Marku Vickers

Just managed to post one more, above, but again now when I try to upload another it says I cannot.  Are we limited to the number of photos we can upload in one day?

A few more.

Sorry chaps - it is not allowing me to upload any more photos - not sure why.

Many thanks for the interesting posts on this.  Appreciated. I am a retired British Gurkha officer myself - last full tour was as Chief of Staff of British Gurkhas Nepal.  I do have quite a few volumes of books of the various Gurkha regimental histories and I am also good friends with the legendary and prolific writer John Cross (pic attached of the two of us in 2010).  So if ever I can be of any assistance to anyone regarding the Gurkha regiments please don't hesitate to get in touch.  

On 13/02/2020 at 21:56, peter monahan said:

Sadly, it takes a fair bit of imagination to make the badges fit ANY common IA unit, IMHO.  The shape is very odd indeed and, as has been remarked, has clearly suffered from retouching.

 

I totally agree with you Peter.  I am from the Brigade of Gurkhas (now retired) so am familiar with all the Gurkha badges and my imagination doesn't let it fit in there at all.  And in case, he doesn't look like a Gurkha.  I tried an old chum of mine who was originally commissioned in 1/1 Gurkha Rifles in India, but he can't make head nor tail of it either.  I also tried an old friend in Kolkata, but same thing.  Such a shame because it is clearly an important issue for the family - otherwise they wouldn't be going to the expense of having this gentleman's portrait painted.  Hey ho.

22 hours ago, Zaim Qyteza said:

Dear all, 

The Albanian officer on the second photo, is general Prenk Pervizi at that time commandant of the Albanian Army. Albania at that moment was theoretically "neutral state" with an own government and army. General Pervizi receive the rank of general during the Italian period, in 1940. Incognito hi was in contact with the British missions to find an personal solution for the post war period. 

After the war hi was sentenced to death by the communist government, but he escape first in the mountains and after that on Italy.

During the German period, the Albanian army return to the king Zog period uniforms.

Regards,

Zaim

Faleminderit Zaim.  Yes indeed.  This was, in my opinion, a very controversial chapter in British military history.  

I have looked at it from different angles and can understand why things happened as they did from a British strategic point of view, but also when I look at it from an Albanian viewpoint there was much to feel disappointed (to say the least!) about how the British government behaved.  

Also if one looks from the standpoint of the individual British SOE chaps who deployed - they were incredibly brave, and I can understand that some felt extremely frustrated once there, and yet others forged life-long links and affection to Albania.  It really was a complex situation.  

Even today, from Albanians and Brits I hear the same views expressed, but one really needs to look from all angles to even begin to make sense of it all.  I hear too many Brits stating a view purely from a Brit strategic standpoint, and Albanians from a more local viewpoint.   I fully understand why, but neither is sufficient to make sense of it.  

Just over a year ago I wrote an article about the Brits in Albania in WW2 which was published in some Albanian newspapers around the world.  It wasn't a scholarly piece though as it was written also as a chapter for a book I hope one day to publish - a broad collection of essays about my various thoughts and reminiscences of Albania.  

I will post more pics - I need to dig out the originals first so that I can add the captions, which I think will be more interesting.

On 10/02/2020 at 09:19, Bayern said:

Hello , plain khaki yes but lightweight cloth and not serge cloth . regarding the posible badge Lancers not . Sikh Infantry not. Jats also no. with certain imagination again ,Ghurka . Artillery ? not  well, remember that existed also the Princely Armies as the Army of Hyderabad or that of Kashmir .

Gurkha - no.

49 minutes ago, Bayern said:

Its difficult ,the photo appears to be retouched ,and the badge too , with a lot of imagination the badge looks like that of the Punjab Regiment. 

I think typical of a photo of that time!  

Punjab Regt - hmm...I see why you said that, but yes, it does need a lot of imagination to make it fit!

The artist who has been commissioned to paint this chap's portrait also asked me if I could identify the regiment what colour the tunic should be.  I am guessing from the photo is a plain khaki, but if we can figure out the regiment it will be much clearer.

I have quite a few photos, many with captions.  If there is interest I can load more and add the explanations.

Here are a few of my old (original) photos from the SOE ops time in Albania. I had the pleasure to be invited to the house of David Smiley in London some years ago when I was the British Defence Attache in Albania.  I returned to him a lot of his old photos which I had found.  Sadly David died not long afterwards.  I believe his family donated his extensive collection of photos to one of the museums in London.  Anyhow, here are a few of the photos I still have from this controversial chapter of military history.

A friend of mine has asked if I could recognise rank and/or regiment of the gentleman in the attached photo.  

Basically family members of this chap only have this one photo of him, I believe he is their great-great grandfather, and they are keen to learn more about him.  Indeed, they are commissioning a portrait of him to be painted, so clearly to their family he is important.  All they know is that he was in the Indian Army but they have no idea what his rank was or what regiment.  Unfortunately this photo doesn't show much at all, and I cannot recognise those collar badges.  Can anyone help please?