151st PARATROOP BATTALION

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by veronicad, Jan 30, 2015.

  1. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    If she had qualified in her own right but more likely she may have been given a set by the "lads" if she was popular. I have photos of RAF aircrew that dropped many Paras on training exercise and into action wearing "unofficial" Parachute Wings on their tunics

    John
     
  2. veronicad

    veronicad Well-Known Member

    Thanks to Horsepassenger, Redtop, Chuck, for pm. That's three who think she has been 'dressed up'.And perhaps she was?
    I thought maybe a pip on her shoulder too. Two people have also thought that she may be an Indian lady.
    My own thoughts, photograph is November 1941 to November 1942. 151ST Paratrooper Battalion. It would be fantastic if I could locate the Diary for that year. Drew, has tried at Kew, no luck there.
    Veronica.
     
  3. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    It looks like your Father was on the 3rd Parachute Course to be held at Chaklala which commenced on 8th December 1941. His rank at the time was L/Cpl and his service no is shown as 5249950 . Sorry no longer able to add pics to posts on this site - pm me your email address for a copy of the relevant page from the war diary

    John
     
  4. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    I entertained the notion privately with Veronica that Doris might be a Q.A.I.M.N.S. nursing sister. There was a British military hospital at Palam village which was nearby Willingdon Airfield. RAF pilot Joe Lane in his biography has pictures of himself in group photos with the nursing sisters while hospitalized there in 1946.

    Their uniforms went through a number of changes during the war especially their off duty and field outfits which were similar to what the men were wearing at the time. In 1942 they also adopted a scale of ranks and wore insignia to reflect that including pips on the shoulder straps.

    However I've never come across a a QA nurse wearing a field service cap (side cap) like Doris is wearing. Their non-ward caps went through a number of changes as well. By the time of the Normandy invasion they were in battledress and wore a bulgey kind of beret.

    I'm not totally sold on that theory but thought I should throw it out for consideration. And now that John has pointed out your Father's jump course as being at Chaklala (?) it seems less likely.

    Regards ...
     
  5. veronicad

    veronicad Well-Known Member

    Thanks to John. Post 23. The man mentioned was incorrect. However,the good news, John has now confirmed my Dad was course 13. April 1942. Marvellous stuff. Veronica.
     
  6. Tiswas

    Tiswas Member

    Hi John.
    I was reading through this forum regarding the 151/156 Parachute Battalion which my dad was in and noticed that in this reply you have put "His rank at the time was L/Cpl and his service number shown as 5249950" can you please shed some more light on this because my dad's service number was also 5249950 he was also a L/Cpl, his name was Frederick Edwards, is it the same person????
     
  7. veronicad

    veronicad Well-Known Member

    No, not the same person.I am sorry this must have confused you. ( Just as I was)
    Please PM me.Veronica.
     
  8. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Tiswas

    You will see on Post 25 that I had confused your Father with Veronica's. I can confirm that it was your Father L/Cpl F Edwards who was on Course No 3 at Chaklala.

    Veronica

    PM sent
     
  9. Tiswas

    Tiswas Member

    Is there any information or more important any photos regarding my father as stated above there might be something from the relevant page from the war diary, any info would be great.
     
  10. veronicad

    veronicad Well-Known Member

    I seems Tiswas was in shock! Just for a little while. Thinking, he had a secret sibling?Breath easy. As you now know two different men. Veronica.
     
  11. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hi Tiswas,

    I'll link to a page devoted to your father, L/Cpl Frederick Edwards, on Paradata which you are probably aware of, but may be of interest to others as well.

    Frederick Edwards | ParaData

    Regards ...
     
  12. Tiswas

    Tiswas Member

    Thank's for putting up the link, i did write the article about my father but unfortunately the photo i put on of the soldier in his army uniform if not him, someone gave me the wrong one many years ago......

    Yes Veronica i did think that you might have been another sister..........what a shock that would have been, do you have any group photos that might have my father on??
     
  13. veronicad

    veronicad Well-Known Member

    Hi, Tiswas, I only have the one photograph, which would be my Fathers group.(Stick) I have not been able to locate 151st diaries.Although a well known member here, has searched for me, at Kew.
    I have my Fathers paratrooper wings.As he never spoke of his time as a Paratrooper, nor later as a Chindit, I have had to piece his history together. Not an easy task. Veronica.
     
  14. Tiswas

    Tiswas Member

    I to have my fathers cloth wings plus his medals complete with the original box and letter they came with, his cap badge, L/C stripes and his soldiers service book, soldiers bible and book of psalms all dated 9/8/33, but unfortunately no photos of him during his army years, any help trying to locate some would be most appreciated.
     
  15. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hi,

    I came across this small collection of 7 photos of 151/156 Parachute Battalion at the Holland Patch online shop. The easiest way to get to it is by pasting 50664 in the Code/Word search box. Click on the image for more views. Unfortunately they have been sold.

    Holland Patch

    151-156 Para Battalion Collection.JPG

    Regards ...
     
  16. veronicad

    veronicad Well-Known Member

    Thank you for posting. Only wish I could get a better view. Name on reverse I believe reads Lea not Lee. Veronica.
     
  17. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Veronica,

    Yes it's such a shame that they turn out so small after downloading. Zooming up to 150% in the browser and then doing a screen capture helps, but still not the best. It looks like "Lea" on the back of the one and "Lee" on the other.

    50664-2.jpg

    Regards ...
     

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