Uniform ID Special Forces?

Discussion in 'Special Forces' started by nemesis, Jun 10, 2009.

  1. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    Can anyone ID the uniforms worn here and era? The man on the right was a Royal Signals Soldier[​IMG]
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I know the picture is old but they looks like post war Swedish cam uniforms. The Norwegians have a similiar design too.

    Taken in the balkans:
    [​IMG]


    Can I ask what you know about the picture and the chap in the Signals?

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  3. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    I know the picture is old but they looks like post war Swedish cam uniforms. The Norwegians have a similiar design too.

    Taken in the balkans:
    [​IMG]


    Can I ask what you know about the picture and the chap in the Signals?

    Cheers
    Andy
    hi Andy He was Sgt Sid Alford 2375624 WW2 medals 39/45 star Africa Italy War and Defence and GSM Palestine 45/48 and Malaya.
    I have a WW2 photo of him in uniform R Sigs beret Armoured corps flash ( Iron Fist)
     
  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Would love to see that mate, any idea of the units other than the mailed fist (was it 11 Div during WW2) I know the mailed fist is 20 Armd Bde today :)

    Regards
    Andy
     
  5. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    [​IMG]Would love to see that mate, any idea of the units other than the mailed fist (was it 11 Div during WW2) I know the mailed fist is 20 Armd Bde today :)

    Regards
    Andy
     
  6. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    The mailed fist was 6th Armoured Division in WW2.
     
  7. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

  8. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    no idea of other units Andy, I got the medals from a Nurse who cared for Sgt Alford prior to his death around twenty years ago .
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Cheers Paul,

    I'm in the process of cooking lunch for the Missus....When she's been fed a watered I'll post some 6 Div Signals stuff up during WW2.

    The Skiing one does look a bit later looking at the chaps features. I wonder if it's post was either a 'jolly' attachment or if he was posted to a 'Artic' squadron....Up unto a few years ago they Signals had a Squadron trained for Norway supporting the RM.

    I'll see what I can find.

    Andy
     
  10. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    That specific Swedish pattern came in in 1990.
    Are they not just wearing Denison smocks? (Second pattern???)

    Zooming in a bit and taking the saturation right up it almost looks like that's a very faded colour image... though I'm not convinced as the tones might equally be down to digital effects on the sepia:
    alford001saturated.jpg

    ~A
     
  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I maybe an idea to try and date the type of poles, ski's and bindings too. I wonder if that style was used during the war?

    I suspect looking at the difference in facial features the skiing one maybe post war.

    The Artic Warfare Sqn I was thinking off was 249 and they weren't formed until the 70's regarding the Artic Role.
     
  12. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Background info relating to WW2

    1919 - Disbanded

    1939 - Reformed in Egypt as 6th Divisional Signals

    6.1940 -to HQ Western Desert Force

    2.1941 - Reformed in Egypt as 6th Divisional Signals

    10.1941 - Renumbered 70th Divisional Signals

    10.1943 - Disbanded

    9.1940 - 6th Armoured Divisional Signals formed in UK

    1946 - 1st Armoured Divisional Signal Regiment

    1947 - Disbanded.

    ...It was reformed in Egypt in 1939, but was converted to HQ Western Desert Force in June 1940-which was eventually expanded to become 8th Army in the Autumn of 1941. The division was reformed in Egypt in February 1941, and when it relived to Australians at Tobruk in November 1941, it was renumbered (for security reasons) as 70th Infantry Division. The division was sent to India in March 1942, and was broken up in October 1943 to form units for the 'Chindits' led by Orde Wingate.

    Meanwhile 6th Armoured Division had been formed in Gloucestershire in September 1940. This division landed in Algeria in November 1942, and played a full role in the difficult campaign in Tunisia. In March 1944 the division landed in Italy and it served there until the end of the war when it took part in the liberation of Austria. In July 1946, while at Trieste, it was retitled as 1st Armoured Division, and sent to Palestine in 1947, where it disbanded, shortly after arrival, during September 1947.....


    The Royal Corps of Signals-Unit Histories of the Corps.

    Looking at the path of 6th Armd Div I would guess it's fair to say the skiing picture could have been taken in Austria/Italy, after the war before deploying to Palestine.

    Cheers
     
  13. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    If they are Denisons (someone who actually knows what they're talking about on uniforms will hopefully offer better suggestions) didn't they get used until pretty late C.20th?
    If so then I suppose they're not much use as an indicator of date


    I suspect looking at the difference in facial features the skiing one maybe post war.
    What? :huh:
    Did people look different suddenly after 1945?
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I was refering that he looks older in the skiing shot.
     
  15. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    Thanks for the good response and comments so far, Its possible that the picture with the ski troops is after WW2 .Sgt Alford was awarded the GSM Palestine 45-48 and the Malaya bar
     
  16. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    I'm afraid all I can offer is an opinion that the picture 'feels' postwar.
    Not much use I'm afraid, but as I said there are chaps that know Uniforms much better... fingers crossed they'll potter along.

    ~A
     
  17. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Bit of a long shot but perhaps you could try and identify the church/clock tower in the town behind.
     
  18. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    He must have been demobbed before 1950 as I have a letter addressed to him at Enfield from a Colonel in the R Sigs dated Sept 1950 confirming his Malaya Medal
     
  19. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Can you tell the Colonel's name by chance?
     
  20. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    Looks Like B Jallison and has EOFS or similar after his name sent from Royal Sigs Records Balmore House Caversham Reading
     

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