Uniform ID please

[Tony]

Hello,

Can anyone ID the nationality of this man? I'm not sure he's wearing a military uniform but if he is, could he be from Romania maybe?

Tony

[Guest Rick Research]

Is that an armband on his upper left or a spot on the image? If the former, he certainly bears some resemblance to the Sad Sack Elbonian appearance of these ragged Romanian POWs at Haltingen camp in Germany 1917-- mixture of civilian and military cast offs.

Impossible to tell from lack of clothing details, but Romanians seemed to have better/darker "fish fur" winter hats and boots and much worse clothing than Russian POWs did.

[Tony]

Rick,

I can't say for certain if it's an armband or a repair job to his coat but if I had to put money on it I'd say an armband.

Doesn't the studio floor look a little strange, it looks as though a travelling photographer took the photo in a field somewhere.

Unfortunately there's nothing on the back to give an indication of where the photo may have been taken or developed.

Tony

[Chris Boonzaier]

Looks like the cloth used by the Goums in morocco, tailored a bit more western styled into a coat.... I would say North Africa through to Turkey....

[Tony]

I've tried to get a bit of a close up on the coat and arm band.

Tony

[Chris Boonzaier]

Seems to be a small badge on the hat...

I am betting something from the ottoman empire....