Unknown soldier

Date Added: 24 April 2008 Year Range: 1914 - 1918 Institution Name: dnhhl Cat No: ◀ | 2001_117_031 | ▶ Picture No: 1134

Photo of a soldier wearing an apron with pocket at the front , taken by AW Pierce, Nottingham. This soldier with two colleagues also appears in picture #1186 from which, with different headdress, he has been identified as serving with 1/5th Sutherland Highlanders with this photograph taken at Bedford.

Dimensions: Width 90 mm - Height 138 mm

3 Comments

Although sadly, I cannot identify this soldier, he is a member of 1/5th Seaforth Highlanders. This photo was almost certainly taken outside his billet house in Bedford in April 1915. In the first winter of the war, the glengarry was found to be impractical, and so this rather strange form of headdress was one short lived attempt to overcome the problem. As the other photos show, the Tam O' Shanter bonnet soon took its place.

Comment left on 12 April 2012 at 15:33 by Gus Mackay Many thanks for your informative comment Administrator

Definitely a Bedford photo. A W Pierce took the majority of photos of Seaforth men outside their billets in the town when the Highland Division was stationed there (August 1914 - April 1915). Head gear dates this to c. April 1915, shortly before the 1/5th Seaforth left Bedford with the Division, destined for France. Some companies of the 1/6th Seaforth also wore this form of hat during the same period. Note that the man is also wearing the Imperial Service badge on his right breast which indicates that, as a Territorial soldier, he has volunteered for overseas service.

Comment left on 22 June 2012 at 17:50 by Richard Galley Many thanks for your comment Administrator

The headgear looks to me like a glengarry with a cover over it. Comment left on 26 June 2012 at 23:49 by Adam Brown

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