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Posted By: Sandra43 Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo - 12th May 2012 11:53am
I am doing my family tree and found this photo of one of my relations, and been trying to find out the following information.

Can anyone tell me what rank - looks like an officer. What regiment, and if possible about what year about the photo might be taken. I am doing my family tree and found this photo of one of my relations, and been trying to find out the following information.

Thank you



Attached picture Cecil Dodd (2).jpg
Posted By: hoseman Re: Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo - 12th May 2012 11:55am
A pic would give a clue on this please!
Sorry had a problem loading picture, but has now gone on.
Posted By: davew3 Re: Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo - 12th May 2012 12:17pm
We are still waiting info on this gentleman, notice spurs, yours appears to have a riding crop

Attached picture stilllooking.jpg
Have you a close-up picture of his cap badge, or can you describe it? That would almost certainly tell you his regiment. I don't think he is an officer.
I can't see owt...
See it now,he's a private, but can't see the cap badge
Posted By: bert1 Re: Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo - 12th May 2012 3:36pm
Pic1

I don't think he's an officer but his uniform with riding crop and bandolier suggests cavalry. The cap badge which looks like, laurel wreath, GR to centre with crown above looks like Royal Engineers, allowing for distortion on the cap badge, possibly Household cavalry. Photo taken around WW1, so many had them done, with a lot it was their last.
I agree with Bert1 that the badge could be Royal Engineers and around WWI. The Royal Engineers had mounted sections who helped haul heavy equipment.
If an officer he would have worn his Sam Browne Belt with Poss pistol and lanyard!
Posted By: bert1 Re: Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo - 12th May 2012 5:29pm
The gentleman in the second pic is obviously cavalry, are the chevrons pointing up unique to the Household cavalry?
might be a clue to his regiment.
Pic 2, We met a lady and gentleman at Birkenhead town hall when they had that genealogy fair ,as we have a name they have a database and can check the military records for a price so we left them to try and get us more info, the picture appears to have been taken during WWI in France, checkout the name at the bottom, so if and when we get told, I will add to this topic, it may help you to find out pic1's regiment or at least give you a better clue.
Posted By: bert1 Re: Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo - 12th May 2012 7:03pm
What is the name? can't quite make it out.
Thank you to everyone. You have give me a lot of things to go on for pic 1.
I have done a close up on the cap badge, but the middle part of the badge have faded on the photo.

Attached picture close_up_badge.png
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.

Attached picture close_up_badge.png
Attached picture re.jpg
Posted By: bert1 Re: Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo - 13th May 2012 7:41am
Originally Posted by davew3
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?.



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)
Posted By: Helles Re: Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo - 13th May 2012 10:37am
Originally Posted by bert1
The gentleman in the second pic is obviously cavalry, are the chevrons pointing up unique to the Household cavalry?
might be a clue to his regiment.


Might they not be wound or good conduct stripes?
Posted By: bert1 Re: Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo - 13th May 2012 10:53am
Originally Posted by Helles
Originally Posted by bert1
The gentleman in the second pic is obviously cavalry, are the chevrons pointing up unique to the Household cavalry?
might be a clue to his regiment.


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.
Posted By: Helles Re: Regiment, rank, and about what year this photo - 13th May 2012 11:23am
Originally Posted by bert1
Originally Posted by Helles
Originally Posted by bert1
The gentleman in the second pic is obviously cavalry, are the chevrons pointing up unique to the Household cavalry?
might be a clue to his regiment.


Might they not be wound or good conduct stripes?



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


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