Can anyone date the picture and identify uniform?

[LizzieL]

My husband was sent this photo in 1953 but we think it is more likely taken abt WW1. Can anyone hazard a guess at the date and identify the uniform of the soldier lying down on the left. If it is a soldier's uniform rather than an adult bandsman.

[barryd]

Boys Brigade

http://infed.org/mobi/william-alexander-smith-the-founder-of-the-boys-brigade-as-a-youth-worker/

[LizzieL]

Yes, it could be thank you. The boys uniforms look very similar.

[jim1]

The Bugler looks Army. I don't think BB Officers dressed like this.
1930's would be my suggested date, before the uniform change.

[philipsearching]

The Bugler looks Army. I don't think BB Officers dressed like this.
1930's would be my suggested date, before the uniform change.

In the pictures I have seen of my ancestors in the Boys Brigade the officers wore forage caps.

Unfortunately the definition of the photo is not clear enough to show detail on the bugler's cap badge (except that it is circular) or belt buckle.

[jim1]

Perhaps he is then. The belt buckles do look similar. I'd still say 1930's.

[philipsearching]

Perhaps he is then. The belt buckles do look similar. I'd still say 1930's.

I'm with you on the date.  I could speculate that he was an ex-BB member who joined the Army and was a guest bugler with the BB drum band, but we may never know for sure.

Philip

[LizzieL]

Boys Brigade

http://infed.org/mobi/william-alexander-smith-the-founder-of-the-boys-brigade-as-a-youth-worker/

I found the main Boys Brigade website and emailed the photo to them. Their archivist replied this morning. He said the boys' uniforms look like the Boys Life brigade which merged with the Boys Brigade in 1926, so photo would be between 1899 (when Boys Life Brigade founded) and 1926.

We were told that the soldier with the bugle lying down was a relative who died in 1917 aged 25.

[alan o]

The soldier appears to have a hat and tunic dating circa 1905-14.