Army uniform ID
Author
Discussion

john2443

Original Poster:

6,541 posts

240 months

Tuesday 22nd February 2022
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From facebook, people have guessed Worcestershire Regiment as the photo is in Kidderminster Worcs.

Anyone know if it is the Worcestershires and what year it is?

Doesn't look like WW1 to me, signposts are still up so I guess it's not during WW2, is it before? or after?

Thanks smile


Evanivitch

26,337 posts

151 months

Tuesday 22nd February 2022
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By no means an expert on this, but I'll have a crack...

I think they're in Number 2 dress, which would signify a march planned for a significant occasion. I don't think they're in field dress of the time, mainly due to the nature of the trousers and footwear.

There's a whiff of Yeomanry about them (Worcestershire Yeomanry or Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars possibly?).


nikaiyo2

5,951 posts

224 months

Tuesday 22nd February 2022
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I recon Queens Coronation /death of George VI

underwhelmist

2,048 posts

163 months

Tuesday 22nd February 2022
quotequote all
john2443 said:
From facebook, people have guessed Worcestershire Regiment as the photo is in Kidderminster Worcs.

Anyone know if it is the Worcestershires and what year it is?

Doesn't look like WW1 to me, signposts are still up so I guess it's not during WW2, is it before? or after?

Thanks smile

I'm going to have to wander down into town at the weekend and see if I can get a picture from the same point. If and when I do, I think the people in the picture will be rather less smartly dressed.

sherman

15,221 posts

244 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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Are you sure they arent US troops?


Common Porpoise

792 posts

199 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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sherman said:
Are you sure they arent US troops?

That was my first thought when i zoomed in.
There was an American infantry training centre at Norton after the war

http://www.worcestershireregiment.com/wr.php?main=...

Hill92

5,414 posts

219 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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Some of them look like young boys, especially in the middle of the parade. With the lack of rifles, forage caps, high collar uniform and lighter colour shirt for the officer, maybe Air Cadets?

They look very similar to these photos:

https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-edito...

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/19102655.letter--...

psi310398

11,037 posts

232 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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sherman said:
Are you sure they arent US troops?

I’m looking at the original picture on an iPad so not the easiest but aren’t the NCO chevrons that I can see on some of the front ranks pointing the British way (point down) rather than the American?

EDIT - maybe Boys’ Brigade? Although ISTR they usually parade wearing white sashes?

Edited by psi310398 on Wednesday 23 February 06:39

anonymous-user

83 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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I thought they were kids tbh.

Then assumed it was because I’m so old. hehe

Magooagain

13,405 posts

199 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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They do look like youngsters. The hats are not British army I don't think so I'm guessing air cadets,although there seems a fair few off them for a cadet force of any kind.

anonymous-user

83 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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Think it looks like the old Air Defence Cadet Corps which became the air training corps.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Training_Corps?w...

Photo similar to this era uniform of air defence corps in 1944, with same oval squadron badges on shoulder and ranking plus buttons and caps etc



So possibly some time around 1938 to 1944 ish?

More examples here







Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 23 February 07:19

anonymous-user

83 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
Magooagain said:
They do look like youngsters. The hats are not British army I don't think so I'm guessing air cadets,although there seems a fair few off them for a cadet force of any kind.
Apparently it was far more popular back then?

oddman

4,243 posts

281 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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See how the ranks in the middle are a head shorter than those at the front and end of the column.

They've done 'tallest/shortest' before forming ranks. Suspect the oldest are around 16/17 and youngest 13/14 (ie pre or early in growth spurt)

Definitely cadets of some kind

john2443

Original Poster:

6,541 posts

240 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
Thanks all!

The original FB post people were saying things like My grandad joined the Worcestershires in 1914 so it's good to have some more sensible input!

anonymous-user

83 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
john2443 said:
Thanks all!

The original FB post people were saying things like My grandad joined the Worcestershires in 1914 so it's good to have some more sensible input!
Pretty sure it’s the Air Defence Cadet Corps sometime around early 1940s

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

255 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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Here's the same location (it's the Bull Ring, Kidderminster) you can just see the base of the statue in the OP's photo. It looks post-WW2 to me.:


john2443

Original Poster:

6,541 posts

240 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
Riley Blue said:
Here's the same location (it's the Bull Ring, Kidderminster) you can just see the base of the statue in the OP's photo. It looks post-WW2 to me.:

That's apparently 1957 when the Queen visited.

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

255 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
quotequote all
john2443 said:
Riley Blue said:
Here's the same location (it's the Bull Ring, Kidderminster) you can just see the base of the statue in the OP's photo. It looks post-WW2 to me.:

That's apparently 1957 when the Queen visited.
I know, I meant your photo looks post-WW2.

LP12

257 posts

65 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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El stovey said:
Photo similar to this era uniform of air defence corps in 1944, with same oval squadron badges on shoulder and ranking plus buttons and caps etc

So possibly some time around 1938 to 1944 ish?
The Air Defence Cadet Corps had ceased to exist by 1944. It became the Air Training Corps by Royal Warrant in February 1941.

pingu393

10,976 posts

234 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2022
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I suspect they are cadets. They are British. I suspect it is a Capt. or a Lt. in the lead with a Maj. or a Capt. just behind the policeman.

No.1 in the right rank is a Cpl.
No.1 in the left rank is a Sgt.

There are some very young looking "soldiers" in the middle of the squad.

There are no medals on display. If it were a parade for the coronation of Elizabeth II, I would have expected to see bunting in the street and medals on both the "soldiers" and the policeman. If it were for the death of George VI, I would have expected to see black armbands.

The dress and headgear of the civilians in the hotel entrance and along the wall look to be from the 40s or 50s.

The white paint on the street furniture would have been put there during WW2.

The weather looks more winter than summer.


Despite the lack of medals, but given the presence of the policeman, I suspect it is one of the local cadet forces marching to a Remembrance Day Parade circa 1949 (+/- 3 years). Not 1945, as that would have had more civilians on the street.

Edited by pingu393 on Wednesday 23 February 18:42


Edited by pingu393 on Wednesday 23 February 18:46