Badge & shoulder title help needed

[Tony]

I need some help from those of you used to spotting and identifying small blurry objects in photos.

Which regiment do you think this cap badge belongs to? I'm leaning towards the East Yorkshire regiment or possibly the Cheshire regiment.

Now this one is difficult.

Can anyone read the sholuder title here?

I have both soldier's names so can cross check with the online NA site I hope.

Thanks

Tony

[Keith Blakeman]

I need some help from those of you used to spotting and identifying small blurry objects in photos.

Which regiment do you think this cap badge belongs to? I'm leaning towards the East Yorkshire regiment or possibly the Cheshire regiment.

Now this one is difficult.

Can anyone read the sholuder title here?

I have both soldier's names so can cross check with the online NA site I hope.

Thanks

Tony

Tony,

The cap is definently the East Yorkshire Regiment. Having trouble with the title though.

Keith

[Graham Stewart]

Tony,

Prior to 1921 the East Yorks only had the words "E.YORK" on their shoulder titles and so there seems to be too few letters for it to be them, whereas the Cheshires had the full title "Cheshire" on their shoulder titles.

Graham.

[Tony]

Hello Graham,

They are photos of different soldiers.

Keith/Graham

The card with the cap badge is signed H Tarling. I found three Tarling?s in the E. Yorkshire?s but only one H Tarling:

218 Pte. Tarling, Horace A, East Yorkshire Regiment and later 26786 of the West Riding Regiment.

I?m just wondering why he had a low number as he only looks about 12 years old.

His tunic doesn't have the patches to the shoulders or pleates to the pockets, is that some sort of emergency issue?

The shoulder title looks like it has a W as the fourth letter but it could also be H, the soldier?s name in this case is quite common (GA Wood) so I don?t expect to ID him although being a corporal narrows it down a bit. The problem is, there isn?t a Cpl. G A Wood listed on the NA and he could have ended up with a different rank by the end of the war.

Tony

[Graham Stewart]

Tony,

Sorry about that I thought they were from the same photo. I wouldn't worry about the low numbering which you would find being used by Regulars, Special Reservists and Territorials. Numbering is one of my favourite subjects and although there is a guideline, you do have to look at each unit in turn, as it can get complicated.

Up to the introduction of new regimental numbers in the 1920's your number was changed whenever you transferred to another unit. If you were in the Territorials you couldn't be transferred without your permission and you didn't take your number with you, even if you went another battalion. In 1917 all Territorials were issued with new six figure numbers.

You even had pre-fix numbers which were given a letter or number and / or - , followed by a regimental number. This is usually found among locally raised units of Kitcheners Armies and Territorials from May 1915.

Basically the numbers were;-

Regular Infantry - 1 to 9999 until 1906 and then it was 1 to 19999. In both cases once the numbers were used up you went back to number 1.

Special Reserve - 1 to 9999 and back to 1 on completion.

Territorial Force - 1 to 9999 per each battalion and then back to 1 on completion. New six figure numbers issued 1917.

Graham.

[Tony]

Then it possibly is Horace Tarling, I'll have to see if I can find him on the 1901 census.

5 minutes later....... Found one possible living in London aged 6 in 1901. Just have to find his medals now

Here he is.

Tony

Edited January 17, 2006 by Tony