A bit of a puzzle.....Help ID Regiment

With the board's indulgence this is almost certainly a little outside the normal scope of this forum so I've posted it here in the hope that someone may be able to help.

i've been asked by a friend to try and find out anything about the wartime career of her Great Grandfather John Thomas Hindley. there are no other detauils other than that he was born in 1916, married in 1940 and had a son in 1942. What the family do have is this picture.....



The gentleman in question is the one lying down on the left of the picture. I thought it was a picture of a group of between the wars Territorials. I note the guy standing on the left has medal ribbons and appears somewhat older. I thought the badge may have been South Staffs., but it has been suggested elsewhere that it could have been Gloucestershire Regiment. A birth date of 1916 puts the picture somewhere between 1933/4 and the time that the old fashioned tunics were replaced.

Any help that anyone can offer regarding date, Regiment or anything else would be most appreciated.

Regards,

Kevin Mears

 

Only one guy has ammo boots on and no putties have no idea what that means but still. Are the caps guard caps?


Just had a look in the Men at Arms book, don't think the caps are guard caps but look very smart for troops in the field.

 

Random guess from me: Berkshires?

 

all i can tell is,its not the staffs as it looks too big and no rope twist

 

The Derbyshire Yeomanry?




Cheers
Kevin

 

A handy source of reference: A good start point.

(1901) The Regimental Records of the British Army


Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry ?




In 1933 a mechanized cavalry regiment

 

although cap badge says to me Glosters ...
I agree

 

A birth date of 1916 puts the picture somewhere between 1933/4 and the time that the old fashioned tunics were replaced.


Kevin, those tunics were still being issued/worn as late as August 1939. I have a rather spiffing photo of my grandfather wearing one at that time. He was born in 1918 and began his National Service around June/July 1939.

Lee

 

Under magnification the badge shown is surmounted by a crown not a Sphinx.






See man standing centre rear collar badges as above.



Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry - if as it would appear they are - they are still on the Army List:





RGH - Part of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry. Challenger 2 Tank and Recce units.

 

do we know where he was from? a birth location would certainly help if known.

theres a john t hindley born 1916 in wolverhampton, mothers maiden name Bates. its the only john T i can find in that year

looks like the same John T married someone with maiden name of Cowling in Bilston 1940.

Hmmm ... may not be the one though.... they had a son called philip in 1943. there were 3 others born to this women in 47, 48 and 51. probably not the correct John T

 

Many thanks to everyone for their help. As always, the answers only generate more questions so I find myself wondering why a Bilston/Wolverhampton man was serving in the Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry? Were the Yeomanry or Royal Gloucestershire Hussars in France in 1940? The Gentleman in question's son remembers him talking about Dunkirk?

Really struggling on this one so any help greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Kevin Mears

 

The Second World War

During the Second World War three lines of RGH existed.

• 1st RGH guarded the South West of England after Dunkirk. Due to leave for Africa as part of British 6th Armoured Division, a last minute change saw the line spend the majority of the war as a UK Defence / Training regiment. After VJ Day 1st RGH were sent to Austria and took part in the Musical Ride at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.
• 2nd RGH reached Egypt in October 1941 as part of British 22nd Armoured Brigade. The unit took part in many of the key battles in Operation Crusader. In subsequent engagements the RGH suffered many casualties and was re-equipped on two occasions. 2nd RGH fought its final action at Battle of Alam el Halfa, on 31 August to 5 September 1942. Expecting to be re-equipped the regiment was instead disbanded with 'F', 'G' and 'H' Squadrons transferred to the 4th Hussars, Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry and the 8th Hussars respectively. HQ Squadron was divided and sent to the 5th Royal Tank Regiment and the 3rd Hussars.
• 3rd RGH, consisting of the equivalent of a single troop of one officer and 30 men, was at various times either a training 'regiment', a trials unit or a decoy unit.

Kevin reasonably sure he was with RGH - one way to find out - email or contact the Museum or the current Squadron with Royal Wessex Yeomanry - usually somebody willing to help and confirm or not!

 

Thanks to everyone for their help.

Paul.

Yes, you have the right man. Philip is the son I referred to who remembers his father talking about Dunkirk and Miss Cowling who he married was in fact Phoebe Josephine Cowling. How a man born and raised in the Bilston area, who got married there in the June quarter of 1940 and whose childrens birth were registered there ever came to be serving with the Gloucestershire Hussars I have no idea.

Wills.

I found that information on the internet too and am a little puzzled. It states 1 RGH guarded the South West after Dunkirk. Does this mean just generally after the period of the evacuation from Dunkirk or after 1 RGH returned from dunkirk, assuming they were ever there in the first place.

I shall follow up these leads on Monday.

Regards,

Kevin Mears

 

Were the Yeomanry or Royal Gloucestershire Hussars in France in 1940?


Nope

 

Oh dear.

i think the only way forward is for the family to apply for his Service Records and hope that they may shed some light on the matter.

Regards,

Kevin Mears

 

Did he defo go to France in 39/40?

 

Drew.

The son is having problems remembering but does have a clear memory that his Father mentioned Dunkirk. I've given the family a series of questions to see if i can find out any more. All I can work from at the moment is the son's admittedly sketchy memory. So no, I can't say whether he was in France or not or anything else at the moment.

it's certainly a difficult one.

regards,

kevin mears

 

Records are always the best bet mate - They stop speculation and uncertainty. The problem with a cap badge is if you do ID it there is then the problem of what battalion was he in as most infantry units that went to France had several battalions there and in some cases 5 or 6 IIRC.

I still think its Berks.