Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo

I would say engineers. Nearest to that badge would be RASC as it was but not that I don't think.

First war, private and as it was mostly horses in those days could have been anything. Possibly lineman (signals) which the engineers did in those days. Very limited life expectancy if he was.

Bert1, Name on the bottom of pic 2 is Eqole Trepow,it appears lots of soldiers sent home postcards with their pictures on just to let people know they were still alive when the pic was taken.

Pic1 looks as if the gentleman is astride something maybe a saddle?.

I think the words at the bottom of photo 2 are 'Le Treport' (accute accent over the 'e'), which is a Channel port quite near to the Somme where the worst battle of W.W.1 took place in 1916.
Perhaps the horses came into there from England.
Look up Battle of the Somme on wikipedia and it shows the horrible conditions in a Cheshire Regiment trench in the battle.

The cap badge looks very like the Royal Engineers.

Don't think its a saddle, probably a photographers chaise longue and the soldier thought he'd sit on it like a horse.
Be interesting to find out what the researchers come up with regarding the chap in pic2.

Definately a private in the Royal Engineers (pic 1)

Might they not be wound or good conduct stripes?

Could be, just thought they looked a little bit to big.

I think Bri445 is right and that photo 2 was taken in Le Tréport. The photograper's name is dificult to make out, but it could be 'Arnault'; E. Arnault or Editions Arnault appear to have been the main photographers in the town during World War 1. Two wonderful collections of their photos can be found online here and here.

Looks like they could be. Worn on the left sleeve. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mike.comerford/ORDNANCE/48b.htm