Unit formations signs consist of either geometric shapes, heraldic devices, mythical creatures and wild animals. Eagles, wyverns, dragons, bulls and so on . So who an earth thought this would be a good device to have as the 9th Armoured Division sign? A Panada! What other un-warlike signs can you think of? Well the Jerboa comes to mind but I can see the reason behind that but again I say A PANDA????
Apparantly the Panda was chosen as it is an uncombative bear and the 9th was a training formation destined never to leave the UK. I have also read that it was some humourous corruption of the German Panzer..
Well the 3rd Australian Division in WW2's formation sign was a Koala bear. We recently adopted it as our logo when we deployed to the Solomon Islands. 1st time an independent reserve formation deployed in OPS since the 3rd Division went to Bougainville in 1944. Australian Army TAC signs from WW2
An couple that seem a wee bit un-war-like would have to the Daisy of the 32nd Army Tank Brigade and the the twin bells with ribbon bow of the 47th (London) Division. Seem more appropriate for a Hallmark card. From Cole's "Formation Badges":
I suppose the US 42nd Rainbow Division isn't exactly a macho image either. Rainbow Division Memorial Foundation, Inc. - Home Page
Seals aren't exactly the most warlike creatures: Aleutain Islands Forces c1943 Alaska Defense c1943 Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the United States Army of World War Two EDIT - sorry guys, attachments playing silly buggers
Gebirgsjager Edelweiss. Shoulder: Cap: Perhaps 'Unmilitary' but also immediately evocative of a military unit.
To join the regiment (or something) the prospective soldier had to climb to the top of the mountain unaided to pick a single Edleweiss flower and return with it in his cap. Bloody big mountain apparently. The Cheshire Regiments badge
Just felt like bumping an old thread I just came across whilst looking for something. Greyhounds aren't very fierce dogs. 116th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht) - Wikipedia
The 116th Divisional sign had a rather unusual origin: In the spring of 1943 members of the division found a half-starved greyhound in the Kalmyk steppes, nursed it up to health and christened it "Sascha". After reclassification into 116th Panzer Division, the greyhound became the division badge.Later a second greyhound "Ari" was adopted. Both dogs went missing after an incident in Holland 1945 when the dogs ran after a rabbit.
