Unidentified Pictures

[Mervyn Mitton]

Found an envelope with these pictures inside. Possibly the two men are related (?) - however, the group photos look very 'informal' - perhaps they were prisoners ? The badge on the Sgt. could be Rifle Regt.?

[Mervyn Mitton]

Photo 2

[Mervyn Mitton]

Photo 3

[Mervyn Mitton]

Photo 4

[Mervyn Mitton]

Photo 5. They seem to have some sort of boxed musical instrument ?

[peter monahan]

I wonder if the single ribbon on the Sergeant in Photo 1 might be an Afghan War medal. That would seem possible, to me, for a set of 1885-1900 ish photos. I'm basing that dating, BTW, on general "look" and gut feeling, not anything so scientific as a book on uniforms. [Not at home now]

[coldstream]

Mervyn

The man in post one does indeed appear to be from a Rifle Regiment but difficult to say exactly without a badge close up.He also appears to me to be Soldier of Private rank with three good conduct chevrons to his lower left cuff. A close up of the medal ribbon would also be helpful.

Cheers Simon

[Mervyn Mitton]

Simon - you are quite right about the chevrons - thankyou. I think Peter could be right about the ribbon - but, always the possibility of the Sudan. I have tried Hugh's Ctrl and + , but it still is blurred.

Looking at the envelope, does it say GNR. or. Gma (grandma) ? The younger one has no insignia at all. A rough looking bunch...

[coldstream]

Mervyn, I see it as 'from your loving brother Frank' on the back of the card. Also the last picture shows more medal ribbons being worn but impossible to tell exactly what from the scan.

Simon

[Mark C]

First two photos look like World War One. Group photos look like South Africa, either Boer War or a few years afterward. The Rifles Maltese cross badge on photo 1 would agree with the dark colored rank chevron in the last group photo.

[Graham Stewart]

Just flicking through and noticed this one. Photo 1 - old soldier of the Kings Royal Rifles, three good conduct badges(stripes) and what appear's to be a Boer War ribbon. Second photo difficult to determine, but would think WWI, probably taken early on, hence no cap badge and that totally lost look.

Agree that the others are probably Boer War and possibly relate to the first gentleman,

[Mervyn Mitton]

Thankyou Graham for your observation on picture 2. I had wondered about the 'gormless' look - but for some reason we had not thought of 'shell shock'.

So many young men suffered the trauma of this nervous ailment - and as we know - some were even shot as 'cowards' because of it's effects.

The picture is actually very sad and I regret ever thinking badly of him. Mervyn

[peter monahan]

I am saddened, whenever I see photos like these, that so many of them still exist and that so many of them are anonymous. Getting maudlin in my old age, but I always think of the words of a song by John McDermott, Irish Canadian tenor who has written many many songs about the First World War and other conflicts.

In "The Green Fields of France" the singer pauses to rest next to a WWI gravestone to a 'young William McBride' and asks

Did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind

In some faithfull heart is your memory enshrined

And though you died back in nineteen fifteen

In some faith full heart are you forever nineteen

Or are you a stranger without even a name

Enshrined forever behind a glass frame

In an old photograph torn battered and stained

And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame.

Sadly, today, the answer is more usually the latter, but perhaps our interest will ensure that not all those old photos disappear from the minds of men.