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Author Topic: please help identify nationality of soldier  (Read 3024 times)

Offline albuquerque

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please help identify nationality of soldier
« on: Thursday 15 October 09 18:47 BST (UK) »
Hi,

Could some people please weigh in on the nationality of this soldier? I would like to hear that he is Canadian, or more broadly I need to know what side of the war he was on. Thanks

Offline neil1821

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Re: please help identify nationality of soldier
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 15 October 09 19:37 BST (UK) »
He could be Canadian, equally he could be British or some other Empire/Dominion nationality.

The silhouette of the helmet marks it out as a Brodie-style helmet (ie one of ours). Other than that, there's nothing much to go on.  :-\

It could just as easily be WW2 as WW1 to my eyes, but I'm sure someone will put me right.  ;)
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Offline km1971

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Re: please help identify nationality of soldier
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 15 October 09 19:49 BST (UK) »
I think the bayonet is too short to be WW1.

Ken

Offline jds1949

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Re: please help identify nationality of soldier
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 15 October 09 22:28 BST (UK) »
I'd say allied forces and probably second world war - he seems to have something attached to the left side of his helmet - I've seen pictures of troops with webbing on their helmets in which men kept all kinds of things. Also the quality of the photo and the fact that it seems to be an action shot going into battle would also seem to suggest WW2

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Offline scrimnet

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Re: please help identify nationality of soldier
« Reply #4 on: Friday 16 October 09 08:23 BST (UK) »
Hello and welcome to Rootschat!


Looks like a WW2 Living History/film pic to me... ;)

The First Field Dressing was carried in the pocket inside the tunic in WW1...It was a WW2 affectation to carry it on the helmet.,

The bayonet could well be the spike bayonet of a No4 Lee Enfield...He also appears to have a gas cape or groundsheet rolled on his back...
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Offline albuquerque

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Re: please help identify nationality of soldier
« Reply #5 on: Friday 16 October 09 19:41 BST (UK) »
Hello,

Thank you to everyone who helped me. My brilliant co-worker has traced the photo to the national archives of Canada, and learned some exact details:

An unidentified Canadian infantryman taking part in a night attack during Operation SPRING near Fleury-sur-Orne, France, 25 July 1944.

later
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