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Army or something else?

  • giselles_postcards
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    38 messages

    United Kingdom

    Does anyone have any idea what this group of men are? I assumed they were army as the card came with a batch of WW1 military cards, however none of them are wearing anything to indicate rank so I wondered if they could be some kind of civil defence group. I'm guessing that they're British on the basis that the card is printed in English but then again, those big overcoats don't look particularly British so thet could be from elsewhere.

    Any thoughts as to who they are and what they might be?

    Giselle
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  • mainlypostcards
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    United Kingdom

    Does anyone have any idea what this group of men are? I assumed they were army as the card came with a batch of WW1 military cards, however none of them are wearing anything to indicate rank so I wondered if they could be some kind of civil defence group. I'm guessing that they're British on the basis that the card is printed in English but then again, those big overcoats don't look particularly British so thet could be from elsewhere.

    Any thoughts as to who they are and what they might be?

    Giselle
    • Created on Dec 12, 2012 at 12:17 PM
    • #423910
    The houses in the background look very British.

    No idea about the uniforms though - Civil Defense, Territorial Army?
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    Does anyone have any idea what this group of men are? I assumed they were army as the card came with a batch of WW1 military cards, however none of them are wearing anything to indicate rank so I wondered if they could be some kind of civil defence group. I'm guessing that they're British on the basis that the card is printed in English but then again, those big overcoats don't look particularly British so thet could be from elsewhere.

    Any thoughts as to who they are and what they might be?

    Giselle
    • Created on Dec 12, 2012 at 12:17 PM
    • #423910
    This information is no longer available because the user’s account has been deleted (GDPR)
  • tony41
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    • Created on Dec 12, 2012 at 5:04 PM
    • #423952
    I don't think they're air raid wardens (not British ones anyway. The headgear is wrong. I still have my father's air raid warden's helmet.
  • giselles_postcards
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    United Kingdom

    The houses in the background look very British.

    No idea about the uniforms though - Civil Defense, Territorial Army?
    • Created on Dec 12, 2012 at 4:57 PM
    • #423951
    I wonder if they could be army medics in a dress uniform or something along those lines - or new recruits that had just been issued with uniforms - hence the lack of rank indicators.

    Several of the men have the kind of moustaches that were fashionable in the early part of the 20th century and the uniforms themselves with the trench coats seem to fit that period so, I could be wrong, but I'm leaning towards WW1 era. If it is WW1 that rules out air raid wardens which were a WW2 thing. Plus as Tony points out the hats (and the uniforms) were quite different to those worn in the photograph - nowhere near as smart.

  • xtf70
    xtf70 98% (9319x)
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    I wonder if they could be army medics in a dress uniform or something along those lines - or new recruits that had just been issued with uniforms - hence the lack of rank indicators.

    Several of the men have the kind of moustaches that were fashionable in the early part of the 20th century and the uniforms themselves with the trench coats seem to fit that period so, I could be wrong, but I'm leaning towards WW1 era. If it is WW1 that rules out air raid wardens which were a WW2 thing. Plus as Tony points out the hats (and the uniforms) were quite different to those worn in the photograph - nowhere near as smart.

    • Created on Dec 13, 2012 at 5:51 AM
    • #423988
    I'd put them as WW2 rather than WW1 - the uniforms look too modern for 14-18
  • giselles_postcards
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    I'd put them as WW2 rather than WW1 - the uniforms look too modern for 14-18
    • Created on Dec 13, 2012 at 6:01 AM
    • #423990
    You could be right. I've been trying to match the caps, belts and trench coats to online examples and the only thiing tha came close was an American WW2 cap which had two buttons on the front rather like the ones in the photo.
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    You could be right. I've been trying to match the caps, belts and trench coats to online examples and the only thiing tha came close was an American WW2 cap which had two buttons on the front rather like the ones in the photo.
    • Created on Dec 13, 2012 at 6:58 AM
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  • moonstone
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    1023 messages

    United Kingdom

    Does anyone have any idea what this group of men are? I assumed they were army as the card came with a batch of WW1 military cards, however none of them are wearing anything to indicate rank so I wondered if they could be some kind of civil defence group. I'm guessing that they're British on the basis that the card is printed in English but then again, those big overcoats don't look particularly British so thet could be from elsewhere.

    Any thoughts as to who they are and what they might be?

    Giselle
    • Created on Dec 12, 2012 at 12:17 PM
    • #423910
    Don't think it's WWI, WWII or even later, late 40s / early 50s National Service - the glasses of those wearing them look very like the first NHS glasses given out after the Service was formed in 1947
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    New Zealand

    I wonder if they could be army medics in a dress uniform or something along those lines - or new recruits that had just been issued with uniforms - hence the lack of rank indicators.

    Several of the men have the kind of moustaches that were fashionable in the early part of the 20th century and the uniforms themselves with the trench coats seem to fit that period so, I could be wrong, but I'm leaning towards WW1 era. If it is WW1 that rules out air raid wardens which were a WW2 thing. Plus as Tony points out the hats (and the uniforms) were quite different to those worn in the photograph - nowhere near as smart.

    • Created on Dec 13, 2012 at 5:51 AM
    • #423988
    This information is no longer available because the user’s account has been deleted (GDPR)
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    United Kingdom

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    • Created on Dec 13, 2012 at 10:19 AM
    • #424018
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  • giselles_postcards
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    • Created on Dec 13, 2012 at 3:05 PM
    • #424070
    I think you might be right.

    There's a nice picture of an officer wearing what looks to be the same or very similar hat and coat here

    Link (http)

    and the forage cap matches images in google when you search for RASC

    It looks as though the mystery could be solved.

    I've never even heard of the RASC so I would never have got that in a million years.

    Many thanks

    Giselle

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