Military Chat

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have a picture of my Great Grandad in uniform but I have no idea what his rank is. I have been told he was in the RAF and the Guards (he wore either a busby or a bearskin hat) The photo shows 5 chevrons and possibly a crown.
Any help very gratefully received

If you can give us his name, date and place of birth, we might be able to look for his service records. Bear in mind that over 70% of them were destroyed in WW2 bombing.

The Guards records survived in the main as they were stored elsewhere. If he transferred to and stayed in the RAF after the war, his records will still be with the MOD.

Before we go down that route, its best to see what records are available on line.

There's plenty of mention on the internet of 4 chevrons and a crown, but not 5! E.g.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_Cavalry
Staff Corporal/Squadron Quartermaster Corporal = Staff Sergeant/Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant: Four chevrons, point up, with metal crown above, worn on lower sleeve

Unless you know for sure that he was in the RAF, might that have come about by the use of the word Squadron which only later applied to the Air Force?

Thank you,
Looks like I was getting a bit mixed up. I have one photo of my Granddad (Harold Anscombe b1889) in full military dress, possibly part of a band wearing a bearskin hat.
The other military photo (who I'm not sure of the family connection at the moment) defiantly has 5 chevrons on his left lower arm, braiding on his right shoulder. I can only presume he's military as he also has 4 medals, unfortunately the image is quote old and faded. The bit that is confusing me (and my husband who is currently serving in our armed forces) is the fact the chevrons are upside down compared to modern uniforms - eg the point of the chevron faces up.

The upside down chevron seems to be confusing most 'military expert' threads :-D

Did Harold have a middle initial? There are various records on Ancestry, primarily medal cards for Harold (middle initial) Anscombe as well as simple H Ainsworth.

Were was he living when he enlisted as that might effect the initial regiment he joined.
............

The majority of men who served for the whole of WW1 and saw action were awarded 3 medals -
14 or 15 Star
Victory medal
British medal

The 4th, assuming the mystery photo does date from then, might be an earlier service or campaign medal.

It is not an RAF uniform as I believe (ex WRAF) when taught about RAF history and ranks the chevron was always as today except for techies but never 5 stripes.

Just because he's wearing medals doesn't mean it's a military uniform, he could be in a civilian band but expected to wear medals.

I would try the history of the cavalry regiments it's just something in the back of my mind that is nagging me.

Hope it helps :-)

Edit :- found this look at the letters especially the 1 re good conduct stripes.

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26864

More research done they are good conduct stripes and 5 means 20 -23 years and no higher rank than L/Cpl. Generally used in the Brigade of Guards and King's Troop some Royal Artillery Regiments, still used by some today - knew I'd seen it on a man on a horse :-D

That's great, thanks you, it gives me a better starting point than before. Thank you all.

WW1 records for Guards regiments still survive as they are kept separately by each regiment and are not included in the Service and Pension records available on line. This site gives details of where:

http://www.genguide.co.uk/source/army--soldiers-service-documents-burnt-documents-other-ranks-wwi-military/229/

This looks like the H Anscombe medal roll record that DeTective mentions and it is for a Guards regiment:

Name:H Anscombe
Military Year:1914
Rank:Private
Medal Awarded:1914 Star
Regiment or Corps:Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line
Regimental Number:6436
Sub Unit:2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)

This is the medal card for the same man:


Name:Harry Anscombe
Regiment or Corps:2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays), 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays), C f Dns
Regimental Number:6436, 2DG/6436, D/19811

Date of Entry was 4/10/1914, so quite soon after the start of the war which might mean that he was already in the Army.

The above are on Ancestry; if you don't have access, let me know and I will send you the images.

From this site

http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/2nd%20Dragoon%20Guards%20%28The%20Queen%27s%20Bays%29

it looks as if he enlisted between 1903 and 1906 although it could have been later. Have you found him on the 1911 census?

Potty, you are a star! ?Thank you very very much for that information :-)

5 chevrons were awared for 23 years service.