One for the 'experts'...

[SAS1]

Denison, Royal Navy cap badge (possibly on a green beret?) surmounted with a Phantom 'P'. Discuss...

[johanwiegman]

hi,

To me it looks like a Royal Navy Chaplain, with the cross in the middle.

I cannot explain the P, but Phantom sounds highly unlikely!

Cheers,

Johan

[Mike Jackson]

Possibly the crown has been cropped from an RN Officer's badge and replaced with a P (Poland?) - same logic that had French paratroopers cropping the crown from the Para Regt beret badge?

[David Tremain]

Maybe the 'P' simply stands for Padre?

David

[Nozzer]

Hello

Royal Navy Chaplains cap badge laurels are black with gold veins. This looks like a normal cap badge (gold bullion with silver anchor) with a "P" instead of a crown. As to what it is I can't help I am afraid.

Andy

[Mike Jackson]

Principal RC Chaplain to the RN - Fr Andy McFadden:
RN Chaplain.01.jpg

[Mike Jackson]

Originally Posted by SAS1

Denison, Royal Navy cap badge (possibly on a green beret?) surmounted with a Phantom 'P'. Discuss...

Does the full photograph give any context which would aid identification?

[Luc]

A war correspondent serving with the British airborne during Market Garden, his name escapes me (Maxted?). He wore a funky cap badge made from a Navy cap badge, it seems he wears a P for press taken from a Phantom patch above it.

[DJT]

Interesting photo but I'm not convinced it is a 'Phantom' formation sign.

[johanwiegman]

Originally Posted by Luc

A war correspondent serving with the British airborne during Market Garden, his name escapes me (Maxted?). He wore a funky cap badge made from a Navy cap badge, it seems he wears a P for press taken from a Phantom patch above it.

I found a picture of Stanley Maxted. See attached.

British war correspondents at operation Market Garden. Right to left: Fosgt. Williams, censor, Mr. Stanley Maxted, B.B.C. war correspondent major Roij Oliver, war office Public Relations Office.

[Luc]

Defenately Sergeant Stanley Maxted. Here's a picture of him during the filming of "theirs is the glory", he wears a different but clearly similar badge.

[Mike Jackson]

Prompted by the above - can anyone identify the formation sign worn by (according to the caption) a "non-BBC correspendent". Photograph taken in NW Europe, probably 1945. It looks to me like a square bearing an ornate cross with a saltire or crossed swords superimposed. The cross is somewhat remniscent of the style of cross on some Polish metal insignia of the period.

20120926_Unident Correspondent.01.jpg 20120926_Unident Correspondent.jpg

[fougasse1940]

Originally Posted by SAS1

Denison, Royal Navy cap badge (possibly on a green beret?) surmounted with a Phantom 'P'. Discuss...

The photo is actually of Stanley Maxted, who was a correspondent attached to a naval vessel during D-Day, the badge is considered to be made up of a standard navy badge with a Phantom shoulder badge imposed to imply "P" for press as all stated here.
This image is from a 17-9-44 pre-Arnhem embarkation movie still. I therefore take it the beret is maroon. The badge(s) are a personal leftover from D-Day?
I always wondered if there were specific naval press badges like this? Never seen one elsewhere.

Rgds,

Thomas.

[fougasse1940]

Originally Posted by johanwiegman

I found a picture of Stanley Maxted. See attached.

British war correspondents at operation Market Garden. Right to left: Fosgt. Williams, censor, Mr. Stanley Maxted, B.B.C. war correspondent major Roij Oliver, war office Public Relations Office.

To be exact: left to right: Sgt. Mike Lewis; AFPU, Major Howard Coxon; RAF Air Liason Group (Light Warning Unit), Major Roy Oliver; Army Public Relations Officer, Stanley Maxted; BBC correspondent and Flight Lieutenant Albert Arthur "billy" Williams; Censor, Public Relations Section.
Oliver is wearing a RTR cap badge as per his commission, but on a maroon or black beret?

Rgds,

Thomas.

[SAS1]

Fougasse, I'm afraid youre wrong, Luc gets the lollipop today. It is indeed Stan Maxted in a still from the 1946 film 'Theirs is the Glory', although made using veterans of the Arnhem battle, presumably in the same uniforms they had worn the year before (It was made in 1945). Interesting combination though...