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Re: Identity of Uniform

Posted: 09 Aug 2020, 12:06
by AdrianBruce
Interesting about Horace - though just because someone's numbers are adjacent, doesn't mean that they were standing next in line at recruitment, just that their papers were next to one another when the clerk was assigning the numbers later on. Still, it is tempting to imagine that they knew one another.

It's my view that the only way to be certain is to get hold of the Absent Voters List for the Swindon constituency in the correct years and check the number and unit details there - I hope that he applied for his vote. I suspect that this isn't online, so asking the Wiltshire archives if they have one, or know of one, is the best way forward. Note that you need the Absent Voters List not the ordinary Electoral Register - unless, of course, they've been bound together to confuse everyone.

The other possible way forward is to see if the studio is mentioned on that photo - worst case is that nothing is mentioned about a studio, or it's a UK one. Best case is that the studio is in India or Mesopotamia.

Personally, I wouldn't be at all surprised if that was a photo taken in India - tropical uniform and all that. While the Army also wore tropical gear in Mesopotamia, I'm sure that Basra etc didn't have a lot of photographers studios - India would, to cater for the British.

Re: Identity of Uniform

Posted: 10 Aug 2020, 20:45
by Emmsy81
This is everything that is on the photo!

Re: Identity of Uniform

Posted: 10 Aug 2020, 23:18
by AdrianBruce
Oh golly gosh. Another bright idea sunk.

I reckon that only leaves trying to find the Absent Voters List for Swindon - and I think, given that it's not on FindMyPast then it's contact the Wiltshire Archives to ask them about it, since they do at least, judging by their catalogue, have the ordinary electoral registers. ( http://wshc.eu/ for their front page and https://calmview.wiltshire.gov.uk/CalmView/ for their catalogue)

Re: Identity of Uniform

Posted: 14 Aug 2020, 12:36
by Emmsy81
I emailed the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre and this was their reply:

Dear Emma,
Thank you very much for your email. Unfortunately no absent voters registers for Wiltshire survive for 1918-1920, though we do have the main electoral registers for this period which we could search if you wish, though there would be a fee for this service. Many soldiers’ service records are available on Ancestry.co.uk or Findmypast.co.uk – I’m sure you’ve tried these but if not they may be worth a look. Unfortunately many WW1 soldiers’ records were destroyed in a fire during the Second World War, but the surviving ones can still be quite useful. Some documents are held at the national archives and can be accessed via their Digital Microfilm Project (https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hel ... microfilm/) – you will need to scroll down the page to find the ‘WO’ (War Office) files.

Kind regards,
Tom
Tom Plant
Community History Advisor
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre

Re: Identity of Uniform

Posted: 15 Aug 2020, 11:33
by AdrianBruce
Emmsy81 wrote: 14 Aug 2020, 12:36... Unfortunately no absent voters registers for Wiltshire survive for 1918-1920, ...
Oh double bother. Though I'm not surprised as their survival rate seems odd.

So far as I recollect from the above correspondence then, there's nothing to say which out of those 2 guys is yours. He's probably the one who went to India because the photo seems much more likely to have been taken in a studio in India, rather than one in Mesopotamia, but that's possibly misleading - as I said, it might have been taken in the UK on his return. So maybe we'll never know... But you do at least have the photo.

Re: Identity of Uniform

Posted: 15 Aug 2020, 16:17
by VALLMO9
Not that it would probably help, but The Genealogist website has the 1915 Voter's List for Swindon.

Also, it looks like Horace Bayliss was a postal worker in Swindon, according to Ancestry records. I think there are a few Swindon postal worker records for an Albert E Morse, as well. But I'm sure it's probably just another coincidence.

Re: Identity of Uniform

Posted: 15 Aug 2020, 21:12
by Emmsy81
AdrianBruce wrote: 15 Aug 2020, 11:33
Emmsy81 wrote: 14 Aug 2020, 12:36... Unfortunately no absent voters registers for Wiltshire survive for 1918-1920, ...
Oh double bother. Though I'm not surprised as their survival rate seems odd.

So far as I recollect from the above correspondence then, there's nothing to say which out of those 2 guys is yours. He's probably the one who went to India because the photo seems much more likely to have been taken in a studio in India, rather than one in Mesopotamia, but that's possibly misleading - as I said, it might have been taken in the UK on his return. So maybe we'll never know... But you do at least have the photo.
So Near yet so far! I will have to be grateful we got this far, Thank you so much for all your help, It’s so much appreciated x

Re: Identity of Uniform

Posted: 15 Aug 2020, 21:13
by Emmsy81
VALLMO9 wrote: 15 Aug 2020, 16:17 Not that it would probably help, but The Genealogist website has the 1915 Voter's List for Swindon.

Also, it looks like Horace Bayliss was a postal worker in Swindon, according to Ancestry records. I think there are a few Swindon postal worker records for an Albert E Morse, as well. But I'm sure it's probably just another coincidence.
He was a Messenger Boy, and looks to have worked in the Postal area, I may try and dig a little more into this.
Thank you so much for your guidance also x