Could this be my Great Grandfather?

[TonyW]

Hello All,

I hope someone can help me identify this soldier. I have searched the Internet and various books, but not yet identified much for sure.

The fascination is that this might just be my Great Grandfather. Nobody in my family now seems to have any photos of him, nor any recollection of what he looked like. I found this photograph a few months ago taped onto the back of an old photograph of my father, when he was a baby. Hence, potentially this photograph may have been my Great Grandfather. It may have been originally in the frame, for a decade or so after WWI, then taken out and taped to the back of the frame when a photograph of my father (about 1 year old I guess) was placed in this frame around about 1930. Seems pretty logical to me!

However, it could of course, just be some random other soldier, a photograph that was lying around on the floor of a 1930’s photographer, that was just used as a backing to the frame. I guess photographers back then had plenty of off-cuts of WWI soldiers lying around? I think this is the more likely option.

So which possibility is it? That’s what I need your help with.

So what do I know/suspect so far?

A bit of background first about my Great Grandfather. He was born in Stow near Galashiels in 1875. He served with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers during the Boer War, then worked on the railways (and I believe was a Territorial soldier before WWI). He then re-enlisted on 21st August 1914 and reached France in early December 1914. He served as a front-line infantryman, apparently without any leave, or without a scratch, until he was killed in action on 3rd September 1916 – it would seem attacking a strongpoint at Falfemont Farm – part of the battle of Guillemont. During this time he served as a private soldier (no. 7152) with ‘D’ Company of the 2KOSB.

His records suggest that at the time of his attestation he was: 5’7 tall, weighed 140 pounds (10 stone), hard dark brown hair and blue eyes.

So looking at the photograph, what I know of my Great Grandfathers description does not rule him out – this soldier looks like he has dark brown hair, he could have blue eyes and he could weigh 140 pounds and be 5’7 tall? Very hard to tell. I also think I can see something of my Grandmothers face in his, as well as a small resemblance to my father – but I may be wishfully imagining this?

In terms of the uniform, I am really struggling. I think this looks like British WWI – but it’s not quite right. This soldier is clearly a private, yet he has a leather belt. The pockets are not the standard shape of the British WWI private. It almost looks like a cross between a privates and an officer’s uniform. Can anyone explain or identify if this uniform is: British; WWI, private?
This soldier has two stripes on his left sleeve. I believe that these are good conduct stripes and signify that this man has served at least 5 years in the army. This could fit in with what I know of my Great Grandfather. I know he was a professional soldier and I know he served during the Boer War – hence he could well have served for at least 5 years…but I don’t know for sure. I do know that he was out of the country at the time of the 1901 census (in South Africa no doubt), hence my guess is that he is likely to have already served for more than 5 years by then – assuming he enlisted when he was 18 (1893/94) and was still serving in 1901. The other doubt I have is that some publications suggest that good conduct stripes were worn on the right sleeve, some suggest they were worn on the left. Can anyone throw any light upon this please?

This soldier also has a trade/proficiency badge on his right sleeve. This looks to me to be a ‘Layers’ badge – though it does not look exactly like the other examples I have seen. My question here is – a ‘layer’ sound s more like an artillery role rather than an infantry role - does having a ‘layer’ badge (if this is what it is) rule out my Great Grandfather because he was an infantryma, or did the infantry have Layers?

Finally, I have looked at the collar badge as closely as I can and I cannot identify it. I have pored through the internet for hours and looked through Iain Swinnerton’s book ‘Indentifying your WWI soldier from badges and photographs’ – but can find nothing that matches. Can anyone identify those collar badges?

It’s also worth pointing out the obvious fact that there is nothing on this soldier that suggests that he has got anything at all to do with the KOSB – unless I am missing something.

A final point, there is some writing on the back of the photograph that mentions an address near Swansea in South Wales. My father’s family did move to south Wales in the late 20’s, but moved to Cardiff – so again this tends to suggest that this soldier is probably not my Great Grandfather.

I have attached a few photographs. These are as clear as I can get them – the original is not very clear and is quite dirty and stained (with some writing over it).

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Tony
P1000496.jpg

P1000499.jpg

[54Bty]

Looks to be a Gunner in the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

Layers badge on right upper sleeve worn by Artilleryman post 1901.
White lanyard on right shoulder and what looks like the universal pattern collar badge of a flamed grenade, also points towards RA.
Breeches, puttees and spurs for a mounted soldier.
Waist belts and shoulder belt worn by All Ranks of the Mountain Batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery to carry the sword.

[jeanpit-frenchy]

2 exemples of metal gun layer armbadge

[TonyW]

Thank you both very much for that information. I shall start looking more into the Artillery - since it is clear that this who this man belonged to.

Much appreciated.

Tony