Closed - What can you tell me about this Army man

[irish2gen]

Hello,

Can you tell me what regiment my gr uncle was in? Or when he was stationed in India? Or anything at all.

He was an Irishman who served in the British Army. Born in Dublin in 1885.

Thanks.

[lowanslow]

Hi, it would be better with the name of your Gr. Uncle, more to go on. The photograph was taken by Arthur Brittlebank who lived in South Africa, Pretoria from 1903. So I would presume he spent some time there.
Lowanslow.

[irish2gen]

Hi,

His name was John Matthew Grimes. In the 1911 UK Census he is in Pujab. I think this picture was taken earlier.

[barryd]

Your soldier should have been to young to have served during the Anglo-Boer War which ended 31 MAY 1902. Arthur Brittlebank was known to have been a Photographer in London, New South Wales and Pretoria. As loanslow states he is fairly well recorded as working in 1903 in Pretoria. The last reference I found for Arthur was during the world voyage of James Keir-Hardie when Keir-Hardie was in Transvaal in 1908. Both Arthur Brittlebank and James Keir Hardie were Socialists. The uniform of the soldier looks more like somewhat pre-WWI or worn during WWI. If Arthur was still in Pretoria 1908-1911 that may give more clues as to when the photograph was taken!

[km1971]

He would not have worn that uniform in South Africa. It is likely that he had the original photograph taken in the UK and then had this copy made while in SA.

The 2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment were in SA until 1906; then in Mauritius for a year before going to India. In 1911 he was a Corporal and here he is a Private, so (along with his age) I think you are right about it being before 1911.

Ken

[irish2gen]

Thanks everyone.

Barry is there a way to find out how long Arthur Brittlebank was in India?

Loanslow do you have a way of finding out how long he was there?

Ken you seem to know a lot about uniforms. How did you know this was a private's uniform? Yes he was a corporal in Punjab in India.

His army records are not on FindMyPast. Does anyone know where I could possibly get them?

Toni

I really appreciate the great comments from everyone

[barryd]

An interesting article on the 2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment which places them in Pretoria in 1904.

http://www.the-dicksons.org/Leinster_Regiment/origins/sa_2bat.htm

I believe the soldier's photograph was taken after the end of the war, in Pretoria, and just prior to May 1904 when the 2nd Leinsters were transferred to Middleburg, Transvaal. If this is correct then John Matthew Grimes was +- 19 year's old which I am comfortable with.
In the article note in the section about the 2nd Battalion's stay in Germiston, Johannesburg, and the change of uniforms. It seems to indicate that new uniforms were issued on arrival and not at departure.

Arthur Brittlebank was not known to have been in India. John Matthew Grimes did not seem to marry or have children in India so there will be no civil records for him there to indicate his years in India.

[km1971]

The tunic looks to be the heavy woollen tunic they only wore at Home - cf WW1 pictures. In the tropics they wore ligtweight cotton drill.

Ken

[mmm45]

Do you think he is 6811 SGT J Grimes Depot Leinster Regiment discharged with Silver War Badge
Enlisted Nov 1902 Disch March 1918

His address is given as Returned Irish Ex Army Club
Rathmills Co Dublin

Ady