Uniform ID please

[Karen in Aust]

HI,
This is my great uncle, George McKinley.

Does anyone know what type of uniform he is wearing?
It is either British or Irish.

And what possible year would it be?
Thanks.

[old rowley]

Hi Karen and welcome to rootschat and the armed forces board,

The photograph shows a soldier who served with one of the light infantry regiments as the dog collar is that of a bugle suspended on cord/string. Unfortunately I can not tell which one. There a few of them that would have had the same type of badge although with slight differences. If he fought in the first world war (I believe this picture to be earlier than that) there is an index card at kew for a George Mckinley, Private 9447, Shropshire Light Infantry.

old rowley

[Karen in Aust]

Thanks Old Rowley !

He was born in1889.

Great to have a service number to play with. Thanks sooo much !!

Good to know he was in Englad too.

Cheers
Karen

btw...is Shropshire in/near Yorkshire??

[oldtimer]

Hi Karen

No, Shropshire is not in Yorkshire. It is a separate county in the midlands of England, adjoining the Welsh border.

Yorkshire is in the north of England.

Even if he was born in Yorkshire, it is quite feasible that he was in another county's regiment. That happened to several of my WW1 men. They were often transferred as and when needed.

Good luck in your research! Judy 

[Karen in Aust]

oh ok...thanks Judy.

[km1971]

Hi Karen

As OR has said he is in a light infantry regiment.  But I do not think it can be the WW1 soldier mentioned. On his left sleeve are two good conduct stripes. He would have had to be in the army for at about 5 or 6 years to receive these, which would make him at least 23-24. And given his DoB this would give a date for the photography of about 1912-1913, and I think the photograph is at least ten years older than that. Also red tunics had been replaced by khaki by then.

There were three light infantry regiments with blue facings, which is what I think we have here. The facings are the collar and cuffs (below the white cuff piping). As well as the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, both the Somerset LI and the Kings Own Yorkshire LI had blue facings.

So I think it is of a man older than your great uncle.

Ken

[Karen in Aust]

Oh gee.

So it might not be the George McKinley I thought it was !!

His father was also George, but he was born abt 1863.

But he would be too old wouldn't he

So you think this guy in the photo would have been born about 1875 ish??

Ok..back to the drawing board.

Thanks Ken

[km1971]

1875 to 1880 would be my guess. 

ken

[oldtimer]

Hi

If km1971 is right, and the photo was taken about 1892, he could be the George born in 1863. He certainly looks in his 30s to me.

Judy