Unknown Scottish soldier

[John915]

Good afternoon,

Tut tut Ruskie, you didn't read my reply fully, The photo is my grandmother.

She is my maternal grandmother and is with one of her sisters.

I can see the allure of having a photo taken in a kilted uniform. But I think people like that would have gone for the full dress uniform with kilt, sporran, cutaway dress tunic with all it's braid and any other accoutrements and of course the skean dhu.

OHs grandfather had in pride of place on his wall a picture of himself in full dress Seaforths uniform complete with medals. Sussex born and bred but he served with the Seaforths during WW1.

John915

[Ruskie]

No I did read your reply John.

You did not say that both were women. I thought your grandmother was the one seated.

I was trying to confirm before suggesting that the "soldier" looked effeminate because they both looked like females. 

I understand that the uniform did not belong to your grandfather.

[John915]

Back again,

That's OK Ruskie, I see where you are with this. My grandfather was profoundly deaf from birth. He joined up with Lowthers Lambs but when they discovered that made him a regt'l cook. He remained a private for the whole war only seeing front line trenches if food had to be taken up to the troops.

Granny's two brothers never got to Sgt either so the uniform she is wearing has to belong to the photographer but I don't believe this was a common or accepted practice.

John915

[jennywren001]

Obviously two of these lads were not issued with a cut away jacket so improvised for this picture.

http://uotw.heavenforum.org/t701-scots-of-ww1-with-a-difference

Jen

[jess5athome]

Obviously two of these lads were not issued with a cut away jacket so improvised for this picture.

http://uotw.heavenforum.org/t701-scots-of-ww1-with-a-difference

Jen

I like that 

Frank.

[Tomscot]

 The soldier in the photograph is in the uniform of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The badge in the Glengarry is the badge of that Regiment. It was once known by the nick name the Mess tin as it was once the biggest badge in the Scottish Division. This info comes from an old Argyll and Sutherland Highlander, my Grandfather on my mothers side.
                                                                 Kind Regards,
                                                                                      Tomscot.

[Ruskie]

Obviously two of these lads were not issued with a cut away jacket so improvised for this picture.

http://uotw.heavenforum.org/t701-scots-of-ww1-with-a-difference

Jen

I'm not sure Jen. I've seen lots of jackets which do look like that - as though they have been hemmed up.

[jennywren001]

Ruskie,
I had no idea such a thing to took place except the man who posted up the photo said that's what had happened. I had a close look and couldn't see any stitching so thought perhaps he was correct.
Jen

[ellvera]

Thank you everyone for your efforts in my absence and apologies for delay in replying.

I received an email from my cousin this morning with the title 'grovelling apology',so I expect you can guess the content of said email.

I now have scans of the entire front and back of the photograph and a higher resolution of the badge,but he has forgotten the shoulder detail.

It did occur to me last night that this soldier could have served in the Boer war rather than WW1 -We haven't been able to find him on the 1901 census of England and Scotland.But I found nothing conclusive.

However,the back of the photo is not blank (despite my lecture on a previous occasion of the importance of copying back and front).It gives not only the photographer's name,but what looks like a negative number.

A quick look on the internet indicates that this photographer had a studio in Edinburgh from 1912,so that discounts Boer War.

Perhaps it was,after all, a dress-up photo.

I will still post his scan of the badge,because I would really like to know if it is Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

If this is Great Great Uncle Fred, and it really couldn't be anyone else,he was born in 1874 and would have been 40 in 1914 -would that be too old to enlist?

As far as I know he was in service with the same employer all his working life,near Hawick,so I would have thought Scottish Borderers would have been more obvious.

Where would he have gone to enlist for the Argyll and Southerland?

just to confirm it is him  and not a friend,we have another unknown photograph taken in Cambridge,where he was born taken in about 1894 and to me,he does look like a younger version of the soldier.

Not sure how many photos I am allowed to post on one thread,but I will try.

Somehow I don't think he would have taken the trouble to send a photo of a friend back to the family in Kent with no explanation.

He died childless in Scotland and I would assume his wife kept his personal items.The photo was in the collection of a spinster aunt,also the recipient of the postcards.

The puzzle with this is that there are some postcards from 1907 onward,but there doesn't seem to be a significant gap to indicate he was anywhere else in WW1.

Sorry to have wasted a lot of your time,though it is useful for me because if I hadn't relayed the information you gave me,we (or rather,I) would still be looking for a needle in a haystack.

Thankyou

Barbara

PS Thankyou Tomscot -I didn't see your reply until after I posted this.