Tony

The wife's grandad was awarded his after going over the top at Verdun in May 1916, he had only been at the front a few months so was no doubt very proud. He didn't get the next step up till Oct. 1918. I'll have to search for my EKII postcards. Tony

I'll be away from home for a while so will try to do a good scan of his sleeve when I get back. If I can manage to do a scan in the meantime I will. The observer badge appears to be the kind with two white squares and two black ones. I don't know if they differed from state to state. Tony

I wonder if they're 3 British POWs who've escaped and have unfortunately come across a couple of German airmen who fancy their chances. It does look like a badge on the right side of his tunic but the blob on his sleeve appears to be just that. Tony

It's possible the FA used a smaller strip before that and if he was an ambulance driver it could maybe explain the breeches. Tony

Yep, it would seem it's best to run your nose over souvenirs before handling further. This is just the sort of card I like, it caught my eye at once and I'd have paid anything for it up to A$10, so lucky for me that the other bidders were tighter I am. The card was obviously written by a candidate in the All French How Many Words Can You Fit on a Postcard Handwriting Championship of February 1915. I looked at the words, worked out when it was written but as for the rest of it, well, my wife can speak some French and loves a challenge (I'm proof of that) so I'll pass it over to her. Tony

Mervyn, I actually bought this card to use as a swap or to sell on but when it arrived I decided to keep it. It was bought from the UK so he could possibly be English, I know just by looking at AIF records that a great deal of their soldiers were born in England. The watch did it for me as I have a bit of a watch fetish. I have 2 Great War period trench watches and also my great grandfather's pocket watch which was apparently liberated from a Boer by someone and then my great grandfather won it in a game of cards on the ship on the way home. The patch has thrown me, after checking digger history there are a few it could be, all infantry, but I don't understand the breeches. Would have been nice if it was an ALH patch. Tony

Thanks for all the replies, especially the ID of Cpl. Max Klinger I'll try to have a better look at the photo with a magnifying glass today but due to its quality, I don't think higher resolution scans will help. Tony

Yeah I'm not sure if it's a badge or a mark on the photo. I thought there was some kind of badge on his left sleeve too but after the photo arrived I decided it must be just a blemish on the photo.

I think the one on the right is a bloke trying to avoid war service Just noticed the Observer isn't wearing his EKII ribbon. Tony

This soldier (his name is Albert) is wearing a patch which I can't place, I'd have thought he'd be infantry but he's also wearing breeches. On his left sleeve is a sewn on wound stripe and he's wearing a great modified pocket watch as a wristwatch by having had lugs soldered to the case for the strap. Any guesses on the patch? The card is dated Feb. 1917 and Albert apologises to Lottie for looking so serious. Tony

I can't match the helmets shown but here's a sweetheart badge made from a collar dog. Tony

I'm not too clued up on German awards but think this bloke is wearing a Bavarian badge. Is it a pilots badge or a badge that most officers whether desk bound or not would have received for service in the airforce. Tony

Weren't EKIIs issued to more or less anyone doing his job in the front line from say about 1917 onwards or am I wrong in thinking that? If they were, was the cross still a source of pride for them? I know in WWII they were issued to men not expected to survive their wounds, do you know if the same happened in the Great War? Great cards though, I think I must have a few like that myself. Tony

The wife's great grandad was a metalworker and because of his trade he was 'volunteered' to train on a new weapon for the trenches (his words). I don't know why a metalworker would be chosen for that particular weapon but anyway, a couple of days after finishing his training the French attacked and he was captured so I'm not sure if he was ever able to actually use the new weapon on the enemy. As he was captured in September 1915 it must have been a different grenade thrower thingy that he was trained on. Tony

And Rotherhithe's Revenge. This is the same photo I saw in the Southwark archives.

After a quick check on the website I've found that Rotherhithe's Revenge retired to the US but another aeroplane named Bermondsey Battler was unfortunately lost. Both Bermondsey and Rotherhithe are in Southwark and border the river just along from Tower Bridge. A photo from http://www.381st.org/PhotoGallery/tabid/196/AlbumID/7/SelectedModuleID/726/currentpage/2/Default.aspx showing what these brave airmen probably went through several times each week. Tony

Thanks very much for that, there appears to be quite a bit about the 381st online. Tony

I replied to this thread the other day but my reply seems to have disappeared. Here it is again though: Alex, I started a thread on a soldier in the EEF a few weeks back, although he wasn't RWF there were a few links in the thread you may find interesting. Click here You could also have a read of Allenby's Dispatch. Tony

Hello Alex, It's always interesting to read something like this and I'm sure some of the members here can tell you much about Dudley Davies Lambert's military life. According to his medal index card, he entered Palestine in August 1917. I believe the RWF were at Beersheba and no doubt did much on their way to Jerusalem. Great photos of your family. Tony

Hello Mel, I didn't know the Kiwis went to E. Timor too, in fact, I haven't a clue where they're stationed. Nice group though. Tony

The Channel 4 programme sound interesting, shame it won't be aired here. As for the book, that sounds like something I'd very much like to read so will keep my eye out. Thanks for posting Gordon. Tony

It really is a shame when those new nylon ribbons are used, original tatty ones are better in my opinion too. Which one is the Silver Star, the small one on the VM? What's the gold coloured Star for and what's it called? Tony

It's that rum swilling old sailor from across the Tasman. Welcome Chris, it's nice to see you here. Tony

Brian, It looks as if you've done a great job and I now know how to spot an Indian court mounted group too. Tony

It may have been just a thing put on for the days activities but I do remember them doing things with some vehicles.