Help with WW1 Uniform - COuld be long shot

[sue smith]

Hi

My father and I believe that the gentleman in the attached photograph is my great grandfather.  He died in 1929 from bronchopneumonia / cerebral heamorrhage - possibly linked to mustard gas exposure during WW1.  We know very little about him as he was never spoken of by his children (am still trying to work out why!), all of whom have now passed on.

I'd love to try and track down info on his WW1 service for my father but will not be able to get down to the National Archives until next year.  I know the photograph shows very little but wondered if anyone could tell me if there is anything distinctive relating to his uniform that could help me track which regiment he served with.  He was from Whitehaven so chances are it will have been a Cumbrian / Lancashire regiment.

I appreciate this is a very long shot but would be grateful for any advice or pointers to good websites etc that could help me. I've attached a enlargement of the very fuzzy badge on his shoulder.

Thanks

Sue

[wizz123]

Hi Sue,what was your great grandad called,as this may help identify his regiment.
                              Wizz

[sue smith]

Hi Wizz

His full name was John Parmenly Watson - if you include his middle name then it is fairly unique, but without it..... 

From the searching I have been doing I think that he is likely to have joined the Kings Own Border Regiment - most men from his area did so. 

I have searched the medal rolls at the NA and come up with a potential match, but of course they only list middle initial rather than anything further, and the number of plain John Watson's is pretty high!

All or any help / suggestions gratefully recieved.

Thanks

Sue

[manmack]

is it possible for someone to blow up his shoulder title a bit more,it looks like it begins with A,so this could be john,a watson.
pte john,a watson
argyll and sutherland highlanders
S-19368.
mack

[wizz123]

Hi Sue

   Try the website www.cwgc.org/default.asp
  Then just type in the deatils that you know.
  Happy hunting,Merry Christmas.
                 WIZZ

[sue smith]

Hi Wizz & Mack

I have his birth and death certificates so I know he was definately John P Watson.  He died after the war so there isn't anything listed on the CWG site.

If the shoulder title looks like it is John something Watson it will be a P and it confirms this is my man.

Sue

[Tom McC]

Hi All,

Can't be Argylls as their shoulder title was a straight A&SH, hope this helps

Aye

Tom McC

[Hackstaple]

Hi Wizz & Mack

I have his birth and death certificates so I know he was definately John P Watson.  He died after the war so there isn't anything listed on the CWG site.

If the shoulder title looks like it is John something Watson it will be a P and it confirms this is my man.

Sue

Sue - Perhaps a bit at cross purposes here. This is the British Army and names did not appear on the shoulders. It would be a unit badge of some sort, not a name. 

[sue smith]

Managed to track him down in the Medal Rolls. He was in the Border Regiment and then the Royal Engineers