leigh kitchen

The WWII light bronze plastic economy version, K&K 2206 refers. 21,072 were produced after 2/11/43, all by "F & G" (Militaria Magazine issue 12).

This is a 15 point flame - or perhaps a 14

I can't remember when the crowned garter & cypher design took over from the grenade shoulder strap device, yep, the GS buttons are wrong but there should be plenty of KGV or KGVI Grenadier's buttons around - I don't know which king's buttons are right for this particular.

This badge has 16 points or perhaps 17 to the flame

These badges have 16 points to the flames

These badges have 17 point flames, there are slight manufacturers variations between them.

The Grenadier Guards wear the "flamed grenade" as a cap badge, ranks below full sergeant ("gold sergeant") and other than musicians (the guards term for what the army generally call bandsmen) wear the grenade with no device on the ball. The grenade has been worn since 1896 when it was introduced for wear on the forage cap and continues unchanged in basic design although the materials used have varied. Properly made of a yellow metal whch Kipling & King refer to as being gilding metal rather than brass, a WWI economy issue in brass would have been worn 1916 - c1919, but who can tell the metals apart? K&K 891 refers to these gilding metal badges, as does Gaylor, both show the 17 pointed flame version & make no mention of the other less full flamed versions. Both show smaller flamed badges but only of the types with devices on the ball, such as the full sergeants & musicians etc. Some collectors feel that the smaller flamed 14, 15, 16 pointed flame badges are Canadian Grenadier Guards badge, but photographs & postcards show these & the 17 point flame badges worn by both British & Canadian. During WWII a plastic economy version was issied, these were to be worn alongside the gilding metal badge, units were not to standardize on one version or the other so some men within a unit could wear brass, others plastic. Often referred to as "being of "bakelite", these badges were actually of plastic. Later an gold coloured anodised aluminium version was issued, and a cloth embroidered version of a noticably different design to the norm. A blackened yellow metal version of the badge was also issued. This photo shows a badge with 18 points to the flames:

I've never been able to identify these, they are of standard British type manufacture.............

I've had this for over 20 years, & I think that I found it in a book about that time & worked out that it is Siamese, but not exactly what it is. It has 3 x copper loop fittings on the reverse, it appears to be of British manufacture. It's about 7 cm tall. Does anybody know exactly what it is please?

Just putting these up because I like them & I've never seen any similar - a Swedish friend found them somewhere a few years ago & sent them over to me. The usual buttonhole fitting on the backs, the smaller one has a manufacturers mark which I can't make out at the moment - a London manfacturer.

Here's the reverse of the 5th Army medal. This site has a couple of "Naples" medals for sale, one has "Allied Armies" on the obverse along with a large tree, & is fitted with what appears to be a Monte Casino Cross ribbon, the other is a 5th Army one which has a simlilar obverse to your 8th Army one, other than the wording, l.e. it lacks the boats in the harbour that my 5th Army one has. It has a similar ribbon to the first but looks as if it's black & red rather than blue & red stripes. http://www.treasurebunker.com/acatalog/Bri...ign_medals.html Notice how my 5th Army one refers to "Allied Armies" on the reverse whereas your 8th Army one refers to "British Army"? I'd always thought that these were just produced in identical format with just the 5th or 8th varying, but these things seem a whole field in themselves.

It could be that the open tunics were on a trial issue prior to adoption nation wide. I was wondering if the group shot with the variety of tunics etc is actually a training college shot, at two of the men (rear left & rear second from right) appear to be City of London Polices Certainly by 1980 Essex were wearing the crested pattern helmet as opposed to the rose or "t*t" type with enamelled or rather plastic central design to the plate, I think with chrome fittings & possibly a black plastic band, possibly blackend brass? I have photos somewhere but they're not really relavant to this thread. I think the terms for the two different styles of helmetare "Guardian" & "Home Office".

Are you sure about the dates of service? The photo of your dad & the radio car shows him in the open neck tunic, which I think came was introduced in 1960, another photo shows a group, some in high neck, some open neck. Although worn on the shoulder straps nowadays & in some cases on a breast badge instead, the numbers are still referred to as "collar numbers" harking back to the old tunics.

