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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: whitej on Monday 28 May 18 20:25 BST (UK)
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Hello
Anyone help by recognising the unit of this man in uniform? many thanks
James
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The badge is very indistinct, but I *think* it might be the Essex Regiment?
(http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/british_regiment/essex_regiment_cap_badge.JPG)
I emphasise that it is a guess.
RRTB
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Thanks - badge is unclear as you say
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Note the "eagle" (?) flash on the shoulder.
That and the tunic style suggest Royal Flying Corps / R A F . The cap badges are similar except for the lettering and, as noted, the badge is too indistinct to read.
I'm not an expert on RFC/RAF but a quick trawl on RFC did not show up a tunic of this kind. Could it be RAF just post WW1 ?
Maec
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Looks like the RAF eagle to me - I'm ex WRAF.
The first RAF uniforms in 1918 were a bit of a miss mash, the eagle was red on khaki uniforms, 1919 the eagle became white on the new blue uniforms.
The eagle became the emblem on the uniform in 1918 - the RAF was formed 1st April 1918 by combining the Royal Flying Corps (army) and the Royal Naval Air Service.
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Interesting comments thank you.
RAF could be plausible. A relative born 1914 or 16 served with the RAF joining as a "boy" - maybe what around 1930? I thought this picture looked WW1 but maybe it is late twenties early 1930?
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Good morning,
I would say RAF as well, 1918, early 1919. The first cap badge was the same as RFC but with the letters changed to RAF.
No rank showing or wings so not a pilot but given he is wearing jodphurs is probably aircrew. Maybe an air gunner on a twin seater. Or an observer, again on a twin seater or a balloon.
John915
Not post 1919 I think, RAF blue uniform had come in by then. Chosen because there was a huge supply of that colour material in stock. Originally intended for the Cossacks but not required due to the war ending.
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Thank you John and all other posters.
1919 eh and RAF ... we don't know of any family in the RAF at that time. Still it could be a family friend.
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Additional snippet - the cap badge, which I agree is RAF, has a disc (probably white) behind it. While I can find no period reference, the white disc behind a beret badge was/is a designator for cadets which would support the "joined as a boy" reference. He certainly has a youthful look.
MaxD
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thanks Max
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Good afternoon,
That's a good call Max but could it be as late as the 30s. He certainly looks about the right age to be a cadet but did they wear khaki at all at that time rather than blue. Then there is the jodphurs, fairly sure they had been phased out long before then.
When did RAF cadets start up? Were they about at the end of the war as I suggested the date to be.
John915
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John
I really don't know, I am confident only of the backing disc, the rest was speculation really. I wouldn't like either to say whether he was a cadet as in Officer Cadet or as in after school/in school youth organisation. Oddities of uniform not unknown among the latter. Bit of Googling shows up
https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/who-we-are/history/ mid 30s OTC air sections. The swagger stick also suggest perhaps a cadet (small c).
MaxD
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thanks John and Max - and others.
So are we concluding 1919 or so or late 1920s?
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Sorry, I pass!
MaxD
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fair enough Max :)
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Update
Friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, to whom many thanks, have guided us to RAF Halton Apprentices.
Pictures 1930 parade and 1932 pair photo from the webernet attached.
Swagger stick and jodhpurs evident.
MaxD
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The original poster's photo does not have the RAF Apprentices Wheel badge on his arm.
Tony
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The wheel was worn on the left arm only which is borne out by other pictures of the time, similarly the "sparks" badge when worn.
See http://223halton.hosting.idnet.net/scheme.htm - definitive I'd say.
MaxD
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For interest:
Adult trainees of the period, take T E Lawrence for example at the RAF Training Depot at Uxbridge in 1922, complete with jodhpurs and swagger stick:
http://www.telsociety.org.uk/about-lawrence/
Tony
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You are of course entitled to your opinion.
The fact that the family concerned had a member who joined the RAF "as a boy" in the 30s is mightily persuasive and, as an adult entrant, Lawrence has no white disc behind his cap badge.
MaxD.
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I have modified my last post.
Tony
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:)
MaxD