Found this in wiki
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Regiment :
“ The 8th (Ardwick) Battalion had been serving alongside the 5th Manchesters in the 127th Brigade of the 42nd Division until 5 May 1940, when the battalion was transferred to Malta and was replaced in the brigade by the 1st Highland Light Infantry, a Regular Army unit.[72] In August, the battalion became part of the Northern Infantry Brigade, later redesignated 2nd Malta Infantry Brigade and, finally, 232nd Infantry Brigade. In late July 1943, the 8th Manchesters was transferred to the 20th Indian Infantry Brigade, part of the 10th Indian Infantry Division, then serving in the Middle East”
Unless I missed something, would this imply that this pic would have been taken between May 40 and July 43? Is this a correct assomption? Based on the quantity of medal ribbons these men wear, I doubt a bit, and wouldn’t be too surprised if this would be an end of / post war pic ??