Postcards

[FROGSMILE]

27 minutes ago, CorporalPunishment said:

In the first photo the officer on the right is wearing the Regular cap badge while the other two are Territorials wearing the T letters below their collar badges.    Pete.

I would have suggested him as the Adjutant, but he’s too junior, unless it’s 1902 and he’s a full lieutenant who’s not yet got his second pip up, introduced for that rank in that year.  As it is allegedly the 2/4th that seems impossible.

Edited 21 May by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

"No. 38007.  Kriegsgefangenenlager Hameln Weser, Hannover"  -  "8 Moorside, Fenham, Newcastle on Tyne"

 Cpl. Alfred Edward Potter.  2824 - 301859  1/5th (city of London) Battalion (London Rifle Brigade)  London Regiment. 

Enlisted.  6/10/1915.    France. 30/03/1916.   Posted to 9th Entrenching Battalion. 8/4/1916.    Posted to L.R.B.  2/6/1916.

Reported missing, 1/7/1916.   

P.O.W. - captured at Gommecourt, with a grenade wound to the head.  

[tankengine888]

More photos from Ancestry.

No1 Officer Cadet Battalion, 1918

'Training Platoon(,) Duke of Wellington Regiment'

A Coy 8th Royal Sussex Regiment

Officers 1912

[PRC]

36 minutes ago, tankengine888 said:

No1 Officer Cadet Battalion, 1918

Would have thought that one was worth a thread in it's own right - identifiable cap badges, overseas service chevrons, wound stripes, at least one medal ribbon. Enough clues there to potentially put names to faces - especially if its an OCB that @Charles Fair has done some research on.

Long, Long Trail has No.1 Battalion at Newton Ferrers. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/training-to-be-a-soldier/officer-training-in-the-british-army-of-1914-1918/

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 21 May by PRC
Typo

[tankengine888]

17 minutes ago, PRC said:

Would have thought that one was worth a thread in it's own right - identifiable cap badges, overseas service chevrons, wound stripes, at least one medal ribbon. Enough clues there to potentially put names to faces - especially if its an OCB that @Charles Fair has done some reseach on.

Long, Long Trail has No.1 Battalion at Newton Ferrers. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/training-to-be-a-soldier/officer-training-in-the-british-army-of-1914-1918/

Cheers,
Peter

A bit low quality of an image though. Cap badges are sometimes identifiable from my sub-par vision, however it is all for others to interpret

Here's one more image. I believe one of these men is in the OCB photo you quoted

 

 

 

Oh, and a bonus! (Unrelated to previous photos)

B Coy 6th OCB, june 1917

 

To quote the caption of this image-
'No 2 Coy Royal Engineers Officer Cadet Battalion Kelham Hall Oct 1917'

Edited 22 May by tankengine888

[FROGSMILE]

6 hours ago, tankengine888 said:

A bit low quality of an image though. Cap badges are sometimes identifiable from my sub-par vision, however it is all for others to interpret

Here's one more image. I believe one of these men is in the OCB photo you quoted

 

 

 

Oh, and a bonus! (Unrelated to previous photos)

B Coy 6th OCB, june 1917

 

To quote the caption of this image-
'No 2 Coy Royal Engineers Officer Cadet Battalion Kelham Hall Oct 1917'

The “bonus” photo shows six officer cadets of the Tank Corps.  You can just about make out their cloth arm badges.

Edited 22 May by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

6 hours ago, tankengine888 said:

To quote the caption of this image-
'No 2 Coy Royal Engineers Officer Cadet Battalion Kelham Hall Oct 1917'

 

[PRC]

11 hours ago, tankengine888 said:

A bit low quality of an image though. Cap badges are sometimes identifiable from my sub-par vision, however it is all for others to interpret

Any help?

No new IP is claimed for the above, and all image rights, if any, remain with the current owner.

Not the greatest match but possible the Sergeant in the additional picture is Officer Cadet number 6.

Do you have a name at all? That should hopefully lead to a commissioning entry in the London Gazette in amongst a block of other officers commissioned at the same time which would povide a starting point.

Cheers,
Peter

Edit. A bit more on No 1 OCB including confirmation that this course did produce a magazine, ("The Dump"), a page from the officer file of on Company Sergeant Major Joseph Meadows, MM, 330870 9th Battalion, Kings, Liverpool Regiment who started the course on the 10th May 1918, and with an even poorer quality version of the same picture that adds that a John Carr, subsequently of the 17th Manchesters, was present in it. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/250655-1-officer-cadet-battalion-newton-ferrers/

According to this blog post John wasn't commissioned at the end of the course - it's assumed by the author that was because hostilites had ended. If that is correct then may be the fate of others present. https://17thmanchesters.wordpress.com/2014/05/08/john-carr-19th-manchesters/

Oddly while the MiC for Joseph Meadows doesn't reference him being commissioned, despite the MM and a MiD for which there are separate records in the National Archive, he isn't shown as qualifying for any service medals - just the Silver War Badge.

