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#1
14-03-17, 04:22 PM
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Nice BD...early bits and pieces....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ww2-ORIGIN...vip=true&rt=nc oh i was tempted when it was £380!
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#2
14-03-17, 05:55 PM
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Nice jacket, crazy price. Airborne stuff is just... Well silly money now.
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#3
14-03-17, 10:58 PM
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Nice attributed jacket!
Looking at Oliver Locks book 3rd Bn Lanyard is described as Red (p.298) (3rd Bn attribution noted inside the jacket) There must be a story to this, which would be interesting to know Mike
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#7
24-04-17, 07:04 PM
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#9
25-04-17, 01:47 AM
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A bit of the BD story
The original owner of the BD was named Geoffrey Douglas Hill. He was born in 1924 in Watford Hertfordshire.
Unfortunately, I can't have access to his MoD records but I know he qualified as a Para on course 66 at RAF Ringway from 25 May to 4 June 1943. He then joined 3 PARA Intelligence section I would assume in North Africa as a Lcp. He received the Africa Star, Italy Star but not the France and Germany Star. So he didn't follow 3 PARA to Arnhem. I'm pretty sure he was stationed in Spalding in 1944 (3 PARA was there from Dec 1943 until after their return from Arnhem) because he married a school teacher from there in Spalding in 1947. Actually some part of 3 PARA were literally living in huts in the schoolyard in 1944! I'm in contact with the Para Association Spalding Branch. Many 3 PARA veterans returned to the area and settled down. A list of 3 PARA members was established in Sept 1944 and Geoff is not there. He was demob likely in 1947: he was no longer in the military when he married and then he went back to Watford working in the printing industry. The lanyard is very intriguing: it's definitely not 3 PARA (red). I'm wondering if it's not an indication of his previous unit which could be 'the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment' as already indicated in a previous post. I'm trying to confirm this with the Regiment Museum. In the pockets, I found a unused set of Para wings, a London bus ticket (route 142) as well as a few ribbons including an Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal which I believe marked at the time 18 years of unblemished service. Given Geoff's story I don't think it belonged to him. That's all for now, folks!
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#11
25-04-17, 08:39 AM
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Fascinating. Thanks for the update.
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#12
26-04-17, 01:33 AM
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Hi,
Do you have access to this list? Quote:
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#13
26-04-17, 01:49 AM
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Hi,
The list is not public but you can contact Bill Morter, the secretary of the Spalding Branch who compiled the list. It is not an exhaustive list as I understand it regroups the Para association members who were stationed in and around Spalding prior to leaving for the Battle of Arnhem in 1944. Cheers, Pierre
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#14
26-04-17, 02:05 AM
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Thanks guys.
It's like a detective investigation and there's a little detail I'd like your opinion about. The Africa Star was awarded to personnel who served in North Africa, Malta or Egypt between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943. I don't know how long was the pre-training before the Parachute course itself, but to me it is likely Geoff earned the Star prior to joining 3 Para. What do you think? Pierre
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#15
26-04-17, 10:44 PM
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His name is not in 'Worst fears confirmed', the history of Intelligence Airborne Units, which has extensive nominal rolls.
Rgds, Thomas.
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