North Africa / Africa Star / 8th Army / Royal Engineers / Shoulder Patch - green tree

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Wiffer, Dec 13, 2016.

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  1. Wiffer

    Wiffer Member

    Hi, I am trying to identify the shoulder patch worn by my uncle when he was in North Africa - see picture taken while he was in Egypt during WW2. The emblem is of a green tree. He was a Dispatch Rider with the Royal Engineers and served with the 8th Army.

    Regards

    Wiffer
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  3. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Wiffer.

    46 Inf Div were also in Italy. They landed at Salerno on 9 Sep 43 as part of Op AVALANCHE and then pushed steadily up Italy until being withdrawn for rest and refit in Mar 44. As a despatch rider, your uncle would have been a busy man - there were lots of bridges to build and roads to maintain as 46 Inf Div pushed north.

    They then came back to Italy for Op OLIVE, the attack on the Gothic Line at Rimini in Sep 44.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  4. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    You may be interested in this: somebody has uploaded the divisional history:
    WW2 British Army Divisional histories
     
    Owen likes this.
  5. Wiffer

    Wiffer Member

    Thanks Owen, Frank and Charley for your interesting and helpful responses. So my uncle, although in the Royal Engineers and a despatch rider, was then presumably "attached" to the 46th Infantry Division. He was indeed in Italy and finished up in Austria by the end of the war.

    Wiffer
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Have a look at the divisional order of battle for sapper units in 46 Div.
    46th Infantry Division (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia
    • 270th Field Company, Royal Engineers
    • 271st Field Company, Royal Engineers
    • 272nd Field Company, Royal Engineers
    • 273rd Field Park Company, Royal Engineers
    • 201st Bridging Platoon, Royal Engineers (from 4 April 1944)
     
  7. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Wiffer.

    It depends what cap badge he wore. If it was Royal Engineers then he would have been an integral part of the Field Company or Field Park Company to which he belonged.

    If he was Royal Signals cap badged then he would have been attached from the Signals Company at HQ 46 Infantry Division.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  8. Wiffer

    Wiffer Member

    Frank, this is the only photo I have showing my uncle with a cap badge. I think it is a Royal Engineers badge, but you may be able to verify this.

    Wiffer
     

    Attached Files:

  9. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Unless my eyes are playing up - actually, not facetiously - that's a Royal Artillery cap badge.

    If so, there's a big list of possible R.A. units he could have been a member of in that order of battle listing Owen posted above.
     
    Owen likes this.
  10. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    That is definitely a Royal Artillery cap badge and the lady has an RA brooch too in miniature. He would therefore have been in one of the three Field Regiments of 46 Inf Div, in its Light Anti Aircraft Regiment or its Anti-Tank Regiment.

    Frank
     
  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Blimey how on earth can you mistake a gunners badge for a sapper one ? :wacko:
    I suggest forking out 30 quid for his service records from the MoD.
     
  12. Wiffer

    Wiffer Member

    Thanks guys, and apologies for sending you down the wrong track. At least I know now that my uncle was a gunner in the R.A. A couple of addresses also helps to verify what he was up to (1) July 43, "3 Troop A Battery, Field Reg. R.A. ARTD (NA) BNAF." (2) Nov 44, "154/172 Field Reg R.A.".

    Wiffer
     
  13. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    I am not sure about 3 Tp A Bty but 154/172 Fd Regt RA puts him in 154 Bty RA which was part of 172 Fd Regt RA who were one of the three integral Arty Regts of 46 Inf Div.

    That would make him a despatch rider in 154 Bty RA.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  14. Wiffer

    Wiffer Member

    Thanks Frank for your interesting and helpful response.

    Best regards

    Wiffer
     
  15. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    July 43, "3 Troop A Battery, Field Reg. R.A. ARTD (NA) BNAF."

    I maybe wrong but I think ARTD = Artillery Reinforcement Training Depot.


    Mentioned here> Beating about the Bush


    BNAF = British North Africa Force
     
  16. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Wiffer.

    By integral, I mean that these three Regts stayed with the Div where ever they went. There were other RA units in Italy alongside them but those that were no integral to an Inf or Armd Div were formed into AGRAs - Army Group Royal Artillery. These tended to be the heavier calibres - Medium and Heavy Regts.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  17. Wiffer

    Wiffer Member

    Thanks again Owen and Frank for the additional information - very helpful.

    Regards

    Wiffer
     

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