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Identifying a uniform
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Message 1.Â
Posted by Enfrance (U14661135) on Thursday, 25th November 2010
My Uncle, William G Little was born in Shoreditch, London in 1886. He was always dressed immaculately and after WWI he became an undertaker but was also a skilled motor fitter.
Sadly we have mislaid a photograph of him in uniform. It showed him wearing a jacket and trousers with what looked like high leather boots but were perhaps buttees 'is that the right name?' But most striking was his Boy Scout type hat.
It was exactly like my BS hat and he showed me how to keep the brim straight even in damp weather - just the job for wet Devon camps in the 50's. He was old enough for WWI although he never spoke of it to me. Sadly I have no idea where he served.
I have tried to find images of this uniform without success. Has anyone an idea where I could research this further, please? -
Message 2
Posted by bandick (U14360315) on Thursday, 25th November 2010
Hi Enfrance…
You may try rooting around this site….www.warmuseum.ca
The hat worn by Baden Powel is known as ‘the American Stetson champagne hat’ and was adopted by him when he organised the South African Constabulary... the national police force.
There is also a mention of the special long boot you mention, which is apparently still particular to the RCMP…
Ps. I still got my old scout hat…
kind regards bandick -
Message 3
Posted by LairigGhru (U14051689) on Thursday, 25th November 2010
Enfrance,
That word you struggled with and nearly got right, "puttees".
It was a strip of cloth wound from the ankle to the knee and was in common use by British troops in World War I. Pretty effective wear too, by all accounts. Must have prevented insect bites for a start. -
Message 4
Posted by Pete- Weatherman (U14670985) on Thursday, 25th November 2010
I found this site, take a look, was it like this, If so could your rele be from or attachet to a US or Canadian Reg?.
www.freepages.military.ancestry.com/~worldwarone/ww1/uniforms/index.html
(The ~ after the .com is the one above the Hash next to enter)
Though this is showing a US uniform I'm certen I'v seen UK or Canadian ones as well. -
Message 5
Posted by bandick (U14360315) on Thursday, 25th November 2010
Hi Enfrance…
Well this is damned embarrassing… I can’t find the references again that I thought would be of interest to you…
It’s the right place… I just can’t find the relevant info again on the site.
I went down the route of…
Campaign hat
Boy scouts
Baden Powel
South African constabulary
The strathcona boot
Try that… I’m pretty sure it’ll get you somewhere near there in the end… at the moment I just feel I’m chasing my tail.
I cant find any English/British units sporting the BP style hat... New Zealanders, and Canadians yes... may he, your GGF... have been attached to one of their units? -
Message 6
Posted by Pete- Weatherman (U14670985) on Thursday, 25th November 2010
Have had a good look around and have only found the Dough boy uniform. that matches your discription.
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Message 7
Posted by Pete- Weatherman (U14670985) on Thursday, 25th November 2010
You'll get fed up with me.
Other units that used the Campaign hat (or Steson or Lemon squeezer) The Mountys, New Zealand army and the South African Police (around the turn of the century introduced by Badon Powell)
I do not know if the rest of the uniform matched -
Message 8
Posted by bandick (U14360315) on Friday, 26th November 2010
Enfrance… you might find interesting too…
lots of photo’s etc.
Regards bandick -
Message 9
Posted by Enfrance (U14661135) on Friday, 26th November 2010
My word guys, thanks for all your efforts - and I'l not get fed up with you Pete
I wonder if you know the 'feeling' that you always thought that there was a connection of this sort but at the time missed the chance - probably too young - to ask the vital questions.
The feeling is that I always thought I recognised the similarity to the Mounties but of course that was the only uniform of that type I ever saw as a kid. So I dismissed that idea and I still have doubts about it. My concern was what your advice has shown, that there were other units wearing very similar gear.
