Lynns Waffles Posted 5 July Share Posted 5 July I have this rather battered old Military photo in my old photos collection, could anyone help with more information about it or even recognise anyone? A longshot I know, and also would anyone like it for their collection? I have been told it's the Royal Engineers but that's all I know. No printing or writing on the back. Many thanks, Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Bob Davies Posted 5 July Admin Share Posted 5 July 7 hours ago, Lynns Waffles said: I have this rather battered old Military photo in my old photos collection, could anyone help with more information about it or even recognise anyone? A longshot I know, and also would anyone like it for their collection? I have been told it's the Royal Engineers but that's all I know. No printing or writing on the back. Many thanks, Lynn Welcome to the 'GWF' Lynn, thank you for posting your picture. To my eye they do look to be Royal Engineers, later in the war I feel, due to the caps that they are wearing and some of the insignia they have on their uniforms. Long service and good conduct stripes on their left hand lower sleeves and overseas chevrons on their lower right sleeves. The Sapper seated on the plank on the ground far left, is showing both of these clearly. The Sapper seated EDIT; on the plank on the ground far right, may be wearing a wound stripe on his lower left sleeve, however it may be something else? @FROGSMILE may be able to tell you more if I may call upon his expertise please also if I may ask for @CorporalPunishment s opinion please? Regards, Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynns Waffles Posted 5 July Author Share Posted 5 July Thank you so much Bob, anything extra I can find out is excellent, much appreciated. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Bob Davies Posted 5 July Admin Share Posted 5 July 5 minutes ago, Lynns Waffles said: Thank you so much Bob, anything extra I can find out is excellent, much appreciated. Lynn Happy to help Lynn. The fact that they are wearing caps means that either they are in a rear area, well away from shell or rifle fire so no need for 'tin hats'. Or it is after the armistice. Or it is before the issue of 'tin hats' which was late 1915 when they first were issued on a limited basis, or early mid 1916 when all the troops were issued them. The two tree stumps behind them could be battle damaged and possibly sprouting new growth? Hard to tell really. Most of the soldiers are wearing shoulder titles on their epaulets. In the case of the Royal Engineers, I believe they were brass capital letters RE. Screenshot courtesy of Google. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 5 July Share Posted 5 July (edited) 7 hours ago, Lynns Waffles said: I have this rather battered old Military photo in my old photos collection, could anyone help with more information about it or even recognise anyone? A longshot I know, and also would anyone like it for their collection? I have been told it's the Royal Engineers but that's all I know. No printing or writing on the back. Many thanks, Lynn They are indeed all Royal Engineers Lynn. I think it’s what we sometimes describe a ‘survivors photo’ where there’s evidence or a perception that it’s close to the end of the war. Usually the men are quite cheerful looking as seems the case here, but there’s also evidence via some small inverted chevrons known as overseas service stripes that were issued in the last year of the war and worn on the right lower sleeve. One stripe was awarded for each year commenced overseas (from the U.K.) during the war. The soft caps the men are wearing were issued in 1917 so that too is visual evidence. I’d date the image to 1918, though whether before or after the German’s Spring Offensive of that year that caused so many casualties I do not know. Edited 5 July by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynns Waffles Posted 6 July Author Share Posted 6 July Good morning @Bob Davies& @FROGSMILE huge thanks for all the help and extra information, it’s good to understand the photo more. If you know of anyone that might like to have the photo, I’m happy to part with it. Many thanks again, Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 6 July Share Posted 6 July (edited) 1 hour ago, Lynns Waffles said: Good morning @Bob Davies& @FROGSMILE huge thanks for all the help and extra information, it’s good to understand the photo more. If you know of anyone that might like to have the photo, I’m happy to part with it. You can always email me at lynnswaffles@gmail.com Many thanks again, Lynn Unfortunately it’s a very battered photo, Lynn, and without any hint of which exact unit, so I can’t think of any place to recommend donating it really. The absence of any field equipment (helmets, etc.) suggests to me that it was probably taken at home in the U.K. although I suppose it’s not impossible it might be somewhere at ‘the Base’ (a large administrative area stretching across the channel ports and surrounding area in France). The RE Museum at Chattenden will already have many WW1 images. I take it there’s no family connection with it for you? Edited 6 July by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynns Waffles Posted 6 July Author Share Posted 6 July (edited) Thanks, no connection to me, I collect old photos & buy far too many. I share them on social media & blog about them too on lynnswaffles.com Some I manage to get back to their families which is great, but I sometimes buy others like this just so it doesn’t get lost or thrown away if it doesn’t sell. I just hate the thought of that just because it’s not in the best condition. Lynn Edited 6 July by Lynns Waffles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 6 July Share Posted 6 July 1 minute ago, Lynns Waffles said: Thanks, no connection to me, I collect old photos & buy far too many. I share them on social media & blog about them too on lynnswaffles.com Some I manage to get back to their families which is great, but I sometimes buy others like this just so it doesn’t get lost or thrown away if it doesn’t sell. I just hate the thought of that just because it’s not in the best condition. Lynn I completely understand and sympathise with your sentiment. I think I’ve engaged with you before in the “Lynnswaffles” blog, where you inquired about some old Royal Artillery photos if I recall correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Bob Davies Posted 6 July Admin Share Posted 6 July On 05/07/2024 at 21:46, FROGSMILE said: They are indeed all Royal Engineers Lynn. I think it’s what we sometimes describe a ‘survivors photo’ where there’s evidence or a perception that it’s close to the end of the war. Usually the men are quite cheerful looking as seems the case here, but there’s also evidence via some small inverted chevrons known as overseas service stripes that were issued in the last year of the war and worn on the right lower sleeve. One stripe was awarded for each year commenced overseas (from the U.K.) during the war. The soft caps the men are wearing were issued in 1917 so that too is visual evidence. I’d date the image to 1918, though whether before or after the German’s Spring Offensive of that year that caused so many casualties I do not know. Thank you FROGSMILE for coming to our aid, your knowledge and help is appreciated. 