South African WW1 Uniform-Help identify please

[Greenland]

This is a photograph of my grandfather taken during WW1 or near the end of the conflict.  His war experience saw him in training in the South African Medical Corps, the South African Telegraph and Postal Corps and 1st Battery South African Field Artillery in East Africa before enlisting as a cadet in the RAF towards the end of the war.

There is not much to go on but the epaulettes make me think he is in uniform of some type and could it be for one of the units listed above? 

Thanks for your help.

 

[FROGSMILE]

On 05/04/2024 at 09:55, Greenland said:

This is a photograph of my grandfather taken during WW1 or near the end of the conflict.  His war experience saw him in training in the South African Medical Corps, the South African Telegraph and Postal Corps and 1st Battery South African Field Artillery in East Africa before enlisting as a cadet in the RAF towards the end of the war.

There is not much to go on but the epaulettes make me think he is in uniform of some type and could it be for one of the units listed above? 

Thanks for your help.

 

He’s wearing the ‘khaki drill’ (KD - a stout cotton twill) tropical version of ‘service dress’ (the term used then for field or battle/combat uniform) of the more expensive variant with stepped, open collar worn with shirt and tie by officers.  Rank was either on the cuff or the shoulder straps with the latter becoming increasingly more popular because it was more difficult for enemy sharpshooters (what we would later call snipers) to see.

Unfortunately he has no collar badges (that were commonly but not always worn) and we cannot discern his regimental buttons given the quality of the photograph.  I’m afraid that his uniform is quite generic and so could easily be any of the corps that you’ve mentioned.  Once made a cadet for the RAF it was a common policy for trainee officer aspirants to wear a white band around their caps.

It’s also possible that he was a staff sergeant or warrant officer wearing such a uniform because in the Dominions and Union of SA there was less snobbery and slightly less delineation of uniform styles for the more senior enlisted men (‘other ranks’ in British parlance).

Edited 6 April by FROGSMILE

[Greenland]

Frogsmile,

Thank you for your response and pictures - that was very helpful and you went to a great deal of trouble to help explain what the uniform must have been like and I can see that it would have been good in a hot climate.  The RAF training took place in Egypt from June 1918, just for a year or so until returning home, very near to the end of the war, so, as you say, the uniform might well have been that of any of those SA corps or the RAF in Egypt, - probably a formal photograph taken in Durban before sailing for Egypt.  

Thank you very much for your thoughts on this one.  There was so little to go on and I appreciate your reply.

Warmest wishes

Greenland

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Greenland said:

Frogsmile,

Thank you for your response and pictures - that was very helpful and you went to a great deal of trouble to help explain what the uniform must have been like and I can see that it would have been good in a hot climate.  The RAF training took place in Egypt from June 1918, just for a year or so until returning home, very near to the end of the war, so, as you say, the uniform might well have been that of any of those SA corps or the RAF in Egypt, - probably a formal photograph taken in Durban before sailing for Egypt.  

Thank you very much for your thoughts on this one.  There was so little to go on and I appreciate your reply.

Warmest wishes

Greenland

I’m glad to help.  Unlike the RFC, the new RAF’s officers did not favour collar badges on any type of service dress, so that is some slight circumstantial evidence that suggests it might well be his uniform.

Edited 6 April by FROGSMILE

[max7474]

The collars in post 1 look like they have a tie pin though them which implies he is commissioned in that photo.

[Greenland]

Frogsmile and Max7474,

I have just spent five minutes researching Royal Welsh 'flashes' - I learn something new each day! 

Thanks for your responses pointing to an RAF uniform.  My grandfather was granted a temporary commission (2nd Lieut) which was gazetted in the London Gazette along with a whole lot of other men, and later, another LG issue published permission for the commissions to be retained.  As he was a bugler and a private in the SA corps, and you recognise the uniform as possibly being that of an officer, it is likely that this is my grandfather in his RAF uniform rather than any other as I know the ranks from his service record.

I appreciate your help very much, thank you!

[Greenland]

17 hours ago, max7474 said:

The collars in post 1 look like they have a tie pin though them which implies he is commissioned in that photo.

Just an afterthought please max7474, with regard to your lovely pic, I do not see epaulettes on your photograph.  Is that because your man was probably a different rank from 2nd Lieutenant?  Would the hat have been the same for my grandfather?  It is great to see the complete uniform - the RAF wings on the arm and even gloves!

Many thanks,

Greenland

[FROGSMILE]

On 07/04/2024 at 10:01, Greenland said:

Just an afterthought please max7474, with regard to your lovely pic, I do not see epaulettes on your photograph.  Is that because your man was probably a different rank from 2nd Lieutenant?  Would the hat have been the same for my grandfather?  It is great to see the complete uniform - the RAF wings on the arm and even gloves!

Many thanks,

Greenland

It is I that posted the photo.  It is the WW1 uniform introduced a year after the RAF was formed by merger of the RFC with the RNAS.  The new force chose some aspects of uniform with Army origins and some with Royal Navy origins.  One of the latter was a jacket without shoulder straps and another a leather rather than cloth peak on the cap.  Much later it was decided to return the shoulder straps on some tropical garments as cuff rank isn’t convenient when wearing e.g. shirts or jackets with sleeves rolled up in hot climates.

Edited 8 April by FROGSMILE

[Greenland]

Thank you Frogsmile and my apologies.  I expand all the messages to such a degree in order to read and see things and my handling of the software is not great - I was so proud of myself being able to include a quote this time - progress!  I appreciate the photographs and your explanation on the development of the RAF uniform - it all makes sense.  

