Help Please!

[Shayne]

Not sure if it was censored or not but hopefully, I will be able to post a scan of the original here soon to help us!

[FROGSMILE]

15 hours ago, CorporalPunishment said:

The vehicle looks to me to be a typical Italian lightweight type with pneumatic tyres all round and twin spare wheels, probably a Fiat or a Lancia, both of which were used by the British Army. Right-hand drive was the norm for Italian military vehicles for many years. Could our man possibly be Italian?.         Pete.

It doesn’t seem so Pete, as although the collar is not dissimilar, the Italian army of the time favoured a slightly shorter jacket with a fly front concealing all the buttons, unlike in subject photo. 

Edited 24 August , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[MURAT]

Hello, the man in the photograph is a French soldier who probably belongs to an engineer regiment. What would be nice would be to read the numbers on its collar to identify the regiment.

 

[PRC]

20 hours ago, CorporalPunishment said:

The vehicle looks to me to be a typical Italian lightweight type with pneumatic tyres all round and twin spare wheels, probably a Fiat or a Lancia

Possibly something like the Fiat 15ter with bespoke bodywork?

Image courtesy alamy https://www.alamy.com/italian-fiat-15-ter-lorry-in-use-during-ww1-image66158689.html

Courtesy dzen.ru https://dzen.ru/a/XvroEJTSJkqahczP?utm_referer=www.google.com

Or this one which was in the Imperial War Musuem at Duxford

Image courtesy of Flickr member Bri_J https://www.flickr.com/photos/43603376@N05/30411097763

Cheers,
Peter

[CorporalPunishment]

5 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

It doesn’t seem so Pete, as although the collar is not dissimilar, the Italian army of the time favoured a slightly shorter jacket with a fly front concealing all the buttons, unlike in subject photo. 

So, French he is then, getting warmer.       Pete.

31 minutes ago, PRC said:

Possibly something like the Fiat 15ter with bespoke bodywork?

Image courtesy alamy https://www.alamy.com/italian-fiat-15-ter-lorry-in-use-during-ww1-image66158689.html

Courtesy dzen.ru https://dzen.ru/a/XvroEJTSJkqahczP?utm_referer=www.google.com

Or this one which was in the Imperial War Musuem at Duxford

Image courtesy of Flickr member Bri_J https://www.flickr.com/photos/43603376@N05/30411097763

Cheers,
Peter

Yes, that's the kind of thing.       Pete.

[Shayne]

Finally... a scan of the original picture rather than the copy of one originally posted...

I have looked with a magnifying glass but there are not any markings on his uniform to indicate a division or rank.  

The last 2 digits on the back of the auto are 8 0 but I am not sure how this would help us any.

Shayne

 

[MURAT]

Hello,

I think it is the 8th Engineer Regiment.(8ème régiment du Génie) It is a regiment specialized in transmissions. In 1919 his 1st Battalion was in the Army of the Rhine garrisoned in Mainz (Mayence in French)

Gérald.

[mancpal]

Having looked at the scan earlier today and read Shaynes opinion that the soldier bears no sign of rank or regiment, I think I can see an 8 on his left collar patch which may tally with Murats post above. Also, could the 8 on the ‘number plate’ be further confirmation?

Simon

edit.  Changed my mind on number on vehicle door.

Edited 30 August , 2023 by mancpal

[Shayne]

Thank you for catching the 8! I didn't think there was anything there - you're good!  

I need to read further about the 8th Engineering Regiment now! Wish there was a rank on his uniform so I might be able to identify this man.

Shayne

 

[mancpal]

Shayne, I wouldn’t say good, but not bad considering my cracked phone screen and pound shop reading glasses! 
Now to push my luck, is there a further number or letter after the near invisible 8 on his collar title?

Simon

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

There also appears to be some writing on the side panel of the truck. Is one of those words 'RADIO'??

Shayne, could you do a really hi-res scan of that area (and hs collar while you're at it?
It could provide vital information.
Otherwise can you look with your magnifying glass?

[Shayne]

I cannot see anything even with a magnifying glass.  I am working on where I might be able to get a hi-res scan because if there is something on his collar it it dark and blends in with the patch.  As for the writing on the truck unfortunately I cannot read this either.  I will work on someone being able to bring it in to better focus.

[MURAT]

Hello,

next to the number there are two colored threads sewn on the outer edge. . These threads are called "soutaches" in French. You can see an example on the image of the jacket of the 7th Engineer Regiment above. For engineers the soutaches are red. On the side of the truck there are bamboo poles that can be used to hang telegraph or telephone wires.

Regards 

Gérald

[Shayne]

Here is the original scanned in.  I can't see a lot more but maybe someone else can...

[PRC]

I've been trying to play around with improving the visibility of the lettering behind his right elbow - but I'm afraid the resolution just isn't good enough to discern anything.

I was hoping make out if the words were in French or English, with the additional hope that even identifying one word might give a clue as the most likely military phrase on display.

A French engineer standing in front of a french radio car, (radio car is what it seems to be), would make most sense, but then how would it have come into the families possession other then via your great-grandmother.
A French engineer standing in front of an american radio car would seem more likely to be part of a liasion group, and so the picture could have originated with either.

The radio car seems to be in operation - the cable leading from the cabin and disappearing top right seems to indicate an aerial has been set up, and the guy rope diagonally across the picture, one of three of four to hold the aerial in place, is also supportive of that.

The building behind looks to be an aircraft hangar, so presumably taken at an air field. I don't know how the French armed forces were set up in the post-war period and whether Army Engineers provided the signals function for air force units.

The "08" on the bottom of the open door as speculated previously is probably the start of a number plate type stencil, but suspect that won't tell us much.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Thanks Shayne,

It doesn't look as though the second image (1161 x 1600 px @96dpi ) is much different to the original (1021 x 1345 @96dpi). Consequently it won't be possible to obtain much new detail from it.
Oh well.

[Matlock1418]

13 hours ago, Shayne said:

Here is the original scanned in.  I can't see a lot more but maybe someone else can...

Thanks. I can't see much more - but I still think the collars look like they have been attacked by a censor.

M

[Shayne]

I can't decide if I am looking for something so hard I am seeing a 5 on the right collar or not.  I also don't know if it was censored or if the colors were so similar we can't see because it is in black & white. I need to look up more about the French uniforms.  From the back of the photo we know it was taken in Mainz in September of 1919