George Cordel Moore WW1

[Shirl753]

Help! Can anyone identify the regiment from the cap badge in this photo taken in London around 1918 and kept by his brother in New York.

George was born in Jamaica in 1887 and moved to Boston Massachusetts USA in 1912. He was called up by USA in 1917, but as a British national I believe was given the option of joining the British Army. He told me he was in Aldershot and since the war was close to ending, never went to France. George was a blacksmith.

George returned to New York in June 1919 on the Ulua with other black troops listed on the attached passenger list.

[Sonofacqms]

George looks like he's wearing British Army uniform from the Great War period and the cap badge looks like that of the Royal Irish Regt, possibly as a blacksmith he could have served as a farrier in Aldershot.

Rob

[Toby Purcell]

I agree that the badge looks rather like that of the Royal Irish Regiment, which rather shocked me at first until I remembered the particular difficulties that the Irish Regiments had from 1917 on with recruiting, because unlike Britain there was no conscription in Ireland and all men were volunteers.

What with that, and the political effects of the 1916 Easter Uprising, there were real difficulties in keeping the existing battalions up to strength. By 1918 many of the Service battalions had had to merge with others, with any residue going as drafts to the regular battalions, who were also experiencing difficulty.

It made sense for them to take any man who did not have a particular tie and recruits from other parts of Britain were drafted in to keep the battalions up to strength, although the units never lost their Irish Identity and overall culture.

[wardog]

Perhaps The Yorkshire Regiment or The Labour Corps might be also be possibilities? Regards, Paul.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by wardog

Perhaps The Yorkshire Regiment or The Labour Corps might be also be possibilities? Regards, Paul.

Enlarging his photo and closely examining the badge, the sharp upwards angle of the low set title scrolls rules out the Labour Corps I think. The Yorkshire Regt has similarly angled scrolls but then narrows upwards rather like the Eifel Tower. The photo does not show this but rather an equal width, which matches the RIR harp and crown more closely I think.

After note: in the 1980s I recall the striking appearance of a very black man wearing a Caubeen in the Royal Irish Rangers. At that time there were few, if any black people in the Province, and he was also the only black man in the regiment. Nevertheless he had a broad Ulster accent and had obviously been raised there. I recall thinking he must be the first black man ever in an Irish regiment. You can perhaps imagine my surprise when seeing the subject of this thread.

[High Wood]

I have altered the contrast to see if I could make the image clearer. George Moore is described as being 30 years old in the list of repatriated black soldiers but the man in the photograph appears to be much younger.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by High Wood

I have altered the contrast to see if I could make the image clearer. George Moore is described as being 30 years old in the list of repatriated black soldiers but the man in the photograph appears to be much younger.

He still appears to be Royal Irish Regiment to me. Perhaps some kind soul can look him up on Ancestry or even better, FMP. He has an unusual middle name I think.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Shirl753

Help! Can anyone identify the regiment from the cap badge in this photo taken in London around 1918 and kept by his brother in New York.

George was born in Jamaica in 1887 and moved to Boston Massachusetts USA in 1912. He was called up by USA in 1917, but as a British national I believe was given the option of joining the British Army. He told me he was in Aldershot and since the war was close to ending, never went to France. George was a blacksmith.

George returned to New York in June 1919 on the Ulua with other black troops listed on the attached passenger list.

It would be worth posting this query in the Great War Forum as well Shirley.

[Shirl753]

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I think the Royal Irish Reg badge matches picture, but my cousin who can see the original photo does not.

I know George looks outrageously young in this photo, but I have his birth record and he really was about 30! I hope i share these genetics.

I have tried looking on ancestry and not found any matching records. Would he have been allotted to or offered a regiment after basic training? Is it true that if a soldier did not go to the front he would not get a war medal?

It is possible that the Moore family were Irish and emigrated to Jamaica-many did in the 1800's after slavery was abolished in 1838.

I will also try the Great War Forum

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Shirl753

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I think the Royal Irish Reg badge matches picture, but my cousin who can see the original photo does not.

I know George looks outrageously young in this photo, but I have his birth record and he really was about 30! I hope i share these genetics.

I have tried looking on ancestry and not found any matching records. Would he have been allotted to or offered a regiment after basic training? Is it true that if a soldier did not go to the front he would not get a war medal?

It is possible that the Moore family were Irish and emigrated to Jamaica-many did in the 1800's after slavery was abolished in 1838.

I will also try the Great War Forum

I am fairly confident that the cap badge shown in the photo is the Royal Irish Regiment. It is not that surprising for the reasons that I have explained. Recruiting to the Irish regiments had severely tailed off by late 1917, early 1918 and Ireland was the only part of the then British isles that did not have compulsory conscription.

There was a Sir Henry Moore - First Baronet, who was born in Jamaica, later became Governor of Jamaica and later still Governor of New York when it was still a British possession in the American colonies.

The Moore family as a whole seem to have previously settled in Ireland having originally come to England with the Norman conquest of 1066. There are branches in all the English speaking countries.

Given the habit of giving slaves the family name of their owner there are many black Moores still in Jamaica.

With no family tie to a County or region in Britain it is likely that he was allotted to a regiment. A recruiting sergeant with a sense of humour might have posted him to the then Royal Irish Regt knowing of the Moore family connection with Ireland.
(Be aware that there is also a modern Royal Irish Regiment that is not lineally connected.)

When you post on the Great War Forum I suggest that you do so twice, once under the 'Soldiers' section where people enquire after any surviving military records for individuals, and once under the badges and insignia section where you can get some fresh opinions on his regiment. It will be best not to mention the Royal Irish Regt in that section but just see what people come up with from a fresh viewpoint.