Which War was this ?

[Guest skeets]

tsavo l got as far as attachment ready several time when l post no picture arrives

[SteveHB]

Here you go skeets, I changed the image format from 'bmp' (Bitmap) to JPEG

A nice photo by the way!

[jmdee]

Here you go skeets, I changed the image format from 'bmp' (Bitmap) to JPEG

A nice photo by the way!

Has to be second world war

[SteveHB]

That cap badge (mailed fist in a plain circular frame, with a crown at the top)

is the 'RAC' Royal Armoured Corps

[johnm]

Both the cap badge and medal ribbon look quite distinctive and should be able to be identified. At first glance the medal ribbon seems to be a gallantry one but I may be wrong. Have you checked these out? There are a number of websites with that sort of info on. Certainly 2nd World War.

John

[Guest skeets]

Thanks Steve HB IS it poss; to find his birth year, none of the family also don't know who he is Cheers skeets

[SteveHB]

Thanks Steve HB IS it poss; to find his birth year, none of the family also don't know who he is Cheers skeets

Thomas FEARNEHOUGH. Born in 1897. Thomas died in 1972, he was 75 ... ?

I have sent you a PM skeets.

[Beery]

The picture is almost certainly from WW2. The man is wearing the early P37 pattern battledress blouse, so the picture was probably taken between 1939 and 1942. Before 1939 the old style WW1 Service Dress Tunic was worn, and some soldiers were still wearing it at Dunkirk in 1940, so that may narrow the time frame down, making it a bit more likely that the photo was taken in 1941 or early '42. In 1942 the P40 austerity pattern was introduced - this had visible buttons on pockets and sleeves, so it's easy to tell the difference.

As others have pointed out, the cap badge is from the Royal Armoured Corps. The Royal Armoured Corps was created in April 1939.

The medal ribbon looks to be the Africa Star, which was awarded to the Armed Forces for entry into an operational area in North Africa, Abyssinia, Somaliland, Eritrea, and Malta, between 10 June 1940 and 12 may 1943, but if he was in the 8th Army the photo could not have been taken after October 1942, as the ribbon would have had a bronze '8' clasp attached. Possibly this man was stationed in Malta or North Africa in 1941 or early 1942. Here's an illustration of the medal ribbon:

The light blue band on the right hand side of the ribbon doesn't show up against the sand coloured background, which is why there seems to be no band on the right in the photo. Also, old black and white photos tend to show blue as lighter than it is and red as being very dark - almost black, as it appears in the photo.

Hope this helps.

[dunsbyowl1867]

The picture is almost certainly from WW2. The man is wearing the early P37 pattern battledress blouse, so the picture was probably taken between 1939 and 1942. Before 1939 the old style WW1 Service Dress Tunic was worn, and some soldiers were still wearing it at Dunkirk in 1940, so that may narrow the time frame down, making it a bit more likely that the photo was taken in 1941 or early '42. In 1942 the P40 austerity pattern was introduced - this had visible buttons on pockets and sleeves, so it's easy to tell the difference.

As others have pointed out, the cap badge is from the Royal Armoured Corps. The Royal Armoured Corps was created in April 1939.

The medal ribbon looks to be the Africa Star, which was awarded to the Armed Forces for entry into an operational area in North Africa, Abyssinia, Somaliland, Eritrea, and Malta, between 10 June 1940 and 12 may 1943, but if he was in the 8th Army the photo could not have been taken after October 1942, as the ribbon would have had a bronze '8' clasp attached. Possibly this man was stationed in Malta or North Africa in 1941 or early 1942. Here's an illustration of the medal ribbon:

The light blue band on the right hand side of the ribbon doesn't show up against the sand coloured background, which is why there seems to be no band on the right in the photo. Also, old black and white photos tend to show blue as lighter than it is and red as being very dark - almost black, as it appears in the photo.

Hope this helps.

Great stuff Beery - you've just be appointed the sites uniform & medal expert! lol

[Beery]

Great stuff Beery - you've just be appointed the sites uniform & medal expert!

Hehe, thanks. My real specialty is WW1, but I can do WW2 in a pinch.