• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Uniforms of WW2

B

bee

Brummie babby
Can anyone identify which branch of the services this is. My uncle is amongst this group and I am sure that he served at sea. He would have enlisted in Warwickshire.Norman Higginson (2nd. rt. bottom row).jpg
 
Looks like coastal defence to me which would make it Royal Artillery (or, later on, even Home Guard). Could be the real thing or a training establishment. Is there sufficient definition in the original image to dechipher what is written on the life belt, apart from what appears to be "Royal Artillery"? In particular does the original show more of the bottom half of the ring?

Someone more expert than I might get something from the image of the bloke in charge with his Great War ribbon. Cap badge? Uniform - R.A. or even Royal Marines?

Sorry, more questions than answers but let's hope for more discussion on this.

Chris
 
Unfortunately the bottom of the photo does not show more of the ring. However it is a postcard/photo and on the back is printed J C Lawrence & Sons, 22 Elmhurst Road, Gosport. The only other word clearly defined next to and below Royal is "Sea"
 
Googling reveals some interesting information about this photographer, not least that there is an online archive showing some of the historical material - and, perhaps more significant, contact details. If there is some reference number on the postcard, they may still have documentation describing who, where and when.

Chris
 
Arthur Evans - original.jpghelp needed if possible
would anybody know what regiment please was told he was in the scots gaurds militrey band but his name his arthur evans and served in WW2
thank you for any help josie
 
Thank you
Yes he is holding a violin he was in the military band and played the violin and clarinet thank you for your help
Josie
 
Could anybody advise which part of the Grenadier band this 'uniform' would be related to? eg concert band, orchestra etc.
 
My sister found this photograph in our cousins belongings. Our cousin doesn't know who the men on the bike are. We think the pillion passenger is wearing a RAF uniform but unsure of the riders uniform.

If any member can identify both of the uniforms it may help us identify the 2 young men.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

William.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4519.JPG
    IMG_4519.JPG
    124.2 KB · Views: 61
Is the badge on the shoulder of the rider the same as the passenger but skewed a little?
 
MWS I thought the same thing. It appears to have come loose - hence could be the same badge. However even with my magnifying glass I could not see clearly.

William.
 
Are they definitely British uniforms?? I only ask because I have a photo of two Canadian men in uniform with very similar caps/hats. Posted to England in WW2 one is a relative but we don't know which one. :rolleyes:
1613058993438.png
 
Nice picture. Am pretty sure they are both RAF. The right hand man's shoulder - or at least his clothing - is slightly skewed which has distorted the eagle.. Two RAF aircraftmen, just ACs, certainly not aircrew, but there's no indication of their trade - mechanics, clerks, could be almost anything. Almost certainly WW2 or, just possibly, immediately postwar. A lovely English summer's day. Nothing in the background to suggest location but just possibly adjacent to some East Anglian aerodrome.

Janice makes a good point about other nationalities. But there would normally be an insignia on the upper sleeve saying, for example "CANADA" and I don't think there is anything there. Otherwise probably no difference in uniforms for all the nationalities within the RAF.

Chris.
 
Ariel, the name of the bike, was manufactured in Birmingham and used as a military vehicle by the RAF. The chap at the front of the bike looks like he has a bag or something across his shoulder. Could he be some sort of a despatch rider?
 
Thank you everyone for your help.

Although none of my family recognise either of these 2 young men, we did have an uncle who served in the
RAF - Aircraftman 1st Class.

Sadly he died in 1940 in a motor cycle accident returning to his ?regiment in Gloucester after being home on leave.

So he may actually be one of the men in the photograph.

William.
 
They are definitely RAF in 'best' Blue uniform as opposed to 'working' battle dress. On leave you were compelled to wear Best blue uniform. Their rank is either AC1 or AC2 ( aircraftman 1st or 2nd class) because LAC (leading aircraftman) or above would have the appropriate badges on the upper sleeve. I was in the RAF from 1948 to 1956 when we wore similar side caps which were later changed to berets. They are not Canadian because they would have had the word CANADA above the wing on the shoulder badge. Eric
 
Last edited:
Can you tell anything us about the life of this unfortunate young man, William?

Chris
 
Chris, if the rider in the photo is my uncle he was born in Cheshire Street, Aston in 1904.

All I know is that he had been home on leave in 1940 and was on his way back to his camp when he was involved in a motorcycle accident. He was taken to Cheltenham hospital where he died of his injuries.

He is buried in Witton Cemetery and there is a Memorial for WW2 casualties there with his name on it.

I only found this information from my family research and I know nothing more about him.

William.

fullsizeoutput_1a40.jpeg
 
AMW

Many thanks for posting the newspaper articles of Alberts motorcycle accident.

After I had posted my request looking for information on the uniforms - and knowing absolutely nothing about Alberts accident I did start searching for the same, but didn't find everything that you had found, so I am most grateful, thank you very much.

William.
 
  • Appreciate
Reactions: AMW
Could be useful when exploring uniforms in photos. Viv.

ARP helmet markings
B8AA8ED7-DE1A-4ACB-96F4-394D365DAE7B.jpeg

Mechanical Transport Corps uniforms
9387FA01-218A-47C4-B8CC-81233EC19CDC.jpeg

Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top