TOPIC:

My relation was in the 37th Wiltshire Battery, RFA, I am wondering if this is a photo of him in uniform? I understand that his Regiment was in India or Guernsey before going to South Africa in December 1899. I don't have any other photos of him so am hoping the uniform might help me identify him! Thank you!

Dear Laura.
The photograph is typical of a British soldier of rank such as private, trooper, gunner or driver in the 1890s in India. There are unfortunately no distinguishing insignia or other identifying features on his uniform or helmet. This is typical of the times. Thus he might well be your relative but I see no way to be sure.
Rob

Laura,

If you can supply a name and possibly a number perhaps one of the forum members can confirm that he served in the 37th Battery Royal Field Artillery for you.

There is some information about the 37th Battery on this website in the Imperial Units section. I don’t know if the Battery was based in Wiltshire, but it would be quite separate from the Wiltshire Regiment which was an Infantry Regiment.

After studying photographs of Wiltshire Regiment Officers and men I am quite sure that this is not a Wiltshire Regiment soldier
(His uniform looks slightly different, as do his pugarees and footwear and no Wiltshire Regiment officer or soldier had their helmet chin strap that way).

The photo studio still exists and was started in 1878.

Thank you both so much for your replies. I have previously been given some information from this forum on George Prime 37th Battalion RFA Regimental number 8718, I'm attempting to write his story for my family, but although I am getting on quite well I don't have any photos, I found this one at home so wondered if it might be him, must be another unknown ancestor! I will research the link provided. Thank you again!

Hi Laura,

This may be him.

You need to confirm whether or not the 37th Battery was in India. If yes, then that adds strength to the possibility that the photo is of him, as long as there aren’t any other relatives that were serving in the Army and in India at that time.

I think that if you are only looking at one man and everything fits and you can be certain that it couldn’t be anyone else, then it’s probably him.

As Rob said the khaki uniforms of that period were of a standard pattern with only minor differences depending upon which company supplied it.


I suppose the question is how many other possible relatives could this be?

Thank you so much. As far as I know he was the only relative serving at the time, I have read that the 2nd Battalion of which the 37th was a part were posted in India so it may well be him... I'll keep researching before I can confirm it though. He would have been about 20 years old, the man in the photo looks older but...
Thank you!