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Aha - I thought this photo was familiar! It is of the Essex Yeomanry's detachment at the 1911 Coronation. It originally appeared in The Essex Yeomanry by J W Burrows (in his Essex Units in the War series) and is reprinted in The Yeomanry Force at the 1911 Coronation by R J Smith and R G Harris (Picton Publishing, 1988).

Mea culpa for describing the man at the centre, sporting the QSA & 5 clasps and KSA & 2 clasps, as an officer. He is 2742 RSM Walter Robert HADLER, 8th Hussars who served on the permanent staff of the Essex Imperial Yeomanry from December 1905, being promoted A/RSM in March 1911 . Hidden by his sword hilt is his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal that he was awarded in 1908. He was discharged in October 1914 to a commission as QM with the Essex Yeomanry and was later promoted to Captain.

(An aside: his son, born 1895, same name joined A Squadron the day after his 16th birthday and a few days after his father became A/RSM. Promoted Cpl Orderly Room Clerk in May 1912 (aged 17!), he joined the 17th Lancers in November 1913.)

So we can date the picture to 22 June 1911 or perhaps the day before.

Ian

Dear Shining Light

I don't know if the info I have will assist you!

The Charles W Sadler who served in the Essex Yeomanry was a regular cavalary soldier serving pre-war: D/7629, 5th Dragoon Guards, later 1st Dragoon Guards and then 1/1st Essex Yeo. He proceeded overseas on 15 August 1914 and earned the 1914 Star and bar trio - the famous "Mons Star".

While it is just possible that he is the Charles William Sadler who was born in March 1896, note that he would have enlisted soon before the war broke out (unless he lied about his age on enlistment).

Returning to the cavalryman, he appears in a roll of regulars serving with Essex Yeo in January 1918 and is shown as HQ, 8th Cav Bde [Cavalry Brigade] 17.8.17  - which I assume to be the date he was posted to HQ, 8th Cav Bde. Finally the medal index card shows that he was discharged to class B of the Army Reserve on 7 December 1919.

Are they the same man? Possible but not certain. The unit matches. We know he had a WW1 trio. It would be interesting to see a blow up of the medal ribbons to see if we can spot the rosette on the ribbon of the star. If his service continued into the 1930s, one might expect to see a long service medal ribbon - either regular army long service & good conduct medal or perhaps an efficiency medal if he was in the TA (can anyone tell from the uniform whether he was regular or TA?). I'm not sure whether I can see a fourth ribbon but there might be one lurking there.

As for his brother, the Essex Regiment number indicates service with the 4th Bn (TF) in 1917 or later  when 1/4th Bn was in Palestine. However it is common to find men with 4th Bn numbers who had proceeded via the 2/4th or 3/4th Bn to Essex R Bns serving in France. Again, one cannot be certain that they are the same man but the Middlesex link seems persuasive.

I hope this helps

Ian

In reply to KA's original question which started this string:
 
here is the info that I have on S A Martin. I'm aiming to publish a small book on Essex R recipients of the MM

Burrows = the regimental history, Essex Units in the War, by J W Burrows

Ian

14719 Cpl Sydney Arthur Martin, 11th Bn
MM LG 18 June 1917 p6022
Sgt. Born Castle Hedingham, lived Little Yeldham, enlisted Colchester. Died of wounds 15 September 1917
MM perhaps for raid on the Lozenge, 24 March 1917: “I can see now Lance-Corporal Martin of, I think, C Company, looking over our parapet with a Lewis gun ready to stop them as if nothing would make him budge and taking no notice of the shelling” ( Burrows, volume 6, p319).
1914-15 Star trio.