Can anybody throw any light on this unidentified mounted (WWI?) soldier ?

[majm]

In Australian English it is known as a Forage Cap, as it was worn when foraging for food for the horses.   

Mr Geggle says that it goes way back ... it is not something originating in pre WWI era.... way way back earlier...  Wiki says :   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forage_cap

My ancient rellie (a retired Archivist) says ... Forage Caps were not peculiar to military, nor to organisations with uniforms.  They were worn by anyone foraging, as a headwear protection from low lying branches or cobwebs or brambles or similar, probably back to Neanderthals...  They fold flat when not being worn so can tuck into back pockets in military uniforms.

It is possible that your 'shadow' on the vest is simply the vest's lining ... the vest is undone, and can open wide.   

Question from my ancient rellie ...  Have you looked at and considered the full photo on the front of the album?  Here it is again  https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b1894454_44

JM

 

[majm]

The soldier who has been doing the strenuous work on the horse and therefore has removed his tunic and we see him in his shirt and vest, actually does not seem to be carrying anything over his right shoulder.   I see a horse or a mule behind him. 

ADD there's simply deterioration in the photo - age, exposure to light etc.  It is simply fragile.

JM

[kob3203]

The soldier who has been doing the strenuous work on the horse and therefore has removed his tunic and we see him in his shirt and vest, actually does not seem to be carrying anything over his right shoulder.   I see a horse or a mule behind him. 

ADD there's simply deterioration in the photo - age, exposure to light etc.  It is simply fragile.

JM

I totally agree that it's a horse's rump behind his right shoulder and a horse's head behind his left, just as cliffkinch said. But that's not what I was referring to - my fault, as my explanation wasn't really very clear.

I'd intended the white outline to indicate the front right side of his vest, the black bits visible within the white outline being the vest itself.

If that was so (and it's a big if) then he's got something hanging in front of his vest, suspended from somewhere near his right collar.

I've outlined it in yellow here - to me it looks like a string of cloths slung over his shoulder, hanging down both in front (which we see) and behind (which we don't). But I have no idea what it could actually be. Perhaps the most likely answer is that it's my imagination ? 

[kob3203]

In Australian English it is known as a Forage Cap, as it was worn when foraging for food for the horses.   

Mr Geggle says that it goes way back ... it is not something originating in pre WWI era.... way way back earlier...  Wiki says :   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forage_cap

My ancient rellie (a retired Archivist) says ... Forage Caps were not peculiar to military, nor to organisations with uniforms.  They were worn by anyone foraging, as a headwear protection from low lying branches or cobwebs or brambles or similar, probably back to Neanderthals...  They fold flat when not being worn so can tuck into back pockets in military uniforms.

It is possible that your 'shadow' on the vest is simply the vest's lining ... the vest is undone, and can open wide.   

Question from my ancient rellie ...  Have you looked at and considered the full photo on the front of the album?  Here it is again  https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b1894454_44

JM

Yes, I have, and I'm still wondering.

The environment surprised me as it isn't what I'd expect of Egypt. Although it's rather parched there's some similarity to the photo I posted, but not enough for a definite yes/no. So I think I have to add Egypt to possible locations.

The tents and arrangement of horses seem to match the photo I posted too, but don't seem specific to Egypt or to Australian units, so nothing really there so far.

The clothing of the two chaps on the right of that photo does seem to match those standing in the photo I posted, so I shouldn't assume they're British.

Incidentally, while googling for Australian WWI Light Horse cap badges a Prince Of Wales feathers one came up (the mounted chap in the photo I posted has, I think, a Prince of Wales feathers cap badge) - it was from 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse, but from what I've read they didn't come into being until WWII.

The other thing I noticed was the nosebags - but it isn't one of them over the central chap's shoulder

[majm]

All the men in the photo in the  album ARE  British Subjects.   They are also volunteers,  no conscription. 

In the photo on the cover of the album you will see some of the men have unbuttoned their tunic.  Under the tunic you see their vest. There's forage caps at various angles.   Further along the line  you see the man who has taken off his tunic  and notice he has rolled up his shirt sleeves. He  has a vest on.  And further along there's the chap in his full outfit.  Tunic button up.

Light  Horse Regiments were a significant part of military planning  until Motorised Transport came along.  Not just in the Australian Imperial Force, not just in the Armies of the British Empire. 

Re your photo: If you focus on the right shoulder of the soldier who has removed his tunic and undone the buttons on  his vest, depending on your graphics card in your puter,  you may see blurry deterioration of the print or if you have a high quality graphics card you may be able to see the shoulder definition. 

So in my opinion,  Mr Invidia's graphics card in my OH's puter shows me re your photo: There's actually nothing on that shoulder that gives you any clues about either that soldier or the others in the photo or the location or their regiment.  All you can reliably say:
1. British As per rifle issued to soldiers from Great Britain and her Allies including her Dominions, Colonies and her External Territories,  WWI.


JM.
 

[kob3203]

Thanks majm, once again I should have been more precise and said "so I shouldn't assume they're from British units.", which is what I meant. 

There were soldiers in full uniform and also in vests, shirtsleeves and forage caps in the pictures at the two links tonepad posted in reply #17, so I was already aware of that. The photo you posted made the forage caps much more obvious and was an excellent hint that I mustn't assume the men in the photo I posted are from British (by which I mean English, Welsh, Scottish, or Irish) units. My observation about the Prince of Wales feathers cap badge was intended to highlight my inaccurate assumption.

Regarding the quality of the image there are really only three factors involved:
1) The quality of the original photo, which was quite damaged. I don't have access to that.
2) The resolution and format at which it was scanned. I didn't scan the photo and didn't see the EXIF data so I can't be sure of the numbers here, but most scanners by default output a JPG (which is a lossy format where you can trade off accuracy/detail against file size) at something like 300dpi and 95% compression.
3) Any further digital processing. I took a screenshot of the photo and saved it as a JPG at75% compression ratio so I've made it a bit worse. That's what I uploaded.

P.S. I've been using GIMP to view this photo, so I can zoom in, adjust levels, etc to bring out detail. I'm 90% certain that what I (mistakenly perhaps) identified as something hanging over his shoulder is not caused by deterioration of the photo or digital processing.

[Neale1961]

 I think the key to identifying where the photo was taken is in the background. There is a distinctive dome shaped building on the far hill on the right. I also suspect there is a larger domed building in the background on the far left - but it is very faded and hard to make out. Do domed buildings figure in the English landscape?
Maybe the clever people on the photo restore board could do something to bring out the detail in the background.

[kob3203]

I think the key to identifying where the photo was taken is in the background. There is a distinctive dome shaped building on the far hill on the right. I also suspect there is a larger domed building in the background on the far left - but is is very faded and hard to make out. Do domed buildings figure in the English landscape?
Maybe the clever people on the photo restore board could do something to bring out the detail in the background.

Very well spotted, I hadn't even noticed the building on the left.

Since the full size photo I uploaded had an extra level of digital noise added when I saved it as a 75% compression ratio JPG I think I need to go back and check the original first.

In the meantime does anybody have any suggestions about those two buildings on the horizon ?

Edited to add the bits of the photo with buildings

[Neale1961]

I am inclined to think the larger domed building looks like Hagia Sophia, except since the photo is so very faded, I am not sure if I can see the high towering minarets that are situated beside it. Anyway the shape of the dome reminds me of architecture of the Ottoman empire.

Has a weapon expert given you a date for that rifle? That might also be helpful to know.