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  #1  
Old 05-09-19, 10:10 AM
brucenew brucenew is offline
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Default odd dress, April 1943

Not much to go on here, but the odd variety of dress here is instriguing. I know the date is May 1943, in Tunisia. Presumably these men are from the tank unit that knocked out this Tiger?
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  #2  
Old 05-09-19, 12:36 PM
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The Tiger looks fairly intact, but seems to have suffered some major trauma as the cupola appears to be missing completely (internal explosion, perhaps?) - maybe a wreck being inspected after Operation Ochsenkopf - The Battle of Sidi Nsir/Hunts Gap in Feb/Mar 1943 (the Germans lost 19 Tigers there)?

Dress-wise - it's all pretty standard 'non-standard' attire for North Africa, I think. It looks like everything is an issue item - a variety of shirts, jumpers, KD shorts/trousers, hose tops, overall trousers, a greatcoat & a bit of battledress - perhaps a somewhat unusual combination of some items, but it was known to get quite chilly at times in the desert theatre for which 'uniform' KD was probably inadequate.

The only head-dress on display is the FS cap (although the chap to the right of the barrel seems to be wearing his 'side-cap' sideways), so that probably suggests that most of the men aren't tankies, although the chap on the far right-hand-side might have a dark coloured FS cap that could be cavalry.

With the fairly large cap badge on display (chap with the greatcoat) & the 'work-wear', could they be Royal Engineers tasked with moving/salvaging the wreck?
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Old 05-09-19, 01:15 PM
brucenew brucenew is offline
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Yes, I see what you are saying.

This might help: an image of two soldiers taken in front of the same Tiger, although at a different time
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Old 05-09-19, 01:28 PM
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Army Film & Photographic Unit.

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Old 06-09-19, 07:13 AM
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A super photograph, I certainly would not want to be on the receiving end of one of those.


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Originally Posted by brucenew View Post
Yes, I see what you are saying.

This might help: an image of two soldiers taken in front of the same Tiger, although at a different time
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Old 06-09-19, 07:19 AM
brucenew brucenew is offline
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Army Film & Photographic Unit.

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Thanks - you mean just the two soldiers holding the ammunition, or also the soldiers atop the tank?
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Old 06-09-19, 05:49 PM
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The Bays wore FS caps until mid 1946 and 9th. Lancers as late as 47...
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Old 07-09-19, 07:30 AM
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The soldiers holding the ammunition both appear to wear the AFPU badge.

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Thanks - you mean just the two soldiers holding the ammunition, or also the soldiers atop the tank?
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Old 07-09-19, 09:01 AM
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Originally Posted by sketchley kid View Post
The Bays wore FS caps until mid 1946 and 9th. Lancers as late as 47...

The Bays at least did have a circular cap badge like the one shown in the original photo as well, and were in theatre, so definitely a possibility.

I think I still favour Engineers though, as their badge is a bit more of a 'lump' (no offence intended to any passing RE...) compared to the slightly more 'open' Bays badge.

The men could also of course belong to a mix of units, all come just to check out the new tank.
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Old 08-09-19, 04:34 AM
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Could they be from any of: Lothians & Border Horse; 17/21st Lancers; or 16/5th Lancers? They were the units operating in this area in April, although the photo was taken after the campaign.
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Old 08-09-19, 08:32 AM
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Bays...my old Regiment..
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  #12  
Old 08-09-19, 08:34 AM
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Bays again...
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