Left of this photo is my Great Uncle,Ernest James Iveson who joined up with his Pals from Port Sunlight .Sadly ,like so many he died too young aged 19 (in France 12/04/1918).

I'm wondering if anyone else recognises anyone on this photo

Forgive my ignorance but why have the soldiers in the photo got two different cap badges?

I've seen a lot of Levers staff photographs entraining at Port Sunlight for the war and it always saddens me knowing that a lot never came back. The Port Sunlight memorial has to be one of the best in this country and names every man that gave his life.

Lord Leverhulme was a smart business man but you can't say he never looked after his workers or the memory of them.

There's a great web site ww1 forum,post photo on there as there are some very knowledgeble specialists and they will more than likely be able to find out lots more for you

The cap badge of the Kings, Liverpool Regiment was the White horse of Hanover, examples found here,https://www.wikiwirral.co.uk/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/280820/Members_Militaria_Collections.html#Post280820
The soldiers cap badge in the picture appears to be the Prince of Wales feathers over a sphinx wrapped in Laurel leaves which is the cap badge of the South Lancashire regiment,Prince of Wales Volunteers.

If you zoom in, the circular cap badges look the same as the tunic buttons? Could they denote cadets, or would the badges be purchases privatly?

So they are not Kings then Bert? Thought the badges were wrong. Can't make out what the others are and as stated look like tunic buttons.

The cap badge and tunic buttons certainly appear to be the same, perhaps those men hadn't passed out of their training up till then and received their cap badge when they did.
Just a thought, i wonder if this photo was of a choir, the slovenly soldier on the right (tunic pocket undone) has a baton in his hand, don't think he's an officer and to small for a sergeant major's baton, no stripes anyway.

Apart from the lance jack, they all appear to be boys. Band boys?

a tribute to Great Uncle Les(C.L.Evans)killed near Arras in Belgium 1916


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Round buttons have probably yet to pass out. My old man was in the RASC (Run Away Someones Coming) before he passed out into the Tank Corps. These days you get the badges but put a coloured patch behind them I think.

Didn't let us wear any badge until we learnt how to salute.

Possibly band, it did cross my mind, though was put off as they normally have an instrument in the pictures with them, drums i think.

The photo is of a group of men from the South Lancashire Regiment, and was probably taken in early 1915. The "other cap badges" are indeed service buttons. This was a common thing to see, and was normally used by soldiers who may have been waiting for their issue of their cap-badges.

I specialise in researching servicemen of the Great War (there is a fee I'm affraid). If I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to contact me.