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  #16  
Old 24-12-16, 11:30 AM
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High Wood High Wood is offline
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I can recommend, 'Some letters from Burma', The Story of the 25th Dragoons at War, by Tom Grounds.
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  #17  
Old 25-12-16, 08:45 PM
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I have just taken up the same search for a friend who's father was in 25th. Dragoons. Frederick Thomas Wileman MM 7942717.....no family info at all...........they have been looking for 25th. Hussars!!!
.
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  #18  
Old 04-02-17, 12:25 AM
Cobra1961 Cobra1961 is offline
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My father served with the 25th in India from 44-45 I believe in B company but I may be wrong. He drove the Sherman along with other vehicles. He 'celebrated' his 20th birthday on VE day but remained in India until after VJ day. As far as I know the 25th then disbanded and he then went to Palestine with 4/7th Dragoons. His name is Len Smith, he is approaching 92 yrs old and is very much alive I am glad to say. I would very much like to make contact with relatives or indeed survivors of this unit.
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  #19  
Old 04-04-17, 06:10 PM
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Cobra1961:

Any chance your father knew a Thomas Stuart Bloodworth, an American with the State Department? He was the United States Vice-Counsel in India and Palestine in mid 1940's early 1950's?
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  #20  
Old 04-04-17, 08:20 PM
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Default 25th Dragoons Badge, Para Badge (and a "clip")!?

The following items were found in the property of my uncle after his death.

There is a small tin, brass actually, that was a WWII first aid kit holder.

Inside were three items:

1 - What appears to be a 25th Dragoons collar badge. There is a letter
"P" stamped in the top rear.

2 - A "clip" constructed of what appears to be two cap or other large 25th Dragoons badges, hinged,
and spring loaded to form a clip.
My guess is that this was intended to be a card holder,
perhaps for calling cards, or perhaps a name card at the officer's mess.

My uncle was a United States Foreign Service Vice-Consul in India, London and Palestine immediately
after the war. I suspect that the badges were a memento from a 25th Dragoons
soldier he served with in one of those locales.

Does anyone have any idea what the "clip" is?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Tin with Contents.jpg (44.8 KB, 38 views)
File Type: jpg 25th Dragoons Badge Front.jpg (37.8 KB, 32 views)
File Type: jpg 25th Dragoon Badge Back.jpg (38.7 KB, 31 views)
File Type: jpg 25th Dragoons Clip Front.jpg (49.4 KB, 33 views)
File Type: jpg 25th Dragoons Clip Side.jpg (34.8 KB, 33 views)
File Type: jpg 25th Dragoons Clip with Card.jpg (42.7 KB, 31 views)
File Type: jpg Badges with Card in Clip.jpg (31.1 KB, 32 views)
File Type: jpg Para Wings Front.jpg (35.9 KB, 27 views)
File Type: jpg Para Wings Back.jpg (39.1 KB, 26 views)

Last edited by Tennessee; 06-04-17 at 04:20 AM. Reason: Fix typo
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  #21  
Old 05-04-17, 07:10 PM
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fougasse1940 fougasse1940 is offline
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welcome. The P stands for plated, as opposed to solid silver. All gold parts were never of solid gold so plated anyway.

Your guess of card holder makes sense.

Your third badge is an other ranks Parachute Regiment beret badge made by J.R. Gaunt.

Rgds, Thomas.
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  #22  
Old 06-04-17, 04:35 AM
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Thank you for the assistance.

I've never seen these before, just found them in his things. My uncle kept everything from his service, not all of which survived hurricanes in the past two decades.

Do you think a museum or veterans association in England would be interested in them?

I don't suppose there are many veterans of the 25th Dragoons still alive.
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  #23  
Old 06-04-17, 06:24 AM
FMT600 FMT600 is offline
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Hi Tennessee,

Many thanks for posting, the 25D clip is an interesting item, the other 25D badge was worn on the collar of an officers uniform.

Your quite correct in that unfortunately there are not many surviving veterans to the 25D and the Regimental association as a result has fizzled out. There are a couple of serious private collectors to the history and insignia of the 25D, (as opposed to the general badge/militaria collector), I was one of them but for personal reasons have had to sell on my 25D collection, there is a guy on here whom collects to the Regiment (I have just sold him my remaining 25D items) who might see this post, if he does not and your interested in getting in touch with him please send me a private message and I will supply his contact details.

Kind Regards,

FMT600
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  #24  
Old 06-04-17, 07:10 AM
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Marcus H Marcus H is offline
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Hi Tennessee,

As correctly stated, the collar badge is a Gaunt die, silver and gilt (silverplate) officers' collar; the "clip" is more of an anomaly, to me. I've not personally encountered such.

I can't see the images too well, but the two comprising clip badges appear (?) to be officer cap badges by Gaunt also. I say officer examples, because of the thickness and details regarding the base and what look like (positioning) the "rivet" holes in addition. That said, I see more potential "rivets" of a type than you'd expect (either four or three used in 25D officers cap badge construction to my knowledge) and suspect the badges were taken apart and then reassembled for the clip conversion - I really need better images to possibly discern such.

