Graham Stewart

Hi Louise, Basically it's how the British Army was organised for combat and at it's higher level an Army, within that you have a number of Corps and within that you have a number of Divisions. The higher formation(Army) never changed but the Corps and Divisions could be moved around. Also there are two books which deal specifically with the Tyneside Scottish during the Great War and these are;- "The Story of the Tyneside Scottish" by Brig-Gen Trevor Ternan. "Tyneside Scottish" by Graham Stewart & John Sheen. You'll probably be able to get them to read through your local library. Newcastle City Library also hold microfiche copies of the Battalion War Diaries, which are available for viewing.

Once in a while a stunning photo will come along and this one of "Meg" & her Dad is just one of those. Meg's dad is a Colour-Sgt in the Fusiliers, wearing what appears to be a frock coat, as there is no piping to the shoulder straps, which would appear on full dress. Hopefully he's Northumberland Fusiliers as the location itself is Newcastle and only they wore white facings at this time, being a 'non-Royal' regiment. Which battalion is difficult to determine and there are a couple of annomally's too;- Firstly we have the plain bomb collar badges and not those of the Regimental pattern, which is what one would expect at this time. Secondly what appear to be buttons unusually of a regimental pattern, whereas during this period the pattern of button worn was infact the General Service pattern. He's not a V.B. member which would be determined by an Austrian knot above his cuff. So which battalion I just couldn't say but it's one of those photo's which speak volumes and one wonders what happend to Meg. A special thanks to our Tyneside Irish who sold me the photo.

The reason for him possibly not being found in SDGW is because he is recorded as dying in December 1918. A lot of units when compiling their books gave the cut off date as 11th November 1918. I have had similar problems with deaths in the Northumberland Fusiliers - they can be found in War Graves Registers but not in SDGW.

To save you a few bob I think you'll find they're in this volume, thats if you can get your hands on it. However there is a catch to this, as some yeomanry cavalry units were converted into battalions of infantry and their casualties are to be found in the units they were converted to;- SOLDIERS DIED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-19 - Part 1 Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line (including Yeomanry and Imperial Camel Corps)

Sorry to pedantic, but it isn't a busby. 'Rifle' caps come in either Astrakan wool(officers) or sealskin(other ranks), as you point out and so are more commonly called a sealskin cap.. Guards wear bearskins Fusiliers wear bearskins(officers) and racoon skin caps(other ranks). Hussars, Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Engineer Bands wear busbies, which are adorned with a 'busby bag'. At the same time it's still a beautiful example of a Rifles cap. I take it they were also dressed in affiliation to the Rifle Brigade hence the cloth badges in apple green worsted Had they been dressed as Kings Royal Rifles the badges would have been in red worsted.

John, All of my Orbats, plus a copy of Home Guard Regulations and a photocopy of a Home Guard List are at home, but would I be right in saying that all of the Rocket Batteries that you mention were actully manned by the Home Guard? I think they also went by the name of 'Z' A-A Batteries and I think I have either seen or own(can't remember what I've got) a lapel badge for them.

Leigh - Just noticed your reply, must have had a senior moment when I wrote that one.

One part of the MIC which reads "Ret'd(und'd) CRV/63/B - 2-8-24" indicates that the medals were returned undelivered on 2nd August 1924. "35/Infy/5435" - Is a letter reference more commonly found at the end of an Army Council Instruction.

Leigh - don't know if you're aware but the Home Guard operated a number of Anit-Aircraft Batteries and I'm certain that among them were a number of "(Mixed)" Batteries. For years I've been led to believe that these batteries(rightly or wrongly) indicated they were operated by both men and women. Could it be, that possibly Ivy was a member of one of these batteries and as such would be allowed to wear the FSC complete with badge? As far as I'm aware she wouldn't have been allowed to wear the badge of other womens Corps(as there was no HG equivalent) or that of the Royal Artillery, being a woman Home Guarder. However I do recall seeing photos of women in khaki among groups of male artillery colleagues, wearing RA collar badges above their left breast pocket as a broach, whom I'm sure were Home Guard. I've also seen a photo of nurses among khaki clad males wearing the above HG badge, again on the left breast of the white nurses pinnafore.

The boys with the armoured car are post 1920's/1930's, but really can't give you anymore than that. Had it been Iraq it would have been "Crabs"(RAF), who seemingly ran the country and had Armoured Car Squadrons running all over the shop. Again though I've handled a copy of their flash and it's based upon RAF stablebelt colours.

Looks like an "Obly-Gobly" Territorial going off his badge & rifle. The OBLI had a number of battalions which would have worn the Wolsley, but the battalion I'm going for is 1st Garrison Bn, OBLI formed Portland, Sept 1915 and in India by Feb 1916. All of the other OBLI Bn's serving in hot climates would have used the standard pattern SMLE. One thing I am sure about and that is he ain't Durhams or KOYLI.

Bottom is 2/5th Hampshire's. White numeral on amber and black patch.

The citation as it appears in the London Gazette;- http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/309...pplements/11289

In the case of the embroidery on scarlet shoulder straps it appear only those rank & file up to the rank of Sgt wore white worsted titles whereas Sgt Instructors, Clr Sgts and Sgt Majors wore them in gold on parade dress. So senior ranks apart in parade dress would LF Officers post 1950's have worn white worsted badges on beret's, as there doesn't seem to be a lot of information on the subject of officers beret badges during this period?

