New Zealanders?

[4thGordons]

Is it possible to identify the unit here? the badges and collar dogs look relatively clear but I have no idea.

Interesting mix of uniform bits (shorts (and very short shorts!) and puttees but with out hose tops?) Chap in the centre seems to have some sort of plimpsoll on? The back is totally blank - any suggestions as to possible location?

Thanks in advance,

Chris

[alliekiwi]

I think you're looking at infantry reinforcements... but I'm blowed if I can tell which one. Many of them look very similar! (Across the top of the page you find links to several other pages of NZEF cap badges and collar dogs, too.)

Allie

[Captain Dave]

The chaps on the left and right have the Specialist Reinforcement Badge, issued to signallers and Machine Gunners. This could be in France before being posted to their units?

[ian turner]

Is the chap in the middle wearing running shoes? That, together with the shorts made me wonder whether they were part of a running team/invovled in sports activities?

Ian

[AndyMacdonald]

Is the chap in the middle wearing running shoes? That, together with the shorts made me wonder whether they were part of a running team/invovled in sports activities?

Ian

All three are wearing NZ SPecialists reinforcement badges, which would imply they are either machine gunners or signallers. The guy in the centre has a solid badge, while the other two are of the voided variety. The two on either flank are wearing infantry-style lemon squeezer hats, which suggests (but does not dictate) that they are in the infantry. The chap in the middle with the peaked cap is not an NCO (although the stripe(s) may have meen removed), which implies he enlisted in 1915 or early 1916, although again this is not a hard and fast rule. The photo may be taken in Egypt, but that's just a guess. WOuld you be so kind as to do high-res zooms on the epaulettes of the three as there appears to be brass badges on them. What we're looking for is any hint of those badges being in teh shape of a numeral(s), which should tell us the reinforcement draft these guys were in. A single digit number (ie 1-6) would suggest they probably fought on Gallipoli, while number after this (ie 7-42) would imply they served only on the Western Front, Egypt or Metsopotamia. The lower the number, the more likely the soldiers are to have spent a prolonged stay in Egypt.

Andy M

[4thGordons]

Thanks for all the replies - especially Alli for the link and Andy for the detail

I have examined the epaulettes under magnification and I cannot make out a number (or even guess!) on them but I have attached a high res scan of the details below as requested.

Many thanks again

Chris