Belt buckle and/or uniform Id?

[Kitchener]

I’m hoping someone can id the uniform and the belt buckle on the character in the attached photo.

A distant cousin found this in her possession of family photos.

Thank you in advance.

Kitchener.

[mancpal]

I can’t help with the uniform though to my untrained eye I think the uniform pre-dates WW1 which doesn’t rule him out of service during the conflict.

The belt looks to me to have the ‘dieu et mon droit’ buckle featuring the lion over crown at its centre but again I would gauge my knowledge of uniforms close to zero !

Do you have any potential family members it may be?

Simon

[Michelle Young]

It certainly predates the Great War, by some years I’d say. A total stab in the dark, but maybe artillery, and early 20th Century, or late 19th. @FROGSMILE

[FROGSMILE]

On 16/03/2023 at 17:10, Michelle Young said:

It certainly predates the Great War, by some years I’d say. A total stab in the dark, but maybe artillery, and early 20th Century, or late 19th. @FROGSMILE

A very similar looking uniform in B&W photos, but in this case he’s a member of the Corps of Royal Engineers.  Identifying features are garter blue velvet facings and no collar badges at that time.  Additionally as a predominantly dismounted corps (although there were mounted elements - see B&W picture below) the waist belt favoured was that of the whitened Slade-Wallace pattern infantry equipment.  This was natural as the RE operated well forward in close conjunction with the infantry and for that same reason wore scarlet tunics in distinct contrast to the dark blue of artillery.  I’d date it to around the time of the 2nd Boer War 1899-1902 given the pillbox type forage cap.

Edited 18 March , 2023 by FROGSMILE