I'm trying to find information regarding the markings of 142 Regiment RAC in Italy and would appreciate some guidance. I know that they reatined the Suffolk Regiment cap badge instead of reverting to the RAC badge so that's one aspect sorted. Knowing they were part of the 25th Tank Brigade would give us the Black diablo on a red background but have also seen a version from, aparently, late 44 onwards in which they wore a maple leaf in the top portion of the Diablo. Can someone pin this down to an order or was it a more informal affair? I have also seen the attached, which suggests that they wore this on their battledress. Is this so? if not, what DID they were on BD? What do the two vertical parts of the badge denote? Also, being part of 25th Tank Brigade, would this mean that they were equipped with Churchill NA75s at some point, akin to the NIH? Apologies for the silly questions!
Here is the 25th Tank Brigade Order of Battle for 8 November 1944 from a V Corps Order of Battle showing unit numbers. 25th TANK BRIGADE (Temporarily under command 4th British Division) HQ Units 160 HQ 25th Tank Brigade Armoured Troops 161 The North Irish Horse 162 51st Royal Tank Regiment 163 142nd Regiment, RAC 253 253rd Forward Delivery Squadron - u/c 1st Armoured Replacement Group Engineers 22 3rd Troop, 3rd Field Squadron Signals 160 25th Tank Brigade Signal Section ST 164 27th Company (Tank Brigade) Medical 75 5th Light Field Ambulance Ordnance 668 25th Tank Brigade Ordnance Field Park REME 165 25th Tank Brigade Workshop Provost One Section, 506th Provost Company Postal 25th Tank Brigade Postal Unit
Here is a little blurb on the 142nd RAC while under the 25th Tank Brigade in Italy regarding equipment. 25th Tank Brigade – 1 June 1942 to 18 December 1944 The regiment was equipped with Churchills through the end of 1944. It left the United Kingdom on January 22nd, 1943 and landed at Algiers on February 1st, 1943. It served in the Tunisian campaign through May 1943. Many Churchills were brought up to NA75 standards for Italy after the campaign was over. It embarked from North Africa on April 17th, 1944 and arrived at Naples on April 20th. In Italy each squadron had a SHQ of three Churchills, two three-tank troops of Churchills and two three-tank troops of Shermans after 1944. On May 15th the regiment had 5 Churchill Is, 22 Churchill IIIs and IVs, 3 Churchill ARVs, and 11 Sherman I and IIs. On June 3rd, 1944 the Recce Troop effected the junction between the 8th Army and the 5th US Army at Valmontone, Italy. The regiment breached the Gothic Line near Rimini on August 28th, 1944. It was attached to 8th Indian Division for a time in June 1944.
Excellent stuff, thank you Dryan. The breakdown of equipment is most useful, particularly relating to the individual Churchil marks and quantities. Just need to pin down the insignia now!
As an independent Brigade, there is no reason why they would not have worn the Brigade insignia on their battledress. The original sign was a plain black diabolo; later, so my information (Dick Taylor's Warpaint Vol 3) says, it became a black diabolo on a shield split vertically into a red half and a yellow half (not always the same way round!), and later still, in mid 1944, after successfully supporting the Canadians, they were granted the honour of adding a small white maple leaf on the upper part of the diabolo. I must point out that Dick Taylor's book aims to list the formation signs painted on vehicles, rather than those worn on battledress which are often slightly different. But your pic does seem to show a red and yellow background, even if not half and half! Possibly the officially issued sign for battledress was just the black diabolo and your version was a handmade one to reflect the updated patch. I have the feeling that somewhere on this forum there is more detail about which Canadians they supported, and in which battle, and who granted them the changed sign with the maple leaf. Chris
Thanks Chris, I am aware of the changes in the insignia itself, more wanting confirmation of the order giving permission for the maple leaf or whether it was a 'blind-eye' type of thing. As you say, there was a lot of variation in such a short space of time. The vehicle markings are the easy thing to find but the actually uniform formation signs are a bit of a pain to find. I know Fruitcake has recently pinned down 107 RAC formation signs and that took him a while (even with some good IWM photos for help). This being Italy, is somewhat harder to pin down!
