identify uniform?

[don_niagara]

Hello all,

On my 2006 holiday distant cousins at Reiff in Coigach, Scotland gave me a photo they could not identify. Recently resurfaced, and thought I'd make another attempt at identifying.

My guess is the soldier was Hugh George Brown McDonald, born 12 December, 1889 in N.Z.,  died 1956, he wrote two letters home in 1918 describing his visit while on leave to Reiff, see http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~coigach/hughslet.htm

The letters were posted from Lower Arboll, Tsrbat, Easter Ross, and my thinking is the unidentified photo was also taken there. I have a 1902 photo at Arboll, I think the same harled walls, and the same elder woman, my gt-grandmother Chirsty.

Other than that the soldier looks to have been a sargeant, I cannot be sure of much, does the uniform look kiwi?

[km1971]

I think you may have the wrong man. You can download (for free) 30 pages of WW1 service record for 3/2581 Hugh George Brown McDonald. The dates of birth and death match. He however was in the NZ Medical Corps, a school teacher - http://archway.archives.govt.nz/BriefDescItemSearch.do

The man in the photograph is in a British highland regiment. The Black Watch/Royal Highlanders had a plain Glengarry – ie no ‘dicing’. There may have been others. There is not enough of his kilt showing to be of use to a sixth-generation Sasannach. It may be your great grandfather - Christy’s husband, or her brother.

The two medal ribbons are interesting. The one on his right may be the DCM or the Indian General Service medal. The other may be one of the WW1 'Stars', but is not certain as their ribbon look watery, and the stripes on this are distinct.

He is wearing an economy highland tunic – no breast pocket pleats. The non-highland version was introduced in 1915. I don’t know if the highland version dates from the same time. If this man served after 1920 his papers will still be with the MOD.

Do you have the dates the letters were posted? Could you also give the pre 1970s county name of the places mentioned. I am getting hits for both the east and west highlands. You may have to wait until the start of 2012 for the 1911 Scottish census to be released.

Ken

[don_niagara]

Thanks Ken!

It would have made things neat if it had turned out to be Hugh, but discounting him is also a wee step forward in knowledge. I had not realized the N.Z. records were now online, last time I looked up a soldier from there I had to write away, and I don't think the results were so comprehensive.

In Ross-Shire I think over the centuries the Seaforths and the Sutherland & Argyle Regiments were the ones raised, I know at times the Regiment names and numbering changed.

You wrote:

Do you have the dates the letters were posted? Could you also give the pre 1970s county name of the places mentioned. I am getting hits for both the east and west highlands.

The letters are transcribed in that file linked from my post above. On his leave Hugh stayed at Arboll on the east coast with his aunt Chirsty (my gt-grandmother), then went to Coigach on the west coast, visiting another aunt, and many cousins, both places in old county "Ross & Cromarty". His father (Chirsty's brother) had gone from Coigach to N.Z.

Excerpting, Hugh wrote 2 June, 1918:

Dear Dad,

When you got my cable from Achildibui you would know that at last I had reached this part of the country. I'm on 7 days leave before going to the Depot at Aldershot. The position I had teaching English at Hornchurch did not last because I was on leave from France when I went into hospital. Such men are not eligible for jobs over here. As far as field service goes I have had more than most of them who are the work but nevertheless, there are good teachers in France who have been there over 2 years. I did not enlist to be a teacher and now that I am going overseas again, I feel more satisfied with myself.

The guy in the photo does look to be at Arboll in Easter Ross, but the photo survived at Reiff, Coigach, in Wester Ross.

Donald.

[km1971]

Hi Donald

If you have the original photograph can you rescan just the medal ribbons at your scanner's highest setting? This may help in identifying them.

If your scanner does not have a pre-scan you should scan the whole photograph at the highest resolution (it will be a big file). Then cut and paste the ribbons into a new JPEG.

Ken