15 hours ago, Lynns Waffles said: Good morning @Bob Davies& @FROGSMILE huge thanks for all the help and extra information, it’s good to understand the photo more. If you know of anyone that might like to have the photo, I’m happy to part with it. Many thanks again, Lynn Lynn, I have removed your e mail address, it is not good practice to share that on a public forum. Thank you for offering the picture, I believe that it needs to be saved and placed somewhere so that future generations can view it, no matter what condition it is in. Please hold onto it, until you can find a home for it. @GWF1967 will this fit into your collection? Regards, Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 6 July Share Posted 6 July 15 hours ago, Lynns Waffles said: I sometimes buy others like this just so it doesn’t get lost or thrown away . Lynn 48 minutes ago, Bob Davies said: @GWF1967 will this fit into your collection? Regards, Bob. Yes, I’d like to offer a home for the postcard if it’s still on offer Lynn. I’ve managed to identify more than a few cards when a duplicate image has appeared for sale online. Many thanks for the tag Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynns Waffles Posted 7 July Author Share Posted 7 July On 06/07/2024 at 09:15, FROGSMILE said: I completely understand and sympathise with your sentiment. I think I’ve engaged with you before in the “Lynnswaffles” blog, where you inquired about some old Royal Artillery photos if I recall correctly. I expect that is very likely as I'm not usually a collector of Military old photos and really need help when I do get any, despite the fact that I have bought a reference book, I'm not confident in anything I find at all, best to leave it to the experts. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Atkins Posted 7 July Share Posted 7 July It’s a small thing re dating the postcard, but in the background are two pollarded trees: if it were, say, between May and late October-ish you’d expect them to be in fairly full leaf, which they are not (at least not that I can tell). They do have a year’s growth of shoots, though; they haven’t been recently pollarded. So I’d guess at a winter/early Spring date for the photo, despite the sun and the lack of warm clothing on show (October brought bad weather to NW Europe in 1918, it seems: https://www.jstor.org/stable/7015?seq=1 Pollarding was (and is) more common in France than the UK, though I doubt that’s meaningful in this case to be honest. I’m also fairly sure I’ve seen images of pollarded trees in N Italy in WW1; here’s a (very) wild surmise, then: might this have been taken in Italy before British forces were switched back to France? I suspect we’ll never know cheers, Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynns Waffles Posted 7 July Author Share Posted 7 July 11 hours ago, Bob Davies said: Thank you FROGSMILE for coming to our aid, your knowledge and help is appreciated. Lynn, I have removed your e mail address, it is not good practice to share that on a public forum. Thank you for offering the picture, I believe that it needs to be saved and placed somewhere so that future generations can view it, no matter what condition it is in. Please hold onto it, until you can find a home for it. @GWF1967 will this fit into your collection? Regards, Bob. Hi Bob, that's very kind of you but it is my public email address so would have been ok, I get lots of emails from families whose photos I write about so I had to have one. I shall hang onto it no worries. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynns Waffles Posted 7 July Author Share Posted 7 July 10 hours ago, GWF1967 said: Yes, I’d like to offer a home for the postcard if it’s still on offer Lynn. I’ve managed to identify more than a few cards when a duplicate image has appeared for sale online. Many thanks for the tag Bob. Oh, that's wonderful, I'm glad it will have found a good home. let me know your address then I will post it off to you. Lynn 35 minutes ago, Pat Atkins said: It’s a small thing re dating the postcard, but in the background are two pollarded trees: if it were, say, between May and late October-ish you’d expect them to be in fairly full leaf, which they are not (at least not that I can tell). They do have a year’s growth of shoots, though; they haven’t been recently pollarded. So I’d guess at a winter/early Spring date for the photo, despite the sun and the lack of warm clothing on show (October brought bad weather to NW Europe in 1918, it seems: https://www.jstor.org/stable/7015?seq=1 Pollarding was (and is) more common in France than the UK, though I doubt that’s meaningful in this case to be honest. I’m also fairly sure I’ve seen images of pollarded trees in N Italy in WW1; here’s a (very) wild surmise, then: might this have been taken in Italy before British forces were switched back to France? I suspect we’ll never know cheers, Pat Fascinating extra information, thanks so much for that Pat. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Bob Davies Posted 7 July Admin Share Posted 7 July Hello @Lynns Waffles and @GWF1967, please use the Personal Message system to communicate with each other. Much safer that way. Regards, Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynns Waffles Posted 7 July Author Share Posted 7 July 1 hour ago, Bob Davies said: Hello @Lynns Waffles and @GWF1967, please use the Personal Message system to communicate with each other. Much safer that way. Regards, Bob. Thanks so much Bob, hadn't realised there was one, newbie! Will find & do it now. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynns Waffles Posted 7 July Author Share Posted 7 July 3 minutes ago, Lynns Waffles said: Thanks so much Bob, hadn't realised there was one, newbie! Will find & do it now. Lynn Done, thank you Bob. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Bob Davies Posted 7 July Admin Share Posted 7 July 2 hours ago, Lynns Waffles said: Done, thank you Bob. Lynn Thank you Lynn, please accept my apologies, I should have made my self a bit clearer before my last post. Best Wishes, Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynns Waffles Posted 8 July Author Share Posted 8 July Hi Bob. No worries at all it's me learning about your excellent forum, I shall get to grips with it eventually! I expect I'll be a bit better next time. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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