☆ Captain W.B. Northey,MC. Gurkha Rifles\ KLR.
 

© IWM (HU 118466)
Captain W.B. Northey,MC. Gurkha Rifles. Wounded Mesopotamia, 25 March 1917.

http://media.iwm.org.uk/ciim5/429/46...at=photographs

Most interesting set of insignia. He also appears to have been the joint author of a book about the Gurkhas in the 1930`s.

P.B.

Peter,

He appears to be 11th(S) Bn. (Pioneers) with the crossed pick and rifle collars.

regards

Simon,

Yes but not just the Pioneer collar badges, the Kings cap and collar badges are not the official pattern.

Peter

Jo,

Perhaps he wrote a number of books, this is the one I found:

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/B...n%3D%2BNorthey

Peter

Thank you Peter.
Jo

While it is a nice display of insignia, I suspected that it may be another case of the IWM mislabelling an item. While the gentleman pictured may indeed be named "Northey", he may, possibly, not be the "William Brook" (W.B.) who received the MC and served in the Gurkha Rifles.

The individual in the photo is wearing 2nd Lieutenant insignia and with the crossed pick and rifle, it can be assumed that the photo was taken sometime during the war. W.B. Northey entered Sandhurst in 1903 and was commissioned in 1905 in the Indian Army.
http://archive.sandhurstcollection.c...w/5260/105522/

He was gazetted 2nd Lt in January 1905 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...27755/page/418
He served in India and was (at least for a short time) attached to the HLI in 1905 - well, at least played cricket for them in Calcutta.
https://books.google.ca/books?id=DyW...orthey&f=false

He was promoted Captain in 1914
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...8815/page/2547
And gazetted a Staff Captain in 1916
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...865/page/12242
He is mentioned in a history of his regiment
https://books.google.ca/books?id=_is...lume&q=northey

He made major in 1920
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...1957/page/7012
And retired in 1924 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...2926/page/3014
Assuming that the IWM somehow made a mistake, I looked for other Northeys and found "Alfred" who bears a striking resemblance to the officer in uniform with the photo similarly attributed to a Mrs. A.E. Northey. Then, on reading the news clipping that accompanied the photo of Alfred, it is noted that they are brothers. The badges still remain a mystery.

And W.B.'s books
https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.22833
https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.72740

It could very well be just another IWM labelling mistake.....just another one...



http://www.animatedimages.org/data/m...image-0118.gif

Jo

As Simon said with the second pair of collar badges he is almost certainly a member of the "11th Service Battalion (Pioneers ) of the KLR.

I only have one Army List for WW1 which is the September 1915 List and there is no officer of the name Northey listed for the 11th Battalion which might mean something or nothing.

P.B.