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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Special Needs Girl on Tuesday 06 February 18 20:57 GMT (UK)
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Frank is in uniform in this photo.
we understand the uniform is from the Boar War. However I have just found records on ancestry for him in WW1 so if anyone is able to say which war I would be very greatful. Thanks
Is there a kind person who could make the photo clearer please.
Thank you
Special Needs Girl
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my tidy. , Tommy
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Thanks Tommy. That's much clearer. :)
Any idea if the uniform is Boar War or First World War?
I'm not very good on uniforms at all!
Thanks
SNG
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Thanks Tommy.
I don't know if my last post got through as I have a message saying that I may want to review my post.
Frank looks much clearer now. My husband is very pleased.
:) :) SNG
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He's wearing the 1908 pattern tunic & appears to be Royal Engineers.
Doesn't have Boer War Medal ribbons so doesn't appear to have served in that theatre.
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One from me,
Pat
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Thanks Jim1.
I found his military record for the Boar War and everything fitted so was surprised to hear that he served in WW1 especially as he was born in 1870.
Would he have bothered to wear anything to indicate that he had served before?
More research needed there I think!
Thanks too Pat.
When these old photos are cleaned up they seem to bring more life into the person.
Thanks
Pam
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It was usual practice to wear medal ribbons previously awarded.
What are his number(s)?
As someone who worked on road construction he would have been a shoe-in for the RE.
There were men older than him that served in WW1.
He may have been in reserve & recalled or volunteered.
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color one
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b.w one
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Sorry about the delay in replying Jim1 but batteries had died. Terrible that we rely on technology so much these days.
However it is a Godsend because otherwise where would we be with FH etc.
Anyway Francis Collins served with the 3rd Batallion, The Welsh Regiment and his number was 9828.
He received the King's South African Medal in 1902.
I can't find a number for his WW1 service. I have found his records but they are badly damaged. By now he is Frank.
He uses both names sometimes!
My husband believes he may have been a regular soldier originally. His parents had both died and he came to Wales via London.
He had a brother Robert who was born in 1866 but I no longer subscribe to FindMyPast so can't access that record to see anything. I doubt he served with the Welch Regiment though because they were from Ireland and from what we have found only Francis Frank came to Wales.
SNG
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Thank you Loord74.
As there were no coloured photographs of soldiers it is nice to see what he would have actually looked like.
I just wish I was as talented as all you experts.
Thanks again to everyone.
Pam
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OK. This man doesn't have the Fleur-de-Lis cap badge of the Welsh Regt.
This man is RE.
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I have just found records on ancestry for him in WW1
What records did you find & can you give a link to it ?
Ancestry service records doesn't have a Frank Collins Welsh regiment however there is a Frank Collins RE.
He married a Mary Swaffield in 1891.
Ring any bells?
A bit of extra info. This Frank Collins first went into a Railway Construction Coy. & then on to a Road & Quarry Coy.
He states in civvy life he was a water pipe jointer which looks pretty similar to what your man is doing in the photo.
He worked for Neath Corporation for 1 1/2 years by 1917.
He didn't undergo the usual basic training & was sent to France pretty much straight away which gives the impression he had previous service.
Unless there are 2 Frank Collins' pipe jointers working in Neath I'd say this is your man.
Service record:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01lir/
MIC:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01lis/
SWB Roll:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01lit/
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Hi Jim1,
Yes Ancestry is where Frank Collins' WW1 military records have been found. It was another member of the family who informed me that they were on there and provided me with copies. I then checked on ancestry for myself.
Yes Frank married Mary Swaffield but he was known by Frank and Francis then. On my husband's grandmother's birth certificate he actually says he is Francis Frank.
However, when baptised in 1870, he was Francis Collins. He was born in Londonderry.
My husband is very grateful for the links to Frank's War Medal and Silver Badge Medal. I had not found these on ancestry.
The first link you provided is the same as the WW1 records another member of the family sent him.
My husband is also asking how you have found all his employment details. Is there a site which one can access this from?
We have also found prison records for him on ancestry! He owed debts.
Obviously times were really hard and he couldn't pay so enjoyed a bit of time at HMP.
He gives his occupation on one of the occasions and working in the quarry so your details match that.
I did have a subscription for both ancestry and FindMyPast but only have ancestry at the moment.
There is a link to Frank being in the Chelsea hospital on ancestry but the link is to another site for which there is payment. There are seven days for free but I want to check a number of people first in case there will be more ancestors details on there too.
I know Frank's brother Robert is in the same hospital but his military records are on FindMyPast so it's off to the library for those now.
My husband likes paper copies of everything and I've given up saving on the computer. I only have a basic tree for him on ancestry - the trunk naming parents each time, in the hope of DNA matches.
I will take a picture of the Boar War information and post it in my next message for you. Bear with me while I go through his many files! He is an historian and everything is in family name in date order etc.
Thank you once again for the links you gave me. It is very much appreciated.
I haven't looked up for a number of ancestors to see what new information is available for some time. These records are great.
He's now asking me to check up other family members!
Best wishes
Pam
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His employment details are on his service record.
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Thanks Jim1. He's scrutinising the records now.
I am trying to send Frank's Boar War records but the images are too big. :'(
I have tried making them smaller but I'm using an ipad at the moment and it's not working. I'll get the laptop out later and post using that.
Sorry.
SNG
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Hi Jim1
Here is Francis / Frank's Boar War records as promised. Sorry for the delay.
Pam
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Although it's a bit blurred my end what you have is his medal roll with the Queen's SA medal + 1 clasp & the King's with 2.
I can't find his full service but typically a man would join for 12 years electing to do so many "under the Colours" & the rest in reserve. On completion he would be "time served" & couldn't be brought back for any reason. However the 3rd. Batt. were a Volunteer Force:
The reorganisation (1881) saw the Royal Glamorgan Light Infantry Militia become the Regiment's 3rd Battalion and four South Wales Rifle Volunteer Corps affiliated as Volunteer Battalions of the Regiment.
So on this basis he may have been a part-timer & "embodied" for overseas service.
Anyway the same rules applied to the Volunteer Force so having a WW1 history means he volunteered again.
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Thanks Jim1. It puts more information into the file.
We knew that Frank had been to Cardiff to receive his medal.
Although Frank had died before my husband was born, he feels he knows him quite well.
He had been orphaned and sent to London from Londonderry to stay with family. Frank ran away and "walked" to Cardiff. I expect it was there that he "signed up" for military service.
My husband has a great uncle who did exactly the same after the parents died. Sadly he was killed in February 1915.
Thanks again for your help.
Pam