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Royal Warwickshire Regiment

No doubt it would have been taken at Budbrook Barracks, Warwick, the HQ of the Regiment. The photograph was taken a good few years after WW1, perhaps sometime in the early 1930's. The men are wearing collar badges on their tunics. The more mature officers and senior NCO's are the only ones wearing WW1 medals. The rest look like young recruits.
Thus, your uncle Richard Langford cannot be in this photograph. Sorry to disappoint you.

I see Richard Langford was KIA on 1 July 1916, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme. I am visiting the Somme in a couple of weeks time. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. I can take a picture of his name if you want one

Terry
 
I tend to agree Terry. The first thing that caught my eye was the belt worn by the ORs, it looks like a '37 pattern with a custom-made buckle of some sort.
 
Thank you for your help Terry. The photo belonged to Richards mother so i presumed they were from WW1. I had 3 uncles who were killed whilst serving with Royal Warwickshire regiment and i am trying to trace their records or if there were any war diaries. As you say Richard was Killed on the opening day, i think this is very sad ,he was only a babe as others were. He was also the youngest son. If you could take pictures i would be more than greatful. I would also be very greatful of any information that you could pass on regarding Richard or my other uncles. Charles Concannen and Francis Betts. I have your book which has been very helpful to me ,understanding the kind of life my uncles and all the other men and women endured..... Thank you once again Josie
 
hello josie

Charles Concannen was killed on 26 November 1916. Right at the end of the Somme battles of 1916. The battle ground to a halt with the onset of the winter mud.
He also served in the 1/6th Warwicks. He is buried in Martinpuich British cemetery. Also on the Somme. I will gladly visit his grave for you and take a picture when I am over there on March 15/16

Terry
 
Have been reading this thread with great interest. How nice it is to see all the help offered to members of the Forum by other members. It makes you feel quite proud to know chivalry still exsists. Well done to all concerned.
jimbo
 
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Sorry this is such a poor copy. I've had to scan a print until I can find a better one which is 'missing' at the moment. I was told this was a canteen in Sutton Park during WW1 and that the soldiers were from the Royal Warwicks on training there. I think it originally appeared in a local paper.

The chef is my great uncle, William Henry Woolley. He was born in Birmingham became a cook on merchant ships and later at the Savoy. He left there (for reasons best not mentioned here!) and came back to Birmingham at the start of the 20th century. Is it indeed the regiment mentioned?
While I can't identify which regiment is shown in the picture, I notice that most of the men are wearing a lanyard which I've never noticed in other pictures of the Warwicks, they could just be hanging their jacknife on it of course ! I'm think the man wearing the SD cap in the middle is of the Army Service Corps. A lot of that kitchen equipment looks very similar to kit that was in use in the 1970s.
 
Regarding the photograph in Sutton Park.
Two of the three Birmingham City battalions did their training in Sutton Park until June 1915. Then the Reserve/Recruit Company that each battalion had raised amalgamated to form the 17th (Reserve) Battalion Royal Warwickshire continued training in the park for a period of time.
Afterwards the huts built for the City battalions were used by various troops including Canadians etc until the end of the war.

Terry
 
Hello Josie

I got the picture from Google maps. This is Serre Road, on the Somme. The cemetery on the right is called Serre Road No.2. Just beyond the other side of the cemetery wall on the right was a German strongpoint known as the Heidenkopf Redoubt. On the 1st July 1916 at 07:30 the 1/8th Royal Warwicks followed by the 1/6th Royal Warwicks advanced towards the German trenches from left to right. You are looking down what was called No Man's Land (in 1916). The front attacked by the Warwicks was just beyond the wall down to the Chapel in the distance. Many of the 1/6 Warwicks were killed in the area before you. One possibly would have been Robert Langford.

Terry
 

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hi terry
thank you for that much appreciated i have been looking at some photos that belonged to richards mother and came across a lovely WWI photo of a young man but cant see the cap badge clearly as i dont know how to post them i will get my son to post it for me and maybe you can tell me what it is.
it looks like the RWR but cant be sure
josie
 
hello terry
i hope you dont mind me asking but i would be gratful if you could take some photos of the surrounding area of the above photos
when you visit if you can i will gladly pay for photos.
with thanks josie
 
No problem Josie

It will be a digital camera. so I can email or upload them onto this site, or would you prefer actual prints? or both

Regards

Terry
 
hello terry
i would like both if its no trouble to you and thank you again for all your help it is very much appreciated
regards josie
 
New to forum. Hope I'm posting in right place.
I'm researching a soldier who died of his wounds 15/12/1919, aged 51 years. He's major George Finney Blakeley, 2nd/5th Bn, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He came from Dewsbury in Yorkshire, where all his family lived, and he's buried in Dewsbury cemetery. A reference I've found about probate says he died whilst at 12 Carisbrooke Rd, Edgbaston. His death was registered in Kings Norton.
I wondered if there might have been a hospital at 12 Carisbrooke Rd, but in fact it's a private house, built after 1911, but from the look of it before 1919. Does anyone know if wounded soldiers were ever housed with private families? I know of no Birmingham family connection for him, though I suppose there could be. Would it not be more usual for him to have been in a military hospital? I'm having difficulty making sense of this, and I wonder if anyone could throw any light on how the regiment worked.
 
WW1.jpg

This is possibly a photo of Richard Langford, which was found amongst his mothers photo collection. I am not able to see the cap badge clearly enough to see if it is for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment which Richard was in.
Are there any other features within the photo that may indicate this?

Josie
 
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