Military Picture Analysis
Who is this mystery soldier?
Q I found this photograph among my great aunt’s things when we cleared her house last year after she died. Nobody in the family seems to know who it is. Can you tell me his regiment and anything else to help me identify him?
A This is a young soldier of the Middlesex Regiment in the first decade of the 20th century, all dressed up to have his photograph taken, possibly after the award of his second good-conduct stripe. The photograph was probably taken in Mill Hill, North London, where the regimental depot was.
The decade following the Second Boer War (1899–1902) saw great changes in the Army following the lessons learnt. Uniforms and equipment were adapted but some prewar relics, such as walking-out dress and sticks, remained.
It’s unlikely that he’d served in the war, because I’d expect to see medal ribbons on the tunic if he had. He may have enlisted during the war or shortly after. The normal enlistment period was 12 years, which, for an infantryman, meant five years “with the Colours” – ie, as an actual soldier – and seven years in the Reserve for call-up in an emergency. The fact that he has two goodconduct stripes suggests he extended his service, but either way he may well have been called up in 1914 and served again in the Middlesex. If you have any idea of a name, it might be worth looking for a Medal Index Card or service record for that name and regiment. He’s also likely to have been a Londoner, but it wasn’t compulsory.
1 COLLAR BADGES
The collar badges are Middlesex Regiment, but the feathers rise above the wreath. The badges had been abandoned by 1914, so I date these to 1900–1910.
2 TUNIC
The tunic is a different colour (lighter) than the trousers, suggesting it was scarlet with dark-blue trousers. This ‘walking-out’ dress was worn outside barracks, off duty.
3 STRIPES
Two good-conduct stripes (point-up chevrons on the lower left sleeve) indicate that he had at least six years’ service.
4 SWAGGER STICK
He’s carrying a walking-out (sometimes called swagger) stick, confirming he’s out of barracks, off duty (to have his photo taken).
5 CAP
The peaked service cap was introduced for officers in 1902 but was worn generally by all infantry ranks by about 1905.
6 CAP BADGE
This is the cap badge of the Middlesex Regiment. A laurel wreath surrounds the Prince of Wales’ feathers in a coronet, a motto scroll above a ducal coronet, with two scrolls beneath.