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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Who wore spurs?


Heid the Ba

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I'm about to start looking into my brother-in-law's grandfather. I suspect all the info I will get is a name, a place of birth and the fact he was in the cavalry since my b-i-l has a set of spurs. He survived the war.

I'm pretty sketchy on uniforms and kit so:

1. who other than cavalry would wear spurs? RHA drivers?

2. did cavalry spurs differ from other arms spurs?

3. would spurs have a service number or other id?

Thanks, I tried searching the forum but without success.

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RFA, RHA, Cavalry, Yeomanry, MMP, anyone on battalion transport, ASC, RE on mounted duties, Officers in various orders of dress (they were all expected to be able to ride) etc, etc.

Staff Officers (from mounted units), General Staff. There were many indeed.

Not able to help with your questions on the type of spurs but I somehow doubt that they were marked with anything that would tie a pair of spurs to an individual.

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Thanks squirrel, given the family we can probably discount officers. :D Other than that it is probably as I feared.

As it is his maternal grandfather I'm hoping for an unusual surname but no doubt it will be something ubiquitiously scottish.

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I may be quite wrong and totally off track....but didnt the wearing of spurs also include the marital staus of a soldier? I am sure I have heard this before. If not I'll go away!

Regards

TT

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My grandfather, an officer in the 20th Manchesters, is pictured wearing spurs in his wedding photograph, June 1916.

So that would have been before and after changing status! ;)

Angela

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Not heard that one TT - sounds like something to do with "knights of old" than WW1 or perhaps something to do with the wearing of spurs in the mess?

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I still have my Grandfather's spurs even though he was in an Infantry Battalion (Northumberland Fusiliers) I believe when he was commissioned ne was expected to ride.

Peter

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Angela

If the legend is true, which seems unlikely, he may have donned the spurs in the vestry when the register was signed!

Daggers

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Anyone have a photo of Great War spurs? Just to check he didn't nick them from a Belgian postman . . .

Punjab612, do they have anything to suggest a number or unit? Thanks.

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Why don't you post a pic of the spurs in question and the experts on here may be able to throw some light ?

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Anyone have a photo of Great War spurs?

do they have anything to suggest a number or unit? Thanks.

Picture of my GF's spurs. Leather strap went under the boot and 'tongue' on top of instep. Only picture I have of him with them on is when he was a Captain in Officer Cadet Battalion.

post-8000-1208604180.jpg

Only markings on them - no references to unit etc

post-8000-1208604132.jpg

Hope this helps

Peter

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I may be quite wrong and totally off track....but didnt the wearing of spurs also include the marital staus of a soldier? I am sure I have heard this before. If not I'll go away!

Regards

TT

LOL, that's a good one, I've not heard that before ' wearing of spurs also include the marital status of a soldier' there would be a lot of soldiers wearing spurs then.

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Cheers Peter, that is what they look like.

I didn't get the distinctive name I hoped for, he was called Henry Brown, they did think he was a KOSBie though. I have found one who was there and 1st Dragoons. I have him and another to check out.

Thanks all.

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  • 13 years later...

Hello everyone, recently purchased a pair of ww1 spurs , that are stamped with the service number of the soldier , something that i have never come across before, they were advertised with a little information , stating ,service number corresponds to a soldier of the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, service number 61332, who was killed in France on the 19 of April 1918.

started a little research and found that they appear to have belonged to a private William Henry King, born abt 1879, Bromley By Bow , by my interpret of the few records i found on ancestry , plus census returns i found, but i cannot find his service record, guess maybe went up in flames , what have found is him on ancestry's the uk soldiers that died in the great war, which mentions that before he was in Northumberland Fusiliers, he was Formerly 033167 in the A.O.C. ARMY ORDANANCE CORP, that doesn't make sense to me, as i thought they were formed in 1918?

i cant find a service record for him under that service number or regiment, please can anyone suggest anything ?, also looked on Forces war Records Site , there a listing for him under Northumberland Fusilier's, pretty frustrating, 

i have discovered who his parents and siblings were, plus also that he was married and had a family at the time of his death in 1918, just know little of his service,

Has anyone else ever come across spurs with service number upon them, there is also a makers mark and year, what i think is A.S Smith & Sons, dated 1914, 

enclose few photos,  thanks any advice really be appreciated ?

thank you  

Colin

 

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A quick scan of the Medal Rolls reveals the service number 61332 was issued to at least 15 different soldiers from a multitude of regiments. Is there any provenance that the number relates to the Northumberland Fusiliers other than a sellers word? William Henry King is the only one amongst those 15 names on the Medal Rolls to have died during active service.

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thanks, was just information provided on the webb site, have just asked in a email if there is any providence, shall let you know

Edited by harpsum
update
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  • 8 months later...

Hello Jay , no further forward on the spurs , found out the seller had naively,  searched for the number on the spurs , on the CWGC , Find the dead  ,found that one W.H KING of the Northumberland Fusiliers and assumed it was him,

well guess i will never be able to pin down ,  who they once belonged , they are very well made  , compared to type you often come across of WW1 era spurs , they are pretty weighty and strong , guess i will try and identify the makers at least ?

thank you for your help  :thumbsup:

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