A relative sent me this picture , a friend of their's had bought an antique wooden chest and inside the lid was pasted the above photo . The box belonged to a Frenchman (see photo below) and he is standing in front of a studio backdrop to have his picture taken . He seems to be wearing a fatigue uniform and a forage cap which is similar to the short lived 'Broderick' cap worn by the British army prior to WW1 . The uniform is maybe dark blue or khaki ?and has a lanyard over the left shoulder I think ?. I cannot make out the badge on the cap I'm afraid .
This is the plaque on the lid of the box with his name and address {?} anybody have any ideas ?
PS
This is a photo of the keyhole plate of the box , I wonder if it could be a repurposed cap badge (it's about 30mm - 1" size) it looks similar to the badge on the cap . Looks Algerian/Morocan ?
Isn't he wearing a chechia? French colonial military?
ReplyDeleteNeil
I did wonder that ?
DeleteThe cap badge looks a bit like a hunting horn such as found on light infantry insignia. I don't know if that was present in the French tradition though.
ReplyDeleteChechia, was a new one on me, so thanks to Neil.
Sadly I can't make out the badge - to blurred.
DeleteHard to make out, but the cap appears in shape to be similar to the black woolen headgear worn by soldiers in the Balkan regions (not unlike the hats worn by the Bulgarian Legion of the Russo Turkish War, although the cap badge does not jibe with that particular unit). The "Vienne" makes me think he may have been in "Mittel Europe" and a volunteer serving in one of the Balkan conflicts prior to WWI. Just conjecture.
ReplyDeleteVienne is in south eastern France not far from Lyon , am wondering if the uniform could be a civilian service ?
DeleteThe studio backdrop is tropical. I found someone asking a similar question https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/53324/can-anyone-help-identify-this-french-military-uniform
ReplyDeleteHave done a quick search of the internet but can't find anything similar to the photo .
DeleteThe headgear is similar to a variety of Ottoman Turkish cap and the cap badge as well, but this isn't definitive.
ReplyDeleteReference image: https://storage.googleapis.com/hippostcard/p/9c258b286e3ffc79b7e25b1e2265a29b-800.jpg
ReplyDeleteSadly can't get t to download.
DeleteTry https://www.hippostcard.com/listing/turkey-ottoman-soldier-in-uniform-1910s-rppc-postcard/15623398
DeleteGot it now , similar, but I'm leaning towards the French army in Borth Africa I think.
DeleteApart from the colour, the cap looks very similar (shape and badge) to a zouave cap. See: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RELAWM00863
ReplyDeleteYes this a bit of a puzzle.
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