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Johnstone Family Photograph |
© Reproduced with acknowledgement to Shirley Murphy, Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
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Johnstone Family Photograph |
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Thank you to Shirley Murphy who wrote: |
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My Gran and Family "My gran is in the picture with her brother Tommy, sister Mary, Mum Mary and father James. He was a baker. My gran probably attended Cooper Street Primary School Just the entrance to the school is left now." Shirley Murphy, Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, Scotland: May 9, 2011 |
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Acknowledgement Thank you to Shirley for also sending me copies of some manuscript pages of Cooper Street school records, an old postcard showing the school building and recent photos of the stone gateposts at the entrance to the school, with the lettering: 'COOPER STREET. PUBLIC SCHOOL and INFANTS' ENTRANCE' at the top of the gateposts. |
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Question |
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Shirley asked: |
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Questions "Tommy is wearing a uniform. 1. Can anyone help me to identify the uniform? 2. Does anyone have any more information on this family?" Shirley Murphy, Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, Scotland:: May 9, 2011 |
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Reply to Shirley If you would like to send a reply to Shirley, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to her. Thank you. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: May 16, 2011 |
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Reply 1. George T Smith Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada |
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Thank you to George T Smith who wrote: |
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Cavalryman "The boots appear to be those of a cavalryman or perhaps Horse Artillery. The latter is less likely as there are no 'collar dogs' or shoulder titles." George T Smith, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada: May 18, 2011 |
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Reply 2. Bob Henderson Burdiehouse, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Bob Henderson for sending a similar answer to George Smith above. Bob sent his reply about two days after George, but he sent it before I had had chance to add George's answer to the web site, above. Bob wrote |
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Horseman "The soldier in this photo was definitely a horseman. He is wearing spurs. He was possibly in the Royal Horse Artillery. I have seen similar uniforms and boots in photos of that outfit." Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh: May 20, 2011 |
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Reply 3. George T Smith Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada |
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Thank you to George T Smith who wrote: |
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Cavalryman? "I am no military historian and I am not fully convinced about the uniform's provenance. A reference to the Army Museum might be fruitful. The possibility of it being Royal Horse Artillery seems unlikely as, to my recollection: - artillerymen wore white lanyards on their left shoulder. - RHA seem to have had brass shoulder titles at WW1 dates. A quick search in Google confirms the lanyard and brass shoulder title." |
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More Questions "It seems a matter of pride that the soldier should also be portrayed holding a riding crop and wearing a leather bandolier. The boots remain a puzzle as I have seen artillerymen wearing boots and puttees as well as those wearing riding boots. I do not know whether all gunners had riding crops or only drivers, as in my day we drove large noisy self-propelled guns (Sexton 25-pounders) and the only horses we had in my regiment were the privately owned horses in the riding club, most of which were owned by a Major Wills of the tobacco family." |
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Today It seems my battery, F 'Sphinx' battery, is now part of the Airborne Artillery and is generally helicopter-borne. Further investigation shows that my old post as forward observer is now done by some sort of microchip in a GPS application. Now, I do feel obsolete!" |
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George T Smith, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada: May 22, 2011 |