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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: garethgriffiths on Wednesday 31 July 13 20:20 BST (UK)
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Hello again
I have been passed a photo of my great grandmother in uniform and given her birth year of 1873 I have to assume it is for WW1 as she looks too young for WW2 yet she lived till 1973!
I would like to ask to have the uniform coloured in etc. however the first query is to work out what uniform she is wearing? Is it a nursing organisation and if so what colours are they? What do the rank markings mean too please? Does that look like a cross on her hat badge?
regards Gareth
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It looks like the hat badge of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (F.A.N.Y.) which formed the Women's Transport Service in 1938.
The epaulette bars indicate Lieutenent I think.
Google First Aid Nursing Yeomanry
James
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Thanks James
Lieutenant seems pretty high up the ranks to me from the F.A.N.Y website.
I have emailed them with the image to get further details from their archive people.
regards Gareth
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James
This is the response from the FANY archivist.
Your query has been passed to me by FANY HQ. I can confirm that this uniform is not that of the FANY. I’m afraid I can’t identify it, but I have a feeling it is civil, not military. Perhaps a driver of some kind.
If that is the case then can someone please offer me some recognition of this uniform?
regards Gareth
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One from me.
Regards
em
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Well that is a surprise, The hat badge is almost identical given the angle of the hat, Sorry, perhaps if you post it on to the military board ww2 you may get some response.
All I did was google"Women's Services ww2 badge"
James
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James
Thanks, it does look like a cross to me so I have asked them to reconsider.
Being born 1873 though by 1939 WW2 she would be 66 so it has to be WW1 as she is too young in this photo for 66 I think.
Gareth
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I can't tell you anything about the uniform however I can tell you this isn't WW1.
The style & composition of this is 1930's on.
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This becomes even more confusing then Jim.
Edith Ann Kemp had 2 daughters and this looks far more like Edith than one of them.
From surfing around, I was beginning to wonder if this was V.A.D. voluntary aided detachment (perhaps a nursing detachment)? That was a large organisation in Sunderland in WW1 so as Edith lived in Middlesbrough then that area would have been quite as large there too.
regards Gareth
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I'd have to agree with James, it's looks like F.A.N.Y. C.WW2
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Postulating, if this is her eldest daughter, Edith Millicent Taylor born 1894, then by WW1 say 1919 she would aged 25 and by WW2 say 1939 she would be 45. There are 2 medal index cards for Edith M Taylor from WW1.
One of these was for Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps Regiment (?)
I was inclined to agree with FANY but their archivist said no.
Gareth
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Apart from the uniform you have to look at the photo itself.
This is an advancement of the " cinema photograph " which became popular in the 1920's so called after the stock photos of film stars being sold at that time & this was the style with variations like this into the 1950's. 1920's CF's were genuine B & W with a lot of emphasis on light & shade. This is a softer sepia style which became popular in the 1930's onwards.
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Yes I see where you are coming from now Jim, it does look like that style.
Just wondering now if it may be her cousin from Canada or another cousin in Australia?
The archivist is advising me to check a website at
http://pinterest.com/edwardiangaiety/war-angels-women-of-wwi/
Gareth
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I cannot get a clear view of the badge but it couild possibly be Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps, WWI. The forerunner of WW2's Auxiliary Territorial Service.
Tony
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Well, the FANY archivist is pretty insistent that this is NOT a FANY uniform of any era whatsoever.
regards Gareth
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Well, the FANY archivist is pretty insistent that this is NOT a FANY uniform of any era whatsoever.
regards Gareth
I go along with FANY as the badge has more central design than the FANY badge of the day but I cannot make out the actual design and the only female service circular badge that I can think of, if WWI period, surmounted by a crown is QMAAC.
Tony