FROGSMILE Posted 13 July Share Posted 13 July 33 minutes ago, GWF1967 said: Acting Major Frank Stuart Lloyd, 13th Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Born. Eylon House, Wrexham, 1893. Died on 5/9/1917 at 61st Casualty Clearing Station, due to wounds sustained to his leg and hand during enemy shelling on 4/9/1917 5/9/1917. A super quality photo with clear detail of collar badges and buttons visible. Thank you for posting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July Dear All, I acquired this Postcard for four quid from an obscure Dealer at a decades-ago OMRS Convention in London (I was visiting from sw Germany). Tantalizingly inscribed 'Love from Barbe and Clifford', the couple excude middle-class self-confidence. Clifford's wound-stripe can be seen, and the absence of Regtl badges could indicate that he was an Indian Army officer. I hope the GWF members also enjoy this rather poingnant Postcard! Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankengine888 Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July (edited) 14 minutes ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said: Dear All, I acquired this Postcard for four quid from an obscure Dealer at a decades-ago OMRS Convention in London (I was visiting from sw Germany). Tantalizingly inscribed 'Love from Barbe and Clifford', the couple excude middle-class self-confidence. Clifford's wound-stripe can be seen, and the absence of Regtl badges could indicate that he was an Indian Army officer. Perhaps the Rifle Brigade due to lack of collar insignia and black buttons..? I reckon I can just make out then Rifle buttons Then again I might be wrong. Edited 14 July by tankengine888 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July 20 hours ago, Pat Atkins said: Presumably, they’re training for/being trained by the RE Signal Service, given their occupation and the Bedfordshire location? I’m on my phone and can’t make out much detail - so may well be wrong - but cap badges look RE (or REish, as I squint at my phone screen). That does look like a mole the man on our right is holding. Thank you Pat. Yes a mole was my thought too however I cannot see how if could be driven through the ground. Yes they are RE badged and were being trained at the RE Signal Service establishment at Haynes Park. An establishment I am particularly interested in. At least one of the men in my pictures was serving still in WW2 in the Royal Signals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July (edited) 4 hours ago, tankengine888 said: Perhaps the Rifle Brigade due to lack of collar insignia and black buttons..? I reckon I can just make out then Rifle buttons Then again I might be wrong. Well spotted Zidane. Agreed that he is certainly from a regiment styled as Rifles. Either Rifle Brigade, or one of the London Regiment battalions that emulated their style, including without collar badges, such as the London Rifle Brigade (some however, did favour collars as a differential). Edited 14 July by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereoview Paul Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July 5 hours ago, Raster Scanning said: Thank you Pat. Yes a mole was my thought too however I cannot see how if could be driven through the ground. Yes they are RE badged and were being trained at the RE Signal Service establishment at Haynes Park. An establishment I am particularly interested in. At least one of the men in my pictures was serving still in WW2 in the Royal Signals. This would usually be fitted to a mole plough like this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July Dear frogsmile and Zidane, Many thanks, firstly for your kind and plausible suggestions, and secondly for taking the trouble to put me right, as it were...! Yes, I now realise that our Clifford fits better in a Rifles setting, rather than, say, the IA. The calm-looking Barbe was quite possibly his fiancee. A pleasantly comfortable-looking couple. Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July (edited) 31 minutes ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said: Dear frogsmile and Zidane, Many thanks, firstly for your kind and plausible suggestions, and secondly for taking the trouble to put me right, as it were...! Yes, I now realise that our Clifford fits better in a Rifles setting, rather than, say, the IA. The calm-looking Barbe was quite possibly his fiancee. A pleasantly comfortable-looking couple. Kindest regards, Kim. British-Indian Army officers serving on the western front would have looked very similar. Note these Indian cavalry, who also wore no collar badges and favoured dark leather buttons. images courtesy Imperial War Museum. Edited 14 July