Royal Engineers Cadet Slip on?

[loupie1961]

Gentlemen, in my collection I have got a Battledress blouse embellished by the 4th Division formation sign (2nd pattern) and a slip on sign made with a piece of white ribbon with a RE miniature tac sign. Is my guess that this should designate a Royal Engineer cadet serving with the 4th Division right? Thank you in advance for your help!

[engr9266]

Originally Posted by loupie1961

Gentlemen, in my collection I have got a Battledress blouse embellished by the 4th Division formation sign (2nd pattern) and a slip on sign made with a piece of white ribbon with a RE miniature tac sign. Is my guess that this should designate a Royal Engineer cadet serving with the 4th Division right? Thank you in advance for your help!

Its a shame there is no shoulder title on show. It is possible it is a Officer cadet or a other rank who has been selected to go to Officer training??
I have not seen this before so I am not really sure. Maybe one of my fellow Sappers will know?
Jerry

[sapper533]

I have seen one before for sale on eBay a couple of years ago but had no idea what it was
Cheers
Sean

[loupie1961]

Originally Posted by engr9266

Its a shame there is no shoulder title on show. It is possible it is a Officer cadet or a other rank who has been selected to go to Officer training??
I have not seen this before so I am not really sure. Maybe one of my fellow Sappers will know?
Jerry

Hello Jerry,

this is what I have found on

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peo...a8994496.shtml

On 23rd January 1943 with Sgt. "Titch" Jarman he [Sapper Bob Thurman] went to the Middle-East School of Military Engineering at Gebel Mountain to begin Officer training. There he attended lectures on wiring, mine laying and mine clearing but he was also required to give lecturettes . One of his was on “Shadows” Full notes from all the lectures had to be kept and evenings spent studying for the exams on February 13th.. He thought he had done very well until he realized that he had omitted the questions on the back of the paper. Nevertheless his mark of 53% was above average.
On February 19t he moved to the Royal Engineering Training .Depot at Moascar, where hours spent polishing bayonets and boots. Now as a Cadet he was required to remove all badges of rank and wear a white band around his hat and epaulettes. The training continued with the writing of essays and more five minute lecturettes.
So it looks like it was normal practice for cadets to remove rank badges, but could it also be that they would remove titles or arm of service strips?

[engr9266]

Thanks loupie1961 for the in depth information, very interesting read.
Jerry