Unidentified Need help on a picture of maybe british soldiers.

[Auseklis]

Dear colleagues,

in behalve of the daugther of one of this soldiers, I'm trying to find out more. Since my knowledge of details regarding british/commonwealth uniforms is quite limited, I need help establishing the nationality of these two. She belives the picture is taken in northern Germany during the early months/years of occupation after WW2. That would make them Brits/Canadians (or maybe Belgians?).

Any input on this would be appreciated greatly.

yours

Auseklis

[Odulf]

I would say: British, Royal Artillery,

As the beret (General Service Cap) is of uniform cloth, it is a non-armoured unit.

The cap badge is a grenade, this was worn by light Artillery units such as: Anti-Aircraft, Surveyors, Anti-Tank, etc. (Heavy Artillery would wear the field gun as a beret badge).

[Tony]

Are they wearing battledress with lapels? If so I'd say it's Brit P 49 dating it 1949 onwards, I believe pre 1949 battledress buttoned up to the neck and only had a collar.

Tony

[Auseklis]

Thanks for the great help!

Arne

[jf42]

If that is a grenade insignia on the cap badge, is there a chance it could be to a Fusilier regiment? How long after the war did the Cap, G.S. remain in use before superceded by the beret proper (in most cases dark blue)?

[Tony]

Arne,

I've been looking for something I can't find (always the way) and came across an old article on battledress, apparently there was a P46 and P47 battledress blouse, both had lapels so your photo could possibly date from as early as 1946. The article also mentioned that the GS cap was worn until stocks were used up but didn't say when the new beret was introduced.

Tony

[Jerry B]

P46 BD did not have lapels, it was veru similar to Canadian late war blouses with a tab to close the neck instead of double hook and eye as seen on British BD. P47 did have lapels though. I notice one has lapels (the other appears to button to the neck) which were used by officers during the war and also OR's were allowed from 1944 onward to wear their BD's with shirt and tie and could therefore press the lapels open. The open collar blouse appears to have covered buttons which does not match post war BD blouses.

I have a number of BD blouses, all the types except for P47, though the P46 I have has had the officer conversion to lapels as has the p40 austerity example I own.

P40 austerity with open collar conversion.

P46 with open collar conversion

[Tony]

Thanks for the info Jerry.

Tony