Osprey men at arms 187 british battle insignia (2) 1939 45

, 17 o PREY· ME -AT-ARM • • ERIE Publi hro in 1ts ofsccurity The 51St chose a tai head on a gr en and purpl ba kground, but determined to revert to their belo,ed 'liD' • n as an opportunity permined The adoption of divisional ign for transport traffi control was g-rudgingly accepted as ncce>sary b) a War Offi e determined to suppr banle in i'tl1ia in the interests of ~urit urpri in~ it now veem , the R"gular rm) hav'ing got rid of didsional i!(ns after the Creat War "ent ba k to the pre-1914 pra tice of painting the unit title on th,' idcs of vehi I Thi form f adverti ing was rapidl) di pensed with in 1939, and replaced with the divisional ign, mentioned, along with a y tem of numberin~ to indicat units within the divi ion These banle in i~ia were u,uall painted on th front and rear of vehicles, but exampl have been noted painted on vehicle id in the manner of the • prc\ IOU \\ ar I':arly in "9~0 the first schem of banle in i~ia on uniform began to manifcst themselvcs in the BEF Leading the field were the irrepr ible 5' t Ilighiand Di,ision, who havin~ been deprived f the kilt and th ir '110' divisional sign were determined to have a uniform distin tion to relieve the anonymity of Banledress The' chose a t Andre" 's erO' , whi h was worn by all ranks in a variety of c lours to indi ate brigadcs etc within the di,i ion, with bars bel w to indicate units within bri!(ad Other divi ions permined the wearin!: of'nashes' patehcs of cloth in regimental eolou to di tin!:uish units from each other; and the 'I" patch of the -Phantom' ignal Reg! began to be en This growing trend alarmed the War Office who, in pril '9+0, i ued an order forbidding the wearin~ of divi ional insignia statin~ that 'Divisional ign or badges will not be worn b) British divisions durin~ th", ar' But if the auth riti were determined to maintain the security value of Banledrco' th arm-or· "ic lrips, and ira regimelllal nash was worn it W.15 wn beneath Ihe ann-or· ",icc strips Thus wilh 'Orne unil wcaring trip' or coloured c10lh on houl· de trap' 10 indicale c mpani it wa po ible to Idier' di\i i n, bril{ad , unit • nd e, n tell a fOlnpi.lll) at a ~Ian c fcouN" for IhO'o(, una\\ar~ "Ithe ,mboli m "r Ihl e in gn'a the) prcsc'nlld a wlourful but meaningl pi lUr \nd so, in laIC '940, th rul ror Ihe wcarrnll 01 banlc in illnia Ihroul(houl th Briti hArm, w r cstabli hed How rar the) w re ol>c)t:'d and hO\, often thc) were il{nored willlx-com ob,iou th 1OC) i rollowed RegiJnental insignia 1939 45 Th Briti h \rm) i proud ori15 rcgiment and Ih ir boulder lid '942 43- Thne it~m wert u.Md 10 d.i play benle iasipia _hea i.a 1I lIj drilllrOpicaJ drH c kft i tile tide of lite I • 4th £S~ i.a lbe W ( Ih,' di\! 'OIl "ml"'rk, d lor O\l' 'a th,1t Duo",'r and \\.~ in ulioll \\uh tht" I t \rm\ in [ulli ia IX'fon- thc" 1,1'>(' "fIllt khaki drillirom th L'nited 'Ie} june;k'e;n'c'n dn" I)('l!;an to IX' C'I'n, \1 fir.! Ihi \\.IS imp" thl' hirt and lrou'!'" 