Hi Guys. Trying to solve a mystery. James Sidney Smith joined Royal Suffolk’s, then apparently went over to Airborne. His Service Card shows transfer to Royal Artillery, but every picture of him after that day is in Parachute Regiment Beret and badge. The photo with family is dated May 1944, but I’ve noticed the shoulder badge is missing (where it would say Parachute Regiment) Service Records have been applied for (still waiting) Any help appreciated!! Thanks, Alex
He was with 53rd Air Landing Light Regiment - I've seen other examples of non-Parachute Regiment men wearing the Regimental badge but that tends to be attached/embedded types like Army Catering Corps - maybe he was attached to a Parachute Battalion with a Forward Observer team but that is a bit of a punt. Be interested to see what you can turn up
Hi 53 Air Land Regt War Diaries (part of 6 Airborne Division) transcribed here 53rd (Worcestershire Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment, RA Hope this helps Gus
Tremendous! Where is that document? I did suggest to his family maybe he was a FOO team member, but the thing is he still has Para wings when the RA were glider borne. Still Can’t figure out why no shoulder title either? Alex.
Its on Ancestry. As for the wings, some units came as mixed forces so vehicles etc came by glider with a skeleton crew but others jumped and they met at the RV (hopefully) before going into action but that doesn't seem to be the case with the Light Regiments RA - although again if he was with a FOO party he may have parachuted with a Battalion, also even in Glider units some men were parachute trained, but they usually wore a "light bulb" qualification badge on the cuff rather than wings - his Service Records will show hopefully.
Had it confirmed by the records from Ringway (via Airborne Assault Museum) that he was indeed parachute trained on course 116 in May 1944. He was badged to 53 Light (Airborne) but was allowed to wear the Para cap badge as was the norm at the time. Thanks all for your help! Alex.
Well, hard to say, but there’s enough evidence of Para qualified medics etc with Para cap badge. It seems they may have been “allowed” to wear it if they were qualified parachutists. Without finding it mentioned in dress regs we will never know exactly.
Does this help Parachutist Badge (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia Army The British Army has three parachute qualification badges for non Special Forces qualified soldiers: Assistant Parachute Jump Instructor; Parachute Badge with Wings (also used by the Royal Marines and Royal Navy), and Parachute Badge without Wings.[2] The Parachute Badge with Wings insignia, which depicts an open parachute embroidered in white flanked by a pair of wings embroidered in light blue, is only to be worn by a qualified parachutist who has subsequently been on the posted strength of a unit where he may be ordered in the course of his duties to parachute.[4] Those who do not serve with a parachute unit are permitted to wear the Parachute Badge without Wings, colloquially known as the 'Lightbulb'.[5] If he was a FOO then he could be wearing the 'Lightbulb' assuming he has passed the parachute course TD Also found this article interesting and it specifically mentions 53 Air Landing Light Regt and how FOO's fitted in A short history of the Airborne Forward Observer Units, Royal Artillery, during the Second World War | ParaData https://nebula.wsimg.com/944ab7c55e...1553F553BBD27F066&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 Go to page 2 - the image connects the words below- Gunner J.R. Purser 2 FOU. The parachute cord strands hanging from his Denison smock zipper represent every jump he made up until 4 October 1944. John recorded in a letter dated 28 September 1994 that although many members of 2 FOU were qualified to wear the Glider Trained Infantry Badge, he could not recall anyone going out of their way to actually wear it. The man at right is also a British member of 2 FOU.
As I mentioned above when men from other units are attached to the Parachute Regiment Battalions (Army Catering Corps, REME armourers and Medics for example) there seems to be some leeway, but even then its hit and miss - for a gunner the RA badge would be the default (although with the 53rd it may have been the Worcestershire Yeomanry badge) if you google photos of the unit RA seems normal, as I suggested earlier FOO attached to a Parachute Battalion is a possible but if that was the case he would very much not be the norm for a gunner.
Yes I agree it was strange to see obvious Para markings when clearly an RA soldier on his form. He was on jump course 116, so he was put on that course for a reason, hard to know exactly why.
