INTERESTING PHOTO WW1

[browningautorifle]

I suspect the tartan is a dark on dark one

I tend to think so...

[Vincent]

The picture is of a full SOS squad, 12 men, so 1916 at the earliest.

The first schools were in France and Belgium. Each army of the British Expeditionary Force had its own Scouting, Observation and Sniping school.

There’s a very clear message in the location of those telescope containers.

[Surpmil]

With all due respect, I don't think it is that formal a photo as the chap who is front and center is wearing fingerless gloves, and the chap in the third row left is wearing gloves as well. The state of the boots also doesn't suggest any time for spit and polish. The rifle is a MkIII*, so that should help to date the photo somewhat. The sergeant's stripes look farther up his arms than is sometimes seen, a uniform peculiarity that might tell something? Old stone sometimes does scab off, but to me that looks like blast damage, particularly the deep one on the front face of the wall.

Hesketh Prichard refered, without naming names of course, to the PPCo. as a telescope that should never have been accepted for service. The windage capstans were a particular issue: shooting loose and requiring a tiny pin to insert into the equally tiny holes on the capstans to tighten them again, a process which inevitably moved the reticule left or right, requiring re-zeroing. Though compared to the other tribulations of service in that war...

[Paul S.]

From the chips and scars in the masonry it's probably taken in France or Belgium. The censor looks to have painted out their cap badges.

My grandfather did a stint as a censor whilst recovering from wounds the second time he was wounded. My sister has, and is selfishly hoarding boxes of the photos he set aside for his personal collection. All of them have his initials and censor stamp stating that they may be released for publication. Not one of them has cap badges or formation insignia blacked out or covered.

Looking at the picture in question, one can just see the shape of a metal tab on the epaulets of some of the troops. It appears as a small rectangle. I believe it may be a 'CANADA'. I recently read that some Canadian 'Scottish' battalions wore Khaki Balmoral bonnets. Hazarding a guess based upon that, I wonder if they are Canadians, circa 1916.

[browningautorifle]

some Canadian 'Scottish' battalions wore Khaki Balmoral bonnets

My last unit, a reserve unit now, still wears a Khaki Balmoral...they were the 16th CEF for the first war. You guys understand the hatbadge is over the left ear on this headress? You can't see them from here anyway, they aren't blacked out or deleted. You can't see them.

[Gil Boyd]

With all due respect, I don't think it is that formal a photo as the chap who is front and center is wearing fingerless gloves, and the chap in the third row left is wearing gloves as well. The state of the boots also doesn't suggest any time for spit and polish. The rifle is a MkIII*, so that should help to date the photo somewhat. The sergeant's stripes look farther up his arms than is sometimes seen, a uniform peculiarity that might tell something? Old stone sometimes does scab off, but to me that looks like blast damage, particularly the deep one on the front face of the wall.

Hesketh Prichard refered, without naming names of course, to the PPCo. as a telescope that should never have been accepted for service. The windage capstans were a particular issue: shooting loose and requiring a tiny pin to insert into the equally tiny holes on the capstans to tighten them again, a process which inevitably moved the reticule left or right, requiring re-zeroing. Though compared to the other tribulations of service in that war...

My formal comment really referred to the way the lads had clearly set themselves out on the steps and seating with the Sergeant in the middle or course instructor...........exactly what we tended to do 100 years later, not to their dress as they look like they have just got in from the ranges on a cold wet day

[Vincent]

I am not sure it’s a school picture. Look at their hands. You just don’t put your hands on another man’s shoulders if you don’t know him well, especially a superior. I think there’s quite a bit of familiarity/comradery between some of them. More than I would expect to see between students and an instructor. I would say it’s more likely to be an SOS squad that’s seen action and the Sargent is well liked by the men. Just a guess. I could be wrong.

[Merle]

The picture is of a full SOS squad, 12 men, so 1916 at the earliest.

The first schools were in France and Belgium. Each army of the British Expeditionary Force had its own Scouting, Observation and Sniping school.

There’s a very clear message in the location of those telescope containers.

Perhaps you could share that message?

[browningautorifle]

Look at their hands.

That sort of thing is arranged by the Photog, not the men. The Photog will tell you feet right over left, hands like this...that man over there move in...

[Vincent]

Perhaps you could share that message?

I was thinking they didn’t much care for them. Who knows. Maybe the photographer told them to throw them in the dirt.

It has been a few decades since I read Hesketh-Prichard’s sniping book. IIRC, there was whinging about some of the telescopes.