Can anyone explain to me why the staff sergeant's shoulder flash and division flash are in white,and also anyone know what medal ribbon some are wearing? kind regards B/B
Yes. This is a published picture and not an archive copy. The censor has obliterated any signs that might identify the unit. Mike
what's date of photo? medal ribbon on cloest chap I'd say was 39-45 Star. The light blue of the ribbon always appears to be almost white in black & white pics from back then.
I was informed by a medal guru (on GWF) that early issue ribbons were in fact paper under cellulose. This makes b/w photo id even more difficult. The question at the time was about the Africa Star.
Could these troops be the London Irish rifles monty was visiting Ive noticed that their caubeens are pulled to the left and their cap badge over the right eye.?have you any say on it Richard? My avatar is of my uncle who served with the LIR'S and it shows the badge over the right eye.
would suggest LIR, but something doesn't look right - the photo may have been altered even more - I assume that the hackles and cap badges have been censored out.. would be nice to know when it was taken... Are there any clues from looking at Monty? He inspected the LIR (1st Bttn) in Ashford Kent in 1941 but i have a photo of that.. Given he skiddaddled from Italy at the end of 1943, not sure how he could have done anything post that time for the 1st or 2nd Bttn. Looks like Britain so perhaps a training cadre somewhere at home...although don't think there was an explicit resrve bttn of the LIR.. and so it goes on... edit update - looks like RUR as Owen suggests....
It's definitely RUR in 1944. This battalion RUR wore their GS Caps in a Caubeen style, pulled to the left.
thank you all for clearing up this matter,It was just that I had read somewhere, that it was only the LIRs who wore their head dress pulled to the left,as it didnt affect their aim when firing their rifles.
LIR is the only current existing British Army unit (albeit now just one company of the London Regiment) that does it.. I was speaking to an RUR contact this morning and he confirmed that 2 RUR did this "to be different..".. the 1st and 2nd Bttn RUR was amalgamated on 1st May 1948. Just to confirm Monty's date of inspection in the photo: "On March 8, General Sir Bernard Montgomery, K.C.B., D.S.O., inspected the Battalion and received a great reception from the men, especially from those who had served under him either in Palestine or in the 3rd Division in France and Belgium." best
thanks richard,guess this info is enough to put this thread to rest, thank you all for your fast replies.Regards B/B
When instituted, the 1939-45 Star was called the "1939-43" Star, and ribbons (only) were issued. Certainly could be that Star.
Just to clarify, image is 2 RUR inspection by Monty in Hawick, Scotland around St Patrick's Day. Shoulder flashes are censored because this came from my Dad's November 1944 copy of the "Magazine of the Royal Ulster Rifles"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b007cw2f/we-fought-on-dday (Belatedly) I spotted this from BBC NI...includes a bit on Monty visiting 2 RUR. "From the BBC archives, using rare archive footage and eye-witness interviews, this documentary recounts the previously untold stories of the local men from Northern Ireland who fought for the beaches, towns and villages of Normandy on 6 June 1944. The Royal Ulster Rifles was the only regiment in the Allied Forces to have two battalions serve on D-Day; one airborne and the other by sea. The film reveals the vital role that Northern Irish servicemen played in D-Day, as they landed on Sword Beach and experienced heavy German resistance as they liberated several villages in their push towards the city of Caen. Central to the film are interviews with veterans of the Royal Ulster Rifles, such as Bill McConnell who, as a fresh-faced teenager, flew into battle in a glider, and Stanley Burrows, who fought and was badly wounded in the battle for Cambes Woods."