Help with WWI Photo Identification

[Martin514]

My Dublin born Grandfather Frederick Nutty 1897 - 1973 was a wireless operator for the RFC: Royal Flying Corp - Precursor to the Royal Air Force or RAF. The attached photo shows him in the lower right corner. I’m fortunate to have this photo and others of his service which got me thinking about the other 4 unidentifiable men. Are their descendents fortunate enough to have an image to remember their men?

Is it possible to identify the other 4? What can be culled from uniforms? Are they all RFC guys?  When in the war was this picture taken? Is their a protocol for forensically analyzing these types of photos? What sites on the internet are helpful for this kind of task?

I posted this on Twitter hoping it would be shared around along with other details on my Grandfather.

https://twitter.com/mnutty/status/1201906670466678787

I know this is an esoteric quest,  it it would be cool to track down these men’s descendents and share the photo

All suggestions and thought would be gratefully appreciated

Martin Nutty

[MaxD]

After December 1917.  Overseas service stripes were not authorised for wear until Dec 1917.  I am tempted to say before 1 Apr 1918 when they would have worn RAF cap badges and take off the Royal Flying Corps titles but my understanding is that the switch to RAF uniform totally didn't happen overnight and mixtures of uniform persisted for a bit.  The two armbands look like signallers arm bands.

MaxD

[ShaunJ]

He is wearing a corporal's stripes. Per his RAF record he was promoted to Corporal Mechanic under authority date 13 December 1918, effective from 1 October 1918, so it looks like this photo would date from that late 1918/early 1919 period. He served in France from 10 December 1915 to 28 February 1919.

He was posted from "HQ O/S" to 53 Squadron on 7 October 1918 so it seems very likely that this is a group of airmen from 53 Squadron.

[macwil]

The chap in centre rear appears to have an 'N' in his badge suggesting Royal Navy Air Service, your grandfather's badge has 'A' which I think signified the Army's Royal Flying Corps in its early days. Although I thought the RFC had adopted the 'RFC and wreath' badge by this time, they could have been late transfers to the RFC and hadn't had time to change their badges before the formation of the RAF in April 1918.

A somewhat confusing/intreguing photo.