Hello it has been a very long time since I came onto this site I hope you can help me please. My brother has a new photo of his grt grandfather and with him is a soldier. On the back of the photo it says the 78th canadian grenadier guards 1916, we were wondering if it is someone with the surname of foley or a John William Brinkley 1886 paddington. He was the husband of a Mary Ann Foley and the old man is her father and the story goes Mary Ann's husband was a canadian soldier who died in the first world war. I did find a John william Brinkley who was in the East Surrey Regt 8308. Maybe he transfered to the canadian forces. Sue
Sue, John William Brinkley, L/8308, Essex Regiment, was a pre-war Regular. He would have joined in 1904 and was probably recalled from the reserve at the outbreak of the war. SDGW states that he was born in Paddington and enlisted in London. Your John would have been 18 in 1904 and given the match on the full name, I would be reasonably confident that that is him. The man in the photo is not obviously Canadian. Their tunics usually have seven buttons, although I have been caught out before. Unfortunately their is no cap badge to ID and the shoulder title is at the wrong angle to make anything out. I believe that the CEF wore collar badges in the Great War period. The man in your photo isn't, so I am inclined to think that he is British. Phil
Your right Phil about him being in British uniform. The Canadians wore collar badges of the maple leaf with the unit number in the centre. If this is John William Brinkley this photo was taken when he was with the Essex Regiment and it looks like its pre WW1 looking at the other gentleman's attire. Sniper
