Pentagonal shaped cap badge ?
 

First time poster here...

Can anyone help me identify the regiment of this ancestor ? Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, I have asked my family for a better image if possible, and will upload that if I get one.

His cap badge appears to be pentagon shaped ? I cannot even give a year for this photograph unfortunately, as it was not annotated. My assumption is that this is around the First World War.

He is also sporting collar badges (rather than arm or shoulder), are there particular regiments or countries that do this ?

Thanks in anticipation !

Hello MrsG, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.
The badge in the image has the distinct shape of the Guard's Machine Gun Battalion, First World War.

Looks to be WWI Guards Machine Gun Battalion. A unit formed from members of Britush guards regiments.

Seconded.

Thirded :)

Fourthed? With a clearer picture of the badges worn.


Details here http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/...-gun-regiment/

Jon

Guards MG
 

Jon, it looks like the man in your photo was a Coldstreamer by the metal shoulder titles.

Rob

Datable 1916-18.

He's wearing Coldstream Guards buttons too.
I have a photo of a Household Bn man wearing HB cap badge and shoulder titles with CG buttons.

Thank you all !
 

Thanks so much for your replies, this has helped point us in the direction that this is my great great uncle and is the only photo we have of him in the family as an adult.

The 1911 census gave his occupation as "Trooper, 2nd Life Guards".

If his papers are not in WO97 or WO400 at Kew, then simply contact the Household Cavalry Regiments own archive at Combermere, his original papers will have been retained there, the War Office only had copies.

If you can give us your relative's name we should be able to find his medal index card, if you do not have it already.

Looking at your first enlargement, do you think there is a cloth title there, Griff?

The OP shows a soldier with three chevrons and no crown above.
All HC NCOs included the crown with their ranking. I would have expected a 2LG corporal of horse to retain correct rank badge on transfer to the Guards MG. My understanding is that the HC retained their STs, for example.

I can see the logic of being forced to remove the crown to avoid confusion in a unit which also had colour sergeants of Foot Guards [other than GG of course]. I can also see stern resistance.

A bit of a puzzle?

You might be right Frank... I have also attached a cloth title from one of the LYPAO in the MGC/C.