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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Jamie_W75 on Friday 09 September 16 23:29 BST (UK)

Title: Uniform identification please
Post by: Jamie_W75 on Friday 09 September 16 23:29 BST (UK)
Hi,

Can anyone identify which regiment this gentleman might belong to? It says 'Shahen Alexandria' on a cropped part of the photograph if that's of any help?

regards
Jamie  :)

(https://s15.postimg.org/npum8rajv/img322.jpg)

(https://s15.postimg.org/s9p6vx8qj/badge_close_up.jpg)
Title: Re: Uniform identification please
Post by: ScouseBoy on Saturday 10 September 16 00:01 BST (UK)
He may have been in the Indian Army,   and been serving in the City of Alexandria?
Title: Re: Uniform identification please
Post by: RRTB on Saturday 10 September 16 00:52 BST (UK)
According to what I can find out about Shahen, this was a company (Shahen and Co) based in Alexandria. There is at least one pictorial example of a soldier and his family on a photographic postcard with the identifying stamp of Shahen & Co. The info can be found here: http://www.archhistory.co.uk/taca/forgottenfaces.html

The relevant picture is third from bottom of the page.

RRTB
Title: Re: Uniform identification please
Post by: alan o on Monday 12 September 16 13:45 BST (UK)
It is without doubt not the Indian army; but the Royal Berkshire Regiment.  The collar badge is of a Chinese dragon.
Title: Re: Uniform identification please
Post by: jess5athome on Monday 12 September 16 14:22 BST (UK)
Quote from: alan o on Monday 12 September 16 13:45 BST (UK)
It is without doubt not the Indian army; but the Royal Berkshire Regiment.  The collar badge is of a Chinese dragon.


Agreed, just for clarification.

http://britishmilitarybadges.e2ecdn.co.uk/Products/109fg8gjhg8929_5.jpg?w=547&h=547&quality=85&scale=canvas

and

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OGhWQp2LTbE/T2rkpSwDwNI/AAAAAAAAElY/I1JvRZDIxZc/s1600/Royal_Berkshire_Regiment_Badge.jpg

Frank.
Title: Re: Uniform identification please
Post by: RRTB on Monday 12 September 16 15:24 BST (UK)
Wow, nice one, Alan!

RRTB
Title: Re: Uniform identification please
Post by: Jamie_W75 on Wednesday 14 September 16 18:10 BST (UK)
Thank you so much for the responses, hopefully this goes some way to helping me identify this gentleman. :-)
Title: Re: Uniform identification please
Post by: MaxD on Thursday 15 September 16 16:33 BST (UK)
Is the 1920 plus time frame about right?  None of the Royal Berkshire battalions were in Egypt in the Great War but 1st Battalion were sent to Iraq in 1920 and then India in 1921 making a stop-over in Egypt a possibility.

maxD
Title: Re: Uniform identification please
Post by: Jebber on Thursday 15 September 16 16:47 BST (UK)
2nd/4th Battalion were in Egypt from May 1919 until September 1919, sent to guard Turkish POWs and help with civil unrest.

Jebber
Title: Re: Uniform identification please
Post by: MaxD on Thursday 15 September 16 17:18 BST (UK)
Makes two possibilities then.

maxD
Title: Re: Uniform identification please
Post by: alan o on Friday 16 September 16 15:18 BST (UK)
I would say that he is a post war Regular soldier.  the standard of turnout, the presence of metal BERKSHIRE shoulder titles and the collar badges are the clues.

If he was early war TF then he would have TF titles- late war would be cloth titles and mid- 1919 would probably still be slip-on cloth.

Collar badge wear was a bit haphazard before 1914 and during the war; but standard for post 1920.