30th Corps but what is the lower sign?

[High Wood]

This photograph, probably taken in Germany shows a soldier of 30th Corps but what is the lower formation sign?

[High Wood]

An enlarged close up shows that the soldier has an 8th Army clasp on his Africa Star ribbon. The lower formation sign appears to be similar to the charging elephant of 4 Corps which it obviously cannot be. An Arm of Service stripe is also visible.

The man's face seems strangely familiar too.

[leigh kitchen]

A long shot but - the 4 Corps charging elephant which I think was also used as a regimental distinction by 64 Medium Regt Royal Artillery, worn below RA arm of service strip?

[High Wood]

We seem to have posted at the same time. Were 64 Medium Regiment R.A. out in India and Burma before moving to Europe? Which reminds me of another set of photographs that I have of an Artillery officer who served in Burma before transferring to 30 Corps in Germany in 1946.

[High Wood]

You may be on to something.

64th Medium Regt continued to support 21st Army Group as part of 5th AGRA until the end of the war in Europe. For example, it was part of XXX Corps' artillery concentration for the clearance of the Reichswald (Operation Veritable), After VE Day, the regiment handed in its guns and undertook occupation duties in Germany. 64th Medium Regiment was placed in suspended animation on 1 April 1946 and was formally disbanded in 1947

[leigh kitchen]

North Africa, Greece, NW Europe but not India or Burma I think - the elephant badge presumably related to it's 1942 service in N Africa.

A bit of info here:

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=21073

This pdf download is interesting too:

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&so...kf4KPN6ryvp770

[Postwarden]

The badge is indeed the elephant of 4 Corps which the 64th Medium Regiment adopted - for reasons I have yet to establish - although the 64th did serve with 4 Corps in Britain in 1940 until moving to Egypt in January 1941.

The 64th then served with 8th Army in North Africa from December 1942 until September 1943 then in Italy before returning to Britain in January 1944 to serve with 30 Corps in 21st Army Group.

The elephant badge was retained by 4 Corps and worn in India and Burma.

Jon

[High Wood]

Now that is interesting as I have always thought that the use of the elephant as a symbol dated from 4th Corps' time in India. In effect the soldier is wearing two corps badges although only in one corps. You can see why I am confused.

[leigh kitchen]

There's an IWM online item stating that the elephant was derived from the insignia of Auchinleck's old Punjabi regiment, so adopted before 4 Corps left UK and with no connection to its later service in India and Burma.

One of the IWM items (there are a number relating to the 4 Corps elephant badge):

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30071358

[Mike Jackson]

I agree with the learned members above - the black elephant on red rectangle of IV Corps worn (uniquely in BLA?) by 64 Med Regt RA. Presumably this soldier decided to retain the regimental distinction when posted to an XXX Corps unit. Mike
64 Med Regt RA KN75418.v2.jpg

[fairlie63]

By sheer coincidence I have just been reading A Well-Known Excellence by Denis Falvey, on his experiences with 64th Medium Regiment RA from the beginning to end of the war.

In recording the award of the Airborne Divisions' Pegasus badge in recognition of the support the regiment gave to 1 Abn Div at Arnhem he states that (p198) "...Since we were already liberally supplied with shoulder flashes - 21st Army Group, XXX Corps' leaping boar, and our regimental sign (a black elephant on a red background) - ..."

Does this mean 21 AG patch on right shoulder, XXX Corps patch on left shoulder? Regimental patch on both shoulders? A photo of them in Tunisia in 1943 being inspected by Churchill shows no insignia of any description other than rank being worn on their battledress at that time.

He also records that the Pegasus was taken away from them later!

And wasn't Spike Milligan a member of one of the desert medium regiments?

Keith

[Postwarden]

This photo, which appears in Brian Davis' British Army Uniforms and Insignia of WW2, shows a Gunner of 64 Medium with the 2nd Army sign and the Pegasus but no elephant which suggests it was only worn on the left arm.

Jon

[leigh kitchen]

The IWM show the left and right facing elephants as individual items, each labelled as 4 Corps and 64 (Medium) Regt RA (which doesn't mean they're right, and note that the 64 Regt version was usually smaller than the 4 Corps sign.

[Mike Jackson]

Worth a thousand words? Liberally badged - and presumably approved of by the CinC.
64 Med Regt RA_IWM.01.jpg