21st army. group

[49lassiepen]

Recently read a dentist at war by Edward L Moll
''in Jan 1941 -field ambulance was take over by the Indian division ,light field ambulance and I was issued with the desert rats shoulder title
''On Day 9 we were given orders to embark and joined the 21st army group and all had been issued with a white knight shoulder flash
1 always thought the 21st group was a red shield with blue cross Would be grateful for any information

RE dentists at war many member would just see a dentist as working on teeth
,but in training our 1st year was spent following every nerve blood vessel muscle etc in the dissection room in the head and neck and upper part of the body - and part of 2nd year doing general surgery and medicine Many of the facial surgeons in both wars were dental surgeons .also helped in general surgery and placing drips etc
In the falklands war in field surgical teams 1 &2 both resuscitation officers were dental surgeons -as this is also part of dental the coarse
Hense qualification B D S. bachelor of dental surgery

[leigh kitchen]

The white Knight- would that be the white Knight on horseback on a red rectangle, the 8th Corps badge?

My badges, books not to hand, image and text from the IWM site.

The first pattern of badge, a black Francolin partridge on white, was used by 8th Corps District when it covered Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. This second pattern of badge, incorporating the traditional Corps colours of red and white, was adopted in February 1943 when Corps HQ moved to Scotch Corner and took under command 9 and 42 Armoured Divisions. 8th Corps formed part of 21 Army Group for the invasion of Europe in 1944, Operation Overlord. After the war it formed an administrative district in BAOR based at Pion.

[49lassiepen]

Leigh. many thanks like you always thought the ''white knight was 8th corps I can't see how /why such an error was made by the author must be that he was in 8th corps part of 21st group and 8th corps was missing from the text
David

[Sonofacqms]

''in Jan 1941 -field ambulance was take over by the Indian division ,light field ambulance and I was issued with the desert rats shoulder title"

When was the desert rats shoulder title issued? I would have thought January 1941 to be a bit early. Also were the 4th Indian Division wearing 7th Armoured Division at the time.

Rob

[leigh kitchen]

The comment re day 9 and issue of the white knight badge I'm taking to refer to a date in 1944 (perhaps D-Day + 9?)

[49lassiepen]

Desert rat being worn in 1940 embroidered on wool
Leigh earlier in text D day 6th June in then as post as per page 96 of book
Rob since the author was there [unlike you ] suspect he knew what the desert rat badge was ' issued early 1941 -page 63 of book

[Sonofacqms]

Originally Posted by 49lassiepen

Desert rat being worn in 1940 embroidered on wool

Thanks for that, it must have been one of the earliest formation signs worn during WWII.

Rob