01 Ih~ old khaki drill uni(()nn d~("(1 ~n·(·n A pattc:nl \hl 111('11 made' up lrmn 'june;II'-l(rl ~n' drill II'alurine; a hu h jatkl'l and lrou '" rinall} B,lllll'(!n \\a rq>rtxluetd Iwm june;k-I(r«'n drill, Clolhinl( I am Irom larwril in India, in Ihl' t.: nill'C! Kine;dom and Innn till' ,\\ine;-machinl of Ih Ihou'dnd of dlw,'/ \\ ho li,lIo\\I,d Ihc' unil or Ih Brili hand I"di.1Il \nnil ' '11ll'n' \\ a , Ihl'n-forc', a wnfu inR \aril'l} or pattlTn of hirt hu h jacket blou mal1\, or \\hieh \\I'rl' lortd aftl'r Ih~ lIld Imu I' \\ar and i uI,d durine; Ih~ lIlala}an Lml'rl( 'nq hadl of I(n ~n \ aritd lrom blolthtd khak, and I),\I~ l(nTn W Ihe alm!»1 bottle Rr('('n ofon pattl'rn uf l K ori~';n, Footwear Whl'llll'r in kdand or Ihc' june;lc of luth-I'• , I \ i.t 11ll' Bnll h )Idi~r marehc-d and loue;hl in hi dum \ hob·IMikd "ammos' 'ammunition' or lIlkk IXWH ' lit- cam('(1 "ith him a pair or e ll\a, and ruhhl'r '~)m' hl)("; "hieh \\ r~ Ireqll~nll v_·orn.\ patrol foot\\car The Plflles 1' 1I"llIn /\',prd,llOfIilry 1"01(t I niltd h'In(dom t onnaDdy, .: • sapper of Ih~ 3rod In.r~Di,, brn.k n,"r 'hiP 61 he 10 -tabU h t.he 'ormandy bnchh d IIftInth the R£ Corp tide 011 IIi arm ~ ~nra the divilo .J i blue Dd N'd Royal t:.""ftn _nn of rvic::e trip,.nd co Ie blue tre'mre fla hI' ~ilh ",,"itt' num" I" ·SO": ,hr~ wr~ thr me lhf' ,' ~ hidr t.ctical ip Kilutdum duthin't f~l(l()ri( \\as alm(.)\t ,11\"" \\orn Thi wnlonntd 10 e;~n toul pl•.H t: ill Utili h \rm\ lropie.11 wmbal dOlhine;, In Ih~ lIliddle L , I dl'l1Im lrou 'I" and drab nann~1 hirt, \\~r~!>Ct'n 10 b~ Ih~ ml I praniml IClrm 01 dn ,,'nd in 11ll' I ar 1 I I" rl'\\ II'rrilOrial units \\~r~ C'(llIiplx-d \\ilh B.lllll·· drc III Sq>l!'mlll'r '939, Al lOp kit AI, a privall' ol ')Il~ 01 Ihl' 1\\0 Liverpool 'otti h battalion in bSlh Inf.Bdc'" 551h \\' I Lanca hire ~Iowr Di\i ion i dn "tti h Bord~n' AS i d"l)it'l~d ,U at St'pl~mlx'r "ll:l di pl.lyinl\' tilt' battl~ in il\'llia uf Ih~ :lrd InCOi" ,'lid Ihe n·,,";m",ual O h adopt"d by Ihe I I KOSB in wmm"mt>ration ufth 'ir battaliun' in' \\ ith Ih,' "llh Di" in Ihe Gn'al \\ 11' Insignia palrh, indud left to right 'Ith ,"ard Ild~., 181h lnfDI\ 'Phanlom' Il(lIal rt'l(1menl Oa h; 1.,\lh 1nf Oi" "h,cle lI~n, B ht II/ddtt fA I ,\t top ril(ht 8, a '!'K"ant uftllt' , lin h Gu,lrd , '41h Guard Inf.llde., t Inn)i" i d,'pl('I',(! at an inH lllUrc in Tuni i \ in I~H3 ~ ott." th(> rt'!(imental in il(1lia 011 ,'ap alld hirtle"" • and Ih,' di,i ional il(n "om un ' lid",,' un 11ll' huul,lt-r Irap The medal ribbon i Ihal uf Ihe ~lililal') ~ledal AI bottom len 82 all anli·airrraft Iln'II' Runner of lh 2nd Buff, t,lk pt>\1 ill lh,' \\, I 'I'I in '9-1'" 'Ol"lh,' dl\ I lonal battlt- in Il\'llIa uf Ihe Hlh 1I1l1n Ct>unti InCOi, r,·!(im,·ntal lill, lI1d 0", h lI;uod wndut'l bad~, indiralillll; mol' than 12 a",' ·iet urrq • bth Ro,al \\, t K n~ and ''tth lirld Company R L n Ix'niv,'" G: Ila!~, Hjll 15 Al a private of lh,' II London 'oui h C, mar(h lip to th( line carryinll; a PL\T anti-lank '\t.·apoll and ammuniliOIl durinR , illlcr 19+ l l5· , 'Ole th( 'baule "rd(r' I'quipmenl, 1"'llher j(rkin and n'l(im"ll\al 'HoddI'n Rr( palth behind till' badl\'( on hi I am-o'· 'hanter bonnl'! ,'ot ab the di"i iOllal i'l'n of Ih 56th (Londun Inf.Oi, a blark 'Oi,k \\,hiuinl\'lOn' cal' : Ih( inll;l amI".