14th Corunna Bty, 4 Field Regt. R.A. 1930s
 

This is an enlargement from a group photograph of the 14th (Corunna) Battery taken in Nowshera in the mid 1930s.

The Corporal appears to be a Lewis Gunner and has clearly served during the Great War. I am curious as to why he is wearing R.A.F. wings. Is it possible that his war time service was with the R.F.C./R.A.F. or was he attached to the R.A.F. at the time the photograph was taken?

The Corporal to his left appears to be wearing a version of the North-Western Army (India) Formation Sign.

Unable to help with the Pilot winged Bombardier, however the chap next to him is wearing the Saddle and Harness Makers Horse Bit badge.

Marc

Marc,

thank you for putting me right, I was going with Nowshera being in the North West Frontier but I was clearly over thinking it. The clue should have been that the other Corporal was wearing a Lewis Gunner's badge and not a formation sign.

Simon

He is wearing an L in wreath badge of a Gun Layer, not a Lewis/Light Machine Gunner. The wings are a mystery

regards

I am clearly going to have to get some new glasses.

Can we see the whole of the photo please ?
Andy

Here you go.

Simon,

Interesting. Please keep us informed as 'the clot thickens'.

Chris

Thanks.
Andy

Interestingly, the (apparent) commanding officer is not wearing collar badges.
I cant see the others well enough to determine if they too are not wearing them.

CB

Shot in the dark
 

Uniform not being me thing I’m probably way out with my brainstorming... as Arty could he have been attached to a (RE?) balloon section in WW1 as a spotter or such and might his wings relate to that service?

Just a wild idea.

Isn't it simply that he had been an RFC pilot and as such was entitled to retain his wings whoever he served with -albeit at this date unofficially?

In June 1940 ‘the privilege of wearing the regulation flying badge’ was permitted to Army officers and ORs who had qualified for it ‘under regulations in force…in the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service or RAF’, the badge to be worn ‘the pattern current in the RAF’ and not that of the Royal Flying Corps

Given that the photo is dated 1936 wearing the wings at that date may have been unofficial but possibly tolerated by the CO?

Jon

1. The officer in question could be the CO of 4 Fd Bde in which 14 Bty was serving, rather than the BC - unless the BC was a Brevet Lt Col. Furthermore the CO at Nowshera in the May 1938 listing gives him as a holder of the DSO & MC.
2. It looks as if this officer’s jacket has “shadows” where the collar badges should be: were gorget patches there once, for a (full) Colonel/Brigadier?

Thank you. Are you getting the Officer's name from the Army List or from some other source?

The picture was taken in 1935 or later as the Colonel is wearing a 1935 Silver Jubilee Medal.