Does any one recognise anyone in this picture

[atom12]

  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. 

[Mitch75]

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

[Hackstaple]

"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.

[Mitch75]

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

[Rena]

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

[scrimnet]

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.....

I probably missed some points....and sorry if I've banged on a bit here!!!

[scrimnet]

Here is the wider RAOC badge worn until 1947. The version posted by Anne is the post 1947 version I'm afraid...

[scrimnet]

And the RASC badge for Rena!

[Rena]

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