Help Please!

[legal_eagle]

Can you settle a debate on our site please (UK) http://www.arse.co.uk

Is this guy one of yours? And if so, what Regiment is he from and what are the decorations he's wearing?? We think we can make out a QGJM and maybe a QSJM.....?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5d/Cut_away.JPG

 

[mckee19]

not 100% sure i couldnt find anything on the site that gave clues, but the stripe on the pants and the red coat kind of make me think he is an RCMP officer

 

[pbi]

My guess is that he is a Supt in the RCMP. I am suggesting this based on the rank he is wearing on his collar (crown and one pip), and the shoulderboards which closely resemble RCMP Commissioned Officer shoulder boards. I doubt he is Canadian Army (even though we do have some regiments wearing the cavalry stripe and similar messkit jackets), because:

-we don't normally wear our rank on our collars in messkit; and

-Cdn Army messkit normally carries regimental or branch identifying insignia known as "collar dogs", worn where this guy is wearing his rank.

Cheers

 

[Michael OLeary]

Is he from the Legion of Frontiersmen?

I don't think he's RCMP.

http://www.cpc.gc.ca/pexec/edp_grad_e.htm

 

[Haggis]

The yellow stripe on the trousers of the "officer" are indicative of the RCMP.  There are more people in the background similarly dressed, although the sergeant appears to have CF Mess Dress rank badges on his jacket.

Hmmmmm.

 

[pbi]

Mike: you're right on him not being RCMP. Their mess kit is quite different. Here is a picture (circa 1967):http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyuniforms/canadiancavalry/rcmp1967.htm

Cheers

 

[pbi]

If you go to this site, there is a photo on the right that shows LoF mess dress: I don't think thte guy in question is LoF either.

http://www.legion-of-frontiersmen.net/

(BTW this seems to be a rather strange organization...)

Cheers

 

[niner domestic]

That particular uniform is somewhat like the historical dress of 1895: http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyuniforms/canadiancavalry/rcmp1895.htm


There is a group out of Calgary that work towards preserving the NWMP history...
"K" Troop.  You might want to ask them.  http://members.shaw.ca/ktroop/home.htm

 

[gaspasser]

Going out on a limb here, what about a Major in the Artillery, possible British from the Pip and the Crown??  I do believe the Artillery wear a yellow stripe on their pants {indicative of cowardice during the Boer (?) War when they ran from their guns before a replenishment from Supply/Transport. That's also the reason why Service Battalions are allowed guns in front of their Headquarters.  Or so I've been told.}

 

[Edward Campbell]

That particular uniform is somewhat like the historical dress of 1895: http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyuniforms/canadiancavalry/rcmp1895.htm


There is a group out of Calgary that work towards preserving the NWMP history...
"K" Troop.  You might want to ask them.  http://members.shaw.ca/ktroop/home.htm

BYT Driver: he's a LCol - Maj = crown, LCol = crown + pip, Col = crown + 2 X pips, Brig (not BGen) = crown + 3 X pips

A few oddities.

He's pretty clearly cavalry/mounted, but:

1. It's been a very, very long time since officers wore their ranks on their collars.  For as long as I can remember rank badges were worn on the epaulettes/shoulder cords and regimental badges were worn on the collar – maybe, sometime between the days when all general staff officers wore gorget patches and the days (starting sometime after WWI) when only colonels and above wore them, general staff officers wore their rank that way;

2. The cuff braid is either very old style or belongs to a general officer;

3. Ditto the decoration on the vest;

4. That might be a CD at he end of his rack of medals (my eyes are very good any more) but he higher medals look foreign.

Is he a reenactor, I wonder?

All that being said, he looks very vaguely familiar ... Old Sweat: do you recognize him?

 

[Journeyman]

The two officers in the pic (the 2nd one just off the shoulder of the subject) seem dressed alike, and the four NCMs seem dressed alike  but to different Offr/NCM standards. (ie - NCMs have no shoulder boards, button-down tunic [although you can only see this on the guy playing rock/paper/scissors with himself]). So it does look like an organization with some sort of standard (ie - not Frontiersmen).

