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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: sandrastocks54 on Saturday 08 April 17 16:02 BST (UK)
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Does anybody know what uniform this chap is wearing please? It looks like it could be a policeman's uniform to me, but I'm no expert.
Photo was taken by J W Berry, of Hudson Street, Rochdale.
Many thanks for any help
Sandra
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Great War period army uniform. Regiment difficult. The shoulder titles could be ending in an A which would suggest one of the Royal Artillery branches. The lanyard on the left shoulder also implies Royal Artillery. He is wearing the ribbon of the 1914 or 1914/15 Star which was authorised to be worn by those who had qualified in 1918/19, so he served before the end of 1915. He has two stripes so a Corporal (Bombardier in the RA after 1920).
maxD
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I would agree with Max. Royal Artillery.
Cheers, Ade,
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Many thanks both of you for your help. You got such a lot of information out of the photo - I'm amazed!
Thanks again
Sandra
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MaxD and Ade
Just wanted to let you know that I think I've identified this chap. I've copied all the photos from the local newspaper for 1914-1919 and having looked through them all I believe this is the person. He is Norman Clayton, a Lance Corporal in the Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment 1/5 Battn. He died in France 5 July 1916 and his medal card shows he was awarded the 1915 Star.
I'm so pleased to have identified him.
Sandra
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Sandra
I thought I had sent an answer yesterday! Sorry but the photo is not of the man you identify. The man in the photo is wearing the ribbon of either the 1914 Star or the 1914-1915 Star, they were the same. The ribbon of the 1914 Star was first available to entitled men to wear from January 1918. The ribbon for the 1914-1915 Star became available almost exactly a year later.
The photo was therefore taken, at the earliest, at the beginning of 1918 but could be up to a year later and onwards. A man who died in 1916, although entitled to the medals, would not be able to wear the ribbon, the medal itself hadn't even been authorised.
The medal ribbon really does clinch it but in addition, the Duke of Wellington's wore a most distinctive shoulder title http://www.britishmilitarybadges.co.uk/Products/duke-of-wellingtons-west-riding-regiment-shoulder-title-9.html nothing like the title on this man who both Ade and I are certain is an artilleryman.
Sorry to pour cold water on your find but I hope the dates will help further.
maxD
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Thanks for your reply. After my last post, I did begin to wonder about the medal ribbon and thought he probably wouldn't have been wearing it if he'd died in 1916, so I'd already poured cold water on my own find.
I think it was the hairstyle and what looks like a lanyard on the newspaper photo that made me think it was the same man, plus Norman Clayton had a connection to my family.
It's possible it was a younger brother, who survived the war, but I don't think I'll be able to prove it.
Many thanks
Sandra
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Just popping in here with a couple of comments!
Yes, I agree with Royal Artillery, and I think it's the Royal Garrison Artillery rather than the Field Artillery because that second letter gives a hint of the open side of a "G".
The buttons on the tunic *might* be showing the crown above the cannon motif of the RA buttons from WW1. (http://britishmilitarybadges.e2ecdn.co.uk/Products/AZFS3787843959_8.jpg?w=547&h=547&quality=85&scale=canvas)
It is very difficult to tell though, unfortunately, but I *think* there's a hint of a central 'circle' with a sort of bar below if you look carefully (or is that 'wishfully'?) at the top and second buttons.
RRTB