Help identify uniforms

maidofthemist

Hoping someone might be able to help me identify these uniforms. I came across these photos recently but don't know how to go about identifying what they are. I'm not even certain the chap on his own is in a military or police uniform. Could they be RIC?

Step23

Hard to tell from the photos, maybe if you retook the pictures with stronger lighting we could have a better look at them.

The 1st picture looks like the men are in British army uniforms.

As for the second it looks like it could British army also. The exploding grenade collar badge suggests either Munster, Dublin or Inniskilling fusiliers as the unit.

Better pictures are needed.

Hope this is of some help.

maidofthemist

Thank you. I will try to get better pics.

arnhem44

The first one is definitely British Army with various units looking at there cap badges.A better photo would be needed to tell which one is which but some look to be Manchester.The second photo is also British Army but pre WW1 maybe Victorian and to a fusiliers regiment such as the Munsters or Dublin's,again a clearer photo should give a possible clue from the uniform buttons if they can be made out.

kabakuyu

I agree that both are British army, first is WW1 era, there a mixture of cap badges on display but none are distinct enough to identify positively, some look like the Manchester regiment, some of the men have the crossed rifles on their sleeve which denotes marksmen.The man in the middle back row appears to have 3 wound stripes below his crossed rifles badge but it could also be damage to the pic.Some of the men are wearing jackets with pockets that have no pin tucks, these jackets were produced after 1916 to save material and were called the simplified utility pattern.The second pic I would date earlier around 1880's/1890's and I would say Royal Artillery because of the pillbox hat, fusiliers did nor wear this type of hat but the RA did,both wore the grenade collar badges, the jacket would have been scarlett with a white belt and was called walking out dress.

maidofthemist

Thank you - this is very helpful and has given me some new ideas to follow up. I am sorry the quality of the pictures is poor - I will try to get another opportunity to see the originals and perhaps get a better pic.

phaethon

Gents, I am just a leaner as well but why you think that the young man on the second picture is soldier from Fusiliers unit?

Looks like a gunner in the Artillery instead. Probably around 1900. 9 button full dress tunic and pill box forage cap were replaced 1902. Belt is probably 1888 pattern.

Here is one portrait of the gunner from my collection and ID as I said above. Looks like same uniform and insignia elements to me;)?

maidofthemist

phaethon wrote: »

Gents, I am just a leaner as well but why you think that the young man on the second picture is soldier from Fusiliers unit?

Looks like a gunner in the Artillery instead. Probably around 1900. 9 button full dress tunic and pill box forage cap were replaced 1902. Belt is probably 1888 pattern.

Here is one portrait of the gunner from my collection and ID as I said above. Looks like same uniform and insignia elements to me;)?

Thank you for sharing your photo. The photos are very similar. Do you know who your man is?

arnhem44

phaethon wrote: »

Gents, I am just a leaner as well but why you think that the young man on the second picture is soldier from Fusiliers unit?

Whilst uniform isn't my thing and Victorian period definitely isn't the collar badges would suggest fusiliers however I should of thought of artillery myself (rushing as usual)so I put my hand up for that one.Now I'm going away to sulk in the corner,lol.

maidofthemist

Hi again everyone
Well, I got another look at the photo and I have a slightly better image this time around plus a close up of some of the group. Not sure if it will help but I think the uniforms are a bit sharper this time around. If you look really closely, it seems like there could be something written on the ground behind the group. What do you think? It's actually more apparent on this pic than it is on the original postcard. The postcard doesn't have any info as to where or when the photo was taken.

maidofthemist

phaethon wrote: »

Gents, I am just a leaner as well but why you think that the young man on the second picture is soldier from Fusiliers unit?

Looks like a gunner in the Artillery instead. Probably around 1900. 9 button full dress tunic and pill box forage cap were replaced 1902. Belt is probably 1888 pattern.

Here is one portrait of the gunner from my collection and ID as I said above. Looks like same uniform and insignia elements to me;)?

Not sure if it helps identify anyone but the pic that I have has a photographer's details on it - it's from Billinghurst & Dovey, Weymouth & Ryde JW. No date or details unfortunately.

Dr Strange

I would suggest you also try the History and Heritage forum. They have a subsection on Genealogy as well and I have seen photos posted there.

Link: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=330