Author Topic: Is this military dress c1914?  (Read 464 times)

Offline Annbee

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Is this military dress c1914?
« on: Friday 27 January 23 04:05 GMT (UK) »
Hello, I hope someone can tell me one way or another if this might be a military photo.

It's of my Great Uncle, William Beach, who was born in 1879 in Birmingham, but who moved to Much Birch in Herefordshire with his family in the late 1880s. In the early 1900s he married Fanny and was living in Hereford and was a plumber.

I cannot seem to find his military records, if he served at all that is. His older brother and younger brother served in WW1 (his older brother was killed in France in 1816) - so I was thinking he might have joined as well. 

This is the only photo I have of him; and it looks like a casual military dress to me - but is it?
Warwickshire: BEACH/BACHE, COX Gloucestershire: HAIL, VOYCE, TURNER, WINCHCOMBE, PREEN, Worcestershire: WEBB, CHARE, TYLER, Fife: FOWLER, JOHNSTONE, MELVILLE, Lanarkshire/Dunbartonshire: GRAHAM, CHALMERS, LANG, BISHOP, Sweden/Hamburg/London/Birmingham: HOKANSON

Online Neale1961

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Re: Is this military dress c1914?
« Reply #1 on: Friday 27 January 23 04:29 GMT (UK) »
The man in the photo appears to be wearing something like an Australian slouch hat.
Are you sure the photo is of the person you say it is?
Milligan - Jardine – Glencross – Dinwoodie - Brown: (Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire)
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Offline Annbee

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Re: Is this military dress c1914?
« Reply #2 on: Friday 27 January 23 04:33 GMT (UK) »
Hello Neale,

Yes it is my Uncle. My cousin brought it over from England from the family album, along with another one of when he was older. He also looks like my Grandfather. But my cousin didn't seem to know much about the setting, just that it was William.

I did wonder if it was a Middle East scenario, hence the hat and the shorts. And that it looks like he's dressed for the heat. Plus it looks like he's wearing gaiters or puttees.
Warwickshire: BEACH/BACHE, COX Gloucestershire: HAIL, VOYCE, TURNER, WINCHCOMBE, PREEN, Worcestershire: WEBB, CHARE, TYLER, Fife: FOWLER, JOHNSTONE, MELVILLE, Lanarkshire/Dunbartonshire: GRAHAM, CHALMERS, LANG, BISHOP, Sweden/Hamburg/London/Birmingham: HOKANSON

Offline tonepad

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Re: Is this military dress c1914?
« Reply #3 on: Friday 27 January 23 06:07 GMT (UK) »
It looks like a military photo.
Puttees on his legs, dog tags around his neck.
The slouch hat was worn by some units in the Second Boer War 1899-1902.

How old do you think he looks in the photo?
In his 20s for the Boer War
or
late 30s for WW1


Tony
Aucock/Aukett~Kent/Sussex, Broadway~Oxfordshire, Danks~Warwickshire, Fenn~Kent/Norfolk, Goatham~Kent, Hunt~Kent, Parker~Middlesex, Perry~Kent, Sellers~Kent/Yorkshire, Sladden~Kent, Wright~Kent/Essex


Offline Annbee

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Re: Is this military dress c1914?
« Reply #4 on: Friday 27 January 23 07:45 GMT (UK) »
Quote
The slouch hat was worn by some units in the Second Boer War 1899-1902.
How old do you think he looks in the photo?
In his 20s for the Boer War

Hello Tony, thanks for looking. His age is hard to say from the photo: the scan was faulty and of poor quality, I've edited it to get it this visible. But also this lot from the family - my father, his twin and his father (one of William's brothers) aged really well - they always looked a lot younger than they were.

I am leaning on the feeling that William wouldn't have signed up for the Boer War. While quite a few Beaches served, and some died, in both World Wars, I haven't seen evidence of military service up until then. Also, since you suggested Boer War, I've just had a quick look on a couple of sites where you can enter names and William's doesn't come up. Still. I never say never.

Thanks!
Warwickshire: BEACH/BACHE, COX Gloucestershire: HAIL, VOYCE, TURNER, WINCHCOMBE, PREEN, Worcestershire: WEBB, CHARE, TYLER, Fife: FOWLER, JOHNSTONE, MELVILLE, Lanarkshire/Dunbartonshire: GRAHAM, CHALMERS, LANG, BISHOP, Sweden/Hamburg/London/Birmingham: HOKANSON

Offline Pinetree

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Re: Is this military dress c1914?
« Reply #5 on: Friday 27 January 23 08:01 GMT (UK) »
I have found Militia Attestation papers for a William Beach signing up for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1898 born Birmingham, aged 18yrs 9 months. Occupation polisher. Could that be him?

Pinetree
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Offline tonepad

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Re: Is this military dress c1914?
« Reply #6 on: Friday 27 January 23 08:07 GMT (UK) »
Is there anything on the back of the photo to indicate where and when it was taken?


Tony
Aucock/Aukett~Kent/Sussex, Broadway~Oxfordshire, Danks~Warwickshire, Fenn~Kent/Norfolk, Goatham~Kent, Hunt~Kent, Parker~Middlesex, Perry~Kent, Sellers~Kent/Yorkshire, Sladden~Kent, Wright~Kent/Essex

Offline ALAMO2008

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Re: Is this military dress c1914?
« Reply #7 on: Friday 27 January 23 08:48 GMT (UK) »
There was a Charles William Hughes Beach born NSW 22 Sep 1898 joined the Australian Army as 54622
20 Mar1918
Perhaps a Cousin in the Photo ?
Were the Beach family already previously Australian Residents before your Family joined them ?
CHAPMAN ROBINSON McKAY O'MALLEY

Offline Annbee

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Re: Is this military dress c1914?
« Reply #8 on: Friday 27 January 23 08:56 GMT (UK) »
Unfortunately I only received the scan. I think I asked my cousin at the time - but perhaps I'll have to return to her and ask again.

The photo would have been given to my grandfather who died in the 1960s; it was his photo album. It was probably one of those albums where people stuck in photos without descriptions, it was back in the 20's-40's. Luckily for my family, my father was reasonably meticulous with annotating his war service snapshots.

It looks like a casual photo for military don't you think. Almost like someone scraped the backdrop together. And that top is surely a version of underwear!

Warwickshire: BEACH/BACHE, COX Gloucestershire: HAIL, VOYCE, TURNER, WINCHCOMBE, PREEN, Worcestershire: WEBB, CHARE, TYLER, Fife: FOWLER, JOHNSTONE, MELVILLE, Lanarkshire/Dunbartonshire: GRAHAM, CHALMERS, LANG, BISHOP, Sweden/Hamburg/London/Birmingham: HOKANSON