2ndbattalion

Samuel Stillman Pierce (1887-1973) from earlyaviators.com/epierces.htm : Samuel S. Pierce died August 4, 1973 at his home in Milton, Mass. where he was a teacher for many years at the Milton Academy. He was a grandson of Samuel S. Pierce, founder of the food chain that bears his name. He was born in Wellesley Hills, Mass. January 23, 1887 In 1910 he studied at the Louis Bleriot Flying School in France where he obtained a pilot's license. He made his first solo flight March 23, 1911. In 1916 he joined the New York Militia as Ensign and taught flying at Bayshore, N.Y. He and a student were seriously injured in the smash-up of a Burgess-Dunne seaplane, ending his flying career. The balance of World War I he spent at the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia, resigning as Lieutenant, USNRF in 1921 due to poor health. He is survived by his wife, Mary Sweitzer Pierce, a daughter, Mrs. Mary Pillsbury of Milton, Mass. and three grandchildren. Yes, that is a Burgess-Dunne Seaplane he's standing in front of.

See also comments under www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/14004100262/ Ensign Samuel Pierce is mentioned in the cited papers.

A fine collection of 'pin-ups' in the Post Office of Box(?) Hall Camp, Essex. The bottom photo has something about Essex too ...

beachcomber australia They're quite demure, and mostly well-clad pin-ups.

"party of soldiers" You could more correctly refer to them as a "platoon". 20 to 50 soldiers, typically. Your photo has 24, plus the Sergeant.

Irish.

Compare the uniforms in this photo to the ones in your photo, above-
www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/hearts-of-stone-in-ir...

Uniforms in the photo above and the Irish Times have five buttons.

"Hare Hall Camp" on subsequent photos.

beachcomber australia Ah, Hare Hall Camp, brilliant. Thank you. And as you always say, someone on here will know where that is...