IDENTIFYING WW1 BADGE

[newburychap]

Our family were from West Ham and some moved to Canada so did Canadians come and fight in WW1?

About 690,000 of them served in the CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) - their attestation papers are online.  My great uncle died in 1916 on a bad day for the CEF (Hill 62/Sanctuary Wood) but the CEF shone on other days - notably at Vimy Ridge and Paschendaele.  Their memorials along the western front are some of, if not The, best.

There were also troops from Newfoundland - at the time not part of Canada.

[aakarlhamo]

So by deduction, if the Canadians were in the CEF does that mean that my soldiers were English and that I should rule out the Canadian side of the family?

Thanks

[aakarlhamo]

Hello

I found a medals Index card for:

Charles J G Andrews,
23rd London Regiment No 702703 - the badge in the bottom pic
Somerset LI No 235125 - the badge in the 1st pic

So thank you for all your help as I have now been able to put a name to 2 of the photos:

Charles Joseph Gadsby Andrews b 1881.  He was wounded and taken to the Military Hospital 105 Magdalen Camp Winchester.

Unfortunately, I can't find his service records on ancesty.

Hopefully, I have attached the medal card.

Thanks again everyone 

Copyright image removed

[mmm45]

A lot of lads returned to UK shores on outbreak of war to enlist....Others joined the Empire forces in Canada,Australia,NZ and South Africa...Lots of immigrants to the US crossed into Canad to join the CEF.
Only about 30% of records survived WW2 Blitz

Ady

[alan o]

The chap in the second picture has a UK tunic on.  The Canadians had an extra button.

[aakarlhamo]

Hello

Thanks for that interesting information about the tunic. 

Thanks to help from the postings I have managed to identify the man and the regiments in the first and third pics.  It is the same man who was in two different regiments, the 23rd London and the Somerset LI. The man in the middle pic I am still stuck on.

I also have this picture which we are trying to work out who the people are.  I think the one on the right might be my gt grandad.  He was born 1873 and joined up in 1893 and was posted to SA.  If I have read his papers right he was in the 3rd Royal Bat then in 1905 he was in the Royal Berks and again in 1914.  He was a corporal at one point but it looks like he was always in trouble and in his 1914 papers he is a private.  How would he become a corporal?

Can you tell from the pic if it is a SA uniform or a WW1 one.  It is just that the man looks too young if it was taken in or abt 1914 for it to be my gt grandfather and his brothers 

I have also attached a solo pic of m gt grandad.

[mmm45]

They are British WW1 lad on right has pre war service they are good conduct stripes (5 years) not corporal stripes he also has a wound stripe on same arm.

Ady

[aakarlhamo]

Thank you so much Ady as that is a really helpful clue.

Are the good conduct stripes awarded singualry for each time he had good conduct or are they awarded as a pair because they had good conduct for 5 yrs?

I have just had a look at my gt grandfathers records and from 1893 - 1902 he forfeited 335 days because he was in prison  He was a year in the West Indies and 3 yrs in SA and received 5 or 6 medals.  In 1905 he wasn't entitled to any badges and then he received a fair character when he signed up for 4 years in 1905.  He signed up again in 1914.

By the sounds of it he doesn't sound like the a soldier that would get stripes for good conduct?