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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Lones on Friday 13 October 06 00:15 BST (UK)
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Hi Folks
I am colouring a photo of my dad from WW2 and I don't know what colour the patch on his sleeve should be, can anyone help?
On my dad's discharge papers he was a gunner, but I know at one stage he was also a motorbike messenger, and I think he did something else as well during his enlistment. I know he was stationed in Darwin and the top of Western Australia and was on anti-aircraft guns at one stage as he survived at least one bombing raid.
His name was Greville Douglas Smith, but was known as Pete in the war, due to some cartoon character popular at the time, he was also known as Bill by the family througout his life, (sometimes you wonder why you name them at all, if no one is ever going to use there proper names!!)
I would really appreciate any help you can give me on this as I want to put this picture into my family album, on a page designed just for my Dad, we lost him in 1998
Thank you
Lones
Sorry, picture was too large, I have modified it
Thanks
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Hi Lones
Have you looked at the War Memorial site.
WW2 nominal roll site
http:// www.ww2roll.gov.au/
also http://www.awm.gov.au/database/index
Hope you find what you are looking for.
Janette
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Thanks Janette
I have tried some army sites, not sure if I tried this one, I will check it now. I found lots of patches, just none like this.
Thanks for your advice, I will let you know if I find it
Cheers
Lones
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Hi again
I have tried those sites and alas, nothing. I have since found my Dad's army certificate and he is listed as being in the "4 Aust Heavy A/A Bty", but I cannot find a patch for them anywhere. Am I looking in the wrong place? If I don't find anything soon I will take your advice and email the war memorial.
But then again the patch could have been when he was a messenger, but I think that was only a fill in and he was still in the artillery, as he told me they needed someone who could ride a motorbike and although he couldn't he volunteered to get out of the artillery for awhile, but he went back soon after, so I don't think he would have changed his patches.
Thank you
Lones
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Hi Lones,
I too have some patches still to be have identified from WWII, but from heavy field artillery regiments. The following is what I have already done or am thinking of doing.
Of interest firstly is that his jacket looks like a wintertime Battle Dress Tunic from WWI. However some of my fathers tunics looked rather WWI'ish as well. Shortages could well have lasted through to the latter years of conflict.
If you access the site http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/ as Berjan says, you should be able to either request that Greville Douglas Smith's records be digitised (may take up to 3 or 4 months). That having been done you are able to download same. This I have already done.
If on the other hand you desire a good photocopy of his records you too can order those for about a A$42 cost. This I have already done.
Once you have as much detail as you can muster for a letter, I would also include a copy of your photo to the Australian War Museum and to Central Army Records Office (CARO), if that office still exists.
Another option may be to take all you have to your local RSL branch and seek information there.
All the best in your quest. I will be watching here to find lcues that may help my search.
Regards
Robert & Karon
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Hi Lones (and Robert & Karon)
have you looked on www.diggerhistory.info
as there is a section on there dealing with colour patches/formation signs etc. I feel that the colouration that you have on this photograph Lones could be missleading as it appears that the photograph had been coloured at the studio (note that the back ground and the skin tone are roughly the same colour) and that the border and inverted chevron on the patch should be grey and that the main colour of it should be tan brown. I have had a look at the site that I mention but time is short this morning for me to really have a good look. When you go into the site look for the section for "badges" then on the left hand side of the page scroll down the menu till you find "colour patches" click on this and the page that you are after will open........(look for the page with the ones that have the grey border as this also explains the meaning behind the coloured border).............best of luck theres loads of them.
old rowley
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Lones there is a guy in Melbourne Australia who I am sure can help you.
His name Lieutenant Colonel Neil Smith AM his business is Mostly Unsung Military History. I have found him most helpful.
Email milhis@alphalink.com.au
Best of luck.
Wyn.
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Could this be it but upside down?
Kev.
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Hi All
Thank you so much for your replies
Robert & Karen, it was definately WWII as my Dad wasn't born until 1923, what will his records contain? Will they list all the places he was stationed, do you know? I think I will try that, thanks. I don't think the local RSL will know as he started here in Victoria, but did most of his serving in WA and NT.
Old Rowley, hi, the colourization was done by me, from and old sepia photo, that is why the patch isn't coloured, I didn't know what colour to do it. I will heed your advice and darken the background though, thanks. I have checked the site you mentioned, but could only find WWI badges, did I look in the wrong spot? Thanks for your help
Wyn, thanks I will email the Colonel and see if he can help me
Kev, thank you for looking for me, but I think my patch is square and I think it could have red and blue in it as all the artillery patches I have found are those colours, I just can't match mine exactly
Thank you all again for your help and ideas, I will follow them all up
Cheers
Lones
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Hi Lones
must remember to READ first postings before I answer as you did say that you were colouring the picture yourself at the begining. ;D
old rowley
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Hi Lones i understand what your saying , as all the artillery patches have red and blue, but you can't say that this doesn't look the same!!
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Hi again
Old Rowley, that's okay, I have trouble reading them too, if you see my posts, I'm always apologising for that.
Kev, yes it does look similar, but as it was named "Provosts" I didn't think it was right as my dad wasn't a Provo, to my knowledge he was artillery. I didn't mean to offend you.
Cheers
Lones
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;D You didn't offend me at all Lones, the picture of the patch comes from a website and that is the name , but it is listed as a patch recently for sale on Ebay, so it may not be Provos.
Kev.
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Hi Kev
Fair enough, I saw the name an just assumed. I wonder if the people selling it know what it is, curious. I will do some more digging on my Dad's records etc and let you all know what I find
Cheers
Lones