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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Mitch75 on Tuesday 29 May 07 22:50 BST (UK)
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Hello, This picture is of my grandad Albert Mitchell (Known as Mick) From Hull Yorkshire (and friends).
Does anyone reconise anyone in this photo I have of him.
My Grandad is the one in the front of the picture with the tatoos.
We believe that he served in Palistine in the back end of the war I do have a couple of photos that I would like to share if poss and it would be great to hear from anyone who reconises my grandad also
If not thank you for looking anyway
Kind regards
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Hi
Judging by the dress they could well be in Palestine.
Perhaps if you let the forum know his regiment/unit, more information could be forthcoming, as there is a lack of unit insignia on the photo of the happy group.
They do look like experienced soldiers. :)
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I'm afraid that I don't know which regiment he was in, and there isn't anyone alive who could tell me. My family said that like most he didn't speak about the war.
I do have another photo of him sat on a tank, but his marriage certificate to my Nana said that he was a Parer so I'm not sure.
Thank you for looking away
Regards
Mitch
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Hi Mitch :)
Firstly, are you meaning WW1 or WW2.
Secondly, hopefully if you post the photo of your Grandad on the tank, there will be more to go on for the folks on here to help you.
Anyhow, I'm sure we would all like to see the photo, if you would like to share it.
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Hi again Mitch
Having looked at the photo again, I would reckon it was taken during WW2.
A warm welcome to Rootschat, looking forward to seeing your next photo. ;)
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Sorry it is WWII and thanks this is the tank photo I was talking about. I also found another one but it wont allow me to put both on at the same time so will have to do it separately.
Kind regards
Mitch
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These are another two photos that I found whilst looking for the tank one. Don't know if anyone would recognise the uniform?
Regards
Mitch
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hiya the paras were in palastine after the end of ww2
until i think 1947 ??? then the marines took over they were there as a peace keeping force
i know the 9th bn was there my granfather served with them there
gig
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thank you so much Gig, do you know where I can get any information on them? So I can try and find out a bit more please?
Regards
Mitch
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Mitch
Seeing the photo of him on the Scout car, can idicate that he was probably in an armoured formation.
Still not made out the badges he's wearing yet. :)
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The badge looks like an Ordnance Corp badge. The Scout car appears to be a Daimler 'Dingo'. 8)
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heres a link to the units served in palastine
http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Palestine/units.html
i must say though and if im wrong hope to be corrected but the badge on the last photo isnt the paras and i dont think they or the marines wore peaked caps more the red or green berets
gig
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Thank you again I'll take a look at this.
I think the photo with the peaked cap is when he first entered the army and the one where he has a flat hat is when he was actually there in Palestine - could it be poss that he moved regiments?
With me not knowing much about it I don't know if this can be done or not.
Regards
Mitch
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This post caught my attention because my late father-in-law was in the Royal Army Service Corps in Palestine at the end of WWII. He came home in 1948 and met his 9 month old son, my husband. I've looked at Gig's link to Palestine Units but it 'rings no bells' and the OH has just gone to bed. Wondered if anyone knows if I can find out which unit he served in and where he went etc.
Mrs Doc
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Atom12, This could be correct as I have since spoken to my uncle and he said that he thinks that my grandad was involved in the peace keeping at the end or just after the end of the war (Like Gig surgested), but he cant remember for sure.
Do you know what the badge would have been like so I can try and look it up on the net?
Do you know anything about the flat hat that he is wearing in the second photo is this a hat that a corp. would have worn?
Kind regards
Mitch
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Hi Mitch
I don't know much about the flat hat on the second photo, but no doubt someone else will. It is the type of hat they would wear when dressed for walking out, rather than a working cap.
Here is a WW2 RAOC cap badge for you:
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Thank you all so much for your help its given me a bit more to go on.
Someone might recognise one of them in the photo eventaully(hopefully).
Regards
Diane
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In the photo where the subject is wearing a hat he is also wearing the two pips of a Lieutenant - that seems to be rapid promotion.
Looking at that scout car I was immediately reminded of the Palestine Police but their cap badge was nothing like the one we see in the photo.
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:) Yes, Thanks Hackstaple
I agree with the officer ranking in the second photo but was not sure just how many pips were there.
I also wondered if it were the same man due to the rapid promotion, but was reticent to mention it for fear of causing offence. ::)
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Hi No offence taken at all.