A repost of a thread in US Orders & Medals - I am interested in finding what information I can on this man please - he was in the USMC & fought during WWII & in Korea & Vietnam, he held the Silver Star, Bronze Star, South Vietnamese Cross of Honour (?), was wounded 11 times & was apparently captured by the enemy in Vietnam a number of times but always escaped before actual incarceration. When he was 86 years old (about 2001) he was awarded a citation by the Oklahoma State Legislature in recognition of his military service, & received a letter from the State Governor. I've seen the citation & letter, a photo, a couple of newspaper clippings & a few other bits & pieces to him today & would like to know more about him - a quick search on Google etc was negative. Any info on this man would be gratefully received, ta.

A caisson is still on the beach at Littlestone, near New Romney (I only mention it because I used to spend a bit of time at Littlestone), it was washed up there after storms broke the British harbour at Aromanche up - quite neat when you consider that Mulberry components were stored or harboured just down the road at Dungeness. My old man went ashore in Normandy on the Arromanche harbour. The first 2 of these links refer to the Mulberrys & Hayling Island: http://www.hayling.co.uk/gallery/haylingphoto-221.html http://www.hayling.co.uk/gallery/haylingphoto-223.html http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/trlout/TRA22190.html http://www.combinedops.com/Mulberry%20Harbours.htm http://www.normandiememoire.com/NM60Anglai...sto4_p03_gb.htm http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/Engla...rryandPluto.htm http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/mulberry-harbour.shtml

'James Lee Wood Jr, USMC - Much Decorated Veteran of II, Korea & Vietnam -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am interested in finding what information I can on this man please - he was in the USMC & fought during WWII & in Korea & Vietnam, he held the Silver Star, Bronze Star, South Vietnamese Cross of Honour (?), was wounded 11 times & was apparently captured by the enemy & escaped a number of times in Vietnam. When he was 86 years old (about 2001) he was awarded a citation by the Oklahoma State Legislature in recognition of his military service, & received a letter from the State Governor. I've seen the citation & letter, a photo, a couple of newspaper clippings & a few other bits & pieces to him today & would like to know more about him - a quick search on Google etc was negative. Any info on this man would be gratefully received, ta.

The black bow & arrow on red square are AA Command, which was retained after the war other than by some Heavy & Light AA Regiments. These look like the second pattern of the badge, the first pattern having a less ornate bow ? a semi circular bow without the fancy curves & twirls. The red strip below the AA Command patches on the tunic is presumably the red half of the blue & red arm of service strip, the one strip indicating senior brigade in the formation. The black RA on khaki patch are slip on shoulder titles, the red on blue are sew on titles, the tunic has metal RA shoulder titles & the RA?s white lanyard. I can?t see whether the tunic buttons are the RA gun or the infantry GS pattern.. The L in wreath is Gunlayer, I can?t remember what this white on red version of the Essex Seaxes was ? an Independent Infantry Brigade? ? or a ?battle patch? of the 5th Bn Essex Regt.??...... The sidecap is in the RA colours, but does?nt appear to have a badge on it, merely the ?gun? pattern badge laid on top, instead of the grenade collar dog worn on side caps. The black patch with bullion star design is the blazer badge of the ?old comrades? The Burma Star Association.

Can?t make out the top two badges, the inverted chevron is a long service stripe. SP in wreath is Special Proficiency Pay, which was awarded only to Privates & unpaid Lance Corporals. The red chevrons on the right sleeve are overseas service stripes, 1940 (I think, but possibly 1939) was represented by a blue chevron the following years red. The cloth L in wreath sown below the tunic is Gunlayer.

The crown predates QE II, so pre circa 1953.

Shaved fibres on glue plugs?

I have about 3 versions of these, none with the helmet but mentioning such places as Louvain, Hartlepool etc

I'll just limp along on my old 1962 edition - is that the 1st edition?

I'm not too clued up on anodised badges, but the Greenjackets badge in black is subdued either produced that way or spray painted black - it's proper colour is silver. The QRIH badge is the second pattern, the first version being a one piece badge & the ends of the motto scroll hugged the name circlet.

I still have the idea that this red blue & white ribbon is a war ribbon, used on many different medals awarded during WWI, I just do'nt know where I would have found that info..........................

Thanks, nice photos - I did'nt realise that the cap was still in wear in the 50's. It's a pity the tradition did'nt carry on post amalgamation into RRF. ..................And I've always wanted a Korea pair to RNF as well as a GSM for Aden, but have never actively sought them out.