass crossed flags badge on his lower cuff just above a single good conduct badge (inverted stripe) indicating that he has completed two years of regular army service without disciplinary infringement. Edited 15 March , 2023 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 15 March , 2023 Share Posted 15 March , 2023 And, unusually, a handkerchief tucked up his right sleeve! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 15 March , 2023 Share Posted 15 March , 2023 6 minutes ago, PhilB said: And, unusually, a handkerchief tucked up his right sleeve! Yes indeed! To be fair I have seen that a few times and going back a long way to scarlet and blue uniforms too. Not something we see every day though Phil, I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_ageing_young_rebel Posted 15 March , 2023 Author Share Posted 15 March , 2023 @PhilB @FROGSMILE Thanks both for the great information. The knowledge base on here never fails to impress me. I just saw this photo for sale and picked this photo up for a couple of pound as a fun little research project. His name is on the back (at least I assume its his name), so I'll be searching for his records later to see if I can find what became of him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 15 March , 2023 Share Posted 15 March , 2023 Chinstrap "up and over" his cap badge, also is that a waterprooof cover on his cap and a wound badge under his GC badge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 15 March , 2023 Share Posted 15 March , 2023 1 minute ago, squirrel said: Chinstrap "up and over" his cap badge, also is that a waterprooof cover on his cap and a wound badge under his GC badge? Yes it does look like an oilskin cover. I’m not sure about a wound stripe, the view’s not quite clear enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorporalPunishment Posted 15 March , 2023 Share Posted 15 March , 2023 Definitely a wound stripe, possibly two. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 15 March , 2023 Share Posted 15 March , 2023 Any takers for what follows Signalman Teddy Smith? Scottish card so possibly RH is Royal Highlanders? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 15 March , 2023 Admin Share Posted 15 March , 2023 As he’s been proved to be artillery, maybe Royal Horse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 15 March , 2023 Share Posted 15 March , 2023 I was thinking “Attd RH” might mean attached Royal Highlanders but it’s a bit of a stretch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 16 March , 2023 Share Posted 16 March , 2023 7 hours ago, PhilB said: I was thinking “Attd RH” might mean attached Royal Highlanders but it’s a bit of a stretch I wonder if he has shortened R.H.Q. to just R.H. There would certainly be Signallers at that echelon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_ageing_young_rebel Posted 16 March , 2023 Author Share Posted 16 March , 2023 It might have to remain a mystery who this man is. I assumed that Teddy was short for Theodore, but forgot that some Edwards use the name Teddy. Now I can't find many Theodores, but there are a lot of records of Edward Smiths who served around this time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6RRF Posted 16 March , 2023 Share Posted 16 March , 2023 11 hours ago, PhilB said: I was thinking “Attd RH” might mean attached Royal Highlanders but it’s a bit of a stretch. I'd be inclined to lean that way too. RH as a short-form of RHQ doesn't work - if he did want to shorten that it would simply be a matter of HQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 16 March , 2023 Share Posted 16 March , 2023 There's another letter before (and above) R.H. Is it possibly a very flamboyant cursive letter H ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin RussT Posted 16 March , 2023 Admin Share Posted 16 March , 2023 The first letter of that bit above RH looks like the T is Teddy - the "missing" bit of the bottom loop is actually faintly visible. The other letter might be a "p", so I'm thinking perhaps Tp for Trooper - wasn't that the lowest rank in the RHA? Admittedly he signs himself at the beginning as a signaller but it's not a contraction to also mention Trooper. Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 16 March , 2023 Share Posted 16 March , 2023 Ordinarily I’d say it would be unusual for a gunner to be attached to an infantry unit, especially if not an NCO, but I suppose he could have been assisting with signalling or it’s instruction. It would explain away the primarily infantry waistbelt too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 16 March , 2023 Share Posted 16 March , 2023 (edited) 10 minutes ago, RussT said: The first letter of that bit above RH looks like the T is Teddy - the "missing" bit of the bottom loop is actually faintly visible. The other letter might be a "p", so I'm thinking perhaps Tp for Trooper - wasn't that the lowest rank in the RHA? Admittedly he signs himself at the beginning as a signaller but it's not a contraction to also mention Trooper. Russ Good thoughts but there was no use of Trooper rank in the RHA Russ, only the Household Cavalry were officially using that rank at that point (having not that long adopted it). All branches of artillery used Gunner as their lowest rank. Edited 16 March , 2023 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin RussT Posted 16 March , 2023 Admin Share Posted 16 March , 2023 6 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said: Good thoughts but there was no use of Trooper rank in the RHA Russ, only the Household Cavalry were officially using that rank at that point (having not that long adopted it). Thanks for the clarification - I was a bit tentative to suggest it. Back to the drawing board ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 16 March , 2023 Share Posted 16 March , 2023 Just now, RussT said: Thanks for the clarification - I was a bit tentative to suggest it. Back to the drawing board ! It’s certainly an odd annotation, given his regiment, and sadly won’t help us pin down his details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6RRF Posted 16 March , 2023 Share Posted 16 March , 2023 As already mentioned he has his hanky up his sleeve and what looks like a waterproof cover on his hat. He also has a scarf around his neck. Instead of waggling flags, is he attached to to R.H. with a motorbike ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 16 March , 2023 Share Posted 16 March , 2023 13 minutes ago, 6RRF said: Instead of waggling flags, is he attached to to R.H. with a motorbike ? The cut of his trousers around the knees might support that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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