Dating and Identification please

[greenrig]

Please can anyone help me to identify this soldier.  I would appreciate any advice regarding the age of the soldier or the date of the photograph.

Also, can anyone suggest his regiment and rank? 

I have no information regarding this on. There is nothing on the back. The format is monochrome postcard.

[atom12]

Hi

Hard to determine  your soldier's age when he has a moustache which might make him look older but I'm going for mid-late 20s.  Date of photograph around 1916-17ish.  He looks like he is in the UK as spats were not worn in France after early 1915.

He is a Private soldier, carrying an SMLE rifle.  His regiment would appear to be the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders.

Do you not have a name, where from, etc for this soldier? 

[scrimnet]

I'd go for 1917/18 myself....

As for the rest...I'd go with Atom12

Black boots UK, Brown Boots abroad....

Look like black to me...

[greenrig]

Thank you Atom12 and Scrimnet.  So the soldier's birth date could be about 1888-1898?   This give me some possible candidates from my tree.  Some of the likely suspects (surname Findlay)  were from the area around Padanaram and Kirriemuir in Forfarshire.  By any chance, is that an area with any particular association with Queens Own Cameron Highlanders?

[atom12]

Greenrig

If you provide his Christian and Middle name if known, we could perhaps check out to see if we can find more info.  Plus do you think your man survived the war or not!

Kirriemuir is in the Black Watch district, but he could have joined the Cameron Highlanders either by choice or by conscription (no choice). 

[greenrig]

I now have an identity for this soldier. But his records throw up some more questions.
He is Edward Simpson Douglas, born 16th May 1888 in Alyth, Perthshire. He joined the Cameron Highlanders (serial 22887) on 3rd June 1916 but his "Enrolement papers" have some unusual features...

Where asked to declare that the personal details are correct, there is the written-in sentence "Edward Douglas makes no affirmation that the above answers are true and refuses to sign".

In "Statement of Service" the entry for 28/4/16 says "arrested by Civil Powers and handed into Military Custody"

His records then show various postings, hospitalisations and he is finally discharged on Demobilisation on 31st March 1920 having been promoted to Corporal. 

I believe that conscription was introduced in January 1916 and extended to married men in May 1916 (he was married in 1915).  So I assume we are looking at an unwilling recruit, who refused to enlist and was arrested by local police and handed over as a conscript.

 Please can those with more knowledge comment further?

[atom12]

Greenrig

Just a thought, perhaps you're man was a conscientious objector, see here:

http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/infodocs/st_conscription_l.html

[greenrig]

Perhaps a conscientious objector, but he went on to have a four year career in the regiment with no further (documented) complaint.  I would have thought a CO would have put up more opposition.

Also, on the recruitment form there is a section to record "exemption from combatant service on conscientious grounds" - and this is blank.
Perhaps just reluctant to leave his (recent) wife....

Can anyone comment on whether there may be any other Military or Police records that might shed more light on this ?

[ScouseBoy]

I now have an identity for this soldier. But his records throw up some more questions.
He is Edward Simpson Douglas, born 16th May 1888 in Alyth, Perthshire. He joined the Cameron Highlanders (serial 22887) on 3rd June 1916 but his "Enrolement papers" have some unusual features...







I believe that conscription was introduced in January 1916 and extended to married men in May 1916 (he was married in 1915).  So I assume we are looking at an unwilling recruit, who refused to enlist and was arrested by local police and handed over as a conscript.

 Please can those with more knowledge comment further?

I think you are wrong to make such an assumption  on the limited evidence available.