Unconfigured Ad Widget

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Royal Artillery Rank - Photo check!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Royal Artillery Rank - Photo check!

    Could someone tell me what rank his uniform indicates, please? He was Royal Artillery, achieved the rank of Sergeant in 1881, just prior to discharge; looks like he was a corporal from 1874; looks like bombr, gunr ,trumpr major (?), & Trumpr in the years before that


    Thank you!

  • #2
    I'm no expert but I always thought 3 stripes was a sergeant.

    Margaret

    Comment


    • #3
      He is a sergeant-major, denoted by the crown on top of his three stripes, there is also

      A crown on the top stripe, then what appears to be a gun encircled then his rank crown.

      I am not sure about these symbols but possibly mean master gunner or an instructor

      in artillery.
      Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

      David

      Comment


      • #4
        Have done a bit of googling and find that he is a sergeant instructor in gunnery, not

        sergeant major as I posted previously.
        Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

        David

        Comment


        • #5
          David - you're always great at identifying photos - thank you! Actually he was promoted to Sergeant for the first time in March of 1880. and discharged May of '87. That's pretty good for narrowing the photos time frame.

          Thanks! And thank you, also, Margaret

          Comment


          • #6
            Margaret,
            Just a tiny bit of cheating there - I also remembered a forgotten photo of my g/father which displays exactly the same sleeve badges. He was also in the RA

            but didn't join until 1885.:D
            Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

            David

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by grumpy View Post
              Margaret,
              Just a tiny bit of cheating there - I also remembered a forgotten photo of my g/father which displays exactly the same sleeve badges. He was also in the RA

              but didn't join until 1885.:D
              Helping others by whatever means is not cheating!
              My father was a gunner in the Royal Artillery but not until WW2 and he never made it above corporal.
              Margaret

              Comment


              • #8
                :D:D Hanging around a number of military forums for a few years helps too.
                Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

                David

                Comment


                • #9
                  Bless you both - it's not my photo, so I'm going to remove it. I'm pretty sure that it narrows the data range, however.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    .......................and yet, I thought a crown above 3 stripes indicated the rank of Staff Sergeant. Maybe a later and newer rank? A Staff Sergeant was the next rank up, a Sergeant Major wears the big crown on the base of his sleeve or he did in 1956-1958.
                    Last edited by AlanC; 04-02-13, 08:03.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Alan,
                      If you can bear with me I will post my photo on the GWF and see what they say.
                      Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

                      David

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Alan,
                        The resident expert on the GWF says the rank is quote Assistant instructor in gunnery

                        Unquote. No mention of Sgt Major. Googling rank badges of gunners said Sergeant instructor

                        and my g/fathers service docs say Sgt instructor in gunnery.

                        I suspect that artillery badging pre 1900 was probably different to the current usage of

                        rank badges causing us a difference in interpretation.
                        Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

                        David

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I can only recall from my Service days in The Royal Signals and badging pre 1900 could well be different.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Just to tack on the end here, who do I contact to find out more about my grandad's ww1 service history? (field artillery, gunner) I have his discharge cert and know the few medals he got.

                            Many thanks
                            Amanda

                            p.s. my other grandad was in the Hampshire regiment?? - again any help re who to contact would be lovely x
                            Last edited by Guest; 04-02-13, 13:43.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by grumpy View Post
                              No mention of Sgt Major. Googling rank badges of gunners said Sergeant instructor
                              David, would you give the web address for the rank badges? I hope there are photos?

                              Thank you, all

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                Amanda, I've sent you a private message showing your options.

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  PF,
                                  Here is a photo of my g/father taken circa 1900. Will have to do another search for the google url.
                                  Attached Files
                                  Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

                                  David

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    Alan
                                    After a further query I have had an expanded reply which I quote in part - The BQMS was equivalent to the BSM at that time (Both wore the three chevrons surmounted by a crown), but was
                                    always a specialist of one kind or another. It was not until 1915 that all this changed and the BSM became a WOII, but the BQMS did not and of course badges of rank changed accordingly.
                                    With all that in mind I believe that your chronology is correct and that he was a QMS at the lower level in 1900, but also the equivalent, in rank to the BSM. As an AIG it was natural that he was
                                    a specialist and thus a QMS. A QMS at the higher, unit level, wore four chevrons. One can begin to see now why change was necessary.
                                    The single crown over a gun circa 1906 was a Master Gunner until1915, when that badge was too changed.
                                    I hope that is a little clearer now, but it was a highly complex area and changed in 1864, 1881, 1915 and 1918 (and AIG again in the 1970s - to SMIG). Unquote

                                    So, it would appear that in 1900 the badges worn by my g/father was that of a QMS (Quarter master sergeant instructor) which of course correlates to the OP's photo.

                                    When the experts get slightly confused so do the sparrows. :D Cheers
                                    Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

                                    David

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Originally posted by grumpy View Post
                                      PF,
                                      Here is a photo of my g/father taken circa 1900. Will have to do another search for the google url.
                                      Nice photo, grumpy - thank you for sharing

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        Very interesting 'Grumpy' ..........I'm by no means an expert but thank you for trouble to explain.

                                        Comment

                                        Working...
                                        X