Identification of a Uniform please

[shanreagh]

Side tracked to “Shufti”

It first appeared in English in the 1940s. Shufti is in origin the Arabic word šufti, meaning “have you seen?”, and comes from the verb šāf “to see”

My dad brought it back from WW11 when he was in the NZ Army around Egypt/Syria/Palestine/Italy.  Along with other phrases that we said unthinkingly as children until  we worked out other families did not.  'Avanti' said to jog everyone along, to get going, from Italian, to say his children could come into his office when we visited him at work in the context of step forward or come in' (we always had to knock despite having seen the receptionist person etc) .   My partner who is learning Italian suddenly said 'Avanti' to me recently, to get me going. 

We could count in Arabic up to 100 at one time and had various other phrases in Arabic and Italian.

[mckha489]

Update 

“The Army Museum doesn’t respond to enquiries like ours at the moment as they are unable to pay anyone to take on that role! Big funding problems apparently. “

[mckha489]

Finally (after I involved my brother who will now be insufferable...;-().

this photograph dated 1896 of Royal Engineers.  The man in the middle - our uniform we are sure.

So we are pretty confident this is who we thought it was.
One good conduct chevron, so after 1892 and before 1898 (when he received his second GC).

[ShaunJ]

One good conduct chevron, so after 1892 and before 1898 (when he received his second GC).

? Sergeant Major Greener of the RE Balloon Section deserted in 1895 and was captured in South Africa in 1899 per press reports.

[mckha489]

My man isn't sergeant major greener.
His uniform is just the same

[ShaunJ]

S-M Greener is wearing an NCO's patrol jacket. Not unique to Royal Engineers or to regular army.

[Lisa in California]

…I am going to have to see if they can be bothered to photograph the reverse.
(The man looks in his 20s to me, but that may be influenced by my expectations.

It looks like you’re getting the answers that you need.  I’m just curious if the family has another photo of this man? 

[mckha489]

It looks like you’re getting the answers that you need.  I’m just curious if the family has another photo of this man?

we shall see!

thanks all.