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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: taffyapple on Saturday 26 April 08 09:52 BST (UK)

Title: What uniform is this?
Post by: taffyapple on Saturday 26 April 08 09:52 BST (UK)
Can anyone tell me what regiment of the army had this uniform please?

xx
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: PrueM on Saturday 26 April 08 10:21 BST (UK)
Hi taffyapple  :)
I can't help to ID the uniforms, but I changed your pic to a JPEG so that people don't have to download it to view it  :)  Hope you don't mind.

Cheers
Prue
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: taffyapple on Saturday 26 April 08 10:33 BST (UK)
thank you Prue.
How did you do that?

I have a few other photos i'd like help with but they are all pdf (the scanner in the library has settings which can't be changed). If i could change them to jpeg that would be so helpful!!

Clair.

xx
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: PrueM on Saturday 26 April 08 10:39 BST (UK)
Hi taffyapple  :)
You will need a graphics program of some kind - for this kind of simple conversion I just use 'Preview' which is a component of Mac OSX. 
You could ask a question about this on the PHotograph Restoration board, as it depends on what operating system your computer uses, but there's a wide range of software available and the Photo Restorers have tried pretty much all of it!  So they should be able to advise you.

Cheers
Prue
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: Dancing Master on Saturday 26 April 08 10:48 BST (UK)
We will try and find what Regiment but this looks remarkably like barracks in India  (obviously pre 1948 ).   The diamond badges on the pith helmets on the front of  the picture are probably the biggest clue as to what Regiment it is.

This is typical  uniform worn in hot climates by every Regiment so not much of clue from that.

Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: taffyapple on Saturday 26 April 08 10:54 BST (UK)
I have attached another photo - if someone could convert it to jpeg again it might help with the regiment.

Clair.

xx
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: Dancing Master on Saturday 26 April 08 11:04 BST (UK)
taffy  it seems to be one of three possibles,  the badge appears to be The Prince of Wales Feathers which areor were used as cap badges for three Regiments.   See the attached site.  You might be able to narrow it down by linking that cap badge with the diamond on the Pith helmets as there may only be one that has the diamond and the Prince of Wales Feathers. Will look a bit further

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Wales's_feathers
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: taffyapple on Saturday 26 April 08 11:10 BST (UK)
Thanks dancing master.
I will have a look at that now. This might be a stupid question (apologies if it is) but did the place someone lived have any bearing on the regiment they joined?

Clair
xx
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: taffyapple on Saturday 26 April 08 11:20 BST (UK)
I just looked closely at that photo and the one in the middle has a different badge - it doesn't look like the prince of wales feathers. That is the one i'd like to track down if possible.

Sorry.

Clair.

xx
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: Salty on Saturday 26 April 08 12:36 BST (UK)
I think the one in the middle is Royal Artillery and the other two could be either 10th Royal Hussars or The Welsh Regiment. Need a close up scan of the badges to really see the difference.

Salty
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: taffyapple on Saturday 26 April 08 12:40 BST (UK)
thanks Salty.
When the library reopens on monday i'll see if i can get a close up scan of the badge.

Thanks all.

xx
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: scrimnet on Saturday 26 April 08 14:38 BST (UK)
I think the one in the middle is Royal Artillery and the other two could be either 10th Royal Hussars or The Welsh Regiment. Need a close up scan of the badges to really see the difference.

Salty

Actually there are about 4-5 different Regts those x2 could belong to!!! :-\

But yes the scan would be great!!

As for ther first pic...

India pattern helmet better known as a "Cawnpore"

One set short puttees, the rest are Web Anklets (gaiters)

All in KD, 37 ptn Web Belts, but not "Bombay Bloomers"

The Cawnpores have a two colour diamond...I good dig is required on this one!

The CSM (?SSM) is the highest rank...the rest are Cpls and Ptes...Not Sgts or officers...

??1943-4 due to the style of KD shirt...
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: taffyapple on Saturday 26 April 08 14:47 BST (UK)
Thanks Scrimnet - I have attached another photo (forgotten i'd scanned it). It shows the badge slightly better.

Clair.
xx
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: thehibberds on Saturday 26 April 08 14:59 BST (UK)
Thanks dancing master.
I will have a look at that now. This might be a stupid question (apologies if it is) but did the place someone lived have any bearing on the regiment they joined?

Clair
xx

Not a stupid Q at all.

Frequently - but not in the way you might be thinking of - eg Royal Sussex Regt, that the person came from Sussex.  There are and were all sorts of reasons (including defined recruiting areas, which sometimes are very different from what you might imagine from the name of the Regiment) which can mislead and cause confusion.

all the best

David
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: taffyapple on Saturday 26 April 08 15:09 BST (UK)
Thanks David.
The guy in the photos is my grandad. He was Welsh and I was wondering whether he would have been in a particularly Welsh regiment - like the welsh Guards or something.
But from your reply I see that that is not necessarily the case.

Clair,
xx
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: DMCD on Friday 11 July 08 12:19 BST (UK)
I think the one in the middle is Royal Artillery and the other two could be either 10th Royal Hussars or The Welsh Regiment. Need a close up scan of the badges to really see the difference.

Salty

I also would say the guy in the middle (your relative) Is Royal Artillery he is wearing a Landyard on his Uniform which I believe is the colour of the RA

Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: spof on Friday 11 July 08 17:34 BST (UK)
Thanks Scrimnet - I have attached another photo (forgotten i'd scanned it). It shows the badge slightly better.

Clair.
xx

Clair

I've converted this one for you

Glen
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: taffyapple on Friday 11 July 08 17:46 BST (UK)
Thanks Glen for converting the photo for me.
I still haven't been to the library to get a better scan of the badge.
Thanks to all who have helped.

Clair,
xx
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: scrimnet on Friday 11 July 08 21:12 BST (UK)
Oooh sorry this got lost in the depths of my Rootschat answers!! :-[ :-[

That is most deffo a Royal Artillery badge, and yes, a white lanyard is usually seen on Gunners...

I won't regale you all again with the story of white lanyards and Gunners abandonment of guns....It upsets the ex RA lot  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

The uniform is the 1937 pattern with the 1937 Field Service Cap on his shoulder...
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: taffyapple on Saturday 12 July 08 23:08 BST (UK)
Thanks Scrimnett.
So Grampy Doug was in Royal Artillery? Thanks for all your help.
If you wish to regale me with the story of white lanyards I would be very interested (maybe by pm tho if it upsets ex RA's?)

Clair.
xx
Title: Re: What uniform is this?
Post by: scrimnet on Saturday 12 July 08 23:28 BST (UK)
Caveat.....

The following story has been decreed apocryphal by Ex Gunners, and will be denied ad naseum...

But it's the story the infantry tell.... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

The white lanyard was awarded for cowardice in the field, as they abandoned their guns in the face of the enemy...And as the RA's guns are their colours, they   were in big do do...They are the Queens (Kings) colours and as such have been blessed by the sovereign...Ergo the cowardice... ;)