Royal Armoured Corps unit composition.
 

This may be a rather obvious question to those who have served in the Military, specifically those who served in the Royal Armoured Corps, but I haven't and I didn't so I will go ahead and ask it. Did the R.A.C. have their own armourer's or did they rely on armourers from the R.A.O.C.?

The reason that I ask is that I have purchased a 1942 dated photograph album which appears to be R.A.C. related but is heavily accented on a mobile armourer's work shop. The one visible shoulder title appears to be R.A.C. but as it is at an angle it may be R.A.O.C.

Your thoughts are welcome.

Armourers (in the army at least) are generally REME not RLC or its antecedents.

However REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) was not formed until October 1942 from Regimental tradesmen including gun fitters (so could be RAC) and also certain RAOC, RE and RASC trades.

Tim

I believe all units of battalion or eqiuivalent size had attached to them what was known as a Light Aid Detachment or LAD to do the work that regimental tradesmen could not undertake. Originally from the RAOC they were taken over by the REME on its formation.

Jon

Thank you gentlemen. I am leaning towards R.A.C. as other photographs seem to show yellow/red pagri flashes even though they are black and white photographs.

The sign on the lorry may also be yellow and red.

Just visible on the right hand side of the front of the lorry is the figure 4 in a square which should indicate the 3rd Carabiniers of the 254th Indian Tank Brigade. The figure 7 in a circle is visible on the left front.

In both these photographs there is a trace of either letters or numbers horizontally across the middle of the flash. Are there known examples of R.A.C. pagri flashes with either numbers or letters in this fashion?

I am particularly thinking of the following R.A.C. Regiments, 146th (10th Duke of Wellington's West Riding), 149th (7th KOYLI), 150th (10th Yorks & Lancs).

Just to add to the confusion, in the photograph on the left, the soldier on the left appears to be wearing the pagri flash of the R.A.O.C.. i.e. a black diamond with a central vertical red stripe.

This photograph is captioned, "Yours truly with one of my headaches".

The tank is a Valentine. The 145 Regiment R.A.C. was the only unit to use the Valentine Tank in Burma although other units were equipped with them in India.

Thanks (as in interesting information) button.