Raster Scanning Posted 4 October , 2003 Share Posted 4 October , 2003 Not sure if this is during the war or just before (I suspect the latter). What would you expect to be called if you joined the regimental knitting and smoking club! Seriously though, I would welcome any thoughts on this picture of some Bedfordshire Rgt men. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 4 October , 2003 Share Posted 4 October , 2003 Raster, You would probably be calles "The Wollen Puffs" Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 4 October , 2003 Share Posted 4 October , 2003 It's a real word - Swanker. The equivalent, today, would be 'Fashion Brigade.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 4 October , 2003 Share Posted 4 October , 2003 Could they be a concert party? I note the second from right at the back has a baton - or is it a knitting needle? I've just had another look, and his mate second from right has a churchwarden-type pipe, or a candle snuffer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 4 October , 2003 Share Posted 4 October , 2003 One soldier is wearing the detested Brodrick cap, phased out c 1906 in all except RM ......... so possibly 1906-7 OR a deliberate weirdo picture. The candle snuffers are long corn-cob pipes ..... I had one as a 16 year old, cost 6 and 1/2d, some shage cost a little more, and I firstly went green , secondly threw up, and thirdly got a good belting when I arrived home stinking. That was a little later than 1906, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Sweeney Posted 4 October , 2003 Share Posted 4 October , 2003 The photo dates to late 1906 at the latest. The SD Jackets with knotted shoulder cords, as most are wearing, were replaced by jackets with perminently attached shoulder straps on 30 November 1904. Manufacture stopped in early 1905 on jackets with cords. The jackets with knotted shoulder cords remained on inventory, in ever decreasing quantities, until early 1907. The embrodiered titles, seen on the jackets, were declared obsolete on 20 November 1907 and were ordered removed from all jackets, where necessary, on 16 July 1908. By 1907 the preponderance of jackets on inventory and being worn would have been jackets with fixed shoulder straps. The SD caps also seem to be of two varieties: The "Cap, Forage, Service Dress, Stiff band No 1." and "Cap, Forage, Service Dress, Soft band No 2.". The No. 2 was extremely short lived being approved on 16 March 1905 and declared obsolete on 25 November 1905. The "Cap Forage Universal" aka Brodrick cap was declared obsolete in 1905 when the Cap Forage New Pattern was adopted AKA peaked forage cap. However, like the Jacket with shoulder cords it remianed on inventory into 1907 when stocks were exhausted. Can't make out the belt the musician, boy soldier? is wearing. At first it looked liked a P08 belt but also looks like a buff belt with pockets or even a web cartridge belt? Knitting is not surprising as army units had to be much more self sufficient in those days than now. Anyway its a good relaxing hobby. Joe Sweeney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 5 October , 2003 Share Posted 5 October , 2003 I may be mistaken, but didn't King George VI knit as a pass time? Brig-Gen F. L. Festing CB., CMG. (the father of a future CIGS) was "admired by experts as an artist of taste and imagination in petit point" per His Honour Lyall Wilkes. To drop another stitch, sorry, to drop another name so to speak, I know of a northern English squire (Major rtd., MiD twice) who crochets his own dish cloths and complains that Harrods no longer supply the, what do you call it, string or thread? As Joe says, a good relaxing hobby, which is more widely enjoyed than you would imagine. Regards Michael D.R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Beckett Posted 5 October , 2003 Share Posted 5 October , 2003 Pals may be interested to know that after the war at Roehampton where my grandfather William Beckett went for 3 months for a number of years for "repairs" after being severely wounded that embroidery was encouraged. The first one he did was a RE badge about 6ins diam and the second was this galleon which hangs proudly in my study. It is about 2 ft by 1.5ft and has his initials WEB on the bottom RH (my son reckons it was the worlds first web page) Apologies for the slight glare as I forgot to turn flash off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 8 October , 2003 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2003 Thanks one and all for the replies. Joe, I have printed your reply and will keep it with the picture. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevebec Posted 8 October , 2003 Share Posted 8 October , 2003 I believe knitting was common with many men around the turn of the centry. My GF also knitted and made some gloves for me many years ago. I must admit I never smoked untill I went to the war and while over there, I had a mate who smoked a pipe which was unusal for the early seventies. After a hard time of it I got the lend of one of his pipes and been a pipe smoker (not cig's ) ever since. S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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