Help identifying Harold!

[AlexNoodle]

Hi Guys

My dad's great uncle Harold is a bit of a mystery as my father knows next to nothing about him.

He was born in 1908 in Ashton under Lyne, Lancashire. In 1946 he married Alice Brayshaw and had a daughter Christine in 1947. He and Alice separated around 1959 and my father has not had contact with Christine ever since. Harold died in 1969.

I have three photos of Harold - each in some form of uniform.

The first when he was very young - I have no idea what uniform this is - it is more likely to be something from between WWI and WWII but no real idea.

I will post the second and third photos separately!

Any help will be much appreciated!

Alex

[AlexNoodle]

Here is the second photo - quite a bit older - I think the cap badge is one of the Royal Artillery Corps but not sure which one...

[AlexNoodle]

And the final one I think is taken a bit after - he seems to have changed again! No idea what the cap badge is!

[liverpool annie]

Hi Mrs Tibbetts !

I think the first picture maybe Boys Brigade ....... can't quite see the badge .... but it should have an anchor similar to this  !! 
The second is Royal Artillery
And the third I think is the Royal Army Service Corps - I can see the crown but I can't see the points !! ( but he's wearing jodhpurs ? ) and he's a Corporal with overseas chevrons - looks like a marksmans patch or signals (?) ( Can't quite see !!  ) I don't know what that arm band is 

Annie 

[liverpool annie]

Are you sure this is Harold ?? this looks like it's WW1 not 2 !! .... he has pleated breast pockets - Mack says this was stopped after the middle of 1916 to save on material !!

Here's an RASC badge ..... what do you think ?

[scrimnet]

The first one is deffo Boys Brigade 

The next are all WW1

The second is Royal Artillery, but not mounted as his puttees are wound bottom to top, not top to bottom as a mounted trooper would wear 

The third is Royal Engineers, and on that one he is wearing his puttees as mounted!!!  This pic is post 1918 as he is wearing overseas chevrons on his right bottom sleeve, and he is a signaller as per the arm band and crossed flags above his Cpls chevrons...

[AlexNoodle]

Wow - thank you so much.

I have to say I just assumed they were of Harold - their placement in my father's album was with the two sisters I know Harold had - Annie born 1898 - my great grandmother, and Dorothy born 1905.

The only photo I have that I definitely know is Harold is his wedding photo from 1946.

Is this the same man?

[AlexNoodle]

Looking at it closely I dont think he is the same man as the one in the army uniforms!

Now I have no idea who he could be! The only thing I can think of is that he is on another side of my family - The Hallas's - possibly John Hallas born 1898.

I did wonder whether the younger photo was of the Boys Brigade but the cap badge looked quite different from what I could make out - but I could be wrong.

I dont really know of many people on my father's side who would have fought in WWI - the only one I definitely know about was James Large - father to Harold as I have his medal index card from TNA and Dad told me he was gassed in the trenches and lost his sense of smell.

What sort of era do you think the younger photo was taken - early WWI?

Thanks again

Alex

[scrimnet]

Looking at the collar (detached) on his shirt and the cut of the jacket...just pre WW1.

I think that all 3 of your original posts are the same chap...His mouth is held in the same manner!

Heres a link to the BB pages...

http://www.boys-brigade.org.uk/aboutus/earlyyrs.htm

There was a rhyme that I was taught as a child

Here comes the Boys Brigade
All covered in marmamlade
Tuppeny Ha'penny pillbox
And half a mile of braid


The pillbox refers to the style of hat....