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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: extattiehowker on Sunday 09 April 23 13:32 BST (UK)
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Hi fellow detectives.
I have a great Uncle in this picture at a wedding presumably in 1920s or 1930s with a chap in Uniform with 2 stripes so a corporal but what is the uniform army? Airforce? help please!!
Jim
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Royal Airforce.
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I'm not an expert, but my first thought was RAF too.
Also, my general impression is that it's more like the 1950s (or late 40s?) than the 1920s or 30s that you suggested, but I haven't done any detailed comparison with photo dating guides.
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I agree that the uniform is RAF, and would suggest that the photo is late 1940s due to the medal ribbon bar on the man's uniform.
Best wishes
Rockford
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I'd agree with RAF corporal and late 40s or early 50s RAF by the medal ribbons. I can't quite make them out but I think they are probably mostly WW2 campaign and general service medals inclding the 1939-45 Star. One may be the Air Crew Europe Star.
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Hi Folks
Thanks for the info. I think you are right to think late 40s rather than my first thought of 20's or 30's The old guy Uncle Willie died in 1950 and the ladies clothes are sort of wartime or soon after when rationing I suppose might have been in force. Now I have to find who was in the RAF? presumably the brides husband.
thanks again for the input
Jim
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I would agree with late 1940s, the bride's dress looks like it was made from parachute silk, very much like my MIL's wedding gown which was also made from parachute silk in 1944. The older chap shares similar features to the bride. The bride is on the left and the groom is on the right I would say.
Carol
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I'd agree with RAF corporal and late 40s or early 50s RAF by the medal ribbons. I can't quite make them out but I think they are probably mostly WW2 campaign and general service medals inclding the 1939-45 Star. One may be the Air Crew Europe Star.
He has no brevet, no even a half one. He wouldnt have the ACE star sadly
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I'd agree with RAF corporal and late 40s or early 50s RAF by the medal ribbons. I can't quite make them out but I think they are probably mostly WW2 campaign and general service medals inclding the 1939-45 Star. One may be the Air Crew Europe Star.
He has no brevet, no even a half one. He wouldnt have the ACE star sadly
Good point - I've just checked my father's photos and he is wearing an AG (Air Gunner) half brevet on his F/Sgt uniform.
Does this mean that the person in the photo must have been ground crew?
Also, can you ID any of the medal ribbons? Assuming that he actually served during the war I assume that they would include the 1939-45 Star and/or the Defence medal and the War Medal. My father served in Coastal Command in the Indian Ocean from 1943-1945 and earned those three, although he didn't claim them until about 1990.
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I'd agree with RAF corporal and late 40s or early 50s RAF by the medal ribbons. I can't quite make them out but I think they are probably mostly WW2 campaign and general service medals inclding the 1939-45 Star. One may be the Air Crew Europe Star.
He has no brevet, no even a half one. He wouldnt have the ACE star sadly
Good point - I've just checked my father's photos and he is wearing an AG (Air Gunner) half brevet on his F/Sgt uniform.
Does this mean that the person in the photo must have been ground crew?
Also, can you ID any of the medal ribbons? Assuming that he actually served during the war I assume that they would include the 1939-45 Star and/or the Defence medal and the War Medal. My father served in Coastal Command in the Indian Ocean from 1943-1945 and earned those three, although he didn't claim them until about 1990.
Sadly the pic is too poor to id most of the ribbons...39/45 Star one end, Defence Medal at the other.
Not everyone got the Defence Medal by a long chalk.
If the original of this pic is scanned at around 600dpi, there may be a chance of ribbon ID
And yes...Has to be ground crew of some description...But not Med Branch!
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Also, he is not wearing a speciality trade or technician badge so unlikely to be working 'airside' or in Ops such as Radar or Air Traffic Control.
My guess would be one of the many general admin jobs found in the Station HQ or attached to an Air Ministry department, especially with the quantity of medal ribbons.
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Sadly the pic is too poor to id most of the ribbons...39/45 Star one end, Defence Medal at the other.
Not everyone got the Defence Medal by a long chalk.
If the original of this pic is scanned at around 600dpi, there may be a chance of ribbon ID
And yes...Has to be ground crew of some description...But not Med Branch!
Are there four or five ribbons there? I assume that he must also have gained the War Medal based on at least 28 days of service, so that should be one of the others. Second left right (his left) looks a bit like the Italy Star to me and the next could be the Africa Star, possibly with the North Africa clasp (rosette) in the centre.