by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July 12 hours ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said: ...Clifford's wound-stripe can be seen, and the absence of Regtl badges could indicate that he was an Indian Army officer... Kindest regards, Kim. In case you hadn't spotted - he also appears to be sporting a single blue Overseas Service Chevron on his right cuff: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July 54 minutes ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said: The calm-looking Barbe was quite possibly his fiancee. Isn't that a wedding ring she's sporting? Cheers, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sueburden Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July It looks more like a diamond ring (engagement) Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July Hi. I’m new here, thank you for having me. Today in a thrift store in Los Angeles California, I pulled the following postcard from a jacket pocket. I was stunned to find this. It’s very touching… if someone could look into who this soldier’s identity, I would be so honored if any of you can help me. Perhaps it can provide a link in a family’s history. He’s appears dressed in a naval reserve uniform, correct? The address on the bottom reads: To be returned to: (mrs?) King, 30 Spruce Hill Rd Walthamstow. King might be his surname. I can’t understand his rank via the handwriting. There is a mention of ‘killed in’ and then indecipherable. This might be referencing a different soldier. Thanks in advance Tracey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July (edited) 25 minutes ago, TraceyS said: Hi. I’m new here, thank you for having me. Today in a thrift store in Los Angeles California, I pulled the following postcard from a jacket pocket. I was stunned to find this. It’s very touching… if someone could look into who this soldier’s identity, I would be so honored if any of you can help me. Perhaps it can provide a link in a family’s history. He’s appears dressed in a naval reserve uniform, correct? The address on the bottom reads: To be returned to: (mrs?) King, 30 Spruce Hill Rd Walthamstow. King might be his surname. I can’t understand his rank via the handwriting. There is a mention of ‘killed in’ and then indecipherable. This might be referencing a different soldier. Thanks in advance Tracey Dear Hub,(Husband) taken February 20th 1916 at Sheerness - 1 Month after we were married. " Life has not been without it's golden shaft of light.- You bought it dear. - It will stay within my heart, until we meet again". Lt. Comm. (Lieutenant - Commander) J.R. King. R.M.R (Royal Marine Reserve). Killed on Active Service. Joseph R. King - Lieutenant Commander, H.M. Trawler "Marion" Killed. 23rd February 1918. Image from CWGC. Edited 14 July by GWF1967 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July (edited) 1 hour ago, GWF1967 said: Dear Hub,(Husband) taken February 20th 1916 at Sheerness - 1 Month after we were married. " Life has not been without it's golden shaft of light.- You bought it dear. - It will stay within my heart, until we meet again". Lt. Comm. (Lieutenant - Commander) J.R. King. R.M.R (Royal Marine Reserve). Killed on Active Service. Joseph R. King - Lieutenant Commander, H.M. Trawler "Marion" Killed. 23rd February 1918. Image from CWGC. A poignant story and an amazing place for it to be found. I would add that I think the first line can be interpreted as [My] Dear Hub…. And I think she meant to write RNR rather than RMR, matching the Royal Naval Reserve status that you mentioned. I live in a fishing port and I recall seeing a memorial here concerning a lot of fishing trawlers taken into naval service during WW1 (and then again in WW2) to act as auxiliary minesweepers and that it was largely Royal Naval Reserve officers and ratings who crewed the vessels. Lots of them were ex fishermen fishing for something far more deadly than Cod. Many of the trawlers so employed were lost to mines and other enemy action. See also: 1.https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/275010-minesweeping-trawler-crew/ 2.https://fishingnews.co.uk/features/the-kaisers-war-mines-and-zeppelins-a-trawlermans-reminiscences-part-7/ A tragic outcome, I wonder if the lady concerned subsequently emigrated to the USA. Perhaps they had a child and she later went to join him/her there. Edited 14 July by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July Dear All, I read it differently - that Lt Joseph King sent his 1916 portrait to his wife of one month. Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 July Share Posted 14 July (edited) 9 minutes ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said: Dear All, I read it differently - that Lt Joseph King sent his 1916 portrait to his wife of one month. Kindest regards, Kim. You mean the writing is not his on the back then, as ‘Dear Hub’ certainly implies a greeting from wife about her husband? The whole context of the written dialogue implies a woman writing about her husband. Edited 14 July by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS Posted 15 July Share Posted 15 July Hub = husband, of course! Brilliant! Maybe she wrote the original, he had it on him or in his pack. The navy returned it to her after he passed. I believe there might be 2 different handwritings. Yes the writing is on the back of the photo. The really odd thing about this was the coat was a contemporary women’s blazer. Looked close to never worn. what a great forum this is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankengine888 Posted 15 July Share Posted 15 July (edited) 7 hours ago, TraceyS said: I was stunned to find this. It’s very touching… if someone could look into who this soldier’s identity, I would be so honored if any of you can help me. Perhaps it can provide a link in a family’s history. He’s appears dressed in a naval reserve uniform, correct? The address on the bottom reads: To be returned to: (mrs?) King, 30 Spruce Hill Rd Walthamstow. King might be his surname. I can’t understand his rank via the handwriting. There is a mention of ‘killed in’ and then indecipherable. This might be referencing a different soldier. Further information, if of interest. This is his probate- misbranded as a member of HMS Egmont (Courtesy Ancestry) Born September 7th, 1886 in Walthamstow. Married one Kathleen Towl on December 31st 1914 in Essex. He had 2 children; both daughters. Interestingly, one was born in October 1918, 8 months after his death.. the date of the photograph does not add up.. Kathleen was living at 68 Spruce Hills Roads, Walthamstow per 1911 census. Following Lt-Cdr Joseph King's death, his wife Kathleen married Percy Wood in 1924, etc etc, died November 24th, 1980 in Bradford, Yorkshire. Edited 15 July by tankengine888 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 15 July Share Posted 15 July 1 hour ago, tankengine888 said: one was born in October 1918, 8 months after his death.. the date of the photograph does not add up.. Why not Zidane? George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankengine888 Posted 15 July Share Posted 15 July (edited) 2 minutes ago, George Rayner said: Why not Zidane? George The birth adds up, I rather refer to the photograph Photo is dated Feb 1916, said to be taken 1 month after they were married.. but I find a marriage record from Oct 1914 Edited 15 July by tankengine888 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 15 July Share Posted 15 July Apologies George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 15 July Share Posted 15 July 17 minutes ago, tankengine888 said: but I find a marriage record from Oct 1914 I've got a slightly later date in 1914 courtesy Ancestry Name Joseph Ralph King Gender Male Marriage Age 28 Birth Date abt 1886 Marriage Date 31 Dec 1914 Marriage Place Walthamstow, St Mary the Virgin, Essex, England Father Joseph Edward King Spouse Kathleen Towl George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankengine888 Posted 15 July Share Posted 15 July 1 minute ago, George Rayner said: I've got a slightly later date in 1914 courtesy Ancestry Name Joseph Ralph King Gender Male Marriage Age 28 Birth Date abt 1886 Marriage Date 31 Dec 1914 Marriage Place Walthamstow, St Mary the Virgin, Essex, England Father Joseph Edward King Spouse Kathleen Towl George Sleep deprivation, I assure you... However the point still remains.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 15 July Share Posted 15 July Absolutely-not disputing the base fact George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 15 July Share Posted 15 July (edited) 8 hours ago, TraceyS said: Hub = husband, of course! Brilliant! Maybe she wrote the original, he had it on him or in his pack. The navy returned it to her after he passed. I believe there might be 2 different handwritings. Yes the writing is on the back of the photo. The really odd thing about this was the coat was a contemporary women’s blazer. Looked close to never worn. what a great forum this is! With two daughters (see post immediately below yours) it seems there’s a good chance there’ll be some surviving family. I do wonder if one of the daughters emigrated stateside, as the circumstances of your find seem to make that a probability. Perhaps some genealogical sleuthing can indeed trace them. Edited 15 July by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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