Hi, I cannot give you a full coloured picture - my records are still locked up in a 20x8 shipping container - but can give you a verbal description, helped by this photograph of Tiger 131: http://www.nih.ww2site.com/nih/vehiclegallery/Tiger-131-3.jpg The cross is red on a white shield - the dagger's blade is white, its handle metallic.
I had been told it was a St Georges Cross and a St Georges Cross with a sword. I wasn't sure which was correct! Thanks for confirming Gerry!
Just goes to show.....I have an excellent memory, but I was pretty sure it was blue cross on a white background... I must be wrong! 1st Corps was a White arrow or lance head on a red diamond back ground. 8th Corps was a charging white knight on a white horse, jouster! on a red rectagular background. 30 Corps was a black leapng wild boar in a white circle, on a square black background. 12th Corps was three green trees, on a greensward in an eliptical white cartouche on a black rectangular back ground. Sapper
Sapper, your memory is better than mine - you are correct it is a blue cross! There is no excuse, I looked at that darn Tiger when it was on display in Tunis.
You surprise me Gerry! After 62 years to be quite honest you may well have been right......I certainly would not swear to it mate!. What is pleasant about that, is approaching 82 I can still recall with remakable clarity what I was doing at the age of 19. Although back some years ago now, I had a bit of a struggle with "The grim Reaper" I beat the old devil then.....But what is so odd, is that there are small areas of memory that are completely wiped clean.....Just as though it had been deleted on a computer....try as I may, I cannot get certain patches back, and that is sad....... But considering the extent of the war injuries I sustained.....I wonder how I managed to get this far... Having said that, my attitude now is "Keep it going Sapper" Though the war injuries are becoming very difficult to deal with now. Sapper
Looks like it to me Owen.Though I must say I would not have argued with Gerry. to be fair it is a hell of a long time ago. Cheers sapper.
Is this First Army? Yes Owen, it is the shoulder badge. The blue is darker than I remember but after sixty years plus!! Anyway, as soon as I can get into the shipping container I will dig out 1st Army's Service of Thanksgiving which has the insignia in colour of all the major units - also I will check when I gain access to NIH's records in Belfast next month. Cheers, Gerry
According to Hodges & Taylor's "British Military markings 1939-1945", The red cross on white is 1st Army and the blue cross on white is 2nd Army. This is corroborated by Howard Cole's "Formation badges of WW2" Rich
Rich is correct as confirmed on the relative page of the RA site: RA 1939-45 90 Fld Rgt My first thought, as earlier posted, that the cross was red must have been right. What tricks one's memory plays!
Stone me! The one we met up with in Europe was a blue cross as Gerry may recall? But dont bet on it. Sapper
The RA piece confirms that 2nd Army's cross was blue, also my first thought that 1st Army's was red. 8th Army's in which we served in Italy had a yellow cross but without the sword; 14th Army had the sword but not the cross. The crows may be stoned but not you Sapper, even though the North Irish Horse did not serve in the NWE Theatre!
Question to the Veterans! Would the First Army badge be worn at the same time as the divisional badge or were they worn separately?
Question to the Veterans! Would the First Army badge be worn at the same time as the divisional badge or were they worn separately? Sorry I'm not a Veteran but.... The First Army badge would have been worn by the Troops at Army Command level. Divisonal troops would have only worn their Div badge. Though alot of the time they wore no badges at all.
Old thread but just found this photo. A signboard erected in the town of Gafsa in readiness for the link-up of the Eighth and First Armies, 26-27 March 1943.
You wore your Div sign not the army sign... Indeed, some of us would not have it any other way.... Esprit de corps! We were the best! Pride in regiment or Corps! very powerful pride... Sapper
