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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Adrian1952 on Tuesday 03 July 07 20:07 BST (UK)
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Hi all can anyone identify the uniform, the photo was taken in 1944.
any help very much appreciated
Adrian
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Could be an RA capbadge
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Hi Johnboy i thought it could be as it looks like a gun on the cap badge, but as i have no knowledge of Regimental insignia i was guessing.
Any idea what the letters on the right sleeve stand for?
Thanks for your help,
Adrian
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I think this photo has suffered the "blue pencil"...ie it has been censored to stop identification of the particular unit in a particular area.
The top shoulder title should say "Royal Artillery" and various echelon and formation signs would be below....
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Hi Scrimmet, thanks for the information, i did wonder why those marks were for
As far as i know my father was never posted abroad, would the "blue pencil" still have been used if he remained in this country?
Do you have any idea what the letters mean on the sleeve? also is it possible to say what rank he was.
Thanks again,
Adrian
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I don't see any badges of rank so must assume he was a Gunner.
I've tried various combinations of his 'AM' insignia but can't come up with anything but I assume it is a formation badge.
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Indeed... a Gnr / Pte
Don't forget that the blue pencil operated at home especially before D-Day...Careless talk costs lives....!!
There was always the worry of Fifth Columnists, spies and Nazi parachutists dressed as nuns, so any tribal distinctions would be "erased"
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Hi Johnboy thanks for that, much appreciated.
Adrian
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Hi Scrimmet, it makes sense when you think about it.
Thanks for your help,
Adrian
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I've just joined and was looking at photos and found yours. I can help identify the unit if you are still interested.
Postwarden
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Hi Postwarden,
Yes please, I would appreciate your help.
Adrian
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Adrian,
The cap badge is definitely that of the Royal Artillery (RA) but unfortunately that is one of the largest regiments in the British Army. If your father joined the army as a member of the RA before 1943 his army number would have fallen in the sequence 721,000 to 1,842,000 as that was the block given to the RA.
The arc at the top of his arm is a what is known as a shoulder title for the "Royal Artillery" which would have been those words in red on blue. Below that he has the formation sign of 148th Independent Infantry Brigade which is the letters NM joined. This was originally a brigade of Territorial units from the North Midlands hence NM as their badge.
In July 1942 the Brigade was withdrawn from the active army to become a training formation. Its job was to train potential officer cadets before they were sent to Officer Cadet Training Units or OCTUs. It was located in South East England.
By 1944 the NM sign would only have been worn by those doing the training (not the potential officers) so it seems likely that your father was one of those involved with the training. He has no visible rank badges so was either the RA equivalent of a Private - known as a Gunner - or he has a rank badge on his cuff which we can't see.
Because the Brigade was a training unit the units in it would have been a strange mixture so its is likely to be quite hard to be exact as to which regiment of the RA he was serving with. Without that it's not going to be possible to take this further
Each formation of the Army was required to keep a diary known as a War Diary, but none appears for 148 Brigade on the National Archives website. There is one file which covers the conversion of the Brigade to a training role which may help. Its reference is WO199/585. I can recommend researchers if you'd like it looked at but of course they charge.
Have you tried to get his service papers as next-of-kin?
Hope all that helps. Shout if anything is not clear.
Any chance of a 300 dpi jpeg for my files please?
Jon
Postwarden
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Hi Jon
Thanks very much for all the information I did not realise thay he was involved with the training of officer cadets.
I will try to get his service records although it could be a problem not having his service No. Who would hold the records?
I am attaching the photo at 300 dpi j-peg I hope ::) let me know if it is OK.
Regards,
Adrian
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hi .
just looking at your photo to try to find out what regiment he was in, and it occured to me that the badge looks the same as my grandads on his cap, i have put a photo of my grandad on here under the title "help with ww2 photo", have a look and see what you think?
julie
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Hi Julie,
Thanks for getting in touch, the cap badges are similar but when compared side by side there is a difference.
Regards,
Adrian
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Just went on ancestry.ca and through there found your old post regarding John Stansill, he was my greatgrandfather. I hope you are still on this site.
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Any comment on the unusual White Lanyard right shoulder
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Any comment on the unusual White Lanyard right shoulder
Nothing unusual...Normal RA distinction ;)