Britiish serviceman serving in India/Pakistan - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

GaryS · #1 13-12-12, 10:15 PM

Hi everyone
I have sent in a couple of different photographs recently for identification as my father died recently and I have been looking through his 'treasures'
My family have an extensive record of service with the British military.
However among the many photographs of those who served in the 1st and 2nd World Wars, Suez etc etc was the attached.
I am very confident that it will relate to someone on my fathers side of the family but I have no idea who it is
The picture frame states 'Mela Ram, Peshawar, Cherat and Sialkot', and possibly Canit or similar
Im aware that Mela Ram was quite a famous photography company in India/Pakistan.
Just wanted to share the photo with you and ask whether anyone had seen anything similar to this and has any idea what decade this likely comes from?
Regards
Gary

grumpy · #2 13-12-12, 10:47 PM

Looks like a Wolseley helmet so approx. after c. 1905 +/- a few years, crossed rifles so infantry, cavalry or engineers, summer because of "suit of whites", at least two years good conduct ....... running out of steam .....

ANGLE IRON · #3 13-12-12, 10:49 PM

Tricky one, Warwicks perhaps?

Mercian · #4 14-12-12, 08:00 AM

I agree Warwickshire Regiment.

Staffsyeoman · #5 14-12-12, 09:05 AM

Ahem, Royal Warwickshire, please.

I'd say most likely to be the 1st Battalion, in India 1898-1908 at least.

Mercian · #6 14-12-12, 03:10 PM

I stand corrected.

Toby Purcell · #7 14-12-12, 06:55 PM

I agree with my fellow posters that the photo shows a soldier of 1st Battalion the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, who were at Peshawar, as printed on the bottom of the photo, between 1908 and 1910.

The regiment was known to have worn their cap badge on a felt patch (colour unknown but possibly dark blue) in the front centre of their Wolseley helmets.

I enclose a photo of the battalion's maxim gun section at its previous station, Quetta, around 1907. Notice the man at rear right, who still has the previous pattern of helmet, thus bearing out Grumpy's comment above concerning the transitional span.

Interestingly the Regular battalions (and possibly others but I am unsure) carried on that regimental badge on helmets tradition with steel helmets in WW1. Certainly, as late as 1916, there are photos where this practice is quite distinctly shown.