21st army group photos??

This is a photo of my Grandad(l/cp with the napkin). As he has RAOC shoulder title it will have been taken sometime between transferring to the RAOC on 12/01/1945 and discharge 25/02/1946.

Can anyone confirm his formation badge is 21st Army Group HQ. Found the badge on ebay, so i`m not 100% sure.

Thanks Tony

 

on this photo, there are some names on the back.

1 cant make out the name
2 Jack Russell ?
3 Ted Mawdsley ( my Grandad holding an almost empty pint)
4 Margaret Forsyth ?

What are the two stripes, on the chap at the end?

 

the rest of the photo`s. sorry no details.

 

He doesn't look to have crossed swords on over the cross. Line of Communication (LoC) troops perhaps? One of the Brits would better informed than I would be, though.

 

Your Grandfather's badge looks to be the blue cross on yellow of HQ Lines of Communication 21st Army Group (also used post hostilities for HQ British Troops in the Low Countries.

The HQ 21st Army Group is the crossed swords on the blue cross on red ground seen on some of the other uniforms.

The two inverted chevrons signify five years Good Conduct.

Rich

 

He doesn't look to have crossed swords on over the cross. Line of Communication (LoC) troops perhaps? One of the Brits would better informed than I would be, though.




on ebay it said HQ and L of C, so I`m on the right track!
Cheers Slipdigit.

 

Your Grandfather's badge looks to be the blue cross on yellow of HQ Lines of Communication 21st Army Group (also used post hostilities for HQ British Troops in the Low Countries.

The HQ 21st Army Group is the crossed swords on the blue cross on red ground seen on some of the other uniforms.

The two inverted chevrons signify five years Good Conduct.

Rich

Cheers Rich, they had me baffled.

 

In this one, the soldier in the background has a rampant lion badge, isn't that for one of the Foreign Volunteer units?

Could be Royal Netherlands Brigade (Princess Irene) they were in the 21st Army Group OOB

 

The shield shape looks correct for the Czech Independent Armoured Brigade Group. It would be a white Lion over a red cross on a blue shield. I can't pick out the detail though to be honest.

 

I thought that Bod, but just isn't same design.

For one of the other chaps, I'm trying to count the Brigade indicator stripes under the 53rd Div sign to try and work out who he could be with.

you guys are amazing!!! I thought i was doing well spoting the formation badge.

On this photo, the chap with the teacup on his head, is it a parachute badge?

Thanks Tony

 

you guys are amazing!!! I thought i was doing well spoting the formation badge.

On this photo, the chap with the teacup on his head, is it a parachute badge?

Thanks Tony
It certainly looks like the parachute 'jump' wings, but if they are, they are in the wrong place. They were authorised for wear on the upper right sleeve of the Denison, Battledress and service dress. Pilots wings only should be worn over the breast pocket.

Edit: It looks as though the SAS could wear their jump badge on the breast, but they are a different design.

 

In this one, the chap on the right with the glasses is showing an 'arm of service strip' on the left sleeve between the 21st Army group shield and his Lance Corporal chevron. Divided in two with a white half at the back narrows it down to two services. If the front half is green, then he is a Dentist (Army Dental Corps) or if the front half is blue then he is a signaller (Royal Corps of Signals). He is wearing a very short 'shoulder title' too. It should be either 'A.D. Corps' in red letters on a green ground or 'Royal Corps of Signals', or just 'Royal Signals' after Sept. 1944. White letters on blue ground.

 

Bodston, when you say then he is a Dentist (Army Dental Corps)
do you mean along the lines of what we call a dental assistant? This someone who is trained to assist a dentist but does not have a Doctor of Dentisty?

The reason I ask is that over here a qualified dentist would not have been wearing corporal's stripes, but rather the insignia of an officer.
Was it the same for the British Army?

 

I don't think that the shoulder flash reads Royal Signals so Dentistry seems likely. Judging by his hand, I reckon a patient bit him

All British Army Dentists were Officers also and my Dad says this is the reason for his false teeth. When he enlisted in 1941, the Army Dentists insisted on pulling any teeth which could have required any form of treatment. As the Dentist was an Officer, this was not a recommendation but an order - No question of "Could you just fill it, Sir ?"

The Dental Corps would have included plenty of 'Other Ranks'

 

Bodston, when you say do you mean along the lines of what we call a dental assistant? This someone who is trained to assist a dentist but does not have a Doctor of Dentisty?

The reason I ask is that over here a qualified dentist would not have been wearing corporal's stripes, but rather the insignia of an officer.
Was it the same for the British Army?
Yeah, what Rich said. Dental assistant/Nurse I suppose.

 

Thanks guys, er uh mates.

 

I have now got my Grandads service records, so here is some additional info.

12th Jan 1945 Transferred to RAOC (Royal Army Ordnance Corps) and
posted to 54 RHU (Reinforcement Holding Unit).
21st Army Group.

16th Feb 1945 TOS (Taken on Strength) 16 AOD (Army Ordnance Depot).

30th Jun 1945 TOS 15 ABOD (Advanced Base Ordnance Depot)

6th Dec 1945 Disembarked UK.

Hope I got the abbreviations right.

thanks tony