Just after WW1; army or ambulance staff uniform ??

[vintman]

Thanks waynenort. Totally out of my depth on uniforms so did a quick check and note that American army uniforms between the wars had v-ed pocket flaps. But do the hats look right?

The numberplate would have had max two letters. In theory both seem visible, and look like SC.  This suggests Edinburgh.

To my way of thinking this is a cca 1920 photo which seems to have two ambulancemen with white topped hats (driver inside and second from right).  I am not sure which ambulance services used white-topped hats,  but seems London ambulance did.

Edinburgh registered ambulance in London with a bunch of GIs??

[waynenort]

With a bit of digging around, I think I've found the same uniform..
WW1 Orderly BRCS British Red Cross Society, but this one is also wearing the enamel badge on the arm -  Dated August 1915 on the back of the photo

[ShaunJ]

Well found, Waynenort.

[waynenort]

And also a higher resolution image of your Rover Ambulance which shows the uniforms and vehicle a bit better.

[waynenort]

A close up of the rego plate

The bar with center knuckle is obscuring the first two letters

Maybe OC17 or even O617 if one letter and three numbers were used around 1915 to 1920

What could be a 6 appears narrower - like the other numbers

Did a quick search on regarchive.com and it indicates O617 was first registered in Birmingham (but no date given)

[arthurk]

Thanks for your higher-res photos, waynenort. They seem to largely confirm my suggestion of O (letter) followed by 61, and now the 7 also becomes clear. You can just make out the bottom RH corner of the plate, and there doesn't look to be room for anything else after the 7, except possibly another 1.

According to https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/registrations/o.htm the letter O on its own dates from Jan 1904 to Feb 1913, and I suspect that might be too early for this. I still wonder if there might be another letter hidden by the wheel, and according to the Old Classic Car site there were a lot of 2-letter codes ending with O for the right sort of date.

[vintman]

Hi Folks,

Thanks for all the inputs but my thoughts on the enlarged photo of the registrations remain that  the first letter is an  ‘ S ’ . Please note that the spring going through the middle of the S goes left completely up to the tyre, as do the shadows below and above the numberplate. However, there is a definite pronounced gap directly below, between the tyre and going towards the right and the beginning of the letter S. 

Numberplates of the period had either one or two letters followed by up to max four numbers.  Normally there would be a pronounced gap between the letter/s and the numbers, and on earlier plates they would even be divided with a hyphen.   On the assumption it is an S, there is no gap to the next letter.  a possible ‘C/G’, and confusingly,  no gap to the next digit which seems a ‘1’ . Studying old numberplates suggests the top right of the C/G and 6  have very similar shapes. So possibly : S617# . SC 17##.  SG 17## ,  OC17## ,  O 617#. If there was another letter to the left of the S then the next digit cannot be an 0 but has to be a 6.

Birmingham O and OC can be ruled out date wise. Edinburgh SC can be ruled out date wise. Edinburgh S lasted from 1903 to 1920  but would have to have had a high starting digit (not many registrations 14-18 due WW1?). Edinburgh SG started December 1920 and  would have to have had a low starting digit (SG 17#) (and making it a Rover 14).

Hence I think going by the registration may not help to date this photo accurately. Therefore I was hoping that things can be ruled in or out via the uniforms.  As it is a Rover 12 ( morphing into 14), the span of build date for the car is 1913 and 1924. Cannot be earlier, - can be later; car converted to ambulance.

Vintman.

[tonepad]

None of the men are wearing any WW1 Campaign medal ribbons. They would have been entitled to military medals if they had served abroad or a Red Cross medal if they had stayed in the UK. So the photo was probably taken before WW1 medals were issued early in the 1920s.


Tony