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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: MarkyP on Thursday 31 December 20 15:52 GMT (UK)

Title: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: MarkyP on Thursday 31 December 20 15:52 GMT (UK)
Could anyone help with this uniform? I think it is of someone in my family, obviously WW1, so likely to be a 2 x Great Uncle, I'm sure it's not my Great Grandad. He looks to be posing with perhaps his mother?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Mark.
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: MarkyP on Thursday 31 December 20 15:53 GMT (UK)
I suppose it could possibly be his wife.
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: MaxD on Thursday 31 December 20 16:30 GMT (UK)
His collar dogs are those of the Canadian Expeditionary Force -  date mid 1917 onward when the British style uniform replaced the original 7 button Canadian tunic.  Cap badge uncertain.

If you have a name or two, check out https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/Pages/introduction.aspx for a service record.

MaxD
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: MarkyP on Thursday 31 December 20 16:41 GMT (UK)
That's interesting, I think the surname would be Parsons, but there are 338 to look for. I'll have to go back through my records and see who emigrated.

Thank you.
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: SiGr on Sunday 03 January 21 22:25 GMT (UK)
He also has a formation badge above his chevrons on his arm. I just did a brief look online for Canadian WW1 Divisional and Brigade patches but there was nothing similar. Somebody might be able to identify that in which case it should help narrow your search.
Good luck.
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: SiGr on Sunday 03 January 21 22:44 GMT (UK)
His cap badge is interesting in that it is not based on the conventional maple leaf design. There is clearly a scroll of some sort as well.
I have had a search of the three pages of Canadian WW1 Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) cap badges at:
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/canadian_expeditionary_force/cef_cap_badge_index3.htm
but there is no real similar contender. The closest is the 50th Gordons at 7-50 on page three and I am not convinced it is a match.
That said, at the bottom of each page there is the link:
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/
You might do a lot worse than join that Forum and post the photo to see if people there can help identify his unit from his cap badge. That would certainly narrow things down.
Good luck.
Simon
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: Jamjar on Sunday 03 January 21 22:49 GMT (UK)
He also has a formation badge above his chevrons on his arm. I just did a brief look online for Canadian WW1 Divisional and Brigade patches but there was nothing similar. Somebody might be able to identify that in which case it should help narrow your search.
Good luck.

Patches: http://www.regimentalrogue.com/misc/17b_1914-19_distinguishing_patches.jpg

Jamjar
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: Neale1961 on Sunday 03 January 21 22:52 GMT (UK)
Both appear to be wearing wedding rings - it MIGHT be a wedding photo, and a marriage during WW1 might help you with identity.
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: MarkyP on Monday 04 January 21 12:11 GMT (UK)
I did wonder that, the wedding ring is very prominent.

Thank you.

Mark.
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: MarkyP on Monday 04 January 21 12:13 GMT (UK)
I didn't see the previous replies, sorry.

Thanks all for the input, I'll follow up on the badges.

Cheers,

Mark.
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: John915 on Friday 08 January 21 20:26 GMT (UK)
Good evening,

Cap badge could be 3rd pioneers, Victoria B.C,

John915
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: MarkyP on Sunday 10 January 21 15:40 GMT (UK)
Thank you John, I'll look into that.
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: MarkyP on Tuesday 02 February 21 08:17 GMT (UK)
I think I have now worked this out. The soldier is William Alfred Hall born in Canterbury in 1895 who emigrated to Canada in 1912. He joined the CEF and was posted back over here where he met my 2x Great Aunt Laura Pink. She was from the Petersfield area in Hampshire and he was in hospital in Bramshott in 1917 after getting wounded in France. They married in 1919 before he went back to Canada to be discharged. She followed soon after. I've been in touch with their grandson over in Canada.

Thanks for all the help with this.

Mark.
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: SiGr on Tuesday 02 February 21 21:10 GMT (UK)
Hi, Mark.
If you have not already done so, you can download his Service Record which is a 'gold mine' of information.
Go to:
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/search.aspx
Then enter his name.
Two people by that name appear. He is the second.
Click on his name.
On the next page, click on the download link, "Digitized service file - PDF format B3953-S050'.
Then read all about him. I suspect his grandson would also be interested in accessing a copy.
ATB
Simon
Title: Re: Can someone help with this uniform?
Post by: MarkyP on Wednesday 03 February 21 09:32 GMT (UK)
Hi Simon,

Yep, already seen that, it's where I got the confirmation I had the right person as it mentions Laura Pink later on in the record. It's a massive document so thanks for the link, I've used that to download it rather than at Ancestry where I'd have to download each of the 86 pages separately and not all at once. I haven't come across a service record as big as that before.

Thanks again.