For some time now I have been looking at a faded photo of my late uncle in civilian clothes and with 1918 written on the back of the photo. On his chest he is wearing what looked like a Victoria Cross but of course the recipients of this are so well documented that we knew he had not been awarded a VC. So what is the medal, why no ribbon, and why is he wearing it on his civilian jacket?.
The answer was suggested by my daughter this weekend when I mentioned that he had been a sniper with the Royal Fusiliers (London Rifles) and that towards the end of WW1 he had been gassed and invalided out of the Western Front. My daughter suggested that it might be a regimental badge and as usual she was right! Enlarging the image we can now see he is wearing the cap badge for the Kings Own Rifles and we can only assume that it was common practice to wear your regimental badge on your jacket when in civvies.
Another assumption on our part is that by doing so one could show that you were a serviceman on leave or wounded and thus avoid being accused of being a coward and get a white feather.
If anyone can either confirm this or knows a different reason we'd love to hear about it.
Dagwood
ID:5076
* Avoiding the white feather?
Avoiding the white feather?
No, but now you have told me about it I will do so.
Many thanks
dagwood
Many thanks
dagwood