Wigan Album

Which war or which Wiganer? You need to specify, otherwise a significant category mistake might occur.

Are we sure it was wartime?
The woman's dress style is later than WWI, and the puttees the soldier is wearing were almost totally phased out by 1937 - before WWII.
The photo was taken at Southampton - one of the main embarkation points for troop ships. Could this be a soldier in the interwar years leaving for peacetine service in India, or another country?

The cap badge appears to have the Prince of Wales 3 feathers.
Any military historians out there?

There were quite a number of regiments that had the PoW feathers as a cap badge so it's difficult to be specific.

I tend to agree it could well be inter-War. The fashion is 1920s/1930s but the pose is quite relaxed and not one of mass military wartime embarkation. I think he's off seeing service in the Empire somewhere, and I would place it early 30s.

But I am certainly no expert.

Not the PoWs feathers but the Manchester Regiments Fleur De Lys Cap badge that was changed in 1923. So I reckon the photo is of that date or after.

Got this info off the net....

"In 1919, the 1st Manchester's returned to Britain for a year, later reinforcing the garrison in Ireland. In 1922 it garrisoned the Channel Islands before joining the British Army of the Rhine in Germany. It returned to Britain in 1927 and, in 1933, departed for the West Indies. After being posted to Egypt in 1936, the 1st Manchester's were converted into a Vickers machine-gun battalion. The battalion had to be rushed to the Mandate of Palestine when the Arab populace erupted in revolt. In difficult conditions, the battalion suffered four killed and contributed a number of men to the counter-insurgency Special Night Squads. In 1937, a company on detachment in Cyprus provided a special guard for the Coronation parade. In 1938 the battalion moved to Singapore.

Meanwhile, in 1920 the 2nd Manchesters became part of the garrison in Mesopotamia, which had been acquired by Britain as a mandate territory under the auspices of the League of Nations. During an action near Hillah, Captain Henderson reorganised his company who were wavering in the face of a large force of tribesmen, then led the company in three attacks against the tribesmen, being severely wounded in the second attack, though carrying on for the third and final counter-attack. He carried on fighting until he succumbed to a loss of blood and collapsed. Aided by one of his men, who helped him to stand, Henderson told his company, "I'm done now, don't let them beat you." He was shot again, killing him. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions.

The battalion departed for India in 1922, where it remained until 1932. At the beginning of the Second World War, it was stationed in Britain.

Jack Churchill also served in this regiment."

So it's a case of take your pick unless the actual date of the photo is known.

I agree with Joseph, the cap badge is not Prince of Wales feathers but the fleur de lys of the Manchester Regiment.

The cap badge changed in 1923 so it is after then, The 1st Batallion sailed to the West Indies in 1933, they were in Egypt in 1936 and Singapore in 1938 so maybe it was one of them postings.

Or maybe it was her going on her holidays and he was seeing her off.