Walter BRUCE photo

[GrantGen]

Hi -  Can anyone identify this uniform?  Can you read the shoulder badge?  Photo taken 1914-1922.  Not also the fabric tape above his breast pocket which appears to have ink numbers on it as if it was a temporary badge.

This is Walter BRUCE who married Florence Edith HOWES in 1919 in Canterbury.  Walter was from Easenhall, Warks.
Thank you for any assistance,
Tom

[MaxD]

Haven't replied before because I kept seeing something different in the shoulder title every time I looked so left it to others!  However as you've waited a week time to take the plunge - I think it is SSTAFFORD as in South Staffordshire regiment.

MaxD

[ShaunJ]

There was a Private Walter Bruce (10939) in the South Staffordshire regiment, first served in the Balkans in July 1915 and survived the war per his MIC ("Z A Res 3.3.19")

[jim1]

First with the 7th. Battalion & finally the 1st.

[GrantGen]

Fantastic!  Thank you so much MaxD, ShaunJ and Jim1.

[MaxD]

If this is your man (and the medal information has no family details) then you might want to get the war diaries of his battalions.  The diary of 7th Battalion which was the only S Staffs to go to Gallipoli is particularly worth getting as it has been re-written in the form of a narrative and there is also a 1931 contribution to an official history.

The 7th Bn went to France following Gallipoli and the 1st Bn were there from the start until Nov 917 when they went to Italy.   We don't know when he transferred from the 7th to the 1st Bn but the whole war is covered by a number of diaries at the National Archives, some of which are also on Ancestry.

MaxD

[GrantGen]

Thank You MaxD.  This is certainly worth pursuing. Cheers