Photo of unknown soldiers

[Pete Keane]

Any idea what his pre-war occupation was?

[Larby]

Balliol stuff is fascinating, Phil.  A bit of it covers the time he was there and I will be studying it carefully for background information.  Can't see any more of the photographer's name as it's just a little flash on the corner of the picture.

Will have a go at the scanning a bit later on.  Thanks for all your help and interest.

In answer to Pete's question, according to his army attestation papers he was a teacher and gained his own certificate of eduction at Islington Training college.

[Larby]

I'm a novice at scanning, but with help from other chat members have cracked it.  Below is close up of one officer showing cap badge and lapels.  Another shows another officer with just lapels.  If I can't add two pictures, the second will be in a second post.

Any help on identification would be welcome as it could give me a clue as to which is my relative.

[macintosh]

The second pic looks like the Officer has shamrock in his lapel and a trefoil shaped collar dogs, suggesting an Irish Regiment and St Patricks day celebration, Lots of Irish Regiments wear shamrock on St Patrick's day, inded the Queen Mother used to present Shamrock to The Irish Guards on this day.

James

[macintosh]

The first pic also looks like shamrock on the lapel

James

[Larby]

This would be right, because the man I think is in the picture was in the London Irish Rifles.  As both have the shamrocks and they both have a slight family likeness, I may never know which is he.  But it does confirm my suspicion that the complete picture of probably the officers of the battalion at their HQ in France between the end of December 1917 when he was commissioned and 2 June 1918 when he was killed.

I'll try a closer view of the cap badge and post it later.

[macintosh]

 I think they must have been photographed on March 17th 1918 St Patricks day, usually the shamrock was fresh and I doubt it would be used a second day, I must admit this cap badge in the pic doesn't look like the cap badge of the LIR - Google Cap badge 18th battalion London Irish Rifles
Forester, Great web page on Balliol

James

[Larby]

It's amazing I haven't noticed the live shamrock before.  Many thanks.

Yes, I found the Balliol page great as well and hve still to study it in detail.