Combover If you were to click on to Gerry Chesters web site- you will find the whole story on how they- the 25th TB- were awarded the Maple Leaf which was added to the Back Diablo after the Operation Diadem in the Liri Valley may /June '44 for their efforts in supporting 1st Cdn Div whilst we in 21st TB did more at the Gothic line - including breaking it first - were ONLY awarded the red patch of the 1st Div..sniff... Cheers
Hi Combover, Have a look on www.britishbadgeforum.com and enter '142 Regt RAC' - Everything you could hope for I imagine. Sending you a PM shortly on related matters. Regards, Paddy
Hello guys. I have the 142nd RAC War Diary for the Gothic Line period if it holds any clues, I can put it on Dropbox for any interested parties. I found out quite a bit about 21 Tank brigade's markings in the Gothic Line via regimental war diaries. Has anyone got any details about 12 RTR tank names for 1944? By the way Paddy, Tom and David, my book on the 21st Tank Brigade and the 1st Canadian Corps in the Battle of the Gothic Line is almost done text-wise now and I will thank each of you for all the help kindly given. I can be contacted at leifyATsympaticoDOTca (replace AT with @ and DOT with .) for the Dropbox
Hello PH, Go to northrishhorse.net, then click on 'Modelling Churchils' for basic markings info then on '25th Tank Brigade' for specifics. As the affairs of the two Churchill brigades that fought in Tunisia and Italy are so intertwined, to help sort out what happened exactly where and when, mý current project is transcribing their war diaries plus other related documents. Now that Adam kindly took care of the attachment programme for me the first posting is imminent. D-Day Dodger, Gerry
Gerry. Yesterday afternoon, I walked the ground that A Sqn NIH attacked over during Op CHESTERFIELD in support of PPCLI. The German defensive position was quite something. Regards FdeP
Minden Most German defensive positions were quite something....... the only easy one we found was over the Foglia where they hadn't had enough time to finish it....but they made up for that at Coriano- where 17DRYCH is wandering around this week.... wondering how we managed to keep going... Cheers
Hi My Name is Peter Smith my farther Ronald Edward Smith was Trouper in 142 RAC I believe C sqd He fought in Tunisia on operation chesterfield At Medjez el bab On Banana ridge And went to Italy fought hitler line and ensuing battles up Italy I want t see 142 rac war diaries if anybody can help Let me know on here or 07941373763 or peter.smithjan1957@yahoo.co.uk let me know happy to share info I have
This is the insignia worn on Battledress by the men of 142 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps. The black 25 Army Tank Brigade diablo had no backing, it was sewn straight onto the sleeve. This particular blouse is one of a pair worn by Major Bill Payn (the other is an American War Aid blouse and has red and yellow ribbon under the rank crown). After the disbandment of 142 he continued to wear them while serving in a Staff role so this is what was being worn at the time of disbandment. The Other Ranks wore the black diablo and red and yellow stripes on the detachable shoulder straps of their khaki drill shirts. The OR cap badge was a standard bi-metal version, worn on the black beret, not an all white metal version as is often assumed. I hope this helps?
Not tried looking at the insignia but this is a video of them in action at Banana Ridge 21/22 April 1943. Title: Churchill Tanks of 'B' Squadron 142 RAC along with men of the 1st Battalion Loyals of the 1st Infantry Division, repel an attack by II/Herman Goering Jager Regiment and Panzer Regiment.7 on 'Banana Ridge' and 'Grenadier Hill' just east of Medjez El Bab.
Hi Taff, A while since I’ve been around etc… The Red/Yellow flash signifies The Suffolk Regt (7th Bn became 142 RAC) in particular and was also worn as a flash on the arm similar to other Arm of Service flashes Re, RA etc. A coincidence that 25th Tank Bde also had a Red/Yellow bracking to their Black Diabolo seeing as 142 was originally the junior unit after NIH and 51st RTR (Leeds Rifles) ETA - This was up until 25th Tank Brigade was broken up - NIH becoming Senior unit in 21st Tank Bde and 51st RTR, 142 RAC and elements of 1st Armoured Div (disbanded post Coriano Ridge) becoming 25th Armoured Engineer Bde RE. They retained the Black Diabolo but superimposed on tbe RE Corps flash (2 Blue stripes on Red background) the Maple leaf was mist likely retained by those who had been part of 25th TB when it was awarded.
