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  #1  
Old 28-03-20, 10:34 PM
Fuzzybadge Fuzzybadge is offline
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Default Mystery (to me) shoulder patch Lancashire Fusiliers

Hello Can anyone identify this patch for me please? It's on both shoulders of a much loved WW2 Lancashire Fusiliers tunic. Thanks.
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File Type: jpg Lancs fusliers patch.jpg (48.8 KB, 104 views)
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  #2  
Old 28-03-20, 11:17 PM
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The badges on that jacket have been made up.

The much earlier other ranks shoulder title shouldnt be there.

there are empty holes where the other ranks badges have been.

The arm badge is the Lahore District of India from WW2.

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  #3  
Old 29-03-20, 12:42 AM
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A good close up picture of the Lahore District sign ( the Zamzama gun ) would be helpful to determine if it is original.
As mentioned, the shoulder titles are incorrect, however, they could have been added. Extra holes in the shoulder straps are normal as rank changed. I note that previous holes would indicate a Captain rank, and when promoted, the Major's crowns would of course be worn closest to the shoulder seam. Are there three sets of holes? Someone may have moved the crowns to the middle set and put the titles in the position that the crowns should be.
It is very possible that the officer could have been attached to Lahore Dist., so I would not write this one off yet!


CB
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  #4  
Old 29-03-20, 08:13 AM
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The badge has been sewn on poorly with a starkly contrasting thread. Officers did not have difficulty getting decent tailoring and sewing in environments where service dress was worn and such a poor effort in this case makes it very likely that the badges have been retrofitted and are not original to the jacket.
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  #5  
Old 29-03-20, 11:14 AM
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Thanks all. This was my first fusiliers uniform bought in Hastings around 35 years ago, (hence the love!). I've always been intrigued by the OR titles, but wondered if it was an affectation - are these allowed!? I also noticed that the brass two piece collar badges aren't a facing pair...
Attached are other images including the Lahore District badge (thanks for that) and the two 'wound stripes'. I'm bracing myself for disappointment there...
Attached Images
File Type: jpg epaulettes.jpg (57.0 KB, 43 views)
File Type: jpg wounds stripes.jpg (110.4 KB, 42 views)
File Type: jpg Lahore badge.jpg (80.7 KB, 37 views)
File Type: jpg LF Label.jpg (39.1 KB, 46 views)
File Type: jpg LF detail1.jpg (48.8 KB, 49 views)
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  #6  
Old 29-03-20, 11:20 AM
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Sorry, I didn't turn them round.
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  #7  
Old 29-03-20, 11:30 AM
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Now you have shown the whole thing, I can see its a nice original inter war tunic.

Wound stripes but no medal ribbons? Unlikely.

LF shoulder titles totally in compatable with the tunic.

Lahore District signs? Were any LF Battalions in that District?

Still think someone has made it all up with various badges, probably a school boy collector many years ago.

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  #8  
Old 29-03-20, 11:39 AM
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Hi Simon, there have been ribbons but they've been removed. I'll look into LF serving in Lahore. All very intriguing...
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  #9  
Old 29-03-20, 11:40 AM
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Well in that case the wound stripes, which are original items, were probably always there.

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  #10  
Old 29-03-20, 01:12 PM
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I concur with Simon’s observations. Apart from a very few rifle regiments that did not wear collar badges, and so had small shoulder titles in lieu, it was not convention for commissioned officers to wear shoulder titles on service dress. It was only on khaki drill uniform that shoulder titles were widely worn by officers as a hangover from previous warm weather uniform, and even then they had smaller lettering than the patterns issued to other ranks. The LF version, e.g. being very small indeed.
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File Type: jpg F4DC7E71-A006-4CBC-AED6-5B05DD9E4119.jpg (44.6 KB, 2 views)

Last edited by Toby Purcell; 29-03-20 at 02:34 PM.
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  #11  
Old 29-03-20, 01:31 PM
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Default Lancashire Fusiliers

I realise that these are more modern but here are the very small anodised Lancashire Fusiliers shoulder titles worn by officers in the 1960s with miniature pips (and crowns).

Tim
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File Type: jpeg B4348284-B551-4B0F-A90D-24B58B2F7725.jpeg (52.9 KB, 6 views)
File Type: jpeg 4A503A6D-F79D-4987-A057-60825F778911.jpeg (54.9 KB, 12 views)
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Last edited by grey_green_acorn; 29-03-20 at 07:14 PM.
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  #12  
Old 29-03-20, 02:40 PM
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Well, I will have to be the one to disagree here. While of course it may well be the case that this is a put together, the Lahore signs are genuine, and just because they are poorly sewn on is not always a bad sign at all, officer or not. They are done with khaki thread, whereas I would expect a faker to use matching red thread to make it look better. If I were to make up a fake tunic, I would certainly choose something far sexier such as a famous combat division rather than the obscure Lahore Dist., which are rather scarce anyway.
I don't know if a battalion of the Lanc. Fus. were attached to the Lahore Dist., but even that would not be a problem as he could very well have been detached to serve there in another capacity.
Aside from the shoulder titles, I find nothing that positively condemns this tunic, even though the ribbon bars are missing.

CB
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  #13  
Old 29-03-20, 02:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cbuehler View Post
Well, I will have to be the one to disagree here. While of course it may well be the case that this is a put together, the Lahore signs are genuine, and just because they are poorly sewn on is not always a bad sign at all, officer or not. They are done with khaki thread, whereas I would expect a faker to use matching red thread to make it look better. If I were to make up a fake tunic, I would certainly choose something far sexier such as a famous combat division rather than the obscure Lahore Dist., which are rather scarce anyway.
I don't know if a battalion of the Lanc. Fus. were attached to the Lahore Dist., but even that would not be a problem as he could very well have been detached to serve there in another capacity.
Aside from the shoulder titles, I find nothing that positively condemns this tunic, even though the ribbon bars are missing.

CB
I dont think you are disagreeing because thats basically what we have said.

regards
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  #14  
Old 30-03-20, 10:06 PM
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For what its worth, I have discovered that the owner of this uniform was Robert Bayles Latheron, who had a colourful military career
He was a corporal in the Gordon Highlanders 2nd Battalion S/43599 in 1914
Made a 2nd Lieutenant in LF 15th (Service) btn. (1st Salford) on 1st August 1917
Wounded and listed as ‘entitled to wear wound stripe’ 26/8/18 (tick)
7/5/1921 (Probable date of the tunic) Lieutenant in LF Reserve of Officers
24/8/1939 made Temp Captain in Reserve of Officers
19/1/1943 Temp Major R B Latheron wounded in Burma leading the 10th Btn at Shaving Tree Hill. On casualty list 2/2/43 (2nd tick)
The 10th Battalion ended up in Ranchi until disbanding in October 45. I don’t know yet what happened to Latheron and whether he ended up in Lahore…
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  #15  
Old 31-03-20, 09:00 AM
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That sounds very promising.

Just take the LF shoulder titles off and it will be much better.

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