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This is a photo of my grandfather, Frank Leslie Hill, b.1903. To the best knowledge of the family he did not serve in the armed forces. However we have found this photograph of him and wondered if anyone can help with the identification please?

Frank Leslie Hill

Based on @Adrian's answer, I have found the following for the Middlesex Regiment:

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I've also found a medal roll, but this is dated 1915 which would make Frank only 12, which I find hard to believe. Any help to find any more detail to prove/disprove would be helpful.

enter image description here

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Based on the general look of the uniform, this is an infantryman of the British Army. I've just looked through the infantry regiments in my copy of "British Army Cap Badges of the First World War" and the only regiment that comes close to that shape is the Middlesex Regiment - more formally, The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment).

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  • Thanks Adrian, this is great thanks. I found a Frank Hill in the medal rolls (have added to my question).
    – Magic Bullet Dave
    Nov 15 '18 at 19:50
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    Bear in mind that you're a long way from knowing if that Frank Hill is yours. If he really was born in 1903 it's virtually impossible for him to have received a campaign medal for fighting in WW1 - he'd only be 15 at the end of the war. Those campaign Medal Rolls record only people outside the UK before 11 November 1918 - with the exception of some odd interventions in the Russian Civil War. On the good side, anyone that young must have served after 1920, and so their service papers will be with the UK Ministry of Defence, rather than being burnt in the infamous WW2 fire.
    – AdrianB38
    Nov 15 '18 at 20:03
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    As for getting a service number - tricky. If he was a Regular, then he might have received a postal vote when old enough and so be found in Absent Voters Lists - these were originally separate books from the main electoral roll but may not survive. Later, I've seen them at the back of the normal roll. If, however, he was a Territorial part timer, there'd be no reason for a postal vote. If you are totally convinced that's him, then the logical deduction is that his service papers are post 1920 and so remain with the Ministry of Defence, in which case the easiest thing is to apply for a copy
    – AdrianB38
    Nov 17 '18 at 11:45
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    Although the MoD like to have a service number, a name and birthdate will, I believe, suffice. You'll also need to supply a death certificate and possibly also clearance from his next of kin.
    – AdrianB38
    Nov 17 '18 at 11:47
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    gov.uk/government/collections/… is the URL for the requests to the MoD
    – AdrianB38
    Nov 17 '18 at 14:07

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