Jon,
thank you for your sharing your knowledge of the intricacies of British Army uniform embellishments, it is appreciated. To be honest, I hadn't even noticed the rectangle until you pointed it out.
I am pleased because it confirms the 8th battalion, Royal Warwickshire connection that Vincent Onions had. As I am sure you know, a large draft of 8th Royal Warwickshire Regiment were sent to the 13th King's Regiment for the first Wingate Expedition.
It also confirms the Aston connection with the 8th Battalion being based at the Wilton Barracks in Aston.
The down side is that if the territorial battalions of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment continued to use the coloured shapes between the wars, it must mean that it was also in use in the late 1920s, so the first cousin would have also worn a blue rectangle if he had been in the 8th battalion before he died.
We know that the first cousin was a motor lorry driver by profession and could still have been a territorial soldier. I have thought about applying for his marriage certificate, but it has occurred to me that his profession will mention the lorry driving and not the soldiering.
I am very pleased that your new information does not rule out Vincent Alfred Onions from being the soldier in the photograph.
It would appear that the only thing that would rule Cyril George Grainger out, is if his name does not appear in the Attestation Books. I do not yet know if they still exist.
Best wishes,
Simon
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