They are definitely the same man though, I Remember my Grandads face very clear and both pictures do look like him, I have also been told by my family when they past on the pictures.
I'll have to see if i can get a hold of the original pictures to see if there is anything on the backs of them,as these were scanned by one of my uncles.
Would it have been possible for him to have a promotion at the back end of the war while peace keeping, as he does look very young in the photo with the peaked hat.
Please forgive my ignorance but what are pips are they stripes?
Mitch
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"Pips" are diamond shaped shoulder ornaments designating rank of commissioned officers. A second Lieutenant has one, a Lieutenant two, a Captain 3. After that, rank is shown by a crown and additional pips.
Non-commisioned officers are lance-corporal [with one stripe on the sleeve], corporal with two, sergeant with 3, staff-sergeant or colour-sergeant or Company Quartermaster-sergeant has 3 stripes and a crown.
There is another small group of warrant-officers who fall in between.
So, the photo shows two pips. One would need to be very old - the average age of two-pippers in the WWII was about 22.
There is a peculiarity about this photo - the uniform is not WWII hot-climate officer's dress but rather seems to come from perhaps 1952 or so. Yet it is not jungle dress as he is wearing a webbing belt. Also the stockings above the puttees are dark, not khaki. I cannot remember any army regiment or corps that wore dark stockings with shorts and I was in contact with many different army groupings a bit later on. Perhaps someone will know more.
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Thank You for the info its much apreciated
I'll have to ask the rest of my family if they have any other photos.
Once again thank you
Regards
Mitch
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Hi,
Sorry I don't recognise any of the men in your photo but my uncle Jack Shearing was from Hull. He was in Palestine WWII and I believe he was also a Desert Rat. Unfortunately I too don't know the regiment but maybe somebody could make out the cap badge?
Rena
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Hello all...sorry I've been bedded down poorly and missed a number of threads...this being one! :'(
To address a number of points...
The armoured car...I think this is a Humber mk 4, given the shape of the front end, mud guards and weaponry. These were used by the Reconnaissance Corps.
The chap in the Khaki Drill Tunic and shorts...Is this the same chap as in the other photos??? His nose looks decidedly thinner in the KD!! This uniform was worn widely by officers in base areas. I have several examples. They were worn from the Middle East through to the Far East. Dark hose are OK, and could be private purchase. I cannot make out the cap badge, but it is certainly not RAOC, nor is it Recce Corp. The hat is a Service Dress Cap. A version was worn by other ranks up until around 1940/1. After that officers and CMP were the only ones who continued usage.
The cap badge on the chap in Battledress (BDs) is the WW2 version of the badge kindly put up by Anne. It is somewhat wider at the bottom. This is an "Other Rank" and not an officer...He is wearing the earlier (though not exclusively early) 37pattern BD
RAOC and Recce Corps would be supplemental to any "teeth arms" at the front. If a unit is in a forward battle area there would be at least triple the amount in support. It was said that for every front line infantryman, there would be 3 in the rear supporting him.
For example an Infantry Division in 1944 would consist of three brigades of three battalions each of Infantry. These are then supported by....
Three Field Regts of Artillery
One Anti tank Regt
One Light Anti Aircraft Regt
Royal Engineers
HQ Div Engineers
Field Park Engineers
Two Field Companies
One Bridging Platoon
HQ Royal Army Service Corps
Four Field Companies
HQ Divisional RAOC
Ordnance Field Park
Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit
Divisional REME
Three Infantry Brigade Workshops
RAMC
Three Field Ambulance
Two Field Dressing Stations
Divisional Signals
Postal Unit
Provost Coy CMP
Recce Regt
Motor Machine Gun Regt
Total strength of one Division 18347 officers and men. Of these around 3500 are infantry.
The last photo from Rena is of a chap from Royal Army Service Corps..... :D
I probably missed some points....and sorry if I've banged on a bit here!!! :-[
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Here is the wider RAOC badge worn until 1947. The version posted by Anne is the post 1947 version I'm afraid... ;)
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/scrimnet/RAOCCapBadge.jpg)
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And the RASC badge for Rena! :D
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/scrimnet/RASC.jpg)
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Thanks for the cap badge info scrimnet. I've since obtained another photo of Jack wearing his flat cap but I thought I would have to wait for the WWII medals to come online to know which unit he was in.
I'm told at his burial the Association of the Army Desert Rats formed a guard of honour.
Rena