7RTR Churchill AOS question

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Chris C, Jun 26, 2020.

  1. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Hi all,

    This image was posted by @rgoulussen today on twitter - reportedly 7RTR and on this day (26 June) in 1944.

    My question concerns the AOS flash - 991 with a diagonal stripe from upper left to bottom right. Dick Taylor in Warpaint lists this stripe as denoting "GHQ, Garrison, and Area" troops from March 1944. Would one of these be appropriate for 7RTR on this date?

    7RTR_26June44.jpg
     
  2. chrisgrove

    chrisgrove Senior Member

    Hi Chris C (from Chris G)
    My copy of Dick Taylor's book (Vol 3) tells me that 991 (on green, with GHQ bar) is the Senior Armoured Regiment in 31 Tank Brigade. Malcolm Bellis agrees. The brigade sign was a pale green diabolo, but I cannot see it on your pic. 7 RTR looks as though it would have been the senior regiment in the brigade at 26 Jun 44.
    Chris
     
    Chris C likes this.
  3. SquireBev

    SquireBev Well-Known Member

    Ahem :-P

    [​IMG]
     
    Chris C likes this.
  4. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Ok, I see 7 RR on page 78 under 79th Armoured Div, and not under GHQ troops on page 86.

    But what were "GHQ troops"?
     
  5. chrisgrove

    chrisgrove Senior Member

    Well, I found it quite easily on page 80 under Independent Armoured/Tank Brigades. Malcolm Bellis says it was independent 9/43 to 9/44 and then came under 79 Armd Div (and became - in name at least - an Armoured Brigade in 1/45). I think the GHQ troops table must show those units which came directly under HQ 21 AG without an intermediate HQ.
    Chris
     
  6. SquireBev

    SquireBev Well-Known Member

    I've been led to believe that Army Group and GHQ troops were separate categories, at least in terms of markings.

    According to Terence Wise and a couple of other sources I've seen online, GHQ troops had a diagonal white band on their AoS as shown above, while Army Group troops had it going the other way. Army troops had a horizontal band below the serial, and Corps troops had one above.

    In practice it seems it was fairly arbitrary which style of markings were actually carried by the independent armoured and tank brigades.
     
  7. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Whoops, you're absolutely right. Temporarily blindness? :)
     

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