Unit Patch Identification

Hi all,
Thanks for your very informative forum.

I have a photo that used to hang in my Grandmothers house. It's believed to have my Grandfather and two of his Brothers in it. They were from Goulburn and enlisted in the 2/17th Battalion and served in Tobruk and other areas. My Grandfather passed away only a couple of years ago and was one of the last Rats in Toowoomba at the time.

I seek information as to the coloured patches that are in the photo frame. I know, from Army records, that they ended up in Provost Marshalls units after the 2/17th and returned home.

I'm not confident they are all in this photo but it wouldbe nice for family history if I could identify the patches and perhaps the men in question in the photo. Family members don't seem to know who is who in the photo but there must be some significance for it to have been hung in the hallway for so long. I'm looking to identify Stanley Charles (my GF), Horace and Victor Noel White.

Any assistance appreciated
Michael.

 

I can't help, at the moment, with the patches but would just like to say that I love that photograph! I look at a lot of single and group photos, trying to identify people ... and this one is fabulous!

 

Thanks for the replies No4.Commando and Owen!

Yes Commando it is a great photo. I've always assumed it was taken at Ingleburn, NSW, due to them having initially trained there.
It's been a while since I researched them but I'll be viewing the digitised service records again and see if I can find common threads. I know the three of them didn't all join together. A big shame I only got to meet my Grandfather once when I was a young boy. The consequences of war go far and wide and as such my Father was estranged from him afterwards. I've viewed the photos of the men on their service records and tried to match them in the group photo but just can't quite make them out.

Owen, thank you very much for the ID of the patches. I had looked at one of those sites a while back. Must have missed it. The Provost unit is definitely in their records but the 2/23rd and MG company are a bit of a mystery. Gives me motivation to revisit records and have another sleuth about.

Many Thanks and much appreciated to you both.
M.

 

Michael, no doubt you've moved on from this thread but can tell you that the brown over red diamond is the original colour patch worn by the 2/17 Aust Inf Bn. Also if they transferred to Provost prior to leaving the Middle East then the red over dark green with white V is more likely to have been one of the 2/1, 2/2, or 2/3 Aust L of C Provost Companies rather than the Queensland L of C Area. Simply because from about late 1942 the original dark green began to be replaced by a lighter shade in Australia.
Keith

 

Keith,
I've stumbled on this post from years ago and wonder if you're still about?
Thanks so much for your information.
I know it's years ago but recently have ran into family relatives that I didn't know at the time of this post and it has caused me to revisit family history.
That's awesome that it is an original 2/17th patch!!! Wow!!! and yes they did, from army records, join Provost ranks prior to leaving the middle east.
Thanks so much again mate and I hope you are in good health and well!!!
Cheers
Michael.

 

Hi Michael,

I suggest you "Start a Conversation" with Keith as he last used the forum last September. He would be more likely to get an email notification that way.

Cheers,
Chris

 

Hi Chris,

good suggestion and thanks for the info and tip! I'll follow up with Keith that way.

Regards
Michael.

 

Hi Owen,

Thanks for the advice mate. Appreciated!


Cheers
M.

 

Hi again all,

so, I think I have finally solved this.

The patches are those of my Great Uncle Athur William White (QX1565) and were possibly posted home after his death that occurred here in Australia in March 1943 by one of his brothers, my grandfather Stanley Charles White (NX21284) or Victor Noel White (NX17007) who I believe is in the group photo. Arthur enlisted in 1939, went to Scotland for the evacuation of Dunkirk and then the middle east and was at the siege of Tobruk with his brothers in the 2/17th. After Tobruk all three ended up in the 2/1st Provost Marshall's. He unfortunately died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Queensland while He was still in service. My Father who was born in 1936 remembers that they tried to get his body home to Goulburn NSW but were not able to. He is buried in Lutwyche Cemetery, Lutwyche, Brisbane.
I have revisited Arthur's war service record and his photo on the enlistment papers clearly show the badge of the 2/1st Machine Gun company on his shoulder, that is in my possession today and the one in the photo. Dad was never aware that He was in Scotland with this unit during the evacuation at Dunkirk. He later sailed to the middle east and met up with two of his brothers and joined them in the 2/17th and later the 9th div provost Marshalls. My Grandfather and His other Brother both survived and returned home. My Grandfather was one of the last surviving Rats of Tobruk in Toowoomba Qld. My other Great Uncle after returning home was sent to New Guinea and was with the 2/25th when they took Lae from the Japanese.

I attach two photos of Arthur. The 1st from his enlistment papers shows the 2/1st Machine Gun company badge and the second from a trip home to Goulburn shows, I now realise, the Provst Marshall badge. The 2nd photo has my dad's cousin in it so Dad would have been around that age but clearly remembers the visit and says that Arthur, aka "Fatty" showed him his side arm revolver that He was wearing.

Well, thanks all for your help on this forum. I know it's been years, but these things can take time. If only I had of listened or been interested back when there were people around to ask eh.

None the less we are all very proud of these three brothers in arms and it gives me great satisfaction to finally know a bit more about their history and the roles they all served. It's a great honor to have possession of those little patches of yesteryear and to try and understand the sacrifices they stand for. The photo proudly sits in my hallway now as I hold the baton of their memory and I'm only too willing to tell their story to any who are interested.

RIP Arthur "Fatty", Victor "Freddy" and Stan "Bluey" White and thank you for your service.

Best wishes
Michael White.

 

Hello Michael, I am one of the volunteer researchers for the "Descendants of the Rats of Tobruk Aust Assoc" and would love to have a chat.

 

Sue,

Welcome aboard. I will send Michael a 'private message' next, as you can see his visits are irregular. You cannot use that function until you post five times.

For others this is the association's website: https://www.ratsoftobrukdescendants.org.au/

 

thank you, appreciate that.
sue

 

Contact established via PM and hopefully Sue will update this thread when she is ready.