insignia id?

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by RemeDesertRat, Nov 11, 2011.

  1. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    Attached is a (very poor) pic of Dad taken near el-Adem, near Tobruk in No. 1942.
    He was with a REME LAD attached to 22 Armoured Brigade, anyone know what that is on the door of the vehicle?
    I'm not even sure if it is a British vehicle or a captured German/Italian one.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    May not help but the 22nd Armoured Brigade's formation sign was a stags head......regret your image isn't that clear.....
     
  3. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    May not help but the 22nd Armoured Brigade's formation sign was a stags head......regret your image isn't that clear.....

    Yeah, that was my first thought, but it doesn't seem to match.
     

    Attached Files:

  4. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Just a thought.....as you said may be a captured vehicle.....
     
  5. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Reme -
    More like the XXX's corps flying pig

    Cheers
     
  6. PsyWar.Org

    PsyWar.Org Archive monkey

    Perhaps the 1st Armoured Division?

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Lee / Reme

    The photo is a bit confusing inasmuch as the date of Nov '42 at El Adam is after El Alamein - and while the Father is of the 22nd Ar'md LAD - i.e REME - this truck could be a "foundling" after the passage of the XXX corps on their way to Tripoli - which the LAD would "restore" - and hang onto for their own use.,and cover up the original owners insignia.....crafty lot they were....

    The 22nd Ar'md of 1st and 5th RTR and the 3/4th CLY were with 7th Ar'md div at that time.

    Cheers
     
  8. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    Lee / Reme

    The photo is a bit confusing inasmuch as the date of Nov '42 at El Adam is after El Alamein - and while the Father is of the 22nd Ar'md LAD - i.e REME - this truck could be a "foundling" after the passage of the XXX corps on their way to Tripoli - which the LAD would "restore" - and hang onto for their own use.,and cover up the original owners insignia.....crafty lot they were....

    The 22nd Ar'md of 1st and 5th RTR and the 3/4th CLY were with 7th Ar'md div at that time.

    Cheers

    Oooops! missed out he was 4th Field Rtg. R.A. L.A.D. - still with 22 Armoured though.

    Have trawled the 'net for this and couldn;t find anything that matches, the stags head, flying pig and rhino are similar, but then again maybe it was a rush paint job and the painter was not very good at painting:D.
     
  9. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    If I have to choose one, I'll say 31st Indian Armoured Division. It looks similar but somehow not exactly the same.
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    SOl
    when was the 31st Indian Armoured Div - in the Desert ?
    Cheers
     
  11. gunbunnyB/3/75FA

    gunbunnyB/3/75FA Senior Member

    can't help on the formation sign but that does look like one of the light weight german trucks(oops) lorrys
     
  12. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    SOl
    when was the 31st Indian Armoured Div - in the Desert ?
    Cheers
    Mmmm. Bit tenuous, but -according to Wiki they were or at least the motor brigade was.
     
  13. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    If I had to guess, I'd say a slightly open-mouthed version of the 6th Indian Division's tiger's head. My knowledge of MEF doesn't tell me if they'd have been in the right place. The 6th Indian Div's 26th Brigade did stay in the Middle East until July 1944.

    I don't think that it's a captured vehicle. It looks like a Dodge door. It's RHD so probably Canadian-built.
     
  14. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    SOl
    when was the 31st Indian Armoured Div - in the Desert ?
    Cheers

    Well while it was based in Iraq. But I guess you probably under the Desert you mean the North Africa. Answer is never. But elements of the division were there, like 3rd Indian Motor Brigade. And its possible that some vehicles of the division were transferred to some frontline unit. But than again I didn't say it is a sign of 31st Indian Armoured Brigade, just that it looks similar but not the same.
     
  15. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Reme -
    would agree that the motor bde did serve in the desert and Italy as we bumped into the Gardner's Horse now and again - but - as such an independent unit they would NOT have the Div sign of the 31st Armed....?

    Cheers
     
  16. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    - but - as such an independent unit they would NOT have the Div sign of the 31st Armed....?

    Cheers
    Ah! I see, oh well thanks everybody for looking and giving input, I will put this in the unsolved folder :D
     
  17. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Sol/ Rich
    can well understand your confusion about the term Desert - as what is meant is that area to the west of Cairo -through what was called Cyreniaca - Lybia and Tripolitania all the way to Tunisia - this the British Army called the MEF - or Middle East Force- after Tunisia this then became 1st Army territory and was named BNAF or British North African Force which landed at operation "Torch " in November -
    1942 at Algeria and Morocco

    However the force in Iraq -Iran - Palestine was named PAIFORCE - or Palestine/Iraq force which contained the 10th and the ficticious 9th armies the 31st Indian served in the 10th army until disbanded owing to the corruption of the Div Commander and two of his brigadiers - the 26th went on as an Independent bde...

    Paiforce was set up to disturb the German should they come down from Southern Russia to join Rommel in taking over the oilfields of Iraq and Iran and was staffed by mainly Indian divs - both 4th and 5th Indian Divs as well served there after the East African campaign.

    Cheers
     
  18. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    ............. after Tunisia this then became 1st Army territory and was named BNAF or British North African Force............


    Something else I didn;t know, learn something new every day.
     
  19. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    I'm OK on Paiforce. Grandad served there with 2nd Northamptons as part of 5th Div.

    Although 6th Indian Div were engaged on Paiforce duties, Cole states that 26th Indian Infantry Brigade was detached and sent to Egypt and served for a while with 50th Division. What I'm not sure on without looking further is where exactly they went after that prior to returning to India in July 1944.
     
  20. chrisgrove

    chrisgrove Senior Member

    Truck looks like an Austin K2/K3 to me, but I cannot identify the emblem. Formation signs were generally on front and back of vehicles, not on the door. This may be a unit badge.

    Chris
     

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