25 replies to this topic

[xamrenrut]

Hi, any chance of help in identifying the following uniform?

I believe my Grandfather was possibly in the Royal Engineers, Manchester, Lancashire ????

Can any of you guys out there establish as to whether this could be correct?

Links to 2 photos as follows: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/Xam...t/UniformID.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/Xam.../UniformID2.jpg

Thanks in advance for any help,    Max

[delta]

Difficult to tell, from the group, whether the badges are Royal Engineers or Army Service Corps
The officer certainly seems to be  ASC but, as ai have said before, I could be wrong

[ian turner]

Max,

Indeed a bit indistinct to tell. That your grandad on the far left of group pic/same chap standing in studio pic? In the group pic his shoulder title looks small enough to read 'RE', but it is not clear.

Did he serve in France? The Frenchman in their midst might mean he did, and they have the look of being on service rather than home duty.

If so he should have a medal index card. What was his name?

Ian

(PS, I guess you are a Turner? I had a RE grandfather too).

[Paul Reed]

Certainly looks like Army Service Corps; the man sitting down in the second photo is wearing a belt commonly worn by ASC personnel. The first photo is taken in France, by the way.

[xamrenrut]

Hi Ian,

Yes I am a Turner.  
My Grandfather is Arthur Turner from Crumpsall, Manchester, DoB 1879 and he was a mechanical and electrical engineer working from his home prior to enlistment.

I don't have any other details other than the pics to denote which part of the army he belonged to.

As far as I'm aware, I don't think that he he was ever in active service abroad although I'm sure that he would turn over in his grave if I'm wrong!

Regards,  Max

[xamrenrut]

Amazing!  How can you guys be so sure the pic is taken in France?

[xamrenrut]

I've 'tweaked' the image a bit and zoomed in as large as it will go without the pixels bursting all over the place!

From what I can see of the epaulette badge, I can make it out to possibly be 'MT'.  Could that be possible as for Motor transport?

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/Xam...PaArmybadge.jpg



Regards,  Max

[Paul Reed]

Hi - yes, MT stands for Motor Transport which was a branch of the Army Service Corps.

The first photo is certainly in France; you can tell from the design of the houses in the background and also the French soldier in the middle of the group. He was probably the unit's interpreter.

[DaveMurphy]

Max,

Any chance you know his middle name or initial?? Will help to narrow the search... seems there were many 'Arthur Turner's' serve.

Dave

[xamrenrut]

Hi Dave,
Thanks for your time and interest.

He may possibly have used the name Arthur Troillet Turner on his service papers. (Troillet being his mother's surname)

I've just been going through page after page on the 'Long Trail' for an Arthur Turner and I'm not sure what I'm doing!  Not even sure if I'm looking in the Manchester/Lancashire areas anyway.

Cheers,  Max

[DaveMurphy]

Max,

There is a Medal Index Card for a Pte T/310475 Arthur T S Turner in the national archives. If the previous post of him being in the Army Service Corps is correct, then this could be your man. You can download the card here.

The other possibles from the index with Arthur T Turner are here, but this is the only one in the ASC. Note that there is a fellow in this list that served in the Royal Engineers, who could also be a possible.

It will cost you 3.50 each for the download, but it will give you information as to medals entitled and possibly when he served overseas and is a great start.

Enjoy the search!

Dave

[xamrenrut]

Thanks for that Dave.

I've downloaded a .PDF file from the National Archives.

The info on it is as follows:

TURNER Arthur T  Corps: RE  Rank: ?  Regt No: 210146 WR/961574

Medals: Victory Roll: RE/102.B.74 Page:14423  

I'm not sure as to whether this is my relation or not, but is there any way I can check further with the information above?

Cheers,  Max

[DaveMurphy]

any chance you have his medals, or know someone that does, to confirm his service number??

[xamrenrut]

No medals and no one still alive to ask any further questions unfortunately!

[Paul Reed]

As mentioned above, the man in these photos is in the Army Service Corps, not the Royal Engineers. Unless these photos are not him?

[Chris_Baker]

He may be one of the several Arthur Turners in the medals index who served with the ASC and who have a prefix M or M2 to their number. It indicates Motor Transport.

[jay dubaya]

Nice pics, definately an 'MT' S/T and what looks like a nice mobile workshop they're gathered round, cheers Jon

a likely candidate?

[xamrenrut]

Thanks Jay.

I just downloaded that Medal Card from Nat Archives before I saw your post!

Details on it are: TURNER Arthur.  RASC MT  M/225445  Rank Pte  Enlistment 24/6/16  Discharge 8/6/17

Cause of Discharge: Para 392  XVI K.R. Sick, Wounds

Action Taken: List GSC 1423 (I think??)

Am a newbie to all this military lookup stuff. With the info above, can I get any further details from anywhere?  Just not sure where to try or what to do from here.  Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards, Max

[Paul Reed]

Thanks Jay.

I just downloaded that Medal Card from Nat Archives before I saw your post!

Details on it are: TURNER Arthur.  RASC MT  M/225445  Rank Pte  Enlistment 24/6/16  Discharge 8/6/17

Cause of Discharge: Para 392  XVI K.R. Sick, Wounds

Action Taken: List GSC 1423 (I think??)

Am a newbie to all this military lookup stuff. With the info above, can I get any further details from anywhere?  Just not sure where to try or what to do from here.  Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards, Max

I hate to cast doubts, but if your man is in the group photo taken in France, he isn't the man above. That photo is taken in France either in early 1916 or before; most likely before.

Can you do a better scan of the photo in the area where the man is wearing the woolen hat (second row, extreme left) - say 400dpi or higher? Also, is there anything on the back of this photo?

[xamrenrut]

Hi Dave,

Have enlarged individual parts of original photograph as best I can get.

Please link here.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/Xam...originalp-1.jpg

No writing or anything useful on the back of the picture. (that's a surprise!)

I hope you wont be offended if Iask you as to how you think the picture was taken early 1916 or even earlier.

Cheers,  Max

[Paul Reed]

Hi Dave,

Have enlarged individual parts of original photograph as best I can get.

Please link here.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/Xam...originalp-1.jpg

No writing or anything useful on the back of the picture. (that's a surprise!)

I hope you wont be offended if Iask you as to how you think the picture was taken early 1916 or even earlier.

Cheers,  Max

?Dave... whose Dave?

Thanks for enlarging the photo. The soldier in the woollen hat is wearing a very odd badge indeed.

The others all confirm this is Army Service Corps and the style of head gear is what confirms to me this is 1915 (or early 1916 at the very latest); they all have a very early war look to them. Soldier No 5 is the French interpreter.

The photo is also taken in the winter time, given what they are wearing (soldier 3 is wearing a Gor Blimey hat rarely seen after 1916, and designed for cold weather). So that would make it winter 1914/15 or 1915/16.

Hope that helps.

Best wishes,

Paul

[Paul Reed]

Below is soldier 1 - note the badge. Any ideas anyone?

Attached Files

•  soldier1.jpg   20K   1 downloads

[xamrenrut]

Paul,  my apologies for wrong name, ..... don't know where that came from!

I see that Sherlock Holmes is alive and well and reflects in your fantastic sleuth work.  To me, that photograph has just been a pic of my grandfather with some fellow recruits and I've never paid much attention to any detail.  

You and others in this Forum have brought it to life for me!  Thanks a lot,  Max

[Paul Reed]

No worries, happy to help.

[Blackblue]

Do you know his wife's name?

Where born?

Rgds

Tim D