Jack Ward, left, with unknown soldier ( photo 1)

         Unknown Soldier (photo 2)

We are grateful to Stephen Acaster who has written to us with the following information.

Hello, 

You may recall us speaking when you were in the early stages of arranging the local First World War commemorative display. I'm a locally based military historian with wide ranging interests within the subject.

Consequently, I was pleased to see some military photographs reproduced in the current edition of The Independent. I say immediately, that I have no social link with the individuals in the photos but nonetheless, always up for a challenge, I've spent quite some time analysing the two photos and the following may be of interest to yourself or the donor.

Dealing with the bottom picture firstly,it undoubtedly depicts a young soldier if the Notts and Derbys (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment which would have been the main infantry unit recruiting in this area in WW1 as Totley was then part of The County of Derbyshire as I'm sure you're aware. The young mans dress of khaki serge cap, tunic and greatcoat is entirely typical of the service uniform of that era.

The top studio shot is, may I say rather more interesting and something of a 'puzzler'! The young soldier in that photograph wears the dress of a mounted duty man of British or Allied Forces 1914-18. The leather bullet cross belt (bandolier) is the most striking feature and leads the initiated viewer to his leg-wear which immediately 'states' that the man rode horses as part of his military job.

Firstly the method of winding the cloth puttees (leg bindings) was peculiar to mounted soldiers, being wound from knee to foot rather than the infantry and other dismounted personnel who applied their leg bindings in the reverse way - foot to knee. I believe that the mounted men achieved a neater- more streamlined, almost 'riding boot' profile which facilitated better control of a horse. Secondly the soldier in the photo wears spurs - clearly an indicator of being a horseman.

After further research Stephen was able to confirm that the soldier is wearing Canadian uniform:

The cap badge had the shape of several similar, possible, badges but that of the Royal Engineers stuck in my mind, I guess as I'm well familiar with it having personally worn it for some years in my own youth!

It was the collar badges ('dogs') which challenged me as British RE badges have always been 'flaming bombs' and those in the photo clearly are not - taking a more 'cruciform' if not 'fleur de lys' type shape which simply didn't fit the 'RE theory'. It did, however, occur to me that the badges might just be Canadian maple leaves although the apparently 'heavy reflection' troubled me, as Canadian badges were often dark brown/bronze finish and essentially, non- reflective - unlike the brass 'gems' necessarily, if not proudly, burnished by the British Soldier!

The arm badge, which may just be discerned on the soldiers left upper sleeve, is also unusual as is what appears to be a solid metal shoulder tile (probably the word 'CANADA') visible at the lower edge of the left shoulder strap. Neither of these features were common on uniforms of that era - either arm badges of that design, per se, or and you may well have noticed that metal 'Shoulder Titles' commonly worn on shoulder straps were perforated (technically, 'pierced') lettering and not commonly in a solid block.

Anyway, enough of the technical bluster; what I'm now pretty sure that we have here is a soldier of the Canadian Engineers (the letters on the arm badge are probably 'CE'); the collar badges are almost certainly, 'maple leaves' which somehow, the light has caught upon during photography and the spurs etc simply confirm that as the engineers of both, indeed all Countries were largely horse transport - dependent, his personal dress is entirely consistent with the theory.

Even the potentially, big, sticking point of why a 'Totley Man' is in the uniform of a Colonial unit isn't the problem it seems, as his presence and appearance could (firstly), easily be the product of migration, one way or the other - Canadian Troops were present in UK in large numbers as were those of the other Dependencies. 

Moreover and I freely confess that this WAS news to myself and for me, the really interesting bit, although I still find it somewhat surprising, ; I'm told that the Canadian Government was permitted to recruit British men into its Armed Forces as opposed to our own Services - for which better pay / conditions awaited those so attracted! I must research that more myself!

Two more of Roy Ward's photographs of unknown WW1 soldiers appeared in Totley Independent for April/May 2015. Stephen Acaster saw them and wrote to us again. His letter is reproduced below.

I happened to be in The Library yesterday and looked at a back (April/May 2015) issue of Totley Independent. Ive been rather busy this last few months and don't believe that I collected a copy...or if I did...passed it on before opening it!

Firstly, thank you for printing my response to an earlier plea for help on what appear to be a series of photos of WW1 personalities about whom, it seems, little is known.

In the same issue, there are a couple more photos which again, whilst the individuals are in no way connected to myself, are interesting and the following observations, offered, may assist somebody to piece together, a factual jig-saw.

Two more of Roy Ward's photographs of appeared in the Totley Independent for October/November 2015 with a reminder that these were friends or acquaintances of his parents, Jack and Nora Ward, but Roy hasn't been able to identify them.

We wonder whether anyone might recognize an ancestor among the faces here or know when and where the photographs were taken. 

        Royal Hippodrome's "Victory Pic-nic" July 11th 1920

The first photo is annotated Royal Hippodrome's "Victory Pic-nic" July 11th 1920. There were many theatres around the country with the name of the Royal Hippodrome, of course. Above the door are the words Upper Circle Only. The poster on the wall behind bears the names Lorna & Toots Pounds, Peter Cawthorne (or Gawthorne) and Fred Duprez. The rest of the poster is too faded to read.

Fred Duprez was a well known American character actor and comedian. He was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1884 and had a long struggle before becoming famous turning his hand to any trade including railway ticket collector and van driver. He made several tours of England returning home for engagements there and also to keep an eye on his large poultry farm in New Jersey. Fred would have been aged 35 at the time this photo was taken. There are hundreds of newspaper entries of variety shows and plays from around 1913 onwards in which he appeared including a show at the Sheffield Hippodrome on Cambridge Street in April 1920. In several of these shows he appeared with Lorna and Toots Pounds, Australian singers and mimics. He later went on to produce his own shows and act in many films, mainly British. He died whilst on board ship bound for England in 1938.

The second photo is of a group of five men, two of whom are dressed in military uniform.