Author Topic: Mystery photo in need of a better look!  (Read 40252 times)

Offline scrimnet

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Re: Mystery photo in need of a better look!
« Reply #45 on: Saturday 23 February 08 20:13 GMT (UK) »
Badges etc certainly look like Army ones...but...The RAF came out of an Army Regiment, the RFC, so rank badges amongst the ORs were at that time the same...The WO has the same rank badge as some RSM photos I have from WW1.

I really must beg to differ that this is a WW2 photo. Not only are the uniforms all wrong, the chap in civvies must have fallen through a time portal or is some sort of re enactor who likes to dress some 20yrs behind the times...  ;D ;D ;D

The types of  shirt collar worn on the pics are also earlier than WW2...I am aware of "make do and mend" but that would be taking it too far....

Back to our swarthy friend...I can discern no facial features that would indicate an ethnicity other than North European Caucasian...nose, ears, bone structure all indicate this....

I would also suggest that the pic is "genuine" and that it is one of those "joke" pics that servicemen have a habit in taking...I have loads...

As you suggest that..

"the headphones are definitely WWII vintage and possibly earlier, the style and the woven cabling is a giveaway there..."

This would fit in with the earlier comments from myself and flakdodger where it is proposed that this pic is from 20s/30s

The RAF at this time was a fledgling organisation and of course variants existed between squadrons as local tribal distinctions were still evident.

If the story is unknown to people...The reason why the RAF went into blue is that when the Russian Revolution took place, an awful lot of orders were canceled with various suppliers...one of these was for uniform material...Russian blue!! This was then given to the junior service!!!
One more charge and then be dumb,
            When the forts of Folly fall,
        May the victors when they come
            Find my body near the wall.

Offline scrimnet

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Re: Mystery photo in need of a better look!
« Reply #46 on: Saturday 23 February 08 20:19 GMT (UK) »
The two individuals at left rear appear too be remarkably young, the one second left is wearing the rank of LAC or leading aircraftsman and the signalers emblem, as well as the RAF eagle on his shoulder flashes, they are not so evident on any of the other uniforms although officers uniforms did not have them. 

I was always led to believe that it was an albatross... not an eagle...Certainly was at (what was) RAF Strike Command when I was stationed  there some weeks ago...Even if the "official" title is an "eagle volant and affronte, the head lowered to the sinister"
One more charge and then be dumb,
            When the forts of Folly fall,
        May the victors when they come
            Find my body near the wall.

Offline piestains

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Re: Mystery photo in need of a better look!
« Reply #47 on: Saturday 23 February 08 20:33 GMT (UK) »
WOW!!!

Too much information to absorb!  You lot lost me along time ago.

The original I have, is of a really good quality.  The 'dark' chap does appear to have caucasian features.

Some one did suggest the man with the moustache was a warrant officer as you did Percy so maybe we're on to something.  

I've had it provisionally dated as between 1919 and 1923.  

Iceland?  Thats intriguing?  What made you think Iceland?



Offline scrimnet

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Re: Mystery photo in need of a better look!
« Reply #48 on: Saturday 23 February 08 20:44 GMT (UK) »
As I said... ;D ;D ;D ;D

Post 1922 as they are wearing 1922 ptn jackets :D :D
One more charge and then be dumb,
            When the forts of Folly fall,
        May the victors when they come
            Find my body near the wall.


Offline f1rocco

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Re: Mystery photo in need of a better look!
« Reply #49 on: Saturday 23 February 08 20:46 GMT (UK) »
I agree...... West Indies type picture..very dry sandy soil....Very Nice

The guy in the center looks like a well tanned seasoned Tenant of the sandy soil Meteorological Stores or wherever this photo is taken........Maybe its possibly Belize....Maybe post 1922 his old buddies from England came to visit his place of residence in the service....

Helmet and Light bulb could be for his idea to take the orders that help decorate his attire and tan....

I love this pic.....Its Nice to see people smile
Schiells/Shiells/Shiels/Shields
Berwickshire/Lothian/Edinburgh/
NewCastle/Northumberland/Crichton
Nute/Nisbet/Magoffin/Phillips

Offline scrimnet

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Re: Mystery photo in need of a better look!
« Reply #50 on: Saturday 23 February 08 20:54 GMT (UK) »
There has been some discussion on the ethnic origin of a couple of the erks...and that maybe they are not Brits...

Well...They are wearing RAF cap badges, and the cut of the jacket is IDENTICAL to all of the other ORs, even if the buttons and one of the belts differs...

No metal = no sparks...ummm Balloons???

At the time balloons were filled with highly flammable gas, and any spark would ignite the stuff....
One more charge and then be dumb,
            When the forts of Folly fall,
        May the victors when they come
            Find my body near the wall.

Offline PaulaToo

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Re: Mystery photo in need of a better look!
« Reply #51 on: Saturday 23 February 08 21:12 GMT (UK) »
Weather balloons?
Bartlett/Henley on Thames
Caponhurst/Buckinghamshire and?
Denchfield/North Marston/Bucks
Webb/Winchester
Mathias/Pembroke/Pembroke Dock
John/Pembroke/Pembroke Dock
Smith/Portsmouth/Portsea
Purchas/Bucks and?
Olliffe/Bucks

Offline scrimnet

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Re: Mystery photo in need of a better look!
« Reply #52 on: Saturday 23 February 08 21:25 GMT (UK) »
Quite possible...It is a met section one  ;D

Or up in Balloons to observe...
One more charge and then be dumb,
            When the forts of Folly fall,
        May the victors when they come
            Find my body near the wall.

Offline O1dgobbo

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Re: Mystery photo in need of a better look!
« Reply #53 on: Saturday 23 February 08 22:20 GMT (UK) »
Yes Piestains - the instrument is a mirror nephoscope.  It is identical with the drawing shown on

http://app.nea.gov.sg/cms/htdocs/article.asp?pid=1242#nephoscope

This means that the unit were involved in the observation and measurement of the velocity of clouds and the large rules may have been part of a "grid nephoscope".  So which RAF units were using nephoscopes in the 1920s?

Good luck

Gobbo
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