Help with iniform

[Guest Bazzer]

Can any of you experts tell me what this uniform was please, it was around 1815.

[pbrydon]

I presume you have made a mistake ( and you mean 1915)

I cannot make out the badge but it bears a cetain resemblace to an Irish Army ( Defence Forces ) badge.

However it looks as if parts of the picture have been outlined to make them stand out more including the cap badge.

I await other replies with interest.

P.B.

[Graham Stewart]

My thoughts exactly, would say it resembles post-WWI Irish Free State Army c.1920's, so wonder if there is an Irish connection?

Graham.

[Guest Bazzer]

I presume you have made a mistake ( and you mean 1915)

I cannot make out the badge but it bears a cetain resemblace to an Irish Army ( Defence Forces ) badge.

However it looks as if parts of the picture have been outlined to make them stand out more including the cap badge.

I await other replies with interest.

P.B.

Oooops! sorry, of course I meant 1915, thanks for your suggestion, I know he lived in Birmingham but I will check for ant Irish connection.

[Greg]

I am not quite so sure about the Irish Army- at first I agreed but if you look very closely the outlining is not actually accurate. The Irish Army badge has its void right in the centre of the badge whilst this is about a third of the way up. Given that it is very fuzzy could this be because it actually has a crown on the top so a badge consistig of a crown over a star with an unknown centre?

Greg

[pbrydon]

Greg,

Both Graham and I did use the word "resemblance" in relation to the Irish Defence Force cap badge.

The more I look at the picture,the more I am sure that black ink or pen has been used to make the edges of the collar and shoulder straps stand out. The same appears to have been done to the strap on the cap and to the badge itself. I think the cap badge might have been substantially altered to such an extent that the original form has been lost.

It does not bear any resemblace to any british or commonwealth badge that I can think of but as you say the badge might have been surmounted by a star ( which would not be uncommon ) but the detail is now lost.

I am attaching a photo of William Morris of the 6th Kings ( Liverpool Rifles ) killed in action 9/4/1917 his photo has been enhanced by being coloured by ( I presume ) the photographer,but in doing so the blackened cap badge has become brass or gilt and red flannel backing has become almost black

In Hal Giblins book " Bravest of Hearts" there is a picture ( page 232) where the photographer has "touched in " the ribbon of the 1914 star to the picture of a 1915 caualty.

I think that in the case of this post, a photographers enhancement might have made positive identification impossible

P.B.

P.S. for north west collectors does anybody think the chap in the original post looks very much like someone familiar to collectors from that part of the country ?

[dee-jay]

I'm no expert but I'm a bit uneasy with the identification of the badge, the outline having been so badly distorted.

It reminded me of a very battered WW2 Royal Army Service Corps cap badge, 'accumulated' by my Father, but I've now seen the Army Service Corps [1901-1919] badge used in WW1 where the crown is not so pronounced and there is open tracery which would produce the 'black bits' around the initials in the centre, so I reckon it's worth considering that badge on this site: http://www.militarybadges.info/pages/uk/gree-file.htm

150% magnification of the photo reveals a higher central point at the top and 'missed' points from supposed enhancement either side. In my humble opinion the symmetry is a close match to the abovementioned battered badge, apart of course from the central initials.

[Tom A McCluskey]

Hi All,

IMHO the lack of symmetry is due to whoever outlined the picture with felt pen, they have also put six felt pen dashes, off-centre, on the badge.

A close up of the badge may bring more identifying features.

Aye

Tom McC