Thanks Scrim,
I knew you would come up with the answer. Maybe dads Captain didnt approve and only allowed his chaps to wear cut offs under duress. Regarding the Kitchener bit .I dont have your knowledge of that.
To fill you in a bit Dad orriginally enlisted as a regular in the Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (or as he called it the Yeomanry)in 1914.
I know he was in C Squad, Wardershare Troop at Maresfield Park Uckfield for a big Parade in 1915 with them. I have an orriginal photo of his C/O Lt/Col Mackeson identical to the one on the reg. History site. Also a long distance photo of the parade line up.I think it was the disbandment parade,
Cavalry was not required in trench warfare ,so he was posted to Royal West Kent Infantry and sent to the front. He was a Lewis Gunner (not wearing the sleeve emblem in the photo)
Early on in the conflict he had a bullet wound, his webbing pouch with gun cleaning kit on his chest saved him,was not serious .
Shortly after the photo was taken his gun pit was hit be a shell ,his 1 and 2 were killed and dad was riddled all down his left side with shrapnel and casavaced to Cumberland to convaless ,after emergency field surgery to dig the biggest bits out. He then went back out into the trenchs until the Armastice.
He was then transferred to the Labour Corps and spent a further year at Crystal Palace demobilising the conscripted men until he completed his service .
I still have his Pip Sqeak and Wilfred. Plus his Wounded Silver Badge and Disabled scroll from the King ,his spurs, two wound bars EKMR and RWK cap badges and LG flash and Good conduct stripe.
He said he kept his Wk cap badge on all the time he was with the Labour Corps as apparently did a lot of regular soldiers . I dont think they approved of what they considered a down grade.
Although he was blinded in his left eye and had holes and bits of black and blue under the skin all down his left side and distorted fingers on his left hand he was not considered elegible for a war pension . He then worked on the same farm for the rest of his time until 65 . Finally leaving us at the grand age of 90 in 1986.
I have put a photo on of his yeomanry days.When he looks much younger!
Thanks for the interest.
Rog
PS I recall him saying once they were alternating in the trenches with an Irish reg passing each other in the communication trenchs and he said one time none of the irish came back when his lot went forward again. He regaled my sons with some horrific stories of the appalling things in his last few years. He said he only had one long break from the trenche s and spent the time in a place called Popering which was near by, I cant remember all the placename but Cambra woods and Dicky bush Alley were spoken of but he always said he was all over Ypres and a lot of his mates litterally were spread all over!!
