Desert uniform identification please

[brodie]

Can anyone identify a regiment for me from this photo - specifically the epaulettes. I reckon I can make out 43 and something which looks like a palm tree!

[wright241]

Originally Posted by brodie

Can anyone identify a regiment for me from this photo - specifically the epaulettes. I reckon I can make out 43 and something which looks like a palm tree!

Any chance of a larger and better picture, or is the original very small?
You can see more than I can on my screen..

[brodie]

The original is postcard sized and this is a copy of a scan. I've cropped it to just the man and adjusted it to greyscale - hopefully easier to see.

[Peter Brydon]

Combination Div Sign ? 78th Div and ??
P.B.

[fougasse1940]

Originally Posted by brodie

Can anyone identify a regiment for me from this photo - specifically the epaulettes. I reckon I can make out 43 and something which looks like a palm tree!

The palm tree looks like the Crusader's battle axe of the 78th Division.
There was a 49th LAA Regt. in the 79th Div.

Rgds,
fougasse1940.

[brodie]

Thanks Fougasse - I've checked out a picture of the 78th insignia and I am sure you are right. Looks like this lad was 49th LAA.

[Peter Brydon]

So I was miles away,but I dont think that Fougasse is necessarily correct because I dont think units showed their designations so obviously on the epaulette slides, but I may be wrong.

One of the slides I illustrated from British Battle Insignia 2 1939-45 by Mike Chappell showed the number "49" below the 78th Div sign,but according to the text this was for 214th Field Company R.E. and appears to be the units tactical sign rather than the regiments number.

Look forward to hearing what the cloth experts think.

P.B.

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by 8thfoot

So I was miles away,but I dont think that Fougasse is necessarily correct because I dont think units showed their designations so obviously on the epaulette slides, but I may be wrong.

One of the slides I illustrated from British Battle Insignia 2 1939-45 by Mike Chappell showed the number "49" below the 78th Div sign,but according to the text this was for 214th Field Company R.E. and appears to be the units tactical sign rather than the regiments number.

Look forward to hearing what the cloth experts think.

P.B.

Hello,
I agree with 8thfoot, "49" is one of the tactical signs used for identification on the Infantry Div.'s vehicules, this one 49 on blue was used by a Royal Engineers Field Company. Tactical codes were used by Royal Engineers units on BD as identification badges in some divisions such 78th ID, 3rd ID, 49th ID... The man on the postcard is probably a fellow enlisted in the 214th Field Company R.E., 78th Infantry Division. Cheers J-F

[fougasse1940]

Originally Posted by rubicon

Hello,
I agree with 8thfoot, "49" is one of the tactical signs used for identification on the Infantry Div.'s vehicules, this one 49 on blue was used by a Royal Engineers Field Company. Tactical codes were used by Royal Engineers units on BD as identification badges in some divisions such 78th ID, 3rd ID, 49th ID... The man on the postcard is probably a fellow enlisted in the 214th Field Company R.E., 78th Infantry Division. Cheers J-F

8thfoot and rubicon I stand corrected, of course it's the tactical sign, not the unit's number.
I just had a quick leaf through Joslen and found the 49th LAA. My only contribution therefore is taking it from 43 in the first post to 49.
214th Field Company R.E. it is.

Rgds,
fougasse1940.

[Woodbine]

Does anyone know if there is a published list of these tactical codes?

[Ron Goldstein]

Hi

May I as a "newbie" throw in my comment ?

I was a 49 LAA Man myself, in 78 Div and can definitely confirm that the 49 number shown above had nothing at all to do with the actual regiment.

I was to go on later to become a "tankie" and demonstrate this on my Avatar on http://www.ww2talk.com/

Regards

Ron

[Postwarden]

As far as I know the best published list is in the 1971 Almark-published book British Military Markings 1939-1946.

It has a pretty comprehensive listing by types of formation for various dates.

Copies listed on ABE Books

Postwarden