Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Dinner, pre-October 1927

I recently picked up this rather interesting photograph taken by the studio of F. A. Swaine of 146, New Bond Street, London, W.1.

Swaine was a well-known royalty and society photographer, and there are a number of his photographs in the National Portrait Gallery.

This photograph depicts what appears to be a regimental dinner of former and serving officers of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. It is post-World War 1, but is prior to 1927.
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D.C.L.I. Dinner, taken between 1920 & 1927.
(John Young Collection)

Here’s close-up of the gentlemen standing at the rear of the photograph.
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The officer standing fourth from the left is Brigadier Clement Leslie Smith, V.C., M.C., he is wearing the Egyptian Order of the Nile around his collar. Smith received his Victoria Cross for his actions in Somaliland in 1904. During World War 1, Smith commanded the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade in Egypt.
He died in Italy - aged 49 years - on 14th December 1927.

The elderly gentleman standing second from the right, looking very much like Roger Livesey’s portrayal of Colonel Blimp is William Francis Dundonald Cochrane, the survivor of iSandlwana. Cochrane died on 23rd October 1927.

JY

Brilliant find John.

Yes, Roger Livesey, great actor, always liked watching films when he was in them.

Thanks for posting.

Martin,

Roger Livesey was certainly in some classic films that stand the test of time.

JY

You are so right John.

It is always a pleasure watching films with Roger Livesey in them, he always appeared to be 'well tuned in', or to put it another way, 'on the right wavelength', a marvelous actor.

I know where I'm Going, A Matter of Life and Death and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - probably the best!
But he also played the boy Henry Faversham in the 1921 (!) version of The Four Feathers.
P.S. Excellent photo, John.

» Maj. C. Cherry 32nd (Cornwall) Light Infantry.
» Lt. W. Cochrane 32nd (Cornwall) Light Infantry, survivor of Isandlwana
» Zulu Dinner, Brecon, 15th October 2022