... and some informal photos too

The following two photographs were from my grandfather's collection, and appear to have been taken on the same occasion as the "official photographs" shown in the previous posting. The first (CLLP 2nd from left) shows a line of six soldiers on parade in uniform and with rifles, standing at attention on a sidewalk cleared of snow, in front of a substantial stone and brick building; Leslie Payne and at least one other appear to be wearing spurs. Using the official photos, I've been able to identify all of the five other men in the first photo, four with a good degree of certainty. Bob Moodie and William Hogg were, of course, Leslie's friends, and have been mentioned in earlier postings.

OFF TO THE WAR
From Left to Right: L.-Cpl. Robert "Bob" Valentine Moodie, Dr. Charles Leslie "Les" Lionel Payne, Dr. Benjamin Gerdes, Cpl. William Percival Hogg, Dr. John Purves Brown, Dr. Harry Williams Corner
The second photo (below) is more informal and shows Leslie alone, standing in the snow with riding crop but no rifle, in front of what appears to be the same building. The building looks to be at least four stories high. The photo is in the form of a post card, and is addressed on the reverse, "Lce/Corp L Payne, Reg. No. 1989 C.A.S.Co., Dibgate Camp, Nr. Hythe, Kent", although it does not appear to have gone through the mail. It seems unlikely that it was actually taken in Kent, as the chance of snow that far south in England by the time CLLP reached there in April is probably slim.


The following is from Gord Grossley:

"CLLP is wearing his puttees infantry-style. The tying tapes show as a thin lighter band of cloth around the upper calf ... Rank was worn on both arms during WW1, so he is still a Private. The men are all wearing breeches, as worn by mounted personnel, and the rifles carried are the Canadian Ross Mk III. The cap badges ... are the Canadian 'General Service' type, a bronze maple leaf with crown and 'CANADA' on a scroll below."

It seems likely, therefore, that the photographs were indeed taken at the same time as the official ones, probably in St. John, New Brunswick during the three weeks that they spent there before embarking for England, and subsequently sent to Leslie Payne in England.