Braided Yellow lanyard as worn by 2 Para in WW2

Discussion in 'General' started by kingarthur, Feb 27, 2011.

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  1. kingarthur

    kingarthur Well-Known Member

    I am currently trying to source a braided Yellow lanyard that would been worn by 2 Para in WW2.
    I am not expecting to find the authentic article but would appreciate a pointer in the direction of a replica. The item is for a display I am doing is association with my grandfather medal collection.

    Thanks
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  3. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    get a white lanyard and some anti malariapils, thats how they were made yellow by the Battalion :)
     
  4. kingarthur

    kingarthur Well-Known Member

    Thank you both for the quick response.

    The only 2 photographic references I have are the back cover of Bob Peatlings book 'No surrender at Arnhem' and a 1942 picture of my grandad wearing one. It appears to be braided in a rather distinctive way, being unfamiliar with modern day lanyards I am unsure if it is still the current style.

    I did actually read somewhere very recently that they dyed them yellow.
     

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  5. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    just go to Ebay and look for white RA lanyard WOII you still can get them for a cheap price,and maybe someone can help out with the pills, you always can give it a try, I have orginal 3rd Bn and 1st Para Lanyards, but no 2nd Bn one, so can help out with the correct colour
     
  6. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Some lucky people got a 'replica' 2nd Btn lanyard when B Company Arrived came out some years ago......
     
  7. TomTAS

    TomTAS Very Senior Member

    Hi Mate,

    Check out B Comp they have a few photos with this one...

    Cheers
    Tom
     
  8. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    The malaria tablets they used were mepacrine - also made the takers turn a fetching shade of yellow in some cases
     
  9. kingarthur

    kingarthur Well-Known Member

    Some lucky people got a 'replica' 2nd Btn lanyard when B Company Arrived came out some years ago......

    Would you have been one of those lucky ones AM:lol:
     
  10. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Perhaps the first 20 or 30 buyers got a lanyard.....
     
  11. Paul Pariso

    Paul Pariso Very Senior Member

    Thank you both for the quick response.

    The only 2 photographic references I have are the back cover of Bob Peatlings book 'No surrender at Arnhem' and a 1942 picture of my grandad wearing one. It appears to be braided in a rather distinctive way, being unfamiliar with modern day lanyards I am unsure if it is still the current style.

    I did actually read somewhere very recently that they dyed them yellow.

    The way the ones on Peatling's books (it's the same pic on the rear of "Without Tradition") are plaited reminds me of those plastic bracelets that all the kids were making a few years ago.........
     
  12. kingarthur

    kingarthur Well-Known Member

    The way the ones on Peatling's books (it's the same pic on the rear of "Without Tradition") are plaited reminds me of those plastic bracelets that all the kids were making a few years ago.........

    Your not wrong there Mr P.:)
     
  13. Tab

    Tab Senior Member

    If he was with 2 para then the lanyard should have been blue. Now many of the units attached to the Airborne had their own coloured lanyards. RA had a white one if I remember rightly. HQ had a multi coloured one with Red,Blue & Green in it. If you look for the units that wore a gold lanyard in those days and that is where no doubt it came from.
     
  14. Daan

    Daan Èrnemmer for life!

    If he was with 2 para then the lanyard should have been blue.

    What's your reference for this statement, if I may ask?
     
  15. kingarthur

    kingarthur Well-Known Member

    If he was with 2 para then the lanyard should have been blue. Now many of the units attached to the Airborne had their own coloured lanyards. RA had a white one if I remember rightly. HQ had a multi coloured one with Red,Blue & Green in it. If you look for the units that wore a gold lanyard in those days and that is where no doubt it came from.


    As Philip pointed out earlier in the thread they were originally white but were dyed yellow.My grandfather makes reference to wearing his in 1942 in a letter sent to my grandmother and I also have a portrait of him wearing the yellow lanyard on his left shoulder just prior to him leaving for North Africa.

    I think you may like to take alook at the picture I posted earlier, I also believe there is a reference made to it Johnny Frost's 'Drop too many'

    There is also certainly no 'IF' about him being in the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.
     
  16. Paul Pariso

    Paul Pariso Very Senior Member

    If he was with 2 para then the lanyard should have been blue. Now many of the units attached to the Airborne had their own coloured lanyards. RA had a white one if I remember rightly. HQ had a multi coloured one with Red,Blue & Green in it. If you look for the units that wore a gold lanyard in those days and that is where no doubt it came from.


    You may well be right about the units that were "attached" to the airborne, but 2 Para in WW2 DEFINITELY had a gold/yellow lanyard. IMHO the references to it from numerous sources, eg Frost, Peatling, Sims etc put it beyond doubt.

    All the best............:)
     
  17. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    1st Para GREEN
    2nd Para YELLOW
    3rd Para RED
    10 Para shoulder badge
    11 Para ??
    156 Para BLACK
     
  18. Sussex by the Sea

    Sussex by the Sea Senior Member

    1st Para GREEN
    2nd Para YELLOW
    3rd Para RED
    10 Para shoulder badge
    11 Para ??
    156 Para BLACK

    Philip,
    What does the 10 Para shoulder badge look like?
    Steve
     
  19. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Found this. Lanyards were worn on the left shoulder (best BD), coloured shoulder strap loops were worn on both shoulders (BD and Denison smock).
    Parachute battalions:
    1st battalion: green lanyard
    2nd battalion: yellow: lanyard
    3rd battalion: red lanyard
    4th battalion: black lanyard
    5th battalion: Hunting Stewart tartan behind cap badge
    6th battalion: black collar ribbon
    7th battalion green cloth behind cap badge
    7th battalion: green loop
    8th battalion: dark blue loop
    9th battalion: maroon loop
    10th battalion: light blue and dark blue with orange strip in the middle
    12th battalion: light blue loop
    13th battalion: black loop
    12th battalion: light blue epaulet loop with "Yorkshire"
    156th battalion: black lanyard and qualification wings on a black background
    1st Canadian para battalion: yellow loop
    21nd and 22nd Independent Parachute Company: white/blue lanyard WWIIReenacting.co.uk Forums • View topic - Lanyards and to satisfy my own curiosity this link on the 11th Btn WWIIReenacting.co.uk Forums • View topic - 11th para.bat. lanyard help
     
  20. idler

    idler GeneralList

    10 Para:

    [​IMG]

    Incidentally, ParaData confirms that 2 Para's postwar DZ flash was blue, I think that's what Tab has in mind.
     

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