Author Topic: What is Mary wearing?  (Read 3434 times)

Offline Sandra Parker

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What is Mary wearing?
« on: Saturday 02 March 13 11:27 GMT (UK) »
I have just got this photo and would appreciate some help in identifying the circumstance of the picture.
Mary Chilvers seems to be wearing some type of uniform. A woman riding a bicycle and holding a ?????. As Mary was born in 1881, she appears much too old to be involved in WW1.
Looking forward to some suggestions. It would have been in London in the Rotherhithe, Bermondsey or Wandsworth areas.
Thanks
Sandra
London: Bradford, Van der Velden, Peill, Harris
Norfolk: Chilvers, Sparkes
IOW: Barton, Please, Shiner
Cheshire: Parker. Bradley, Hooley
Staffordshire: Buckley, Hargreaves

Offline mmm45

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Re: What is Mary wearing?
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 02 March 13 11:42 GMT (UK) »
Fire service? Looks like an old fire extinguisher pump she has

Ady
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Researching all Great War soldiers from the Spen Valley of West Yorkshire Especially lads from the Cleckheaton Company of 1/4th West Riding Regiment.

Offline mauricej

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Re: What is Mary wearing?
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 02 March 13 12:00 GMT (UK) »
Agree with fire service; the cap badge looks very much like an Auxilliary Fire Service badge.

 

Offline sharki

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Re: What is Mary wearing?
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 02 March 13 18:21 GMT (UK) »
Agree fire service. The cap badge is NFS/AFS and the buttons are right. Mary is astride a 1930's Raleigh bicycle, she may well have been a messenger, carrying information between the appliances at the scene of the fire and fire service HQ etc. That would put her in her late fifties or early sixties, but don't be deceived, there were some very sprightly elderly ladies about in those days and they were needed!
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Offline Sandra Parker

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Re: What is Mary wearing?
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 02 March 13 22:28 GMT (UK) »
Thanks so much for that.
This is her youngest daughter, Ivy, also in the AFS/LFS, so I didn't even think about it being another version of the uniform.
Thanks
Sandra
London: Bradford, Van der Velden, Peill, Harris
Norfolk: Chilvers, Sparkes
IOW: Barton, Please, Shiner
Cheshire: Parker. Bradley, Hooley
Staffordshire: Buckley, Hargreaves

Offline millymcb

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Re: What is Mary wearing?
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 03 March 13 02:18 GMT (UK) »
What a great photo ;D

Milly
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Offline Jean McGurn

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Re: What is Mary wearing?
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 03 March 13 09:27 GMT (UK) »
This is her youngest daughter, Ivy, also in the AFS/LFS, so I didn't even think about it being another version of the uniform.

Mary is wearing a the coat that would go over the normal unifor - sometimes called a great coat - and as you can see part of her dress beneath it and also her shoes not being regulation perhaps she is actually wearing Ivy's hat and overcoat and posing on her bike?

Jean
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Offline mauricej

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Re: What is Mary wearing?
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 03 March 13 10:28 GMT (UK) »

perhaps she is actually wearing Ivy's hat and overcoat and posing on her bike?
Jean

....but, different cap badges.  :-\



Offline Jean McGurn

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Re: What is Mary wearing?
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 03 March 13 10:41 GMT (UK) »
Didn't spot that  :-[

Jean
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