Trooper Rowland Smith 30th Reinforcements

[Bill Woerlee]

Damn it Steve, if only you had one of those darned super computers seen on CSI, you could have even picked up the part numbers ...

Works always on the teev.

Just wondering if you could look at the other part (left side) of the tail section with the tail wings. That part does have large printing on it but is very obscured.

As for the Light Horseman in the distance, he looks like an officer but from the distance.

The fellows in the foreground look like Brits. The scenery looks like that around the southern part of Palestine so the pic might have been taken sometime in 1917. On 27 October 1917, a Rumpler from FA300 was shot down on its way back and the crew taken prisoner including the observer who was the famed Captain Falke. I suspect that this is the aeroplane.

Cheers

Bill

Australian Light Horse Studies Centre
http://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/

[Steve_Butler]

Same man, less than a year later. Rowland looks a little thinner - most of the men did get thin with the heat and diseases rife in the Jordan Valley, dysentarty was par for the course and malaria was to cut down many men.
I would like some help here on the tech-side of things as I would like to post these two images together on our "Kit" page to show the difference between the uniforms. (I see the later cut of the pockets is a straight line).
On the left the heavy tunic and brass buttons - or the right the light drill uniform with the rolled leather buttons. Perhaps I could gain some knowledge here as to when the light drill was issued - what was it called? We can guess that the second photo was taken mid 1918 - Rowland wears the badges of the Waikato MR and the photograph is embossed lower right-hand corner with the logo of the photographers studio in Jerusalem.

[Steve_Butler]

Thanks Greg - A further photograph of the same plane - even on great enlargement the numbers cannot be read on the tail - Howevcer they look more like letters rather than numbers.
I would say the word written is "DANDY".
The three central letters definately look like "_AND_", so perhaps CANDY, RANDY. But then again???? I might be pushing my luck with the AND part also !!

[stevenbecker]

Mates,

The plane looks like an Albatross C 111 or D V then a Rampler CI (because it has a rounded tail with a large flat flap of an Albross).

The Albatross D 111 arived at FA 300 around June 1917 and started operating as a fighter.

As far as I can find the first of that type was brought down in Oct 1917 when Dittmar was captured, but that plane was intacted and used by 1 Sqn AFC (repainted).

I photo looks like it was taken in the desert so its possible that it was lost during the fighting in Oct or Nov 1917 when a number were lost by all FA (German) Sqn's. But dates and pilots are hard to find because of the brake up of the Turkish and German line and retreat.

But again I am open to any other ideas here.

S.B

[Jonsig]

Hi Steve just reading this thread

The pouches on this NZMR leather equipment set has a Mixture of NZ first pattern pouches and British 03 pattern pounces also made by the Australians, and used by NZers.

The knife in the photo is the type used as a working tool, with Knife blade and Spike with bone grips unlike the later with a can opener.
I have one like this marked to an engineer.


The two tunics in the photos side by side of trooper Rowland are the standard NZ made 02 tunics the lighter may be made of drill it just may be the photograph though.
Both of the tunics have straight pockets,is just due to how the tunic if fitting to the body.

Hope this of some help J