Uniform and Time Scale Info Wanted

[Balls]

Hi, I hope I'm posting this in the right area.  I'm after some info on the pictures below.  They are of my G Grandfather, Edgar Samuel Balls, b1876 in Gt Yarmouth.  He is listed on the 1901 census as being in barracks in Colchester, it states that he is a private in the Infantry Millitia.  I have other evidence from 1906 in which he states he is in the Norfolk Artillery Millitia and took part in the South Africa Campaign (the second Boer War I presume) and was awarded the South African Campaign medal.

In the photo's he is with his wife and family, one of which is my Grandfather.  He was born in 1903, so I think the photo must have been taken around the outbreak of the First World War judging by the Union flags etc.

What I'd like to know is:
What is the date of this type of uniform?
What is the narrow multi coloured strip above his breast pocket and what does it denote?
Is or was there a regiment called the Norfolk Artillery Millitia?
Did they take part in the second Boer War?
The photo is on a post card, would it be a tintype photo?

Thanks in advance
David

[PrueM]

Hi David

I can't help with the military aspets of the photo, but I can tell you that postcards came into use in 1902, and postcard photos were very popular just before and during WW1, so I think you are on the right track there.

It is not a tintype - a tintype is a photo on metal.  This is a silver gelatin printing out print on paper backed with card (the postcard)

Hope that helps

Cheers
Prue

[km1971]

Hi David

There are at least two medal ribbons. These are for the Queen South Africa medal and the Kings South Africa medal. An army man received the QSA for stepping ashore, and he received the KSA for at least 18 months service. If he was Home for the census he must have been to SA twice, otherwise he could not have served 18 months by June 1902 in one go. There is probably a third ribbon (to the right) which could be a Long Service Good Conduct medal of some description. These were plain purple.

The uniform is WW1 period, so the photograph was either taken at the start (or end) of WW1 or maybe for the 1911 coronation. Finding the family in 1911 will tell you how many children they had, both in total and alive - which may help.

There was a Militia artillery unit called the Prince of Wale's Own, Norfolk Artillery. They were attached to the Eastern Division of the Garrison Artillery. The fact he is down as being in the Infantry Militia for the census I think shows that he had been 'embodied' - called out to serve full-time. Normally the Militia served for 6-8 weeks in the summer. Men could only serve in their county of residence so he most likely was in either the 3rd or 4th (Militia) Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment.. If you go back to the census and look near the front of the listing you should find some officers, we should be able to identify his regiment from them.

I don’t know if the Militia battalions of the Norfolks went to SA as a unit, or if Militia men volunteered for the regulars. If the latter his record may be on Findmypast now. If the former you will have to wait until the end of 2011 when FindMyPast publish the Militia Attestation Papers. He may have papers in both sets – one for each time he went to South Africa.

Ken

[Balls]

Thank you both very much, I feel now, that I have moved a lot closer to finding out what eventually happened to him.  I have still had no luck in finding his death, according to my late Dad he is supposed to have abandoned the family at some point and my Grandad removed the "s" off "Balls" making our name Ball.  I've found his wife's death but not his.

Thanks again, great stuff!

Cheers David