Captured Flag Image: Help Identify Insignia/Context
 

I am new to the forum, and am in need of a bit of assistance.I have a small puzzle of sort that I am trying to complete so that I can post a more definitive comment on my website wherein I post captured flag images and flags signed by veterans. I have been trying to figure out which unit these lads belonged to. Here is an image of 6 british soldiers/airmen wearing mainly civilian clothes and holding a captured german flag.
Attachment 265485
The caption on the back reads as follows:
Attachment 265486
Here is a close up of the crest on the tee shirt of one of the men. It looks similar to the British WW2 RAF crest, and perhaps a bit like that of the glider regiment. It clearly shows the rounded crown of King George VI, and what looks like a flying bird of sorts, but it looks somewhat different from what I could find on-line regarding ww2 British UNit Crests.
Attachment 265487
I am having a hard time deciding if it is the RAF crest or the Glider Regiment Crest or something else. The caption states this was taken after the raid over the Rhine, which would most likely have been be Operation Varsity on 24 March 1945. A close up of the sign on the column behind them indicated they are standing on the corner of an area called Kensington Gardens (Flats 1-10) and another street that I cannot read. Clearly they are back in England. There is a Kensington Gardens in London, but that is real close to the palace and where the well heeled folk live. Not sure what city this is.



I am thinking they would most likely be Glider Pilots who landed, assembled and were returned to England a few days later for follow on missions. Commandos and RAF tow/bomber/fighter pilots also participated in the raid, but the pilots would not have had access to getting a flag as they returned without landing in Germany, and the commandos after crossing the Rhine into Wesel did not return to England immediately as the glider pilots. I am leaning towards the RAF crest and these men are glider pilots. What do you think?

Hello 17thairborne, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.

Hi

Looking at the sign it appears that an additional word is obscured, i.e. Kensington ____ Gardens. There is a Kensington Palace Gardens, as you say near Kensington Palace, however due to that and the number of embassies on that road Google Earth is pretty much off limits. My money would be on the photograph being taken in the Kensington area, and the chaps shown being Royal Air Force as:

a. During WWII South Kensington was effectively a large RAF station: HQ P&SS was on Exhibition Road, and the Science Museum - where I used to work - housed No. 7 Radio School. Over the course of the war many thousands of airmen were billeted in the flats surrounding the museums and the Royal Albert Hall.

b. The crest on the vest looks, to me, like the Royal Air Force crest.

There may well be another road called Kensington ____ Gardens, however locating it will probably require some time peering at a map, as Googling is little help.

Update - If I'm right that there is a word obscured there appear to be three possible candidates in the Kensington area (unless names have changed since WWII):

• Kensington Hall Gardens (W14)
• Kensington Palace Gardens (W8)
• Kensington Park Gardens (W11)

Anyway, just my thoughts on the matter.

Graham

Self-erased.

The building is red brick , so possibly Kensington Hall Gardens ? :confused:

Most of the buildings in Kensington Palace Gardens appear to be stone built 'mansions' .

.

Before I saw your reply, that is the building I found and think it is a very likely candidate.

Best picture I can get from Google.

As Phil states, Beaumont Avenue.

Full address, Kensington Hall Gardens, Beaumont avenue, London, W14.

Windows and structure of the walls and angles appear the same, but perhaps the brick pillar with the name plate has been replaced, but if not has certainly been altered, note the missing star embellishment.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.49...7i13312!8i6656

Regards.

Brian

Hi Brian,

I think the star, or its remains, are there but algae covered and unclear in the Google imagery.

A close up of the orignal photo shows that the stars (on two faces of the pillar) appear to be plaques affixed to the brick , if the nameplate was removed then possibly the stars were also taken off ?.


.

I just realised I'm looking at the wrong part of the column, I was looking too high up.

Thank you sir!

Graham,
Your post will be of great help. I spent a few hours "driving" around on google maps looking at buildings and signs in the 3d mode with no luck. Thanks for pointing out the other Kensington _____ possibilities and for the info about the RAF.

Oz

To all who have posted the links and images this will be of great help for my posts on my website. I figured there would be many of you who could look at thhe image and quickly deduce the location and get a confirmation. I do love the "then and now" format and your efforts will help with this.

I suppose it may not be a good idea for me to join with 5 other lads and recreate the image with a Nazi flag on the street in modern times on the exact site, but it would be a fun exercise to dress in the same looking clothes, the Tommy helmet, dagger and shirt with RAF emblem and recreate the photo. Perhaps for a new program with a bit ofa history lesson.

I have another very nice image of some men from what is likely an HD anti-tank uiti posing with a Kubelwagen, motor cycle, flag, MP-40 and helmet. I'll post that soon. It is near Sousse, Algeria and I surmise the HD was the parent unit and this may have been one of the AT Platoons of one of their Infantry Battalions. Very faint images of cap badges showing. I am still doing my research there, but so far I find the copywright issues are keeping some things hidden with regards to published unit histories.

My forte is the 139th Airborne Engineer Battalion, so if I can help in any way there I will be happy to return the favor. So that you realize I am not a one-time poster looking only to soak up information, rather to also contribute to the wealth of knowledge, I post a link to my book on the subject of the 139th AEB, published a few years ago and now out of print:

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Talon-I.../dp/0988760703

Since I don't believe in neccessarily making money for what the men of old have done for us, I have also published the book in the creative commons for all to use:

http://castraponere.com/bloodonthetalon/VolumeI.pdf

This is the level of work that I aspire to when researching. ANyway, I thank you all for your help and look forward to posting a few new images of the AT Platoon for your enjoyment.

Here is the AT Platoon image I promised.
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The cap badge does look like that of the Northumberland Fusiliers. Perhaps it was the members of the 1st Battalion which was in NA in 1943 when XXX Corps advanced along the coast to eventually reach Sousse and beyond. I am not sure if they also had an AT Platoon in their Table of Organization and Equipment, (TO&E) not sure what the British term is for that.
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