Postcards (2) of Vernon St.John & servicemen, 1917

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Vernon St.John joined the 6th Dorsetshire Regiment on coming of age in March 1917. Here he is seen standing 5th from left on the second row from the back.

The photographer, Fred Wright of Andover, regularly photographed soldiers and military camps in the area.

Further research is needed, but it would seem likely that this photograph was taken while Vernon was undergoing training and before departure to the battlefields of France. The men are wearing different cap badges denoting a mixture or regiments. Some, including Vernon, had not yet been allocated to a regiment and are wearing a military button on their cap rather a regimental badge.

The postcards belonged to Lord Bolingbroke and were generously gifted to The Friends of Lydiard Park by a former friend of his, Anne Barr, in 2023.