WW1 Uniform ID

[suze]

My grandfather George Harrison joined up in WWI at Fulwood Barracks Preston but we can't find which regiment he served in.  We know he served in France and Mesopotamia and had something to do with horses!  I attach a photo of him seated with his mother on his left and three of his brothers behind.  With Harrison being a common name we are struggling but wonder why all four of them have a blacked out second button.  He had been in the Army in the Boer War as well and was aged 33 by WWI.  Can anyone help?

[manmack]

hiya suze,was there a fourth brother,the button is a mourning button,one of their clan have fallen,the photo was taken c 1918/19,can you try and clear up the shoulder badge on the L/cpl seated,i think hes a lancashire fusilier but cant be certain yet,mack

[manmack]

suze,that lady holds a deep sadness in her eyes,she has her three boys by her side,but her eyes tell you someone is missing,the lad with the red cross patches is in the royal army medical corps,the three small chevrons on his arm mean hes served overseas for 3 years,the stripe on his other arm is a good conduct stripe,below that,is a gold wound stripe,it means hes been wounded once,the reason i know why the picture was taken during the above mentioned period,is because the overseas stripes were not issued till 1918,and its unlikely that all three lads got their leave at the same time,so i think the wars over probably,mack

[suze]

Hiya Mack

My grandad (seated) was definitely not a Lancashire Fusilier (have been checking with the staff at Bury about it).  Unless a cousin had been killed, I don't know of any relative being lost.  The other brother not on this photo was in the RAMC and all five returned safely.  I understand that some of the brothers had been wounded (stripes on cuff).  The guy at the Museum thinks he could have been in the Hussars or Duke of Lancaster Regiment or even Royal Artillery (horses).  However, I understand the SE Lancs served in Mesopotamia.

The lady was my gt grandma and aged nearly 60 at the time (doesn't look bad for her age, does she?)


Suze

[manmack]

suze,the duke of lancasters were dismounted and became the 12th manchester regt,your ggf is not in the picture,did he pass away around about that time,mack

[suze]

My gt grandfather died about 1910 so I don't think the black button was anything to do with him.


Suze

[manmack]

hiya suze the buttons are usually assoc with a fallen relative,i have seen the odd ref to a mum or dad,that means they have lost someone in their family,you can account for all the bros,but what about sisters,mack

[suze]

Have discovered that the boys' father (my gt grandad) died 25/8/1918 so button must be for him.  However, we still don't know the regiment my grandad was in.  Does anyone know from the stuff on the epaulette?



Suze

[manmack]

hiya suze,where did the family come from and what were the names of his brothers and parents,i might be able to find something that way,mack