RFA photos

[Mike in Cumbria]

I'm very fond of this photo which shows my great uncle Joseph Percy Moody who was a shoeing smith with the Lahore DAC in WW1. he started off in France in 1915, then to Mesopotamia where he contracted malaria and spent the rest of the war in India. He is the one holding the dog in the photo.

I know quite a lot about him but would welcome any thoughts about the other people in the photo - what would their roles and ranks have been, for instance and would they have been in some small unit together or is it a random group of friends. I also just wanted to share the photo because I like it so much!

Thanks

Mike

[Mike in Cumbria]

PS, I'm not looking for a restore.

[known_unknowns]

The gentleman (a private) with the curly fringe with his arms crossed, I think, is a signaller, with the crossed flags patch on his arm.
What a terrific looking dog! I was thinking about the dog from 'The Mary Rose' being a ratting dog - to keep the rats on the ship down.

[Seoras]

The dog is a male  . Looking at the frayed turnups, those trousers have had some wear. Like jrchdsimms, I was thinking that chap may be a signaller. Great photo Mike.

[Mike in Cumbria]

There are some great moustaches there, as well as the curled fringe.

[Mike in Cumbria]

What about the chap with the two stripes and the same horseshoe badge as my Great Uncle? What would that combination imply?

[known_unknowns]

Probably the shoemith's corporal - his next senior 'officer' upwards. He, like the private, would have had an official army designation/name.

The signaller's eyes are creased, either through concentration of screwing his eyes up against the sun
.
*EDIT* If they're Royal Field Artillery, they're gunners, of course, rather than privates. Your shoe-smith shoes the horses that pull the guns.

The signaller takes direction (by semphore) from a forward position transmitting information to the gun commander where to train his guns and the fall of his shot: if he's hit the enemy - or how short or long he's falling.

Looks like he's been decorated, moreover - with his ribbon on his chest.

[macintosh]

Interesting to see how the boots are tied, In my army days in early 1960s we still tied boots in that fashion, one long leather lace with a knot at one end and threaded through holes and then round top of boot and tied.
Corporal Farrier with horseshoe and two chevrons

Great photo


James

[macintosh]

Another observation - The chevrons and trade badges will probably be "press-studded" on  so they can be removed for frequent washing by the dhobi wallahs.
The dog is wearing a dog tag!!................an army one


James