Thanks so much

Greenland

[FROGSMILE]

17 minutes ago, Greenland said:

Thank you Frogsmile and my apologies.  I expand all the messages to such a degree in order to read and see things and my handling of the software is not great - I was so proud of myself being able to include a quote this time - progress!  I appreciate the photographs and your explanation on the development of the RAF uniform - it all makes sense.  

Thanks so much

Greenland

A particular feature was the abandonment of leather Sam Browne belts, which is another small clue that your forebear was wearing RAF officers KD uniform in the photo.

Edited 7 April by FROGSMILE

[Greenland]

Although the belt is not visible in the original photograph, I am sure the abandonment of leather belts might have come about as a function of cost?  I expect the British Government produced the uniforms at their own cost in the first place and any small change which saved money may have been a serious consideration in the evolution of the uniform.   Perhaps the men were pleased as polishing was not required!  I expect the uniforms were surrendered on discharge.  I would love to know whether my photograph was taken in Egypt, in England on the way home, or once he had returned to Durban.  There were no clues on the photograph itself (not in my possession).

Greenland

[FROGSMILE]

22 hours ago, Greenland said:

Although the belt is not visible in the original photograph, I am sure the abandonment of leather belts might have come about as a function of cost?  I expect the British Government produced the uniforms at their own cost in the first place and any small change which saved money may have been a serious consideration in the evolution of the uniform.   Perhaps the men were pleased as polishing was not required!  I expect the uniforms were surrendered on discharge.  I would love to know whether my photograph was taken in Egypt, in England on the way home, or once he had returned to Durban.  There were no clues on the photograph itself (not in my possession).

Greenland

No I’m afraid that’s not the case.  No Sam Browne had been worn by the RNAS, so it was just another case of the new Service adopting a Naval practice.  Instead the RAF favoured a fixed self cloth waistbelt.

As regards the expense of uniforms only airmen below the rank of officer received uniform at public expense and officers purchased their own, although during the war a grant was introduced to subsidise costs for officers from less well off families.

Edited 8 April by FROGSMILE

[Greenland]

3 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

As regards the expense of uniforms only airmen below the rank of officer received uniform at public expense and officers purchased their own, although during the war a grant was introduced to subsidise costs for officers from less well off families.

So may I assume that as he entered as a cadet, he would have received a uniform at Govt. expense, and on temporary promotion and afterwards when he was permitted to retain the commission, he might have been given a grant for extra kit pertaining to a 2nd Lieut's dress code?  Paying makes sense for officers as was it not the custom at one point in history that soldiers could buy a commission in the army (not sure about other branches of the armed services)?  I expect they would have to have paid for the smart outfits then.

[FROGSMILE]

31 minutes ago, Greenland said:

So may I assume that as he entered as a cadet, he would have received a uniform at Govt. expense, and on temporary promotion and afterwards when he was permitted to retain the commission, he might have been given a grant for extra kit pertaining to a 2nd Lieut's dress code?  Paying makes sense for officers as was it not the custom at one point in history that soldiers could buy a commission in the army (not sure about other branches of the armed services)?  I expect they would have to have paid for the smart outfits then.

The situation for cadets evolved during the course of the war and by its end was something similar to what you’ve described, yes.  If you search in an image search engine “RAF Officer Cadets WW1” or change WW1 to 1922 you will get a better idea.  See:  https://cranwellian-ian.com/ewExternalFiles/Book 1 Pre-War Formative Years (NXPowerLite Copy).pdf

Edited 7 April by FROGSMILE

[Greenland]

Thanks so much, Book 1 proved interesting and I had read once before about Smuts being quite instrumental in launching the interest in an air service foreseeing just how useful dominance in the air could be.  The photographs were interesting too and I enjoyed reading all about the air cadets at the link you sent.  I have learnt so much via your help.  .

Just one more thing, seeing that wooden propeller in the photograph you sent reminds me that my grandfather had a small section of an aircraft propeller which he took back to SA - it was made into a little box and has a propeller inlaid in a different wood on the lid of the box.  I have it!!  I am attaching a photograph. 

Thank you for your help and guidance.

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Greenland said:

Thanks so much, Book 1 proved interesting and I had read once before about Smuts being quite instrumental in launching the interest in an air service foreseeing just how useful dominance in the air could be.  The photographs were interesting too and I enjoyed reading all about the air cadets at the link you sent.  I have learnt so much via your help.  .

Just one more thing, seeing that wooden propeller in the photograph you sent reminds me that my grandfather had a small section of an aircraft propeller which he took back to SA - it was made into a little box and has a propeller inlaid in a different wood on the lid of the box.  I have it!!  I am attaching a photograph. 

Thank you for your help and guidance.

I’m glad to have helped a little.  You are right to be proud of your grandfather and the part that he played in establishing a new and independent Air Force, the first in the world.  Jan Smuts was a great and forward thinking man who could see the importance that a centrally coordinated force of military aviation would play strategically in future warfare.  He is considered one of the parental figures of the RAF.  It was a time of great innovation following the war and heralded a new age of technological development.  I would liken it to the period now when the full implications of drone warfare are just beginning to be fully understood.

Thank you for showing your evocative wooden keepsake and trophy, it’s a fine possession to commemorate your forebears service in a great undertaking.  

Edited 7 April by FROGSMILE

[Greenland]

And thank you for giving me a greater understanding of his life.

Greenland