Parade?

[ladybird]

Does anyone have any idea what this was all about please? Why lay their guns on the ground? It looks like they are all expextantly waiting for something.

Don't worry about the X marks the spot thing...I can live with it :-) and it's the way I received the photo.
Sylvia

[PrueM]

Hi Sylvia

I wonder if the Armed Forces Board gurus might have a clue what's going on here - why not post a message there, with a link back to this topic? 

Cheers
Prue

[maidmarianoops]

hello sylvia
i have checked this site to see if the picture was there.
it was not ,but it is an interesting read

sylvia

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/categories/c1184/gallery/

[Lynntony]

A quick clean

Tony

[MaxD]

Quite likely a break during a rehearsal for a parade.  The sailors would have been paraded in 2 ranks with their rifles at their right side.  If I recall the action correctly, on the command "Ground arms"  they would have taken one pace forward with their left foot, bending the right knee while lowering the rifles to the ground at their sides as you see them in the photo.  Following the regulation pause, they would assume the upright position leaving the rifles on the ground.  (Keeping the back straight and eyes to the front of course).  When the parade was to commence again, they would be commanded to fall in in their 2 ranks again and would be given the command "Take up Arms", the action was the reverse of the initial drill.  (I enjoyed that, came over all nostalgic for a spot of arms drill).  MaxD

[ladybird]

Thanks Max...and sorry I went and moved the topic to Armed Forces before I read your reply
Would they have done that in the street though...esp. with kids hanging around?

and thank you Tony too..that's looks a bit cleaner
Would you believe my cousins Grandson had this photo and I've never seen it before :-)

[km1971]

Dating is difficult as the RN uniform stayed the same for a long time, as did the clothes for young boys. It is pre WW2 as the men’s tallies would have ‘HMS’ only during WW2. That variety of Lee Enfield rifle was in use from about 1908 to WW2. The RN supplied large numbers of infantry to fight on the Western Front during WW1. None of the men seem to be wearing medal ribbons. So my guess is the end of WW1, but before medal ribbons were awarded c1920-21. Second guess is mid 1930s when all the WW1 veterans had left.

X looks early 20s. So you should able to tell us when it was taken.

Ken

[ladybird]

Sorry I don't kmow when it was taken. Dad joined the Navy in 1929, he was 19.
I did think it might have been some sort of "passing out" parade, but with the guns being all over the place instead of straight lines and in the street rather than a parade ground....just seems a bit odd

[MaxD]

Further thought - could be a street lining party ie the detachment that are at the sides of the street as the main parade passes by.
As to the rifles being all over the place, well they are matelots after all!
MaxD