Obviously this doesn't answer how it could be that Uncle Will ended up in such a unit. As an East End boy it may be that it was a way of 'seeing the world' or perhaps getting away from London. In fact he didn't marry my Aunt Nell until 1956 when he was 70 although they lived together for some time before that with an older sister. So perhaps he came back to the smoke having 'done it all' and settle down.
Anyway, many thanks for your thoughts and guidance. I'll enjoy following your clues. -
Message 10
Posted by bandick (U14360315) on Friday, 26th November 2010
enfrance...
I’d be interested to know how your research goes… but auntie Nell sounds
a brazen hussy… living in sin at her age…
kind regards bandick… -
Message 11
Posted by Enfrance (U14661135) on Saturday, 27th November 2010
bandick,
Indeed, looking back I guess she must have been. But always a darling, smoked like a chimney, played saxaphone - the family ran a small band - and could polish off the Telegraph crossword in the bat of an eye!
I'm very proud of my maternal family 'cos they lived life to the full and were always up to larks, as we used to day.
I'll follow up all your suggestions and let you know how I get on.
enfrance -
Message 12
Posted by snezzyannamaywong (U13816190) on Saturday, 27th November 2010
Hello Bandick, I am going to join this one as well, as it is also my Aunty Nell
that your are refering too! - only joking - Snezzy -
Message 13
Posted by bandick (U14360315) on Saturday, 27th November 2010
I’m genuinely fascinated by the uniform question, and I would like to know how it pans out… there’s a few points I need to investigate within my own family along similar lines… hence the interest…
As for Auntie Nell… I had one of those as well.
And a complete contrast to yours… she was the most miserable specimen imaginable… and along with her even older sister… both old enough to be my father’s mother… enjoyed making my life unbearable… the older one came to live with us… I’d never seen her… I came home from school one day, to find her ensconced on her throne… dictating to my father, a single dad, much loved and adored by me… how he should raise me.
What got my goat was that neither of them had children of their own… that was too disgusting, and thought my mother a ‘loose woman’ as there were four of us kids… just who the hell was she to ruin the relationship I had with my father… and so I have an inherent distrust and hatred of auntie Nellie’s…
My god she was so twisted, she’d be arrested for child abuse nowadays. And a classic Victorian… tablecloths had to reach the floor so as not to reveal the table legs… before meals, baths had to be had and hands scrubbed until blood poured… and then one had to get dressed, just to sit at the table for a slice of Battenberg cake and a cucumber sandwich… my sisters were considerably older than me, and had all left home, so they didn’t see what went on, but it left her with a free hand to inflict whatever evil theories she saw fit… I told my father about it… and got a thrashing for being disrespectful… then, children should be seen but not heard. I told him many years ago… I’d dance on her grave for what she did to me… and my regret… I can hardly walk now… my temperature begins to rise even thinking about her.
However, it’s nice to know yours was a grand old lady… restores my faith in auntie Nellie’s a bit.
Kindest regards bandick…
sorry to bang on a bit… I feel the need to lay down for a while now, lower the blood pressure etc. -
Message 14
Posted by Enfrance (U14661135) on Saturday, 27th November 2010
bandick,
Sorry to hear you had such a rotten time with your Aunts.
Snezzy and I - my cousin - shared our Aunts (and Uncles) at various times due to the war and its consequences. Families evacuated all over the place so other cousins did not have such a good time as us. Your point about spinsters bringing up children rings some bells.
Sadly, I suppose they only had their personal preconceptions to judge how to deal with these unruly kids. However, our eldest Aunt Emily got married at 60 and lived to 102 so she knew something about longevity.
I will let you know how I get on with Uncle Will's history.
Trust your blood pressure has subsided now. -
Message 15
Posted by Pete- Weatherman (U14670985) on Saturday, 27th November 2010
Me again
If you ever find that photo, take a good look at any cap badge, coller studs or buttons, all will have some tell tail insignea on them, and I know lots of sights to find out what they mean.
Your aunt sound like a right go'er
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