Queen's Puggaree/Collar Badge

[Alan O]

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...hp?albumid=695

If you scan through these you see that patches were on the side whilst when earlier on when metal badges were used, cap badges were usually on the front. However regtl practice prevailed so side is normal for WW1.

[Postwarden]

Other examples of badges worn on the side of the helmet.

Jon

[Jelly Terror]

Originally Posted by Postwarden

Other examples of badges worn on the side of the helmet.

Jon

Great photos, Jon. Many thanks.

[54Bty]

Originally Posted by Alan O

Thinking about it with no medal ribbons and without any overseas service chevrons this photo must date between Sep 16 and 1919 and is more than likely to be a TF soldier. If he was a 2nd Bn regular on garrison duty from 1920 then he would have medal ribbons to go with the wound stripe.

Look closer at the helmet image, they are on the cuff.

Marc

[Alan O]

I can't see any that clealry. He has LCpl Stripes and one GC chevron on the LH arm. The Overseas chevrons should be on the right.

JT can you focus in on the rh cuff? A chevron would date the photo to 1918-19.

The absence of Medal ribbons would make it no later than 1919 in any case.

[Alan O]

With the uniform and patches dates, I would suggest that he is 1/4th Bn in India in 1918.

[54Bty]

Circled.

Marc

(JT, copy now deleted)

[Alan O]

I see it now. A single chevron possibly.

So he has 2 years GC, one year's overseas and a wound stripe.

Enlisted before 1916 (second chevron was after 5 years), overseas from 1917 to qualify in 1918, wound stripe in 1917/18 and photo taken in 1918 before he earned his second overseas chevron and medal ribbons in 1919.

TF soldier from the 1/4th Bn in India remains my guess.

[Jelly Terror]

Originally Posted by 54Bty

Look closer at the helmet image, they are on the cuff.

Marc

Well spotted, Marc. I'd completely missed those. Thank you.

[Jelly Terror]

Originally Posted by Alan O

I see it now. A single chevron possibly.

So he has 2 years GC, one year's overseas and a wound stripe.

Enlisted before 1916 (second chevron was after 5 years), overseas from 1917 to qualify in 1918, wound stripe in 1917/18 and photo taken in 1918 before he earned his second overseas chevron and medal ribbons in 1919.

TF soldier from the 1/4th Bn in India remains my guess.

Excellent.

[Jelly Terror]

This may be nothing, but written in pencil, and just about discernible behind the signature is the number 11540. Could this be a service number?

QRWS FSH 1f.jpg

(The inscription reads: 'Yours truly, Alf')

[Alan O]

I suspect its the photographers ref number so he could print off extra copies as required.

[Jelly Terror]

So does this photo throw any light on Nozzer's badge?

[Alan O]

Well it depends on whether it is Indian-made ie cast or from a UK factory die. If the former then it is a very good match. If the latter, then their remains the possibility that the Bn commissioned badges in UK for FSH wear in India. However with the pressure on badge production in 1915/16 and the distance to India, I would be surprised if this was the case. The abdge is not an official pattern so would be regtly bought and if you were in India why import them from UK when there is war on!

I would be interested to see the reverse of the badge and the slider shape in particular.

[Jelly Terror]

If there is one thing I've learned about this hobby, it's not to try to force every unknown, newly-encountered badge into the existing and accepted hard-and-fast compartments we think they should fit into. Sometimes, the rules and points of reference we operate within don't always apply. There is always room to learn more, and not to think we already know everything there is to know. These old pictures illustrate that wonderfully, in my opinion.

Regards to all,

JT