Researchers seek answers to identity of Bradford WW1 soldier

RESEARCHERS involved in a World War One history project want to hear from anyone who recognises this photograph of a Bradford soldier and his family.

The photo, which was taken in Bradford, has been added to the 'Faces and Families' album created by the Army Children of the First World War project.

The project, established by The Army Children Archive (TACA) as part of the First World War Centenary Partnership being led by Imperial War Museums, aims to create an instantly-accessible point for people of all ages and nationalities to learn more about how the war affected soldiers’ children.

The latest Bradford-based picture features a soldier, his wife and young daughter.

A description of the photo by TACA reads: "This photograph of a bandolier-wearing British soldier, swagger stick in hand, standing alongside his wife and small daughter against a painted-garden backdrop, has not aged well, but remains evocative.

"The soldier’s cap badge is discernibly that of the Royal Artillery. As the back of the postcard informs us, the family's photograph was taken at the studio of AE & C Fox, Bridge Street, Bradford (then in the County of York, West Riding, and now in West Yorkshire)."

In April last year, the project team discovered another Bradford-related photograph. It featured a soldier named Thomas Clifford Nunwick alongside a woman and two young children.

At the time, a spokesman for the project said: "On checking the FreeBMD website, there is a marriage between a Thomas Clifford Nunwick and Daisy Jones listed as having taken place in the June quarter of 1910 in Bradford.

"It is possible that these are the parents and their daughter pictured here. There are no badges visible on the children’s soldier father’s uniform to tell us anything about the unit in which he served."

Telegraph & Argus reader Michael Tomkinson confirmed the soldier was Thomas Nunwick and said he served as a gunner in the Second West Riding Battalion. His wife was Daisy James and the two children in the picture were Elsie and Leonard.

John Barker, of Leeds, said Mr Nunwick was a plumber who was born in 1880. He lived on Manningham Lane in Bradford.

TACA collects, preserves and shares online information about the history of British army children and the challenges and peculiarities of growing up as the child of a regular soldier in the British Army, from the 17th century to today.

It highlights the plight of army children of the First World War primarily using two online galleries of images on Flickr. They are ‘The Army Children of the First World War: Faces and Families’, and ‘The Army Children of the First World War: a Sentimental View’.

The galleries now have 98 images, including the two Bradford ones.

Anyone who can help identify the family in the latest picture, contact Clare Gibson via archhistory.co.uk. The photograph can be viewed at bit.ly/Faces98.

(pic & source: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/13787659.Researchers_seek_answers_to_identity_of_Bradford_WW1_soldier/ )