Help Wanted - Can anyone identify the regiment please?

Discussion in 'General' started by CornwallPhil, Aug 7, 2019.

  1. CornwallPhil

    CornwallPhil Senior Member

    I have cropped this soldier from a photo taken in Cornwall in the spring of 1943. He is involved in giving a group of civilians a demonstration on a mortar range. Can anyone identify his regiment please?
    ww2 forum crop.jpg
     
  2. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    I’m guessing that pic has been colourised? Badge looks like the black cat of 56 Inf Div to me?
     

    Attached Files:

  3. CornwallPhil

    CornwallPhil Senior Member

    Many thanks, Alex. Now to check whether they were in Hayle in the spring of 1943. No, the pic has not been colourised. It is an original WW2 colour photo taken by Jack Smith, the Ministry of Information official photographer.
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  5. Gary Kennedy

    Gary Kennedy Member

    56th Division left the UK in late August 1942 and remained in the Middle East/Med area till the end of the war.

    Gary
     
  6. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    46th Division?

    They left the UK in Jan ''43, but could he be a stragglers or a reinforcement.

    Need the larger picture for more clues.
     
  7. DannyM

    DannyM Member

    Hi,
    There are some more photos covering the event that this photo was taken at online at the IWM website.

    Regards

    Danny


    IWM (D 12429) UNDER FIRE - AS A REWARD: MORTAR BOMB PRODUCTION AND TESTING AT J & F POOL'S NO 1 WORKS, HAYLE, CORNWALL, ENGLAND, 1943
    A group of mostly women war workers stand, many with their fingers in their ears, on the sand of a coastal test range to watch as several soldiers launch mortar bombs. The workers are from J & F Pool Ltd, a small factory in the West Country, and have been rewarded by the Ministry of Supply for producing 1 million mortar bombs with a trip to see some of their handiwork in action.

    IWM (D 12431) UNDER FIRE - AS A REWARD: MORTAR BOMB PRODUCTION AND TESTING AT J & F POOL'S NO 1 WORKS, HAYLE, CORNWALL, ENGLAND, 1943

    IWM (D 12432) UNDER FIRE - AS A REWARD: MORTAR BOMB PRODUCTION AND TESTING AT J & F POOL'S NO 1 WORKS, HAYLE, CORNWALL, ENGLAND, 1943

    Universal Carrier
    IWM (D 12424) UNDER FIRE - AS A REWARD: MORTAR BOMB PRODUCTION AND TESTING AT J & F POOL'S NO 1 WORKS, HAYLE, CORNWALL, ENGLAND, 1943

    IWM (D 12427) UNDER FIRE - AS A REWARD: MORTAR BOMB PRODUCTION AND TESTING AT J & F POOL'S NO 1 WORKS, HAYLE, CORNWALL, ENGLAND, 1943

    Factory
    IWM (D 12423) UNDER FIRE - AS A REWARD: MORTAR BOMB PRODUCTION AND TESTING AT J & F POOL'S NO 1 WORKS, HAYLE, CORNWALL, ENGLAND, 1943

    IWM (D 12418) UNDER FIRE - AS A REWARD: MORTAR BOMB PRODUCTION AND TESTING AT J & F POOL'S NO 1 WORKS, HAYLE, CORNWALL, ENGLAND, 1943

    D 12421 UNDER FIRE - AS A REWARD: MORTAR BOMB PRODUCTION AND TESTING AT J & F POOL'S NO 1 WORKS, HAYLE, CORNWALL, ENGLAND, 1943
     
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  8. DannyM

    DannyM Member

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  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

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  10. DannyM

    DannyM Member

    Hi,
    Maybe one of the South Lancashire battalions.

    Regards

    Danny

    TR  badge.jpg TR title.jpg
     
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  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Looking at the order of battle on the wiki page , seeing the single red arm of service stripe on his arm indicating the senior brigade and Danny's post above I'd say they were 1/4th South Lancs in 164 Bde as photo dated 1943.
     
  12. CornwallPhil

    CornwallPhil Senior Member

    Thanks for all the helpful input above.
    Brian Sullivan in his book 'Hayle in World War II' says the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers departed the town in early 1943 and were replaced by the Durham Light Infantry. They in turn were replaced by the Kings Own Royal Regiment and finally the Devonshire Regiment before the Yanks arrived.
    However the shoulder flashes don't fit with any of those, so I think Owen & Danny may be cracking it.
     
  13. wibs12

    wibs12 Well-Known Member

    I've researched the 1/4th South Lancashire's during 1943-44, but only from July 1943 onwards (when my grandad was posted).

    I've just been back to the war diaries and read the January to June entries for the first time; what you say definitely fits.

    The 1/4th South Lancashire's were based in Helston, Cornwall from 1st Jan 1943 to 7th May 1943 when they moved to Trelowarren up the road. Next relocation was the move to Newhaven, Sussex on 28-May. They remained in Sussex until December when they moved to Northern Ireland.

    The diaries do not make specific mention of the war workers at J&F Pool. However, there are repeated mentions of training exercises conducted at Hayle Range throughout January to May. There is one specific entry which feels like possibility of being relevant:

    28th April 1943..... Divisional Commander visited unit and was present at C Company demonstration "In the Attack"

    Feels like the sort of thing the top brass could be present for?
     
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  14. CornwallPhil

    CornwallPhil Senior Member

    Thanks wibs12.
    The visit of the war workers to the range was reported in War Illustrated on 14th May 1943 so your dates fit nicely.
    Helston to Hayle is only 10 miles and being based there would explain why Brian Sullivan didn't mention them in his book on Hayle.
    It's possible top brass may have showed up but nothing I've seen related to the event has hinted at it.
     

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