RCEME, odd mix of insignia.

[WJ Miller]

I got a couple of group photos the other night of some RCEME guys... or at least that's whet the shoulder titles say. Most of the guys are wearing RCOC cap badges,some none at all. One fellow wearing a British cap badge (not sure what regt.) but it's a Canadian uniform and it looks like a CVSM ribbon above his pocket. A mix of khaki and black berets. From the little I know about where the photos came from I am guessing the photos were taken in Holland or Belgium in the fall of 1944... anybody see anything here that would indicate the contrary.

When were RCEME badges made available in the NWE theatre?

[oc14]

The British cap badge is of the York & Lancaster Regiment !

OC14

[NorthStafford]

The photo may have been taken in 1942 when REME ( and I believe RCEME) were formed from , among others, the RAOC (RCOC?) . It's possible that they were showing off their new shoulder titles while still wearing their old cap badges. The Y&L man may have been a regimental fitter who transferred to REME/RCEME at the same time.

[Bill A]

The Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers were not formed until May 1944. As NorthStafford inidicates, RCEME was created from the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps, elements of the Royal Canadian Engineers, and elements of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. Two issues affected the badging. First, the allegiance of the soldier often remained with his "old" regiment. This was especially true of those who were transferred against their preference. They continued to wear their previous cap badge. The second question was the availability of the cap badge. This is not documented that I have found to date, but the RCEME hat badge was not immediately available. Once the RCEME badge was available, the use of other corps badges was discontinued.
The formation patch in the image is the 1st Cdn Army patch.

[Unknownsoldier]

And the thing above his pocket is an MID Oakleaf I think at a slight angle.

Tom

[WJ Miller]

The photos are either a group of guys from either 2 Tank Troops Workshop, or the 123 L.A.D. Since the one fellow I can identify by name was in both units, and is NOT wearing a 79th Div patch but still 1 Cdn Army I know the photo is before Xmas of 1944.

The appearance of the Y&L badge has thrown me, I'll have to scour my records again and see if I can identify who this might have been? I also enlarged my photo and I am pretty sure it is a CVSM ribbon with maple leaf device, tilted at a slight angle (comparison is with the tunic of the man standing to his right). For certain it is not an MID as in 1944, as it would NOT be affixed to a ribbon (the War Medal ribbon was not issued until after the war ended) Since he is wearing a CVSM he must be a Canadian and not a British Craftsman on loan?

The odd cap badges also reminds me that this same group also had a practice (at least in the field) of wearing two beret devices, I have seen two photos and an original period beret, that has the corps/regimental badge and next to it an "artificer" trade badge. See photo. This fellow (Craftsman Ernie Barker) also has a unique painted jerkin with the 2 Tk Tps Workshop "Howling Wolf" (right breast) and a very Canadian maple leaf (left breast).

Anyone have any other photo of this practice??

[REME245]

Originally Posted by NorthStafford

The photo may have been taken in 1942 when REME ( and I believe RCEME) were formed from , among others, the RAOC (RCOC?) . It's possible that they were showing off their new shoulder titles while still wearing their old cap badges. The Y&L man may have been a regimental fitter who transferred to REME/RCEME at the same time.

First line repair remained a unit function untill post-war when the REME was reorganised, so unit badged fitters in most cases would have carried on as before. There were REME LAD's during the war but they did not perform all the duties they do now.

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by WJ Miller

I got a couple of group photos the other night of some RCEME guys... or at least that's whet the shoulder titles say. Most of the guys are wearing RCOC cap badges,some none at all. One fellow wearing a British cap badge (not sure what regt.) but it's a Canadian uniform and it looks like a CVSM ribbon above his pocket. A mix of khaki and black berets. From the little I know about where the photos came from I am guessing the photos were taken in Holland or Belgium in the fall of 1944... anybody see anything here that would indicate the contrary.

When were RCEME badges made available in the NWE theatre?

Out of interest, what are the badges they are wearing on their battledress blouses?

Some might be imperfections on the original photo, but others are certainly some sort of badge. Maybe civilian souvenir badges?

[WJ Miller]

Originally Posted by BWEF

Some might be imperfections on the original photo, but others are certainly some sort of badge. Maybe civilian souvenir badges?

I've wondered this myself as the central fellow is definitely wearing two small badges on his pocket. Neither I recognize, so your guess as to a civilian origin may be correct.

As for your second detail, I think this is a flaw in the emulsion of the photo.

The third detail I think is his CVSM ribbon, which is just turned backward at a slight angle.


I have a companion photo to this one that started the thread, I discovered it had had a date on the back, "Dec 8, 1944". No location, but the unit was in Tilburg, Netherlands for the entire months of November and December 1944.