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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Martinjubb on Wednesday 17 November 21 21:16 GMT (UK)

Title: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Martinjubb on Wednesday 17 November 21 21:16 GMT (UK)
I have been sent a photograph by a relative found during the house clearance of a Grandaunt of mine. It was in the form of a postcard. On the rear was written "From daddy with lots of love" it was assumed that it would be my Great-Grandfather but it is nothing like the other photos we have of him.
My Great-Grandfather was in the ASC and this uniform does not match.
Can anyone identify the uniform in the attached photo
Thanks
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: NSWP on Thursday 18 November 21 02:14 GMT (UK)
I will have an educated guess, Royal Marines? Tropical uniform not an Army Service Corps cap badge, hard to identify even magnified.   But the star on the box on left? Jewish connection?

To view the entire photo click and open the image reference bottom of photo.
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: tonepad on Thursday 18 November 21 06:40 GMT (UK)
Palestine Police?

https://www.britishmilitarybadges.co.uk/products/palestinian-british-colonial-palestine-police-force-cap-badge-1.html


Tony
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Martinjubb on Thursday 18 November 21 08:53 GMT (UK)
The only other family member it could be is my Grandfather. I don't know much about his service as an aunt has the details and for some reason is less than forthcoming with info. He served in WW2 in India and Burma. He road motorcycles and was a radio operator. I don't have any other information. The photo may be him but the Star is a mystery
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: tonepad on Thursday 18 November 21 10:16 GMT (UK)
Can you post an image of the back of the postcard?
Any printing on the back to indicate where the photo was taken?


Tony
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Martinjubb on Thursday 18 November 21 10:44 GMT (UK)
Rear of card
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 18 November 21 10:58 GMT (UK)
Possibly Palestine Police

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_Police_Force
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: NSWP on Friday 19 November 21 00:52 GMT (UK)
I tend to agree with others now, British Palestine Police.

Below is the cap badge..
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Martinjubb on Friday 19 November 21 19:03 GMT (UK)
Dose anyone think it could be a Royal Signals Corps Uniform. My Grandad was a radio operator in the east in WW2 and its possible he was in the RSC.
The badge is attached
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Martinjubb on Friday 19 November 21 19:11 GMT (UK)
Try this
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Martinjubb on Friday 19 November 21 19:31 GMT (UK)
On another forum someone had posted a photograph of a relative returning from India after WW2 and was Royal Signals.

There are a lot of similarities
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: tonepad on Saturday 20 November 21 07:05 GMT (UK)
The Shirt above is not identical to the original post which has Pleated Pockets on a Tunic.
The original post also has metal Shoulder Titles.
The Cap on the original post is also unusual being a lighter colour on top.


Tony
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: NSWP on Sunday 21 November 21 02:46 GMT (UK)
The cap badge is the key, I still think Palestine Police.
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Martinjubb on Sunday 21 November 21 09:15 GMT (UK)
Thank you for all the reply's and help.

As I have mentioned the photo was found in a stack of photos belonging to my Grandaunt. It is not her husband or his father so is probably her side.
Her Father fought in WW1 and his full record and medal card survive and we also have photographs of him so we know it was not him as he was ASC in Belgium and France 1914-1919. He died before WW2.
The next option is WW2 and my Grandaunts brother's and brother in law. One was Canadian air force so not him the other was RAF from 1940 and not him.
That leaves my Grandfather "Percival Sidney Jubb 31 MAR 1915". He was a radio operator in India and Burma. That is all we know so far. He never spoke about it, but I remember he was always sat next to his ham radio talking to other people around the world.
My Aunt is going through her  papers to see if we can find anything to help.
I am going to get my father to request his record and see what it reveals.(in a years time by the sound of others applications)
Of course there is always the option of it not being anyone in my family and just a random photo.


Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Martinjubb on Sunday 21 November 21 09:29 GMT (UK)
The Shirt above is not identical to the original post which has Pleated Pockets on a Tunic.

Tony
I have been looking at photos on the Royals Signals Archive and the pockets were pleated
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: tonepad on Sunday 21 November 21 09:34 GMT (UK)
Would usually date the Postcard format and the studio style in the photo as being WW1 era rather than WW2.

Other Rootchatters may comment on the dating of the photo


Tony
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: MaecW on Wednesday 24 November 21 21:55 GMT (UK)
Note that the subject has no medal ribbons which might suggest that the photo was taken at least a few years after WW1 and before mid-WW2.This tends to fit with the observation about the style of the studio background,
The cap doesn't look like the peaked cap worn by interwar other ranks and I can't find any evidence that the Royal Signals had a coloured hat-band in that period.
Even ignoring the apparent Star of David on the studio prop, my immediate reaction was "Police" and, as others have observed, the Palestine Police does seem the most likely.
Maec
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Treetotal on Wednesday 24 November 21 22:38 GMT (UK)
Would usually date the Postcard format and the studio style in the photo as being WW1 era rather than WW2.

Other Rootchatters may comment on the dating of the photo


Tony

I believe this to be a WW1 postcard photo taken after 1916 when the white border was introduced for economy of ink.

Carol

Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: ShaunJ on Wednesday 24 November 21 23:11 GMT (UK)
I'm not sure it's a UK postcard - it seems unlikely - so difficult to date. looking at the photo I would say 1930's-1940's.
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Treetotal on Thursday 25 November 21 16:03 GMT (UK)
I bow to your superior knowledge on Military Dress Shaun, but, in my opinion, the studio backdrop doesn't fit with the 30s/40s style of photography.

I have corrected the perspective and given it a clean.
Carol
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 25 November 21 16:08 GMT (UK)
Quote
the studio backdrop doesn't fit with the 30s/40s style of photography.

Perhaps they were a bit behind the times in Palestine
Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Martinjubb on Friday 26 November 21 09:24 GMT (UK)
I bow to your superior knowledge on Military Dress Shaun, but, in my opinion, the studio backdrop doesn't fit with the 30s/40s style of photography.

I have corrected the perspective and given it a clean.
Carol
Thank you for doing the corrections and clean.
I have attached a confirmed photo of my grandfather during WW2 and although there are some similarities i am not sure if it is him.

In a few weeks i can show it to my father as he was sent a lot of photos by his father during the second world war and would be able to say if it is him.

If not then we probably will never find out as we didn't have any family in Palestine or any Jewish connections

I still think the badge is Royal Signals not Palestine Police but that's just my opinion and I would not have been able to come to that conclusion without everyone's help.

Martin


Title: Re: Another Uniform identification
Post by: Martinjubb on Thursday 23 December 21 13:38 GMT (UK)
I went to visit my father yesterday, and took a few photos to identify of different family members.
As soon as he saw this photo he said it was his father, and that his mum had a copy on display.

That means that it is likely to be Royal Signals, and taken in Lahore where he was stationed during second world war.
He did spend some time in Mombasa on route as the ship broke down.
He spent the whole war in India