Wedding photo identification Help? - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Goodsamaritan · #1 09-03-21, 04:05 PM

Hello members, I have a photo mystery and need to identify what units or Regiments two men belong to in a wedding photograph. This identification may help to get the photo back into the hands of relatives of the people in the photograph. The groom appears to be in the Parachute Regiment but the best man appears to be something else. He seems to be wearing a GS cap and the cap badge to me appears to be a Fusilier style badge. His arm patches are hard to see but some general detail can be seen. It looks as if the top patch is the winged pegasus Airborne patch. His uniform is lighter in color than the groom also. All opinions are welcome! I don't know too much about uniform or patches but it seems an identification of the units is possible from how they are dressed. The photo was found in Ashford, Kent, UK and dated November 10th 1945. I'm trying to locate the church but so far Essex churches have not been a match. The uniform and unit identification might help in placing the men in a certain area. Any ideas from the members? Thank you.

Bill A · #2 09-03-21, 04:13 PM

Hello Goodsamaritan, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.

Bill A · #3 09-03-21, 04:13 PM

The soldier in the centre is a member of the Parachute Regiment.

Goodsamaritan · #4 09-03-21, 04:20 PM

Thanks. Were most Paras all stationed in the same part of UK during ww2?

leigh kitchen · #5 09-03-21, 04:21 PM

The man on the left looks like he's wearing the Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers grenade on his GS Cap.
I thought he might be wearing the Belaraphon sign but I'm picking upon the fact hes with a Parachute Regiment man.
Possibly signalers crossed flags above his Chevron?
The Para has, I think, a wound stripe and the crossed rifles marks man's badge on his left lower sleeve.
The difference in shade of Battledress may be down to one of them not being a British manufactured suit, eg Canadian BD were a greener shade than the British and were, so I've read, smarter and popular with British troops for walking out suits.
I think one of Mike Chapell's books on Battledress mentions an Irish infantry battalion which used to kit out its men with Canadian BD for guards or parades.

54Bty · #6 09-03-21, 04:22 PM

The other soldier is possibly in the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

Marc

Goodsamaritan · #7 09-03-21, 04:24 PM

Could you be a Fusilier and wear the Bellerophon patch also? If so was this only for certain Fusilier Regiments like the Royal Welsh Fusiliers or all Fusilier units?

Luke H · #8 09-03-21, 07:31 PM

My first thought was Northumberland Fusiliers from the proportions of the grenade to flames.

leigh kitchen · #9 09-03-21, 07:37 PM

There appears to be a scroll below the ball of the grenade?

Luke H · #10 09-03-21, 07:38 PM

Your probably right! That’ll teach me to have a whole bottle of vino to myself with dinner.

leigh kitchen · #11 09-03-21, 07:43 PM

Wine? - "A fruit based drink for the ladies"?

Dan M · #12 10-03-21, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goodsamaritan

Hello members, I have a photo mystery and need to identify what units or Regiments two men belong to in a wedding photograph.

For the soldier on the left, I can't think of a reason why a soldier assigned to Airborne Forces would wear the Bellerophon patch but not a maroon beret. Soldiers assigned to an Airborne Forces designated unit would have worn both. Plus it looks too small to be a Bellerophon patch which is why I think it's a patch for another formation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

The difference in shade of Battledress may be down to one of them not being a British manufactured suit, eg Canadian BD were a greener shade than the British and were, so I've read, smarter and popular with British troops for walking out suits.

I think one of Mike Chapell's books on Battledress mentions an Irish infantry battalion which used to kit out its men with Canadian BD for guards or parades.

Quite possibly Canadian BD. Notice also the BD on the soldier on the left has covered buttons. By 1945 British BD had exposed buttons while the Canadian pattern, besides being made in a greener shade of material, had covered buttons for the duration.

Unfortunately none of this brings us any closer to identifying the Regiment for the left hand guy. Can a higher resolution photograph be created?

leigh kitchen · #13 10-03-21, 06:46 AM

Assuming that I'm reading the badge right as a grenade with scroll beneath, would the design match up with any Canadian unit?
Would a Canadian be more likely to have a beret rather than a GS Cap?

Lemataf · #14 10-03-21, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

Wine? - "A fruit based drink for the ladies"?

Funny one! This reminds me that when we lived in England & invited british friends from our rugby club, for a lunch at home, I noticed that most of them were actually ‘going’ much faster when drinking wine. Was actually a matter of friendly fun, between us, french expatriated in UK people. Were ladies drinks too strong for them?

leigh kitchen · #15 10-03-21, 07:41 AM

"It's a pint for the fella, glass of white wine, fruit based drink for the ladies."
A quote from Al Murray "The Pub Landlord",, a great British thinker who, strangely, followed a career in the hospitality sector rather than the diplomatic service.

Some years ago I introduced a Malaysian colleague to wine, a whiskey drinker, he immediately dismissed it as being weak, "A woman's drink" and didnt feel it creeping up on him.......

A problem with wine for some Brits is that they drink it as they would beer - throw it down by the glass full.