Badge ID

[portybelle]

Can anyone help me identify the badge on this uniform sleeve? It's from WW1 and the soldier in question died aged 20 in France in 1918. I think this photo may have been taken around 1916. I believe that the stripe on the sleeve denotes he has been wounded? He was in the 5th/6th Bn Royal Scots and came from Leith in Edinburgh. Many thanks

[MaxD]

It is a Lewis Gunner trade proficiency badge.  There was also a cloth version.

The stripe is indeed a wound stripe.

MaxD

[portybelle]

You are a star Max thank you! It's so obvious now you've said that.

Now you know my next question don't you? What would you have one of these for? A google serach is just coming up with badges for sale.

[jess5athome]

I second MaxD's thoughts.

Frank.

ADDED, I'll leave MaxD to answer your question as it's asked of him.

[MaxD]

Reading matter here:
Nice pic and brief description http://www.army.mod.uk/firstworldwarresources/somme-1916/lewis-gunner-on-the-firing-step-of-a-trench-1916
Much more info here http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/the-great-war/great-war-on-land/weapons-equipment-uniform/269-lewis-story-gun.html#sthash.k0QgopXG.dpbs

While all men assigned to the Lewis Guns would of course received specific training, some would have attended a Class 1 Proficiency course and my understanding is that only these men would receive the LG badge  (there is some variance among the experts as to whether all men wore the badge once trained - I sit on the fence until I can see the specific dress regulation!)

MaxD

[jess5athome]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that if a man passed the "Class 1" proficiency training course then he wore a brass "LG" badge, other men who trained would wear one produced out of cloth.

As MaxD says there is a lot of variance on this, However if it is true then it looks like your man passed 1st class.

Frank.

[portybelle]

Thank you both for your help which is much appreciated. Always good to add a little bit more detail to the tree.

[MaxD]

A pity only his medal record survives, his service record would perhaps have told us about the training.

MaxD

[MaxD]

If a little more detail for the tree is required, then this link http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=13&lat=50.1510&lon=2.6650&layers=101465215&right=BingHyb
shows the area the 5th/6th Battalion were in in early April 1918.  The support line they were manning ran south between the village of Monchy au Bois (right at the top centre of the map) and the squarish wood to the east.  The cemetery in which he is at rest in just outside the village of Bienvillers au Bois (over to the west) right where the D2 road marker is.  The area is to the south west of Arras.

MaxD