Warrant Officers and Sergeants of the 2nd Battalion on active service in Waziristan from 8 Nov 1894 to 17 Mar 1895.
William THORNE (circled) is seated in the middle row fourth from the left.
The photograph is in a large Regimental Album and had originally been captioned using white photographic ink which has faded terribly. After spending a long time with different types of light and holding it at different angles, Stuart Eastwood is sure that he has read the name correctly. Moreover the facial resemblance to the portrait photograph is very good and he is sat to the right of the Commanding Officer (in the centre of the middle row and slightly lower), which is correct protocol.

Group of Staff and other Sergeants of the 2nd Battalion Border Regiment, Quetta, Bengal, East India, January 1897.
Sergeant-Major William THORNE seated in centre of 2nd row.
This photograph was taken in the year that he returned to the United Kingdom on promotion to Quartermaster. He is wearing his India General Service Medal and Long Service & Good Conduct Medal. He was on active service in East India from 18 Mar 1895 to 24 May 1897.

Photos from the Regimental Album supplied by Stuart Eastwood, Curator of The Regimental Museum of The Border Regiment and The Kings Own Royal Border Regiment, Queen Mary's Tower, The Castle, Carlisle, Cumbria, England, 1999