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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: phillomax on Sunday 17 November 13 19:28 GMT (UK)
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Hello, I have been sent this photograph of my grandfather apparently taken during ww2. We know that he was in the 3rd king's own hussars from 1919 to 1929 and served in the military police in ww2.
The photo has my gf on the left with three stripes (chevrons) on his left forearm. The man standing next to him has two stripes on his left upper arm. I presume the two stripes are for a corporal and three for a sergeant but I've not seen them on the lower arm before.
Any suggestions?
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Those are long service stripes for 12 years service not sergeant's stripes. In that pic he is a private soldier.
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long service stripes
or Good Conduct?
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Hello, anyone know why they are wearing different caps?
Rgds phil
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Sorry Hackstaple, I hadn't read your reply correctly 12 years service - he did 9 years & 137 days in his first stint. I don't suppose being in the reserves counts so this would date the photo at approx 1942.
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Militart police did not have Ptes- the minimum rank was LCpl. I think he has a set of Cpl's stripes on his right arm only.
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Militart police did not have Ptes- the minimum rank was LCpl. I think he has a set of Cpl's stripes on his right arm only.
That is assuming we are seeing him in the RMP in the pic. The cap badge appears to be the wrong sort as far as one can tell from such a small pic. The RMP badge is an open scroll-work. However the puttees and belt appear to be white, not sand-coloured - and that might again lead to the police.
Wiki tells me that At the beginning of the Second World War, the CMP had several branches:
Special Investigation Branch (SIB);
Red Caps, who were responsible for general policing;
Blue Caps (Vulnerable Points), responsible for security of static locations and establishments;
White Caps (Traffic Control); and
Field Security Wing (Green Caps), which was separated from the CMP in 1940 to form the Intelligence Corps, and who wore the CMP cap badge, but without the scroll.
Our man has a cap with no coloured top.
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He would not be RMP but CMP in WW2. The Royal prefix was post war.
The whitened belts and gaiters was perculiar to the CMP and the policeman's whistle chain in the left breast pocket seals is a bit of a clue.
They wear a mix of unifroms. the soldier on the right has the 1940 pattern Battledress and what could be a beret or a late war GS cap.
the one on the left has a mid/late war econony tunic (exposed buttons on tunic) and a pre/early war cap. The CMP were one of a minority of units to retain this cap post 1943.
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Hello all,
Thank you for your interest and valuable information.
I have attached another photo of him in the same uniform but his cap does look very similar to one he wore before WW2. Maybe he just liked wearing it? Would he be allowed?
Rgds Phil
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Hello all,
Please find attached photo that we think was taken in approx 1919.
Same cap?
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The white cross belt is unique to the CMP.
What regt was he in during WW1? He would not have been allowed to keep wearing the old badge but is not 3 Hussars? Possibly West Somerset yeomanry?
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Hello Alan O
He didn't join up until 1919 (he was born in 1902). I have a copy of his service book entitled 'Regular Army Certificate of Service' inside it says 3rd Hussars and describes him as a trooper in the Corps of the Cavalry. I've attached a few photo's, another one from WW2 and then two between the wars.
I've just spoken to my dad whose found an old army cap that belonged to my gf. It has Military Police and GR on it, on the inside it says 'J Compton & Sons 1943'
Thanks, Phil
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I may be wrong but the fancy tunic has 20th Hussar collars on it. They are an XoX design with a crown on top. He may have transferred to the 3rd Hussars as the 20th Hussars were amalgamated in 1922.
The picture with the lorry is again WW2 CMP with that cross strap and belt.
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Hello Alan O,
These are the only other photographs I have of him in uniform.
The first one looks like he has just joined up and the 2nd is apparently in India where he was from 10/10/1927 to 11/12/1928.
Rgds
Phil
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Now the horse collar badge is the one for the 3Hussars.
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Hello alan o,
I think I'll do a new post to see if I can find out what hussars regiment my gf was in prior to the 3rd King's Own. Thanks for your help.
Rgds
Phil