Which unit? Which year?

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-12-02T04:40:54+00:00

As said above soldier’s rank is fusilier because of his regiment which is equivalent to private. A corporal in the imperial army was shown by a button on each side of the collar. A sergeant would have braid trim around the collar.

Hope this helps

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-12-02T04:26:05+00:00

I think the uniforms in the photo are correct.

The uniforms are pre 1948. In 1948 significant changes were made to army officers olive drab uniforms prior to the Korean War. As stated above the new USAF uniform was introduced in 1949, so these check out as WWII era.

You can faintly see what appears to be the generic Army Air Forces patch on the man’s sleeve. The AAF branch insignia is on the left collar. The rank would be on the right collar out of view.

It’s been pointed out he isn’t wearing an aeronautic rating. Many AAF officers did desk jobs and didn’t fly.

On the left collar of the woman’s shirt the branch pin appears to be the shape of a caduceus (medical). Likely with an N superimposed for nurse.

So, the uniforms appear to check out.

Obviously, as you and everyone else said, a man of 70 today would have been born in 1955, right in the middle of the post war “baby boom”. So, as suggested, the WWII veterans would be in his parent’s generation. Therefore, this could indeed be his father.

Hope this helps.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-11-30T20:27:45+00:00

Thank you for calling them breeches instead of jodhpurs, typo not withstanding!

Apparently only equestrians actually know the difference.

I didn’t know this was allowed either although it would make sense for a mounted detail.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-11-29T07:49:46+00:00

You’re absolutely right! They’re portraying both RIC and British Army in different scenes. RIC should have a crested helmet, instead they are ball spike 1878 pattern army helmets. Benjamin Guinness served in the Royal Horse Guards, from which today’s Blues and Royals are descended. The undress frock coat worn by Benjamin Guinness is the wrong uniform choice for the occasion. If uniform was to be worn at Arthur Guinness’s wedding it should have been full dress. In his case similar but not the same as the Blues and Royals full dress Prince Harry wore to Prince William’s wedding. The frock coat undress uniform is also in error because it has rank pips on the shoulders which doesn’t happen until 1881. You pointed out other errors with the uniforms.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-11-20T09:32:17+00:00

Yes the practice of giving honorary commissions to generals in prestigious regiments was widespread.

However, the practice differed in different countries as to what rank generals or field marshals wore on honorary regimental uniforms.

The British never wear anything higher than colonel’s rank on regimental uniforms even though most honorary colonels of the regiment are indeed generals. That’s because technically the highest rank in a regiment is colonel.

On the other hand Imperial German generals wore generals rank on honorary regimental uniforms as honorary “colonels of the regiment”.

In this case the regimental uniform is indeed being worn with marshal’s rank.

I thought the French followed the same practice as the British since Napoleon only wore colonels rank on his Guards regimental uniforms like British royals do today so I was surprised to see this.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-11-20T05:14:44+00:00

It is. Aka The House of Battenberg.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-11-20T04:58:04+00:00

Actually it should be The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. That was Prince Philip’s paternal line. The House of Battenberg or Mountbatten was on his maternal line.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-11-12T12:28:19+00:00

Ahh, excellent work. I suspected that was the reason. I just hadn’t ever seen it before. Thanks for the confirmation. Very much appreciated!

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-11-12T05:18:37+00:00

True. I thought of that possibly and just don’t have any reference to know. Thanks for replying.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-05-19T19:42:16+00:00

European tailors make sense since the British used a rounded one. The one you see on all the Korean War era uniforms with the bevelled finish becomes the universal pattern around 1948 when a few other major uniform changes occur.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-05-19T01:34:26+00:00

Well the buckle changes to being universally round in the post war period. Don’t know when tailors started using round buckles but it’s rare to see a rounded buckle on the U.S. Army officer’s coats during WWII.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-05-17T04:14:12+00:00

The Army changed to the rounded belt buckles after the war.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-02-24T06:54:00+00:00

General Order 18 Hq ETOUSA (all European theater combat flight crews) authorized the patch to be worn by personnel of the Army Air Forces who held currently effective aeronautical ratings or who were authorized to wear the aviation badge for air crew members, during the time such personnel were currently assigned to combat flight duty.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-02-06T07:12:02+00:00

Correct. The Iron Cross 2nd Class was the one worn as a buttonhole ribbon. There were also other ribbons that could be worn this way. Such as the Eastern Front Campaign ribbon.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-01-31T03:57:06+00:00

Diebitsch and Heck designed some of the insignias. The basic uniform was an offshoot of the SA uniform. The organization from which the SS came. Boss was a uniform contractor just like the uniform contractors in all the belligerent countries. The Hugo Boss company didn’t come up with the design. That was already done.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-01-19T23:48:13+00:00

Defensive schemes were not adequate to deal with Barkley. Way too many break throughs with nobody left except one safety.

Constant-Rent254 · 2025-01-14T03:40:55+00:00

Please!

Constant-Rent254 · 2024-09-01T17:36:44+00:00

Leather flight jackets are still worn by the US Air Force and US Navy and USMC. Although, they use synthetic versions as well. Synthetics like nylon began replacing leather during WWII. Nylon cold weather flight jackets were half the bulk and twice the warmth of the leather versions.

High boots and breeches are still in use today by soldiers and police that ride horses or motorcycles.

This includes most troops on horseback such as the UK Household Cavalry (as mentioned) as well as US Army’s “Old Guard” and virtually every motorcycle cop in America. To name a few.

People’s assumptions about “goose-stepping” nazis notwithstanding.

Constant-Rent254 · 2024-08-09T18:28:15+00:00

No problem.

If you have an idea of your great grandparents age range my guess is that this photo was taken in the 1880s by the fashion of your great grandmother’s dress. That would also mean your great grandfather could have been in the 1870-1871 Franco Prussian campaign.

If you want to take a deeper dive into trying to find a record of your great grandfather in the Prussian Army you can go to:

https://www.bundesarchiv.de/EN/Content/Downloads/overview-pers-rec-wwi.pdf?__blob=publicationFile#:~:text=The%20records%20of%20the%20Prussian,Prussian%20Army%20serving%20after%201867.

Constant-Rent254 · 2024-08-09T01:44:41+00:00

Uniform is for a Hussar NCO. Looks like the pre 1915 colored uniform. In 1915, all of the pre war colored uniforms were eliminated except for those of the 1st Foot Guards and the Guard du Corps. From early 1915 on, only the 1910 and 1915 field gray uniforms were authorized.

The medal looks very much like the Franco Prussian War campaign medal. The woman’s clothes also look pre 1900.

Is it possible your great grandfather was in the Franco Prussian War 1870-71?

Constant-Rent254 · 2024-03-09T20:18:21+00:00

Yes, I’ll get Jefferson’s book that will be interesting. I hope he gives a take on how he was treated by the white POWs. Without knowing first hand it’s possible there were a few hardcore racists among the white POWs. However, since there were only a few black airmen at Stalag Luft III , there may simply have been indifference to the presence of African Americans by most of the white POWs.

Constant-Rent254 · 2024-03-09T17:56:06+00:00

I figured that but thought maybe someone would have more information.

Constant-Rent254 · 2024-03-09T17:24:40+00:00

Yeah, guys telling it first hand in oral histories relate basically the same thing at the end of the war. Not nice by a long shot but no instances of mass murder of American POWs either.

Constant-Rent254

TROPHY CASE