Help to identify unit from WW2

[lavagna]

I have received a WW2 photo album of a great uncle of mine, who served as a war correspondant during WW2. The album has photos from Normandy, Mere Eglise, Ardennes, Reichswald forest, etc. I believe he may also have been attached to the 101 airbourne (even though he was British) while in Normandy.

Can anyone help identify his unit from the badges on his beret, shoulder and arm patches in the picture below?

According to the album inscription this photo was taken in Antwerp, Sept, 1944

[jagwca]

You got it right the first time a war corresponant

[lavagna]

Any ideas on the arm patch : white shield with a red cross and sword. I have another photo with this chap in a car with the same badge on the front of the car.

Was this an official war correspondent unit insignia?

[peter monahan]

White shield with red cross and a sword on it was the formation sign for the British !st Army, which went to North Africa in 1942-43, while the same design but with a BLUE cross is the 2nd Army, which landed at Normandy, which would actually make more sense given the info. on the photo. Do you know it's red, or is that a guess?. Of course, quite possible for a correspondent to have moved from one army formation to another and perhaps niot bothered to update his badges - he was unlikley to have had any Sergeants Major screaming at him for being "Uut of uniform you horrible little man!". Not sure who, if anyone, would keep correspondents and other civilian specialists 'up to snuff' re uniforms and badges.

The title on the epaulets would read "WAR" [in a straight line across the top] "CORRESPONDENT" [in a half circle across the bottom/sides].

Not sure what the beret badge is, as I don't know of any circular regimental badegs for GB, but I'm no expert. However, the Allied Forces HQ badge is a blue circle, red edged, with white "AF" on it and several of the Britsh armoured brigades and divisions used circular formation patches: 10 Armd Div. & 7th, 8th & 23rd Armd Brigades. On the other hand, the edge of the badge looks almost serrated, so it may be something really odd or not military - see remarks above about 'dress regs' for civilians attached to military units.

Hope this helps.

Peter

Edited February 12, 2009 by peter monahan

[lavagna]

Peter you are correct, I was only guessing when I said that it was a red cross. My mistake - I suppose it just looked like it was red!

Thank you for all the info, it is a great help. The beret badge is a mystery. He has it in almost all the photos and has it on his peak cap as well.

Would love to find out what it is.

I've included another picture that he must have taken. Does the chap standing on the right look to be an SAS Officer?

[GRA]

Hello lavagna!

I?d say "the chap" is a captain of the Reconnaisance Corps. Is it possible to get a closer look at the capbadge of the man with the moustache, and the patch of "the chap"?

Greetings/GRA

[lavagna]

Here is another photo probably taken only a few moments before or after the first photo.

In it is the same bunch of "chaps", except that the "new chap" in the photo is my great uncle, and I'm assuming "the chap" taking the photo is the "other chap" from the previous photo. I hope this is making sense...

Jokes aside... here are the close-ups requested by GRA

[peter monahan]

Very definitely Reconnaisance Corps. Your uncle must have been spending some time pretty close to the 'sharp end' of whatever formation he was attached to to get friendly with those chaps! A much under rated unit IMHO: "Just toodle up the road, will you, until someone shoots at you. then come back and tell us who they are and how much armour and artillery they have, there's a good chap.

[lavagna]

Thanks Peter

Out of interest sake here are two more pictures of chaps from this unit:

Here is a picture of my Uncle in what I now assume is a Reconnaissance armed vehicle. The driver/gunner has the same beret badge as in the previous photos.

Next to this picture in his album he's written "43 Recce in the Reichswald Feb 1944".

It looks as though there are a few Para's as well, and what looks like a German POW. Absolutely fascinating stuff!

[leigh kitchen]

The War Corresponde

ant beret badge matches the shoulder strap insignia, "War Correspondant" in gold bullion in a circle on a green background. I can't remember off hand if a crcular linked chain is part of the design.

I'm trying think of references to it but can't offhand - there's a possibility that the badge is shown on the cover of Alan Wickers autobiography, & possibly it's shown in a photo of MacDonald Hastings, in Max Hasting's "Going To The Wars".

[Simon Orchard]

Next to this picture in his album he's written "43 Recce in the Reichswald Feb 1944".

It looks as though there are a few Para's as well, and what looks like a German POW. Absolutely fascinating stuff!

That would be Feb 45. Those aren't paras either, the helmets they're wearing are motorcyclists helmets.