Badge ID

[Tony]

I've picked up a few nice cards lately and need some help with a couple of cap badges.

The first one shows 2 Empire troops with cap comforters. Can anyone ID the badge? I was wondering if they could be Gurkas or troops from India/Ceylon but have no idea really.

Any help is much appreciated.

[Tony]

A close up.

[Tony]

The second shows a big Yank, a member of the RFA seated and what could be a member of the Tank Corps. The badge isn't clear enough for me to tell.

On a side note, can it be said if the Doughboy is a foot soldier or mounted going by his uniform? The photo was taken in England but all 3 have that 'look' seen so often of troops who have served on the front in F/F.

[Tony]

This last picture shows some men of an English volunteer Battalion at rest, they also have that been to the front look about them.

Tony

(Thanks for the correction Graham)

Edited October 1, 2008 by Tony

[Graham Stewart]

Not a Tanky as theirs has this distinctive shape.

[Graham Stewart]

This was another possible candidate the 'Bays'. However I'm still not 100% on this one. My other candidate is the Monmouths, which has the full wreath and Dragon & KC, but no battle honours, nor can I find an illustration.

[Graham Stewart]

Your final photo aren't Diggers at all they're English and a Volunteer Battalion complete with the smasher or felt hat. Note the dress trousers on the one on the right. They're Rifle grey with a fine red welt down them.

Edited September 30, 2008 by Graham Stewart

[Ulsterman]

Photo #1 is outstanding!!!!

I think they might be Labour Battalions, but don't know. Have you tried trenches on the web?

They would LOVE that photograph (1915?).

[leigh kitchen]

The first photos - I've seen the badge illustrated on a web site somewhere, it should be fairly easy to identify.

I can't remember what it is offhand though.

[Graham Stewart]

Going back to what I said earlier about your 'Diggers' here are the 4th Vol Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers, Berwick 1909.

[leigh kitchen]

Hmm, I thought I'd posted this already, but it does'nt look it - I've sussed the badge in post 1 - it's 3rd Ghurka Rifles.

[Tony]

Going back to what I said earlier about your 'Diggers' here are the 4th Vol Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers, Berwick 1909.

Thanks Graham, nice pic you have there too.

Do you think my photo may be from the Boer War period?

[Tony]

Hmm, I thought I'd posted this already, but it does'nt look it - I've sussed the badge in post 1 - it's 3rd Ghurka Rifles.

Cheers Leigh, I'm well chuffed with the photo. Don't suppose the 3rd Ghurka Rifles were in one place long enough during 1914/15 to work out where they could have been captured. When did they arrive in F/F?

[Tony]

Photo #1 is outstanding!!!!

I think they might be Labour Battalions, but don't know. Have you tried trenches on the web?

They would LOVE that photograph (1915?).

Don't know trenches on the web.

I'd have a guess at the photo being taken at about early to mid 1915 going by the lack of snow etc. although I don't if or when cap comforters were fased out.

[leigh kitchen]

At the moment there are lots of rough fits for the badge in post 3, - 13th Hussars, The Bays, Dorset Yeomanry, Rifle Brigade type designs, even more are a bit too big or small, but nothing that seems to fit that central design, whatever it is. The nearest Colonial I've come up with is Lord Strathconas Horse, but that's not right either.

[Graham Stewart]

Tony - difficult to say really as the felt hat was in use for a number of years by Volunteer units. Facial expressions in my opinion, really can't be used to guage that 'war weariness' look in that sort of photo. They could just have easily done an exercise at Annual Camp with little sleep or they could just be 'hard lads' from an industrial area not used to posing for the camera.

Many photo's from the Great War period were taken not long after getting into uniform and it was priority to get something for the folks back home, as having your photo taken was generally a treat among the working classes.

[peter monahan]

Cheers Leigh, I'm well chuffed with the photo. Don't suppose the 3rd Ghurka Rifles were in one place long enough during 1914/15 to work out where they could have been captured. When did they arrive in F/F?

Here's a quick and dirty crib from Wikipediaon the 3rd GRs service in WWI.

The 2nd Battalion, as part of the Garwhal Brigade of the 7th (Meerut) Division, was sent to France a few months after the declaration of war in 1914.

2nd Bttn saw action came at La Bass?e & was involved in the defence of Festubert in November and Givenchy in December.

The battalion remained on the Western Front until late 1915.

At the Battle of Neuve Chapelle it took part in fierce fighting. In May it was involved in the battles of Festubert and Aubers. In September the battalion took part in the Battle of Loos which saw the regiment awarded its first Victoria Cross. on 25 September when Rifleman Kulbir Thapa performed with distinction near the village of Fauqissart, becoming the first Gurkha recipient of the award.

The Battle of Loos was the battalion's last action on the Western Front and it left the 7th Division with the rest of the Garhwal Brigade for Egypt in December 1915 after the brigade became an independent unit.

After its arrival in Egypt the 2nd Battalion saw active service against the Ottoman Empire and later took part in the Palestine campaign: first action during the Battles of Gaza & many other actions including the capture of Jerusalem in December. On 19 September 1918, the Megiddo Offensive, began and the battalion was involved in the capture of Sharon. For its part in the campaign the 3rd Gurkhas gained seven Battle Honours and the Theatre Honour "Palestine 1917-18" after such honours were granted to units in the 1920s.

On 10 April 1918 at El Kefr in Egypt, Karanbahadur Rana of the 2nd Battalion became the regiment's second VC recipient .

Elsewhere the 1st Battalion, from 1917, took part in the Mesopotamian Campaign (now Iraq), gaining only a single Battle Honour in the process: Battle of Sharqat (28-30 October 1918).

[Tony]

Quite true Graham, I bet I looked like that too after a few marches etc.

Thanks for the added info Peter. I wonder if those poor buggers had a hard time as POWs, not only the work they may have had to do but the language barrier too.

Tony