I've been having a tidy up and have found a set of, I'd estimate, sixty or seventy photographs that I bought for a couple of pounds from a relative of a post-war soldier (no useful information supplied). There's a varied bunch of subjects, including the ubiquitous troop ships, street scenes, camels and fellahs in traditional garb, but the military shots included aren't too bad and tend to have captions. From those I've managed to glean that the man was in the region around 1951-52 and spent time in Fayid, Ismailia, Port Said (perhaps just in transit) and Transjordan. The images are tiny and need work to tidy up, so I've started with a sub-set identifiable as having been taken on a single day. The location is Mount Shubra/Gebel Shubra Wit (AKA: "The Flea"), about an hour's walk from the camp at Fayid Compare with this image: Description here: Canal Zoners - Just Reminiscing The cap-badge looks distinctive in shape--and I've done a zoom of the most promising shot. Is anybody able to make a stab as to the unit or come up with any other clues from these images? Caption: "Stop that playing about at the back there!" Caption: "Gebel Shaubret, i.e. BIG FLEA. The black squares are the targets." Caption: "Waiting for a target to appear." Caption: "Aim! REST" Caption: "FIRE!" [Zoomed--Caption as above] The unit flash is illegible even under a magnifying glass, but I could almost swear it's three words: medium length word--short--medium. Just a thought, but in 1951-52, did the RAF Regiment use army ranks? There's a 'Pte' in the caption of the final image. Caption: "Old Soldier. 12 Years Service. Pte McGuy 12 months."
RAF Regiment formed in 1942.....RAF ranks....the service set up to protect airfields home and abroad. Before that the Army gave defensive cover for airfields and were based on RAF airfields....reflected by the army casualties recorded in RAF station ORBs especially during the duration of the Battle of Britain
That rules out one possibility, thank you. I'm looking at that smooth curve at the bottom of the cap badge and wondering 'light infantry'? But both men seem to have an element that 'turns down' at the far right of the badge and I can't place it.
I would say it looks like Royal Army Pay Corps which also fits with the shoulder title being several small words.
I hadn't considered that for a moment, but it is a possibility. Another of 'our man's' comrades has a caption saying that he was released from National Service early to attend university. That might jibe with the more cerebral end of soldiering.
Interesting, if post war, that the Corporal is not wearing a beret, but one of those strange wartime things not unlike a beret in shape, but differently made. Can't remember the name of them. Chris
