South African WW2 Flash Query
 

I would be grateful for help with my grandfather’ flashes.

I know he served with the “Q”SC and drove trucks. I know he served with the Regiment Botha at one stage before they deployed to active service.

Here is a photo of his flashes plus some Botha badges and his Blood Oath flash.

Could anyone ID the brown cloth flashes. I recall him telling me that at least one of them went on his pith helmet.

Many thanks in advance,

Stephen

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Photo
 

Photo attached

The QSC and Botha Regt. badges are correct, but the flashes are for neither of these regiments.

This is the first I have seen of these. The brown flashes were typically worn by 'Native Military Corps' as well as Mechanical Transport but with a diagonal stripe of yellow running across the flash. This may be a variation as you say he was a driver.

The other possibility is that he may have got these from someone and they were not what he wore.

Steven

Thanks Steven,

I’m pretty sure he told me that these were his badges, but memory is fallible and we had this chat 30 odd years ago.

I was looking at this super website earlier today: https://www.mmofsa.org.za/

There is a section on the allocation of service numbers in blocks. Gramps’ number suggests he enlisted in the 5th MT Coy “Q”SC. This was probably in Bloemfontein in 1939 or 40.

How specific were these flashes? Company level, Battalion, or higher. And do the various shapes have any meaning? We’re they worn elsewhere?

My dad has some photos back in Cape Town. He will look them out and let me have copies, these may help.

Thanks,

Stephen

I have no doubt these were your grandfathers and nice to see flashes that have not seen the light before.

Sometime in the 1950's, someone put together a chart of flashes worn by UDF forces mostly based on info in the UDF dress regulations, but it appears not all flashes were identified.

MT companies were identified by a dark brown flash with yellow diagonal stripe, but that may only represent one of the MT companies.

Your flash has a roman yellow 'V' which I believe represents the 5th MT Comp where you indicated your grandfather served in from his service number.

The rectangular flash would have been the helmet flash and the triangular ones may have been worn on the jacket sleeves. Photographs would confirm this.

Thanks for sharing your grandfathers insignia.

Steven

Stephen you can get a chap by the name of Dewald Nel to pull your Dads records from the archives for a small researcher's fee, well worth it. Interesting flashes never seen those before?

dewald@nelantiques.co.za

Just a quick correction, our troops did not sign a "Blood Oath", it was just an oath the majority (not all) signed and wore these red/orange tabs as proof that he was prepared to serve outside South African borders.

Regards
Brian

Thanks Brian!