(A)The artillery of 36th Division have quite a complicated background as the originally designated Brigades on it's formation in Ireland;- CXLII; CXLIII; CXLIV; CXLV were never formed. (B)In their place a new series of Brigades were allocated to the Division after it moved to England in 1915, these being;- CLIII(Empire)Bde,R.F.A.;-'A', 'B', 'C' & 'D' Batteries. CLXXII(West Ham)Bde,R.F.A.;- 'A', 'B', 'C' & 'D' Batteries. CLXXIII(East Ham)Bde,R.F.A.;- 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D' Batteries. CLIV(H)(Empire)Bde,R.F.A.;-'A'(H), 'B'(H), 'C'(H) & 'D'(H) Batteries. ©When the Division left for France in October 1915 none of the earlier Bdes went with them and temporarily attached were the following Territorial artillery Bdes;- I London,R.F.A.(T.F.);- 1st(London)Bty, 2nd(London)Bty & 3rd(London)Bty. II London,R.F.A.(T.F.);- 4th(London)Bty, 5th(London)Bty & 6th(London)Bty III London,R.F.A.(T.F.);- 7th(London)Bty, 8th(London)Bty & 9th(London)Bty IV London(H),R.F.A.(T.F.);- 10th(London)(H)Bty & 11th(London)(H)Bty. Two other Batteries 'B'(H) & 'C'(H), LVII Bde were attached then left. (D)All of the above Bdes© left the 36th Div by the 11th & 12th December 1915 and the Division was eventually joined by those Bdes mentioned in (B), with some adjustments over a period of time. After this the change in Batteries/Bdes within 36th Div becomes very complicated and I would recommend you read Beckes "Order of Battle of Divisions - Part 3a & 3b" to absorb the complete reorganisation of the artillery in the Division.

By the end of 1918 23rd Army Bde, R.F.A. were serving with the Army Field Artillery of the 2nd Army. The composition of these Brigades was different to those who served as Divisional Artillery by the fact that they had a larger numbers of guns allocated to each Army Brigade. In the case of 23rd Army Bde, R.F.A. their gun establishment had risen to 18 x 18pounders and 6 x 4.5inch Howitzers. Even the organization within the Bde differed in that although it had four batteries, two were numbered and two lettered. The two numbered batteries were I believe the 18pdr batteries and the lettered batteries the 4.5in Howitzers and they were numbered and lettered thus;- 107th Battery, 23rd Army Bde, R.F.A. 108th Battery, 23rd Army Bde, R.F.A. 'C' Battery, 23rd Army Bde, R.F.A. 'D' Battery, 23rd Army Bde, R.F.A.

Isn't it an officers pattern beret rather than the other ranks one, with the leather headband and gold grenade & lettering to the badge?? As far as I'm aware O/Rs badges had only white worsted grenades and lettering.

Another one seemingly dated 7/18 & 12/18 with 100,000 & 50,000 respectively.

There seems to be slight differences even in our's and the print at the top left hand side probably indicates date and print run, i.e. 200,000 7/16.

For some reason and despite the number issued they're far from being common. I can count the number I have in my collection on one hand in among over 100 sets of Discharge documents and most of those record them as discharged under Kings Regs Para 392(xvi) or 392(xvi)a as being "no longer physically fit for War service" i.e. discharged due to wounds or sickness, which would qualify for a SWB.

The maximum number of overseas chevrons and worn towards the end of WWI was '5' and it would be those who served in 1914, who qualified for '5' which would be a blue one followed by four red's. All others serving after 1914 were worn in red and they were worn point up, not down. Whether or not the South Africans differed I couldn't honestly say, but strips of red are for service during WWII, as no distinguishing blue one was worn, as in WWI. The marksmans badge is off his "blue patrol" jacket, otherwise would have been woven onto scarlet melton cloth for wear with parade dress. The 2nd Bn, Cheshire Regiment served in South Africa from 1900 - 1902 and saw action at "Karee Sidings", "Zand River" and "Johannesberg".

Not unlike the SWB Certificate awarded to British troops.

Mervyn, The 8th(Service)Bn, Gloucestershire Regt was a war raised "Kitcheners Army" battalion formed in Bristol in September 1914. On it's formation it moved to Perham Down Camp for training as part of 57th Brigade, 19th Division and spent the December 1914 in Billets in that area. In March 1915 it moved to Tidworth before moving to France on the 18th July 1915. Henry had left the Battalion in the December 1914. The 5th(Service)Bn, Northamptonshire Regt(Pioneers) were also a "Kitchener Army" war raised unit formed at Northampton in August 1914. They were originally regarded as 'Army Troops' and attached to 12th Division which were forming at Shorncliffe. In November 1914 they moved to the Hythe area where the Battalion become the Divisional Pioneer Bn of 12th Div. In Feb 1915 they moved to Aldershot and eventually moved to France on 30th May 1915. The battalion remained with 12th Div throughout the war. Hopefully if his service records survive you may get snippets of his previous military service.

Right gents bringing this one back to the surface, as the photo of Henry Mitton as a Captain in officers service dress has had me on the go for a while now. Anyway even though we don't have a clear shot of the only collar badge, I've never been convinced they were either Northamptons or Notts and Derby, so I've done a bit digging in the London Gazette & Army List. The collar badge we can see always looked to me as though it had the Sphinx on it and believe it or not we do actually find a temporary Captain & Quartermaster H. Mitton, 8th(Service)Battalion, Gloucestershire Regt being attached to the 5th Bn, Northamptonshire Regt(Pioneers) on the 17th December 1914. Therefore gents I conclude that this our man.

Thanks Mike - it is a curiosity and certainlly has features that are hard to reproduce these days, especially the worsted cotton used for the grenade and N.F., which isn't as fine as modern cottons found on later S/T's. On the revers side, nothing shows, as it's all hidden by fine white hessian(?), but there's no tape to show it could have been a shoulder title.