114th J.R.B. @ Clipstone

[tom parker]

Hello: While researching my granddad's service in 1/5 Sth Lancs I've recently come across a photo (that he apparently kept in his belongings) of a unit that I'd like to identify. The handwritten title on the photo is difficult to read but appears to be "x Platoon, x Coy, 114th J.R.B. Clipstone June 1915". I know that Clipstone was both a training camp and hospital, and I know that grandad was wounded in action but I'm pretty sure that he's not in the photo. His brother-in-law was in the MGC and I think that I can see MGC cap badges in the picture.

I'm fairly new to this - am I shooting in the dark trying to track this down>

Regards

Tom

[tom parker]

Sorry - I said I was new to this...... here is the photo (I hope!)

Tom

[Graham Stewart]

Tom,

The caption that you put is slightly incorrect, as the photo shows members of the 114th Training Reserve Battalion, The Training Reserve at Clipstone Camp.

The 113th(23/4/1918) - 114th(26/4/1918) - 115th(29/4/1918) & 116th(1/5/1918) Training Reserve Battalions were formed on the dates bracketed at Clipstone, and all of them were transferred to the Machine Gun Corps as;-

113th TRB became 'E' Battalion,M.G.C. - disbanded 1/4/1919.

114th TRB became 'F' Battalion,M.G.C. - disbanded 1/4/1919.

115th TRB became 'G' Battalion,M.G.C. - disbanded 6/8/1919.

116th TRB became 'H' Battalion,M.G.C. - disbanded 1/4/1919.

I've tried to blow up the photo you posted, but even my computer can't cope with the small image. Try a x10 stamp guage magnifyer to see what the cap badges are, although members of the Training Reserve actually wore a General Service pattern button with a red felt circle as a backing for a capbadge on it's formation.

Graham

[tom parker]

Graham: Thanks very much for this reply - I've had another look at the caption (which is almost illegible in parts) and I can see that it is indeed the "T.R.B." - the date still looks like 1915, but it could quite easily be 1918 (I know that you will be right!).

I've looked at a larger image of the photo and there a number of different cap badges, although the MGC badge seems to be predominant.

I guess that this will fall into the "I'll never know" bracket - my grandad is definitely not on this photo, but he clearly had some reason to keep it.

Once again - thanks for your help.

Tom