Uniform ID

[Clifford44]

Thanks Jim1. Edward is certainly difficult to pin down. He is my wife's great uncle and we have family evidence of him, those photos and his death certificate. We know he lived in Belfast in 1911 with 5 children, though even there at the age of 29 he is down as married 16 years. (possible mistake in transcription). His death certificate puts him in a suburb of Londonderry.
I have hit a blank on his army record completely. There is no evidence that he fought in WW1 at all and as he would have been 31 in 1914 I wonder whether his army service is largely prewar, possibly in Ireland. Maybe I will get results eventually.

[ShaunJ]

Are you sure the photos are of Edward Flood? The 1911 Belfast census records that he was then a general labourer, not a soldier, and had 5 surviving children, four boys and a girl:  Joseph 14, Charles 10, Harold 6, Sarah Ann 4 and Edward 2. However the family photo seems to have more girls than boys. 

[jim1]

Are you sure the photos are of Edward Flood

My thought too. The 17th. Lancers were in India in 1911.

[Clifford44]

This is one of those conundrums. Both photos had his name on the back and were in items left to his youngest sister and passed on to her daughters one of whom is my mother in law.
I have attached another photo which shows Edward with his sister, my mother in law and the girl on the windowsill was born in 1923 so that dates the photo to 1926/27/28.
I suppose we will have to wait till the 1921census to find out as I cannot find the 1939 review extending to Northern Ireland.
Thanks for your interest though

[jim1]

Going back to square one although his uniform looks like that of the 17th. Lancers the helmet plate doesn't & as your man was in Ireland in 1911 & the 17th. in India indicates it's one of the others.

[tonepad]

The collar badge looks like the 21st Lancers.
They also had a white plume on the headgear.

http://www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk/21l.htm

[jim1]

Tonepad beat me to it. 21st. looks the more likely particularly as they were in Ireland for several years & didn't go overseas WW1.
A possible scenario is that he had done his 6 years under the Colours & was in reserve in 1911, brought back in at the outbreak of war. The pre 1916 tunic & 2 chevrons indicates this was possible.

[jess5athome]

Hi, I don't know if its of any significance but the helmet plate looks to have a thistle on it, does that help to track the regiment down?

Frank.

[tonepad]

21st Lancers officer's helmet plate (click on right hand chevron to see second image):

https://www.gunstar.co.uk/21st-lancers-officer-s-lance-cap-chapka-by-cater-co-london-1/Accessories/953279

Looks the same as the original poster's first photo.


Tony