WW1 identification photographs

[Guest PRIVATEJONES]

HI

Could someone please tell me if soldiers from World War One had official photographs taken for identification, or if not when did official photographs from the war office start.

Thanks

Jon

[SOMMESOLDIER]

Hi Jon,

As far as I am aware there were never official photos taken for identification, but I stand to be corrected if that is not the case !!

Cheers

Tim.

[Guest PRIVATEJONES]

Hi Jon,

As far as I am aware there were never official photos taken for identification, but I stand to be corrected if that is not the case !!

Cheers

Tim.

Thanks Tim....does anyone else have any ideas or thoughts on this.

Jon.

[Paul Reed]

The army did not take individual photos for identification purposes, not in WW1 and not even in WW2.

[CROONAERT]

Some wartime French "livrets" contained identity photographs and it's possible to find Austrian identity lockets that contain photographs of the soldier. I've got one Italian locket that contains a photo too, but I don't think that it's an official one.

Dave

[ackimzey]

This is an entry from my great uncle's diary (see avatar). Clearly he wasn't successful that day, but I know eventually he managed to get photos both of himself and his brother (also a doctor serving in an American hospital outside of Paris). While the photos came home, sadly Uncle Grover did not.

Ann

July 15, 1918 – No work all day. “Lorrie jumped” to Doullens to have my photo made. No luck. Met M.O.’s [Medical Officers] of 80th USA div. Glad to see U.S.A. boys. They looked very fit. Went in an ambulance to 3rd Canadian C.C.S. [Casualty Clearing Station] at Frevent [north of Doullens] & then returned to H.Q. Have launched big attack against French & Americans. Our boys took 1,500 prisoners including a brigade staff. Cheers for U.S.A.

[Paul Reed]

This is an entry from my great uncle's diary (see avatar). Clearly he wasn't successful that day, but I know eventually he managed to get photos both of himself and his brother (also a doctor serving in an American hospital outside of Paris). While the photos came home, sadly Uncle Grover did not.

Ann

July 15, 1918 – No work all day. “Lorrie jumped” to Doullens to have my photo made. No luck. Met M.O.’s [Medical Officers] of 80th USA div. Glad to see U.S.A. boys. They looked very fit. Went in an ambulance to 3rd Canadian C.C.S. [Casualty Clearing Station] at Frevent [north of Doullens] & then returned to H.Q. Have launched big attack against French & Americans. Our boys took 1,500 prisoners including a brigade staff. Cheers for U.S.A.

This is not a photograph taken by the army, but a photo taken by a professional commercial photographer. It was a soldiers choice, often dictated by money, whether he had this taken or not, but it was not required for official purposes; not even by officers. I repeat, the army did not taken individual photos of men during WW1.

Dave - I thought we were talking about the British Army?

[CROONAERT]

Dave - I thought we were talking about the British Army?

I don't know, Paul. The original post just mentioned "soldiers from World War One" - I read that as meaning in general (I'm probably wrong though! )

You're correct about the British (and Commonwealth) armies of WW1 ,though - they didn't have ID photos and, as you said, nor did they in WW2 (and a little way beyond too). Some Commonwealth countries had photo IDs in WW2 (Australia for example), as did many of the foreign armies, but the British Army didn't.

Dave.

[zijde26]

I do think that Frank Hurley has been an official ww1 - photograph. Is n'it ?

Gilbert Deraedt