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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: WAND on Thursday 16 April 20 20:29 BST (UK)
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Hi
l am trying to discover the uniform that the solider is wearing.
It could be a photo of my grandfather.
He served with King's Royal Rifle Corps, Royal Field Artillery served 26/04/1917 until 18/11/17 France then 19/11/1917 -09/02/1919 Italy.
If anyone can help it would be appreciated, to prove or dismiss the connection.
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There are no distinguishing badges or rank visible on his uniform. What you can say is:
a). he has the ribbons of the British War Medal and the Victory Medal from WW1,
b), his uniform is that of a soldier (as opposed to an officer) from WW2, not WW1. So likely he was in the Home Guard.
c). it might be a trick of the light or my poor eyesight but is there some sort of patch on the bottom third of his epaulette ?
Sorry I cannot be more helpful.
Good luck with your research.
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Many thanks for your reply
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There are no distinguishing badges or rank visible on his uniform. What you can say is:
a). he has the ribbons of the British War Medal and the Victory Medal from WW1,
b), his uniform is that of a soldier (as opposed to an officer) from WW2, not WW1. So likely he was in the Home Guard.
c). it might be a trick of the light or my poor eyesight but is there some sort of patch on the bottom third of his epaulette ?
Sorry I cannot be more helpful.
Good luck with your research.
Yes I see a patch too, though it is not at all clear. Is there something below that, on his sleeve too? :-\
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How old is he? That may help if we have an age expert.
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The sleeve badge could well be half of the formation badge of 4th Indian Division:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30076414
The division order of battle is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4th_Infantry_Division_(India).
Can't make out the epaulette badge but these were also formation insignia - possibly one of the brigades.
The above would suggest a serving soldier so barryd's query about his age will help? Would you like to give his name?
MaxD
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My amateur efforts at making the epaulette badge readable give me two letters which may be a regimental title (RA ????? wishful thinking) Can someone do better with photo manipulation?
MaxD
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Uniform is battle dress so WWII as pointed out. Also he looks too young for WWI.
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Also he looks too young for WWI.
Are they not WW1 medal ribbons?
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Thank you all for your efforts.
My grandfather name is James Ernest Jones born 1886. He enlisted 07/02/1917 age 21
He served with King's Royal Rifle Corps, Royal Field Artillery served 26/04/1917 until 18/11/17 France then 19/11/1917 -09/02/1919 Italy. Transferred to Class Z reserve 11 03 1919 demob 31 03 1920
He re enlisted 01.04.1940 into the Rifle Brigade embodied Territorial Army discharged 15 06 1942
My grandfather passed away many years ago. This photo could be him so l thought l would see if anyone could identify the uniform. l don't have the orginal just a this. l appriecate all the help
So it seems as if it is a uniform from WW2. Grandad did received British War Medal and the Victory Medal from WW1. As of his generation he did not speak of his war. All bar one of his children have passed away. My auntie thinks it is him but she was evacuated for the duration. She was a small child. I have added a picture of him in 1953, to see if anyone thinks they could be the same.
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I think your grandfather is not the soldier.
(noses are different, chins are different, face shapes are different ... I can't see well enough on my monitor to compare ears though.) :)
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I think that you are most likely right but would a solider be allowed to wear WW1 medals on a WW2 uniform.
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I think that you are most likely right but would a solider be allowed to wear WW1 medals on a WW2 uniform.
Definitely - as a ribbon strip.
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It is clear that the query refers to a WW2 uniform and is unlikely to be James Ernest Jones. Do you have any possible candidates for the man?
MaxD
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This might help...I thought the white mark on his left sleeve might be a propeller but I think it is damage.
Carol
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My earlier suggestion that it is the left hand half of the formation sign of 4th Indian division seems to have fallen on stony ground. Here again with a pic this time instead of a link. Note the downward slope of the eagle's head to the left - and yes it does look like a damaged propeller.
Carol - can you do anything with the epaulette patch, there are letters on it.
MaxD
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My earlier suggestion that it is the left hand half of the formation sign of 4th Indian division seems to have fallen on stony ground. Here again with a pic this time instead of a link. Note the downward slope of the eagle's head to the left - and yes it does look like a damaged propeller.
Carol - can you do anything with the epaulette patch, there are letters on it.
MaxD
I think it looks very much like the image of the bird. My one doubt would be that on the sleeve "the thing" comes up as being very pale/white, whereas the bird is red, so I am not sure there would be such a contrast in a black and white photo. :-\
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Being ex-RAF when I saw the uniform and the forage cap I immediately thought that is what is but the fact that there is something on the epaulette makes me think otherwise.
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Carol - can you do anything with the epaulette patch, there are letters on it.
MaxD
I tried but the best option would be a high resolution scan of just the epaulette patch, at about 400 dpi. it could be a K or X ???
Carol
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Good afternoon,
KRRC shoulder flash I would say. Definately KR to start.
John915
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Thank you everyone for the help.
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A bit of a clean for you.
Carol
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I read the epaulet slide as "HG". I can't find a readable example online but I'm sure these were issued for a time with early battledress before the standard "Home Guard" shoulder flashes were available.
I think our man is a First War vet serving in the Home Guard in WW2 - the age and medal ribbons look.
The arm mark is too indistinct to be sure but it could be a formation flash. Did the HG wear these early in the War ?