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 22 May by PRC

[FROGSMILE]

A tentative attempt at the cap badges:

1. Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment).

2. Possibly Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.

3. Possibly a rifle regiment, or rifle battalion (if TF) with rope boss badge.

4. Possibly Royal Artillery.

5. Grenadier Guards or HAC.

6. Indiscernible.

7. Manchester Regiment, or General List.

8. King’s (Liverpool Regiment).

9. Indiscernible.

10. Possibly King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment).

11. Prince of Wales’s Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment).

12. Indiscernible.

13. Inniskilling Fusiliers, or Lancashire Fusiliers (alternative pattern cap badge).

14. Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) or Welsh Regiment.

15. Manchester Regiment or General List.

16. King’s (Liverpool Regiment).

17. Possibly King’s (Liverpool Regiment).

18. Possibly King’s (Liverpool Regiment).

19. Possibly King’s (Liverpool Regiment).

20. Possibly Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

21. 1st King’s Dragoon Guards or 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards.

22. King’s (Liverpool Regiment).

23. Manchester Regiment or General List.

24. Indiscernible.

NB.  As is often the case with the later OCBs no collar badges are being worn that would have aided identification.  The caveat “Possibly” indicates a distinct lack of confidence on my part.

Edited 22 May by FROGSMILE

[PRC]

8 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

21. 1st King’s Dragoon Guards or 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards.

This is one of the Instructors and looks to be a Lieutenant, or possibly a Captain.

A check of the October 1918 British Army Monthly List shows the following possibles:-

1st Kings Dragoon Guards - https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103118836

Lieutenant W. Langford, seniority 1st July 1917, employed at a School of Instruction. The NA catalogue shows officers long papers for a Captain William Langford, Dragoon Guards.
Special Reserve - Lieutenant R.L. McCollough, seniority 7th January 1917, specially employed. The NA catalogue shows officers long papers for a Captain Roland Lawrence McCollough, Machine Gun Corps.

4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards - https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103118860

Special Reserve - Lieutenant T.M. Lovett, seniority 5th August 1915, employed at a Command School. Thomas Maitland Lovett moved from the Shropshire Yeomanry to become a Regular Army 2nd Lieutenant with the 4th Dragoon Guards, effective 15th August 1914. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28892/page/7004/data.pdf
Special Reserve - Lieutenant J.H. Wickham, seniority 5th August 1915, special appointment.

Of course the Army Monthly List may not have been correctly updated to show other officers serving with the Training Reserve.

Cheers,
Peter

 

 

[PRC]

22 hours ago, tankengine888 said:

B Coy 6th OCB, june 1917

 

New thread created

Cheers,
Peter

[FROGSMILE]

9 hours ago, PRC said:

This is one of the Instructors and looks to be a Lieutenant, or possibly a Captain.

A check of the October 1918 British Army Monthly List shows the following possibles:-

1st Kings Dragoon Guards - https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103118836

Lieutenant W. Langford, seniority 1st July 1917, employed at a School of Instruction. The NA catalogue shows officers long papers for a Captain William Langford, Dragoon Guards.
Special Reserve - Lieutenant R.L. McCollough, seniority 7th January 1917, specially employed. The NA catalogue shows officers long papers for a Captain Roland Lawrence McCollough, Machine Gun Corps.

4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards - https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103118860

Special Reserve - Lieutenant T.M. Lovett, seniority 5th August 1915, employed at a Command School. Thomas Maitland Lovett moved from the Shropshire Yeomanry to become a Regular Army 2nd Lieutenant with the 4th Dragoon Guards, effective 15th August 1914. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28892/page/7004/data.pdf
Special Reserve - Lieutenant J.H. Wickham, seniority 5th August 1915, special appointment.

Of course the Army Monthly List may not have been correctly updated to show other officers serving with the Training Reserve.

Cheers,
Peter

 

 

Good job Peter as ever.  I’ve been squinting at the cap badge for ages.  The collar badge is fairly straightforward and both regiments favoured a star as the jacket insignia.  On balance I think that the cap badge looks more like the King’s Dragoon Guards Prussian Eagle (the Kaiser was honorary colonel in chief), a badge which they eventually had to drop and adopt a star like the collar.  That suggests we have Captain Langford.