Best,

Marcus
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  #25  
Old 07-04-17, 05:39 PM
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Here is a better view of the inside of the clip.

Don't suppose there is any chance of tracing the source officer, could have been
India, Palestine, London or several of the above.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Construction of Clip.jpg (34.6 KB, 34 views)
File Type: jpg Front ID Card.jpg (63.9 KB, 31 views)
File Type: jpg Inside ID Card.jpg (65.5 KB, 29 views)
File Type: jpg Kings Parade 1950.jpg (42.7 KB, 26 views)
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  #26  
Old 03-09-17, 10:26 AM
Lenley Lenley is offline
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Default My father also served in the 25th.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobra1961 View Post
My father served with the 25th in India from 44-45 I believe in B company but I may be wrong. He drove the Sherman along with other vehicles. He 'celebrated' his 20th birthday on VE day but remained in India until after VJ day. As far as I know the 25th then disbanded and he then went to Palestine with 4/7th Dragoons. His name is Len Smith, he is approaching 92 yrs old and is very much alive I am glad to say. I would very much like to make contact with relatives or indeed survivors of this unit.
My father also served in the 25th and spent his 21 st birthday in the Burmese jungle. I have just discovered this forum and am deeply saddened as he tried for many years to make contact with other 25D members. He recently moved into a nursing home, at the age of 95, and it was my intent to sit with him and record as much as possible about his experiences in India and Burma. He was as sharp as a tack but, like so many others have commented, spoke rarely about what happened all those years ago. He died last week and now all of that information has gone with him. His medals are wrapped up along with his service records and when I have time I will have a first time look at them.
He also drove a Sherman tank, after first commencing as a gunner. He did mention that they were surrounded by the Japanese and that his tank comrade was killed in the tank. I've found a book of his called 'A Hell Of A Licking' THE RETREAT FROM BURMA' by James Lunt. Anybody read this?
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  #27  
Old 21-05-18, 06:16 PM
denwar1 denwar1 is offline
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Default 25th Dragoond, past and present up date.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobra1961 View Post
My father served with the 25th in India from 44-45 I believe in B company but I may be wrong. He drove the Sherman along with other vehicles. He 'celebrated' his 20th birthday on VE day but remained in India until after VJ day. As far as I know the 25th then disbanded and he then went to Palestine with 4/7th Dragoons. His name is Len Smith, he is approaching 92 yrs old and is very much alive I am glad to say. I would very much like to make contact with relatives or indeed survivors of this unit.
25th Dragoons,
Hi Cobra, I have done a great deal of research into 25th, As my DAD was pulled out of the line to Train the recruits,
While new Recruits were being trained back in England, they pulled Odds and Sods from were they could,
Some were trouble makers and some were pulled from soldiers whose platoons had been blown to hell, so they fitted in were they could.
A lot were taken from the 3rd Carabaniers, Which I had the Regimental book of THIER history,
This I have sent to Edingburgh as I don't need it any more, so with talking to museum gave it to them with book Of Battle Of The Box and a few other research book on 25th I don't need any more.
I have photo of dad in Dress uniform, but all dads India/ Burma photos apart from this were lost when his box went missing.
He was shot and ended up in hospital for a while while fighting zaps with his Regiment,Mather Green Howards.
When theb25th went into battle dad was sent back to Howards, Dad was training them and the new Recruits from England on Jungle Warfare.
Stories a bit longer than that of course.
Some were is a photo of dad in his 25th Dragoon dress uniform, on site some were.
My e-mail is ddgates@hotmail.co.uk.
I can pass you a lot stuff I don't need.
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  #28  
Old 08-01-19, 02:50 PM
Sue P Sue P is offline
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Hi Stuart My Dad was Sqd A 25th Dragoons till Dec 1944 from Feb 1941 one of the original Cadre transferred from 3rd Carabiniers.
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  #29  
Old 09-01-19, 03:58 AM
Lancer 17 Lancer 17 is offline
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Hi To Everyone

This thread just keeps on keeping on !

In case it helps at all I have a copy of the history of the 24th Lancers, "None Had Lancers by Leonard Willis in 1985.

Regards Phil.
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  #30  
Old 10-01-19, 09:49 AM
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High Wood High Wood is offline
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[QUOTE=Lenley;419086]
He also drove a Sherman tank, after first commencing as a gunner.

He did mention that they were surrounded by the Japanese and that his tank comrade was killed in the tank.

The 25th Dragoons were re-equipped with Sherman DD tanks during their training for Operation Zipper, the proposed seaborne invasion of Malaya. The operation was rendered unnecessary by the dropping of the atomic bomb.

Being surrounded by the Japanese sounds as if he was present during the Battle of the Admin Box, one of the most important turning points in the Burma campaign. I can recommend, Battle of the Box, by Patrick Turnbull, as an excellent overview of the battle.
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