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Messages - Combover

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1
Armed Forces / Re: London Irish Rifles Sgt Stripes help
« on: Saturday 30 June 12 23:04 BST (UK)  »
A bit late in coming but here you go. Here is the insignia of a Serjeant of the 1st Battalion London Irish Rifles, 56th London Division in WW2. The cloth rank insignia was very similar for WW1.



And below is the insignia of an officer, a 2nd Lt, of the same regiment:



Quite distinctive insignia isn't it?

2
World War Two / Re: Lord Lovat's Path Finders
« on: Friday 25 May 12 07:53 BST (UK)  »
The crossed rifles indicates that he was a marksman. It's not a unit identification. I believe he belonged to the Lovat's Scouts.

It is HIGHLY unlikely that he went to Murmansk unless he was sent by the RN which is difficult to picture.

The trip to the Faroe Islands would have been pretty cold and we know that the Lovat Scouts went there.

As the Lovat Scouts were trained marsmen and snipers, the crossed rifles fits in nicely.

As the Lovat Scouts were from Lord Lovat's estate in Scotland, their training would indeed have been there before moving to the Faroe Islands and then to Jasper and then finally into action in Italy. (I say 'action' in a loose term because they were not really used all that much for their trained purpose).

Below is the badge.


3
World War Two / Re: Polish Forces ~ W.W. 2
« on: Friday 25 May 12 07:39 BST (UK)  »
Try the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum;

http://www.pism.co.uk/

4
World War Two / Re: Lord Lovat's Path Finders
« on: Thursday 24 May 12 07:40 BST (UK)  »
It could also be Lovat's Scouts, but they fought in Italy after mountain training etc at Jasper in Canada.

They did go to Iceland earlier on in the war though, so that could possibly be the trip remembered here?

5
World War Two / Re: Gordon Highlanders World War 11
« on: Thursday 24 May 12 07:37 BST (UK)  »
It's unlikely that the people in the photo are Gordon Highlanders, juding from their dress.

6
World War Two / Re: R O A C
« on: Thursday 19 April 12 13:28 BST (UK)  »
Also need to add that the service number you have given appears to be that for an officer, but the DCM was only issued to ORs (Other Ranks).

7
World War Two / Re: R O A C
« on: Thursday 19 April 12 13:27 BST (UK)  »
The clasp with the Africa Star would be either 1 or 8. It was to denote whether the soldier was with the 1st or 8th Army when he was in that theatre.

A Batman is someone who does the less important tasks an officer would have to do so that he is free to do the more important aspects. Think of it as a company director's PA and you'd be somewhere near. It's not as pompous as it sounds though as they did have real military worth e.g. an officer in action would get his batman to dig his slit trench for him (absolutely vital!) whilst he is off processing important documents or receiving the next day's orders, that sort of thing.

8
World War Two / Re: Tilley France
« on: Thursday 19 April 12 07:51 BST (UK)  »
144 service numbers are 'General Service' or more commonly known as 'General List' which you have rightly identified.

The cap badge appears to be Royal Scots Fusiliers though...

9
Armed Forces / Re: Information about these soldiers please
« on: Wednesday 11 April 12 19:19 BST (UK)  »
My apologies!

Kitcheners army were the conscripted soldiers.

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