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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 08:56 BST (UK)

Title: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 08:56 BST (UK)
Hello,
I found this photograph in my mum's collection, passed down from her mum, in a box that contains photos mostly from the 1940s, but also a few extending back to the 1910s and forwards to the 1960s.

Unfortunately, there is no writing on the back of the picture, so I don't know who it is.

But he does look rather grand, and with those military bits and pieces that he's wearing, I'm sure somebody here can reveal *something* about him!

So, what do you think?

Thank you!
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: majm on Thursday 16 September 10 09:01 BST (UK)


Was he Lord Louis Mountbatten perhaps ?

Cheers,  JM
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 09:05 BST (UK)
Was he Lord Louis Mountbatten perhaps ?

Judging by the pictures spat out by google, I would say definitely not. :)
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: majm on Thursday 16 September 10 09:06 BST (UK)
Perhaps then Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery  ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Montgomery,_1st_Viscount_Montgomery_of_Alamein
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 09:12 BST (UK)
Perhaps then Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery  ;)

Closer, but no. :)
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: majm on Thursday 16 September 10 09:16 BST (UK)
Can you enlarge the ribbons ... particularly the lower row, especially his far left ... it has interesting "fern" within it

Edit to add ... three "pips" on his shoulder  ;)

Commissioned
•Crown, Pip, Crossed Sabre and Scroll Case, - General     •Crown, Crossed Sabre and Scroll Case, - Lt. General
•Pip, Crossed Sabre and Scroll Case, - Maj. General        •Crown, 3 Pips - Brigadier
•Crown, 2 Pips - Colonel      •Crown, 1 Pip - Lieutenant Colonel     •Crown, - Major[/size]   •3 Pips, - Captain                              •2 Pips, - Lieutenant                          •1 Pip, - 2nd Lieutenant[/size]
JM
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 09:18 BST (UK)
Sorry, I will be able to make it bigger, but not for a few hours.
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 09:23 BST (UK)
Edit to add ... three "pips" on his shoulder  ;)

OK, I'm not very clever at military things. But this wikipedia page...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_officer_rank_insignia
...seems to say Captain or Colonel, and though it's hard to see it doesn't look a crown, so going by the pips, I'd say Captain.
But I'd have thought that the breast bar things make him look much higher than a Captain. Like I said, though, I don't have much clue, so please help me out here!

Edit: Hang on, I can see a crown in it... I can see the curve and cross.
So Colonel?
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: majm on Thursday 16 September 10 09:26 BST (UK)
Could be a younger Monty then  ;)
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 09:29 BST (UK)
Must be!
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: neil1821 on Thursday 16 September 10 10:05 BST (UK)
No, not Monty!

Just by medal ribbons alone, Monty had the 1914 Star and bar (rosette on a distinctive ribbon). He also had a WW1 MID oakleaf, which this chap doesn't have on his VM ribbon.

Sorry
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 10:07 BST (UK)
Yes, I knew that majm was having a laugh. :)
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: km1971 on Thursday 16 September 10 10:36 BST (UK)
Looks like a Colonel on the Staff. The top row has two gallantry/order ribbons with the BWM and VM from WW1. The bottom row has an (inter-war) India General Service 1908-35, 1939-45 Star, unknown star (possibly a Burma Star) and the last one must be a War Medal 1939-45 with a mentioned in dispatches oak-leaf. Although it looks very washed out.

http://www.awardmedals.com/ww2-medals-c-282_257_112.html

Probably his retirement photograph from the late 40s/early 50s.

Ken
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 10:57 BST (UK)
Brilliant!
I'm sure I should be able to figure out who it is in my tree now.

I have two or three candidates. :)
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: ainslie on Thursday 16 September 10 11:34 BST (UK)
Agree with rank of full colonel - crown above two pips.  Headgear seems to be a beret, so probably WW2 or later.  Cap badge not clear, but full colonels usually wore staff insignia, not regimental.
A
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 12:39 BST (UK)
OK, one possibility is that it is this man...
I don't have a better copy of this picture, but I know exactly who it is.
What do you think?
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 12:41 BST (UK)
Here's the original, so you can see them side by side:

(http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=483186.0;id=196535;image)
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Thursday 16 September 10 22:17 BST (UK)
Here's as close as I can go on the medal ribbon thing...

Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: majm on Friday 17 September 10 02:48 BST (UK)
 ;)

I'm no expert but there's similarities ..... nose, shape of ear (although these finish at different lengths to facial features), dimple in chin  and of course the pips on the uniform.   Different shapes of eyes though .... The Photographics board may be able to help confirm if photos are of same person  :P   Here's the link:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/board,298.0.html

 :D

well at least my earlier posts kept the thread fairly prominent  ::)   ::)  ::)

Cheers,  JM
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: Hollander on Friday 17 September 10 02:54 BST (UK)
If they are of the same man, the 'new' photo may be from an earlier period, given lack of medal ribbons, and also fact that he seems to have 3 Bath stars on his epaulettes (Captain), as opposed to Colonel's insignia in first pic.
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: scrimnet on Friday 17 September 10 23:42 BST (UK)
Right then, You have a Full Colonel with Staff Gorgets on his collars...

The "new" pic may well be his father if anything....A captain on the General List, and of a much earlier date.

The General List is for officers not regimenatly employed.

Interesting array of medals...

From left to right...top row...

??? Possibly OBE/BEM ?
Kings Police Medal
WW1 War Medal
WW1 Victory Medal

Bottom Row

General Service Medal 1918-1962
1939-45 Star
Burma Star
The Oak Leaf is for Mentioned In Despatches, and would be worn on the Defence Medal

Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: scrimnet on Friday 17 September 10 23:43 BST (UK)
If they are of the same man, the 'new' photo may be from an earlier period, given lack of medal ribbons, and also fact that he seems to have 3 Bath stars on his epaulettes (Captain), as opposed to Colonel's insignia in first pic.


Stars...Nice... ;D

Officers have stars, oranges have pips!
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: Hollander on Saturday 18 September 10 00:04 BST (UK)
Stars...Nice... ;D

Officers have stars, oranges have pips!

'Twas drummed into my head on a number of occasions, Scrimnet.  ;)
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: fortmap on Monday 20 September 10 08:32 BST (UK)
Thanks for the extra help at the end there, chaps!
Title: Re: What can be said about this mystery military man?
Post by: MEW53 on Saturday 28 January 17 14:34 GMT (UK)
Hi Fortmap,

Was looking through some old posts and was mondering if you worked out who the missing military man was. My great grandmother was a Montgomery and I am still trying to work out her roots. I wondered if it was General Montgomery?
Thanks :)