Bruce Bairnsfather - Uniform Question

[Noxin]

I came across this picture of Captain Bruce Bairnsfather recently. I know very little of him other than a passing familiarity with his work as a cartoonist and the creator of 'Old Bill'. 'Our Bert' etc.

My question is: why is he wearing what appears to be other ranks' service dress (with Sam Browne), when he was an officer? Am I mistaken in thinking that officers did not wear this type of service dress, or was this perhaps a photo taken of him as a Warrant Officer?

Advance thanks,

N

[Peter Brydon]

I think he is wearing the first pattern of officers service dress tunic with closed collar, the pattern with open collar worn with a shirt and tie came later.

P.B.

[JerryBB]

I think that Peter is correct in that he is wearing the early version of officers SD. Though not the case here, officers did wear OR's uniforms in the front line to lessen their chance of being sniped.

[Noxin]

Originally Posted by Peter Brydon

I think he is wearing the first pattern of officers service dress tunic with closed collar, the pattern with open collar worn with a shirt and tie came later.

P.B.

Originally Posted by JBBOND

I think that Peter is correct in that he is wearing the early version of officers SD. Though not the case here, officers did wear OR's uniforms in the front line to lessen their chance of being sniped.

Thank you for your replies.

I have just read that Bairnsfather originally enlisted with the third Militia Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, in 1905. Could this tunic perhaps date from that period?

N

[Graham Stewart]

Originally Posted by Noxin

Thank you for your replies.

I have just read that Bairnsfather originally enlisted with the third Militia Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, in 1905. Could this tunic perhaps date from that period?

N

Note the twisted cord shoulder strap, which wasn't introduced for officers until 1904 and disappeared just as quickly in 1907 - so the photo was quite possibly taken during his Militia service.

[Noxin]

Originally Posted by Graham Stewart

Note the twisted cord shoulder strap, which wasn't introduced for officers until 1904 and disappeared just as quickly in 1907 - so the photo was quite possibly taken during his Militia service.

Excellent. Thank you.

Regards to all.

N

[manchesters]

I think that you will find that the photo was taken c. 1917.

He is wearing an early SD for sure, but he is also wearing a trench Cap of WW1 and the photo is annotated as "Captain" , a rank he didnt achieve until later in the war.

regards

[Graham Stewart]

Originally Posted by manchesters

I think that you will find that the photo was taken c. 1917.

He is wearing an early SD for sure, but he is also wearing a trench Cap of WW1 and the photo is annotated as "Captain" , a rank he didnt achieve until later in the war.

regards

Sadly "annotation" was used on a regular basis where up to-date photographs weren't available, as photos wouldn't be taken on every promotion.

[grey_green_acorn]

He is wearing the cuff rank badges of a Captain ...... in 1907 ???


Tim

[Graham Stewart]

Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn

He is wearing the cuff rank badges of a Captain ...... in 1907 ???


Tim

Rank correct post-1902, but intriguing that he should be wearing a pattern of uniform that had been obsolete for 10yrs, whereas all of those around him are wearing the correct pattern.

We know he was commissioned into the 3rd(Res)Bn, R.Warwicks as 2nd Lt on the 12th Sept 1914 - posted 2nd Bn and promoted Lieut December 1914 and Captain 2nd February 1915. As the Battalion had formerly been a Militia Bn, did they hold 'stock' of old officers uniforms? Unlikely, as officers received a uniform allowance and at this time there would be only the new pattern available.

After his injuries at 2nd Ypres he ended at home and was eventually placed in a War Office appointment and it's a mystery as to how he managed to get away with wearing this uniform - or where he got it from.

I've been collecting photographs for a long time and have a vast collection of period journals in which officer photographs appear, but you never see this pattern uniform being worn 'wartime'. So wonder if there is some significance to it?

At the same time I'm struggling to find anything on his career with the Cheshires, from whom he resigned in 1907.

Interestingly he served with the 5th Bn, Royal Warwicks as a 2nd Lieut in "1907" - a Militia Battalion. Therefore I conclude its his old Militia uniform - "re-ranked"

[Donny B.]

Pardon my ignorance on uniform detail but why is his Sam Browne belt shoulder strap over his left shoulder in one photo and over his right shoulder in the other? Most photos that I have seen appear to favour the right shoulder as designed by Sam Browne. They are able to be worn either way are they?

I Man

[Peter Brydon]

Single strap Sam Browne was worn over the right shoulder to support the weight of the sword ( when worn ) on the officers left side.

It cannot be that the negative in the first picture has been reversed because the cap and collar badges are facing the right way. I have seen the single strap SB being worn the wrong way round in TV dramas and I have seen pictures of newly commissioned officers even wearing their collar badges the wrong way round.

This may have been an error by B.B. I cannot immediately think of any other explanation.

P.B.

[Donny B.]

Thanks for that, Peter.

I had thought of a negative reversal but a check had shown the badges to be correct, as you say, and I had thought that I understood the notion of the belts initially being for swords worn on the left side.

I am pleased that my query was not necessarily a silly one.

I Man