Who are all the nurses?

[spoons]

Previously posted with lots of detail here

Capt Dykes was a qualified doctor and dentist but served with 5th Volunteer Bn KOSB and was killed in 1915 at Gallipoli. He was originally from the Dumfries area. This photograph was amongst his papers. The buildings look to be local Scottish. Who are all the nurses? What is the occasion? Who is the older officer? Some have suggested Lord Roberts but others think not.

Maybe I should try the uniforms thread, what does anyone think?

[spoons]

and a close-up

[MACRAE]

Okay the buildings look like 3 Places to me Belvadere Hospital, Samartain victoria road Glasgow and Stobhill but as a lot of building look the same i am only taking a shot in the dark. As i used to live near the above places.

Dan

[Rob Bulloch]

Spoons The gentleman in the photograph certainly has a resemblance to "Old Bobs VC" Cheers Rob.

[Rob Bulloch]

And the zoomed version of the gentleman in the photograph

[Sue Light]

The only certain thing is that the photo was taken prior to April/May of 1915, when the style of hats changed, but that's not too clever an observation in view of Captain Dykes date of death. This is a group photo of a local Voluntary Aid Detachment and my guess would be that it was taken before the war. There is great uniformity in the women's dress - the style of their uniform, the placing of identical red crosses on aprons, the similar placing of the county/branch badge in all those that I can see and the similar folding of the hats. All these things rapidly changed after the outbreak of war as more women were recruited, and as those who formerly made up the detachments were moved out in groups to staff small Red Cross units as they opened up, uniforms became rather more varied in style and colour, with new recruits having different styles of dress and collar and no red cross on their aprons..

None of the women are wearing the long elasticated white cuffs that quickly became usual, even in group photos, and the nurse [presumably trained] on Captain Dykes left is wearing a rather old fashioned style of cap. It's a pity that the left hand of the woman next to the older officer is not visible, as her placing in the photo suggests that she is the Commandant, and possibly his wife. The house could be the residence of one of those two. So I would say a photo taken pre-war [or just possibly 'on the cusp'] of a well run detachment, but before these women had actually started any wartime work.

Sue

[Rob B]

The old chap has three shoulder badges of rank so judging from his vast aray of medals he could just possibly be a Honourary Colonel as I think we have a neck award which I think is the Order of St John (medical related). As to location, if Captain Dykes is KOSB then I would pop at this being in the Borders the stone work is far to clean for the then bogging chimneys of Glasgow even the quality venues of Kelvinside and Bearsden were distinctly smoke covered.

Not sure about the cap badge on the old chap it looks to be a Fusiliers.

Rob

[spoons]

Thanks all for you informed and wise comments. I will cross post your comments to the Scottish War Memorials Discussion Forum here, where all this started.

\Spoons