Mystery pictures of Royal Marines in Portsmouth, can you help? | Nostalgia

By Bob Hind
Published 14th Feb 2020, 10:23 GMT
Updated 14th Feb 2020, 10:23 GMT
A turn-of-the-last-century view of a parade at Eastney Barracks. Picture: Geoffrey Elliott collectionA turn-of-the-last-century view of a parade at Eastney Barracks. Picture: Geoffrey Elliott collection
A turn-of-the-last-century view of a parade at Eastney Barracks. Picture: Geoffrey Elliott collection
Geoffrey Elliott has asked me to publish these two photographs concerning Royal Marines.The top one shows a parade at Eastney Barracks with crowds of spectators – an image that was probably taken in the 20th century. Prominent is a large Union Flag in the crowd.

If anyone can date the picture or tell me the occasion I should be grateful. It may be a parade before the men went off to war, or one held on their return.

I do know that on January 25, 1927, Portsmouth gave a send-off to 1,000 marines selected for service in China. They embarked the troopship Minnesota which sailed the next day. Contingents of the Royal Army Service Corps also left Hilsea Barracks for the same destination.

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The second picture is a painting captioned ‘Royal Marine Barracks, Portsmouth’. Geoffrey says it looks older than 1864 but can't be. Where this painting came from I do not know, not even the artist's name.

The caption says this was the Royal Marine Barracks, Portsmouth. But where in Portsmouth? Picture: Geoffrey Elliott collectionThe caption says this was the Royal Marine Barracks, Portsmouth. But where in Portsmouth? Picture: Geoffrey Elliott collection
The caption says this was the Royal Marine Barracks, Portsmouth. But where in Portsmouth? Picture: Geoffrey Elliott collection

Corporation records for 1927 report: ‘After being stationed at Gosport for 77 years the Royal Marine Light Infantry returned to Portsmouth on August 1 and amalgamated with the Royal Marine Artillery at Eastney, the united corps being called Royal Marines.’

Related topics:PortsmouthUnion FlagChina

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