Author Topic: WWI Regiment Identification  (Read 11087 times)

Offline caimaver

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 7
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
WWI Regiment Identification
« on: Sunday 18 December 05 22:09 GMT (UK) »
Hello-

Someone recommended this site to me from a Scottish Genealogy mailing list. I am trying to figure out what WWI regiment my great-grandfather belonged to based on a photo I have of him in his military uniform.

My great-grandfather, Alexander Murray, is the one on the right in this photograph. The tartan looks pretty clear and you can see that he has three medals; the first one on the left looks like the British Service Medal, and the one next to it might be the Victory medal but I can't identify the last one at all which looks like a five-pointed cross if that makes any sense.

Alexander Murray was born in Barrhead, Scotland and moved to America in 1909. He actually went back to Scotland as soon as the war broke out because he really wanted to fight in it. Family legend is that he earned the nickname 'Red' during the war but he wouldn't say why.

If you can help me identify any more details from this photo, please let me know. You can e-mail me at "caimaver )at( yahoo [dot] com" if you'd like. I can also e-mail a higher-res version if it would help.

Offline liverpool annie

  • Deceased † Rest In Peace
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • ********
  • Posts: 13,434
  • Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: WWI Regiment Identification
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 18 December 05 22:45 GMT (UK) »

Hi Calmaver and Welcome to RootsChat !

I think it's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders - I found a picture of WW1

http://static.flickr.com/39/74928789_7a8b05936b_o.jpg

Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Pipe Major 1st battalion

Looks very similiar to me - you watch! - somebody else will say something
different!! :P

Annie

PS I just noticed the sporron (? spelling) is wrong ..... !
Cooper : Muels : Howarth : Every : Price : King

http://web.archive.org/web/20130407030702/http://www.freewebs.com/liverpoolannie

http://web.archive.org/web/20130407191115/http://manchestersoldiers.webs.com

http://web.archive.org/web/20130807102055/http://www.powv.webs.com/
Be who you are and say what you feel -  because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind ! Dr. Seuss

Erect no gravestone .... let the Rose every year bloom for his sake ! Rilke Sonnets to Orpheus, I

Offline Kevwood

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,509
  • my little man
    • View Profile
Re: WWI Regiment Identification
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 18 December 05 22:51 GMT (UK) »
Hi, i think the medal on the right may be a Croix de guerre.

Kev.
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

wood,west,williams,morgan,sollars,hawker,snell,roach,clark,symons. In bristol,fremington,instow,rhymney,colyton

Offline Kevwood

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,509
  • my little man
    • View Profile
Re: WWI Regiment Identification
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 18 December 05 22:56 GMT (UK) »
Changed my mind , too many points, sorry.

Kev. ::)
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

wood,west,williams,morgan,sollars,hawker,snell,roach,clark,symons. In bristol,fremington,instow,rhymney,colyton


Offline liverpool annie

  • Deceased † Rest In Peace
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • ********
  • Posts: 13,434
  • Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: WWI Regiment Identification
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 18 December 05 22:59 GMT (UK) »


Now I look at the two pictures together - I'm not sure ....  :P
The shoulder is wrong - extra tail on the sporron (?) and the collar
Hat looks right and the bandalier and the buckle - but the man standing next to him has
the same shoulder pin!!

I'll keep looking!!  :P :P :P

where's Mack and Chris??
Cooper : Muels : Howarth : Every : Price : King

http://web.archive.org/web/20130407030702/http://www.freewebs.com/liverpoolannie

http://web.archive.org/web/20130407191115/http://manchestersoldiers.webs.com

http://web.archive.org/web/20130807102055/http://www.powv.webs.com/
Be who you are and say what you feel -  because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind ! Dr. Seuss

Erect no gravestone .... let the Rose every year bloom for his sake ! Rilke Sonnets to Orpheus, I

Offline harribobs

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,298
    • View Profile
Re: WWI Regiment Identification
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 18 December 05 23:26 GMT (UK) »

where's Mack and Chris??

hiding  :-[


he's not a manc.... ;D

Offline harribobs

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,298
    • View Profile
Re: WWI Regiment Identification
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 18 December 05 23:40 GMT (UK) »
seriously tho....

the key here is the collar, there's a regimental ID there, don't ask me which

i'm a little wary of the medals, the ribbons don't look like WW1 to me

this is a black and white pic of some WW1 medals and compare the ribbons (not a clue on the star)



cheers

chris

Offline caimaver

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 7
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: WWI Regiment Identification
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 18 December 05 23:45 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for the help!

Someone on another mailing list suggested that he might be in the Royal Highland Fusiliers. From the few images I can find of their tartan on-line, it seems like it might fit. The only problem is that the photos I've seen of men in the Royal Highland Fusiliers show them wearing a checker-pattern on their cap and my great-grandfather doesn't have that so I'm not sure...

As I'm looking more and more on-line, I still can't find any WWI British medal like the left-most one that he is wearing. My parents are the ones who have the actual photograph, I only have the scans. I am going to try to identify the numbers on the colar when I visit my family for the holidays next week. If I am able to see the regimental ID, where could I go to look it up?

- Cai

Offline caimaver

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 7
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: WWI Regiment Identification
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 18 December 05 23:49 GMT (UK) »
Here's the closest I can get on the medals and collar on the scan I have in case it helps...