· "'Ii I' , Africa ~lar, Ilaly • tar and the • Br nze tar In ignia hown at till' centre of the plate in lude: top to bottom the regimental flash of the London olli h; 5th Inr.Oiv in ignia of the 6th eaforlhs, 2nd Royal Inni killing Fu iliers, and 2nd :'\orthant ; regimental flash of 237 Field h RE, 78th Inf.Di, a cloth version of the vehicle tactical sign; and the regimental flash ofthe 5th :'\orthant , also 78th Oi,ision en'ing with the 78th Oi, in Ital) \\ere th 381h Irish Infant!') Brigade The first three figures at the bollom of the plate arc from units of 38th Bde in 1915 t len, C3, i a company serl\eant maj r of the 2nd London Irish Rifl, not the rifle-green aubeen cap, '~Iiddle East' pallern Battledr , lanyard and olher re~menlal distinction • 'ext, Ct, i a sergeant of the 2nd Inniskillings who, by this time, had mosed their Creat War th Oi" flash from their keses to their caps mpleting the trio eryice trip \\here t\\O had been \\orn previousl) the London ots had re enlly moved from t68 to 167 Bde , and the ndon olli h regimental fI h At righI, C2, a captain Oflh 5th Ilamp'hires i portrayed in 1945 Along \\ilh the 2nd and 1st/4th Hampshircs the 5th Bn rved in 128th Hampshire Inr.Bde., and had a di lingui hed record in North Africa and Italy All units wor the regimental title shown, with the divisional ign of the 46th Inf.Dis., arm-of- rvice trips, and regimental flash \\ hich varied from ballalion to ballalion mpany strips were worn on the shoulder traps throughout the brigade indi ating 'A' Co's b) green, 'B' ys b) red, 'C' b yello\\ and '0' ys by purple; 2nd Ilampshire companj ' ·ere lettered '\''',' " 'y' and 'Z', but the colour equen e was the same.' otc the omcers' ap badge; the '~Iiddle East' pallern Ballledrc>s; and the ribbons of the Milita!') Cross, 1939 45 tar, eN ntEUYTOOOLOUlt VAUl'E IAIM.N "TTl 15 COMMO TO A.U DlAGItAM IS nos -OOK.) TO~o'nl EnpH, (12) Corp!rl or Military Police (I') Royal rmy ~rvice Corp (If) Offi«r' tar wuh carle' i.nfantry bac.lcinl; (15) Officer' crown with sreen Reece bac.IUnS' (16) OffiCf'r' .-tar with ydlow RA badrin, DtACRA-'I Arrn-of: rvi('e In and nrLk baclUnl: 11 in by • quarter l.nch el) Intantry rlet) tt H.uor briSade (2) tnt_If") n UUermediate~.de (,) In.rantr'}' ju.n.ior bripde: (f) tnfa.atr) riOe ent (5) Royal Annoured Corp (i) Royat Anmo" (7 Royal En (I) Royal SilJlAlll (,) R«onnaiua.oce RTmoent 10) Royal Army MecUcal Corp ô'hury) (II) Royal ElNtrical and MKh.ao.ical ã ã ã • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • All Inp are a viewed on the lert ann; rnu.lU-' Dg: C',mpanr ,Yr(ranl lIa)"" :md II'r I ) 0,4 \ :llli Infanlry Bri(adr, Sudan I.'J.Iunt} Di'o : 7th \rmd.Bdc', Ilh \rmd Iklc'.: n'l{I011'nloll n,l h, hth urthumh,'rland I u ih ,,:: •\0,1}'-1I',,1 ";U,o",, '9H rile" «'ntr,11 fil{ur~, E" ho\\ a captalll of thc' jrd Ith Counl} of London Y',(lmanC} harphUOI~ I l l , orm.md}, \ul{u t 191-1 I,' Ih~ ,,'~nl('lIlal band \\om Mound th,'lx,,,,t; "'l1;Im Illal C,lp ,md ("(lllar badl{ , lan}ard till, and ,,'t,';Il\c'lllaI hould~r trap n", h all "um \\ith Ilh\nnd.Bdc· balll~ 1Il il{nia: Ihc' medal riblxlIl i thaI 01 Ihc' \lnca ;Iar, (up kft, E2, I a -cond Il('utC'll.IIll, ph Ro'oal \\d~h Fwilier 1Il1al~ "HI; lI,n,' tilt' nxirnc'nl.11 n.1 h It lilt' h.1t k ul tIlt' ,ull.II, 1lalr, '''"~ (I) Cuard ArrncLDiv o (t) f2-od (Ea La.oca-dlin nncLDi", ('0) loth nnd.l)iy (II) 12lh (Ea lerll) lat Diy, ('2) soDd (Low ) lof.Di ('3) 7th ~d.Di (comhl.o'" ill dl\ritifonal/lacliaal (rica, 1943) i D for clivi jo_1 h dqu.r1e~ 10 II 13 OMh and lh(' halll(' III 'RllIa of th(' 7' t InOld(' 'i'l"d \\c1 h Inf D.\I wn, At top ril(ht E3 a 1o('Ull'nant-