NB. Ironically the regiment had just readopted the Eagle in the 1930s when war with Germany began again.  Realising the futility of such gestures they did not bother to change the badge for a second time.

Edited 23 May by FROGSMILE

[TomWW1]

Does anybody need any help identifying soldiers in any postcards? I’m more than willing to help

[gunnerwalker]

Somerset Light Infantry at Wepion, Belgium.

Not the clearest image but would anyone have an idea which regiment the pickelhaube comes from? The chap wearing it wears four overseas service stripes so I imagine this is after the armistice. 

The corporal standing in the back row wears two overseas stripes and a handful of men appear to wear pioneer collar badges. If they are pioneer badges I strongly suspect they are the 2/4th Battalion, first serving in India and Egypt before landing in France in June 1918. In France they attached to the 34th Division as the pioneer battalion and the division was part of the Army of Occupation.

Edited 24 May by gunnerwalker

[poona guard]

They are the 2nd/4th but where is the 34th divisional sign?

[GWF1967]

2 hours ago, poona guard said:

They are the 2nd/4th but where is the 34th divisional sign?

Several are badged as pioneers - 2/4th were (I believe) the only Pioneer Battalion. 

[GWF1967]

Bandsman Joseph John Barker. 10346.   1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 

 Enlisted. 1910 - Aged15 years 3months.  

France - 6/10/1914.    Reported missing, later reported P.O.W, 30/10/1914 -  captured at Ypres, on the day the 1st Battalion was reported to have "practically disappeared".

Arrived at Leith, 14/12/1918.  

[FROGSMILE]

54 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

Bandsman Joseph John Barker. 10346.   1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 

 Enlisted. 1910 - Aged15 years 3months.  

France - 6/10/1914.    Reported missing, later reported P.O.W, 30/10/1914 -  captured at Ypres, on the day the 1st Battalion was reported to have "practically disappeared".

Arrived at Leith, 14/12/1918.  

Oh wow, what a cracking photo, it’s made my week!  May I keep a copy please?  He’s wearing the tunic that was replaced after 1912.  The collar had white piping at its base only after that.

The battalion was virtually wiped out, principally by artillery fire, but also MG in enfilade.  Lt Col Cadogan was killed trying to find and rescue his adjutant.  Barker must have had a fantastic story to tell about his survival.

Edited 25 May by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

2 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

Oh wow, what a cracking photo, it’s made my week!  May I keep a copy please?  

Yes indeed.  
 Many thanks as always for the additional information.  

[FROGSMILE]

Just now, GWF1967 said:

Yes indeed.  
 Many thanks as always for the additional information.  

Thank you Gary.  I only use them for illustrative purposes within the forum. 

[Bob Davies]

4 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

Reported missing, later reported P.O.W, 30/10/1914 -  captured at Ypres,

Thank you for the continued posting of your postcards GWF1967,

Barker is here, it is difficult to screen shot the pages but quite easy to find him in the link.

3 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

Oh wow, what a cracking photo, it’s made my week!  

https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Search/#/3/2/224/4397862/British and Commonwealth/Military/Barker

Left hand panel in the link, look for Barker Royal Welsh Fusi (3)

[FROGSMILE]

21 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

Thank you for the continued posting of your postcards GWF1967,

Barker is here, it is difficult to screen shot the pages but quite easy to find him in the link.

https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Search/#/3/2/224/4397862/British and Commonwealth/Military/Barker

Left hand panel in the link, look for Barker Royal Welsh Fusi (3)

Thanks Bob, I found him 👍 

[Bob Davies]

15 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Thanks Bob, I found him 👍 

PA 504

PA 804

I hope he survived being a POW, a long time to be locked up under such conditions.

[gunnerwalker]

On 25/05/2024 at 16:57, poona guard said:

They are the 2nd/4th but where is the 34th divisional sign?

Perhaps taken when they'd only just joined the battalion and not yet affixed their new insignia?

[gunnerwalker]

One I picked up recently and like rather a lot - 5th Gloucesters at Cheltenham.

I think the sergeant seated centre and looking away from the camera is wearing a Queen Victoria Volunteer Force Long Service Medal, as perhaps is the lance-corporal next to him also with a Queen's South Africa Medal.

By my count among the group there are two each QV Volunteer Force Long Service, Queen's South Africa and Territorial Force Efficiency Medals on show. I also count at least 16 Territorial Proficiency Stars worn in the front two rows alone (and possibly a 17th worn by the man standing far left though hard to see with his hands behind his back and out of focus).

Printed by the Photo Enlarging Company, 463 High Street, Cheltenham.