The Sgt rank looks like it has a crown rather than a maple leaf (not CF?)

I think I can make out an Order of St John, 125th Anniv, and UNFICYP on the LCol, in addition to the "Jubes" mentioned. (Maybe former CF, or an Honourary??)

On the wall, there are two lances (along with the wide yellow pants stripe, definitely a Cav-type org; Res Armd? Somewhere out west)

Other than that, I've got nothing

www. legion-of-frontiersmen
(BTW this seems to be a rather strange organization...)

Ya think?   

 

[CdnArtyWife]

BYT: Arty do not wear a yellow stripe on their pant it is red. I'm looking at hubby's Mess dress as I type this. Although, I can't speak for what they wore in the past.

The tunic is also all wrong for current Arty Mess dress.

http://photos-768.ak.facebook.com/ip002/v71/64/18/553885294/n553885294_118768_6724.jpg

 

[gaspasser]

Rebuttal:  Like I said, I was going out on a limb.  I'm not up on British ranks but it did look familiar to me.  The yellow stripe is also indicative of Calvary, which could lead you to thing RCMP.  I was only trying to make an alternative suggestion as to his identity.
Regards, BYTD 


CdnArtyWife:  Obviously from the photo of you and hubby, the guy in the picture is not Artillery.  And, I stand down.

What was the original wikipedia article on that started all this hulbaloo?

 

[Roy Harding]

If you go to this site, there is a photo on the right that shows LoF mess dress: I don't think thte guy in question is LoF either.

http://www.legion-of-frontiersmen.net/

(BTW this seems to be a rather strange organization...)

Cheers

Rather strange ..... , to say the least.

 

[niner domestic]

The two chaps standing with their back to the cam look like they are wearing the red blazer that the RCMP vets wear in lieu of a mess dress.  Give me a few and I'll drag out my mum's photo albums and see if I can find a pic her division's formal functions.  I remember seeing that kit a few times, just can't remember when and where.

Legal-eagle, the AARSE site seems to be down right now, can you give some background as to why this pic is causing a debate?

 

[Journeyman]

Legal-eagle, the AARSE site seems to be down right now, can you give some background as to why this pic is causing a debate?

The original source/website of the pic (and properties) may also give some clues, if available.

 

[CdnArtyWife]

Okay, my turn for a stab in the dark from left field...

Could he be Aussie? The Crown and pip is similar to their LTCOL rank insignia.

Unfortunately I really know nothing outside of the CF combat arms...and even that is limited. Sso I stress it is a stab in the dark...perhaps someone with more knowlege could confirm or deny my uneducated guess. :-\

 

[Old Sweat]

Edward,

Re your question, he is just vaguely familiar, but we both have seen lots of Mark I senior officers at mess functions. Sometimes we were even sober.

I am not sure he is Canadian, but that is based on the medals as I don't recognize any of the ones to the right of the UNIFCYP gong or the order hanging around his neck. That, of course, could be because of my tired old eyes. I also am not sure about the badge of rank of the NCO in the right rear of the photo.

The mess kit is not fancy enough for the LOF.

 

[niner domestic]

Here's the rank insignia: http://www.rcmpmuseum.com/museum/Insignia
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/uniform/badges_insignia_b_e.htm


and a list of their kit replacements...http://members.shaw.ca/rcmpvets.calgary.policy/kit_replacement.htm

 

[Danjanou]

Ok my eyes aren’t much better than Edwards but I’d say the last medal in the list is not a CD, which would be odd. Anyone who can digitally enhance the picture to make some of the middle ones better? Perhaps his CD is hidden in there?

I also agree that it’s a crown on top of the chevrons not a maple leaf, however that in itself would not discount it being Canadian as I’ve seen crowns used on some forms of Patrols, Number 1’s etc in Reserve Units

He could be an Australian or a New Zealander, or even a South African? Definitely not LOF , not enough medals.


For those eagle eyes here’s links to those countries medals if you want t o try and match them up.

Australian Decorations
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-medals/1975-.htm

New Zealand Decorations
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-medals/new_zealand.htm

South African Decorations
http://www.geocities.com/militaf/mil.htm