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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Treetotal on Saturday 12 January 19 14:34 GMT (UK)
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Could anyone please offer any help with this soldier's uniform please, Cavalry? Not sure if this should be on the WW2 Board ::)
Thanks for looking.
Carol
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Not sure Carol. What does that say on the epaulettes ? I can't make it out.
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He has IMS on his shoulder strap 'Indian Medical Service' perhaps. WWII rather than WWI, although IMS went back to HEIC inception.
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Thanks for that Regorian...much appreciated...I guessed it must be WW2 after i had posted it.
Carol
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I thought WW2 looking at the boy.
So would he have been in India ? Would that have been inbetween the wars ?
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This needs a second and third opinion. Pic. must be UK. Then the spurs point to cavalry and that peaked cap to the Guards (gold round peak).
There were very few horsed regiments left by September 1939. However, the 1st Cavalry Division was formed in October 1939 and converted to 10th Armoured Division in August 1941. It served in Palestine Jan to May 1941, Transjordan May 1941, Iraq May ro June 1941 and Syria June to July 1941.
One of it's regiments was the Household Cavalry Regiment. Will need specialist knowledge though, which I don't have.
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That is very interesting Regorian ,new knowledge for me. Thankyou.
Maybe move this to the Military boards Carol ?
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This needs a second and third opinion. Pic. must be UK. Then the spurs point to cavalry and that peaked cap to the Guards (gold round peak).
There were very few horsed regiments left by September 1939. However, the 1st Cavalry Division was formed in October 1939 and converted to 10th Armoured Division in August 1941. It served in Palestine Jan to May 1941, Transjordan May 1941, Iraq May ro June 1941 and Syria June to July 1941.
One of it's regiments was the Household Cavalry Regiment. Will need specialist knowledge though, which I don't have.
Thanks for taking the time to look Regorian, I appreciate your helpful response :D
Carol
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That is very interesting Regorian ,new knowledge for me. Thankyou.
Maybe move this to the Military boards Carol ?
Thanks A-L I have requested it to be moved to the WW2 board.
Carol
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Good evening,
The spurs do not necessarily mean cavalry. He is an officer and quite senior with the braid on his peak.
I will try and find the IMS shoulder titles.
John915
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Thanks so much for your helpful response John, it's very much appreciated :)
Carol
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Definitely looks to be the "Indian Medical Service" shoulder title.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IMS-Indian-Medical-Service-Shoulder-Title-Badge-/192213388443
It's a shame you don't have a name, there is a list of officer's here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_Medical_Service_officers
Frank.
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Thanks for the info Frank...it's much appreciated. At least I can put the info with the photo which could help with a lead.
Carol
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One thing I note is he has no collar badges. Regiments that typically do not wear those are Household Division units, i.e. the Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards (Coldstreams, Grenadiers, etc.). Of course, times change so that might have been different in the past. That said, identifying units whose officers did not wear collar badges might help you narrow things down. If he was Guards, the arrangement of buttons would tell you which Regiment - but the IMS suggests he is not Foot Guards. On his rank - you can see a Crown which would indicate a Major. There might be a 'pip' below that in the fold of the fabric, in which case he would be a Lieutenant-Colonel. If he had two 'pips' he would be a Colonel - but as he has no gorget patches on his collar that means he is not, so he is either a Major or a Lieutenant-Colonel. On the spurs, 'Field Officers' (i.e. Lt-Cols and Majors) typically wear them as, by convention, they would have been on a horse. In other words, spurs do not always mean someone was/is in a cavalry unit. Hope that is of some little help. Happy, as always, to be corrected if I have got any of that wrong.