sgmcgregor Posted 25 January , 2011 Share Posted 25 January , 2011 Hello everyone, I've got a photograph of a William Bartlett who served as a Sapper during World War 1. The photograph was taken circa 1911 in Golspie or Wick, in Scotland. I know William served as a Sapper during World War 1 - a couple of newspaper articles confirm this, and William was injured during WW1 - he died in 1922, supposedly from wounds sustained during the war. However, the uniform he was wearing at the time of the family portrait does not appear to be a Sapper's unifrom. There appears to be a medical insignia on the sleeve - a red cross?! Can anyone help to unravel this mystery? I don't know whether he was a Territorial in Wick, Caithness, before enlisting, but I know he had a couple of brothers who were. Any help much appreciated. Kind Regards, Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 25 January , 2011 Share Posted 25 January , 2011 Hello everyone, I've got a photograph of a William Bartlett who served as a Sapper during World War 1. The photograph was taken circa 1911 in Golspie or Wick, in Scotland. I know William served as a Sapper during World War 1 - a couple of newspaper articles confirm this, and William was injured during WW1 - he died in 1922, supposedly from wounds sustained during the war. However, the uniform he was wearing at the time of the family portrait does not appear to be a Sapper's unifrom. There appears to be a medical insignia on the sleeve - a red cross?! Can anyone help to unravel this mystery? I don't know whether he was a Territorial in Wick, Caithness, before enlisting, but I know he had a couple of brothers who were. Any help much appreciated. Kind Regards, Steven The red cross was worn as an insignia above chevrons (stripes) on both arms by NCOs of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). Regimental stretcher bearers wore an armband with the letters SB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 25 January , 2011 Share Posted 25 January , 2011 Looks RAMC to me TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgmcgregor Posted 25 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 25 January , 2011 Thank you for your replies, I know that one of the brothers - John Bartlett - went to Canada in 1912. His wife and children followed him out in June 1914. I assumed the photograph was taken before he left, therefore about 1911. I have newspaper articles about William Bartlett, and he was wounded as a Sapper during World War 1. Therefore it is very interesting to find that he may have been RAMC. Unfortunately I haven't found his records yet, but this may have been because I wasn't looking at RAMC records. I will go back to this and hopefully find some solution. Thank you all so much for your help. Kind Regards, Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 25 January , 2011 Share Posted 25 January , 2011 Thank you for your replies, I know that one of the brothers - John Bartlett - went to Canada in 1912. His wife and children followed him out in June 1914. I assumed the photograph was taken before he left, therefore about 1911. I have newspaper articles about William Bartlett, and he was wounded as a Sapper during World War 1. Therefore it is very interesting to find that he may have been RAMC. Unfortunately I haven't found his records yet, but this may have been because I wasn't looking at RAMC records. I will go back to this and hopefully find some solution. Thank you all so much for your help. Kind Regards, Steven If the photo was taken before 1918 it is significant that he is wearing medal ribbons that might well refer to the second Boer War in South Africa (1899-1902), so it might be then that he was a sapper in that war and then as an older man taken into the RAMC as a more suitable unit in 1914. He certainly looks older than average in the photograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgmcgregor Posted 26 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 26 January , 2011 Thanks again for your help, I've been rethinking the date of the first photograph of William that I posted. It was cropped from a family portrait of all the Bartletts, and I assumed it was taken before John had left for Canada. However, my great-grandfather is in the picture in his uniform - he was 1/5 Seaforth Highlanders - and he has sergeant's stripes. I do know that he didn't attain this rank until later in the war. So, it may be that the photograph was taken toward the end of WW1, or after. Maybe the brother in Canada came back to visit the family after the war was over - so the picture could be 1918 to 1922. I've attached another image of William - this shows him in what may be a different uniform. It was obtained from an old issue of a local newspaper, so the quality isn't great. Maybe it can help identify other possibilities. Regards, Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 26 January , 2011 Share Posted 26 January , 2011 Thanks again for your help, I've been rethinking the date of the first photograph of William that I posted. It was cropped from a family portrait of all the Bartletts, and I assumed it was taken before John had left for Canada. However, my great-grandfather is in the picture in his uniform - he was 1/5 Seaforth Highlanders - and he has sergeant's stripes. I do know that he didn't attain this rank until later in the war. So, it may be that the photograph was taken toward the end of WW1, or after. Maybe the brother in Canada came back to visit the family after the war was over - so the picture could be 1918 to 1922. I've attached another image of William - this shows him in what may be a different uniform. It was obtained from an old issue of a local newspaper, so the quality isn't great. Maybe it can help identify other possibilities. Regards, Steven This makes more sense now Steven. The head and shoulders shot is a man in the Royal Engineers (RE). From what you have said the earlier photo was probably in 1919 and he had at some point transferred to the RAMC, perhaps after being wounded and no longer fit for RE service, although that is purely supposition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 26 January , 2011 Share Posted 26 January , 2011 mind you, I have seen photos of men cap-badged not as ramc with the RAMC Geneva Cross ...... shouldn't be so, but ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 26 January , 2011 Share Posted 26 January , 2011 mind you, I have seen photos of men cap-badged not as ramc with the RAMC Geneva Cross ...... shouldn't be so, but ......... Yes, I had thought that might be the case, but on the balance of probability (in that it was not 'common') I thought it best at this stage not to confuse the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 26 January , 2011 Share Posted 26 January , 2011 Seem to be two threads going on this now: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=159008&st=0&p=1538618&hl=orthochromatic&fromsearch=1entry1538618 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 27 January , 2011 Share Posted 27 January , 2011 Seem to be two threads going on this now: http://1914-1918.inv...1 Thanks, look's like we're wasting our time then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgmcgregor Posted 1 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2011 Hello everyone, I had also posted to the "Soldiers" message board. I wasn't sure which board was the correct one, hence the two posts. I didn't mean to waste anyone's time, but I have received wonderful responses in both groups, and everyone has been so helpful. I will let this thread stop, but if anyone wants to follow the discussion they can do in the other message thread. Thank you everyone for your help, and sorry for the mis-step in etiquette. Kind Regards, Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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