RFC Pilots Wing WW2 Issue Royal Flying Corps

 These wings were manufactured during the Second World War for pilots who served in the Royal Flying Corps and continued to serve with the Royal Air Force during the Second War. They are stitched with an oatmeal coloured thread and are padded  

WW2 RFC Wing

Reverse of WW2 RFC Wing

WW1 Officers Tank Corps Badge Made by J.R.Gaunt London

 This is a lovely badge. Similar to the Tank Corps badge but with a silver tank in the centre and the rest of the badge is bronze. The reverse has the usual two lugs and is stamped J.R.Gaunt. I think these were badges that officers could purchase from J.R.Gaunt.

WW1 Officers Tank Corps Badge

An image of the reverse:

Reverse of Tank Corps Badge showing J.R.Gaunt hallmark

Lovat Scouts Officers Silver Forage Cap Badge

Lovat Scouts Officers Silver Forage Cap Badge

 The above is a Lovat Scouts Officers Silver Forage Cap Badge. Hallmarked for 1970. The Lovat Scouts were first formed in the Second boar war as an Highland Yeomanry Regiment. The scouts became the first snipers then known as sharpshooters

Reverse

Tank Corps Cap Badge with Colours of Corps

WW1 Tank Corps Cap Badge

 This is a nice First World war officers bronze Tank Corps cap badge. The officer who had this badge drilled two holes in it and on the reverse stitched cloth with the Tank Corps colours.

The colours typified the struggle of the Corps - 'From mud, through blood to the green fields beyond'. This most apt interpretation of the colours was suggested by Colonel Fuller. The flag is flown with the green uppermost The story goes that just before the battle of Cumbrai in 1917, General Elles wanting a distinguishing mark for his tank, went into a shop to buy material for a flag. Supplies were short but he came out with a length of green, red and brown silk. He stitched this together and flew it from his tank "Hilda" which he led the corps into battle.



Reverse with Tank Corps Colours

The South Staffordshire Plastic Economy Cap Badge

The South Staffordshire Plastic Economy Cap Badge

 Above is The South Staffordshire Regiment War Time plastic Cap Badge. These badges were introduced during the Second World War when metals became more strategic materials. You can see from the picture below that there should be two blades, one of which has broken off. The South Staffordshire Regiment were involved in glider operations during D-Day. Also operated as part of operation Market Garden in Arhnem.

Reverse, one of the blades is missing

WW1 Silver War Badge

WW1 Silver War Badge

 The above is the WW1 sliver war badge. This badge was issued to UK service personnel who had been honorably discharged due to wounds or sickness. The badge was worn on the right breast whilst wearing civilian clothing. It became common practice for women to hand out a white feather to men not wearing a uniform  So this badge was introduced to prevent this from happening. Each badge is numbered on the reverese as can be seen on the picture below.

Reverse

After a small bit of research online. I used ancestry.co.uk, I came up with his silver war badge record shown below and from that found out his name and number and used that to find his Medal index card. Also shown below.

Recipient of above silver war badge

 He's name was Spr James Childs and was in the Royal Engineers. He was wounded 26 June 1918 he was entitled to the Victory medal and British war medal. His medal index card shows his entitlement to the Silver War Badge.

James Childs Medal index card

Junior Parachute Company Wing

Junior Parachute Company Wing

 The above is the Junior Parachute Company Wing. This is an early one. I got this wing from a friend who was in the Para's. He tells me they used to chase the Junior Para's and cut there wings up. This means that this badge is pretty rare nowadays


Junior Parachute Company Wing

The Junior Parachute Company was part of the Parachute Regiment and consisted of boys aged between 15 and 17. All hoping to become Para's by the age of 18. The company no longer exists. It was formed in 1961 and disbanded in 1993.

British 8th Army corps

British 8th Army corps

The 8th Army Corps charging knight was adopted in February, 1943 as it was composed of two armoured divisions. It landed in Normandy and subsequently took part in the operations and reached the river Elbe in spring of 1945. The above is an original printed cloth badge.

15th Middlesex (London Scottish) Rifle Volunteers Belt buckle

15th Middlesex (London Scottish) Rifle Volunteers Belt buckle

Picked this up the other day. It is the 15th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers, also know as the London Scottish, leather belt and Buckle. It would date around 1859 - 1880. They were founded in 1859 as part of a Volunteer force The Highland Society of London and The Caledonian Society of London.

The London Scottish have changed titles and lineage over the years, today they are A (London Scottish) Company of The London Regiment.

The showing leather belt

 It has to be quite rare. The leather is still supple but I probably will put some cream on it.

Reverse of buckle

Listed here for sell

Size adjustment buckle

WW2 German Kriegsmarine u-boat combat clasp in bronze



WW2 German Kriegsmarine u-boat clasp in bronze

 

The above is a U-Boat Combat Clasp. This one is the bronze class. Instituted on 15 May 1944, it was awarded for acts behind the scenes or an event beyond the call of duty. To commemorate and recognize greater courage performed by the U-boat service. Ninety percent of U-boat crews were lost at sea and they were all volunteers. It brings to mind the bravery and valour that this decoration was instituted to commemorate.

Reverse

The designer of the badge was Peekhaus and this is found on the reverse of the badge along with the makers logo. Maker marked AUSF SCHWERIN BERLIN — ENTWURF PEEKHAUS as can be seen in the above photo. Most badges have a fluted pin as can be seen.

Side detail

Hinge fitment

Hinge fitment

Catch

Finsbury WW1 War Memorial Clerkenwell Islington, London

Finsbury War Memorial, Clerkenwell Islington

Thought I would post some pictures of the War Memorial in Clerkenwell . It is known as the Finsbury War Memorial. The reason for this is Clerkenwell from 1900 to 1965 was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury which then became part of the London Borough of Islington. It is located in Spa Green Gardens see map below:

The War Memorial is in memory of those who died in the Great war of 1914-1918 who came from the Borough of Finsbury. The Memorial consists of a plinth with a winged figure of Victory, the Roman goddess, holding a laurel wreath. It was designed by Thomas Rudge, who's other work can be seen on top of the Royal Opera House, Covent garden and Claridges, London. It is I think the only War Memorial that remembers all three of the armed forces, the Army, the Navy and the Royal Flying Corps.

Inscription to those who lost their lives

 The above insciption reads: 

Borough of Finsbury

In the name of god the most high

and to enshrine in perpetual

love and reverence the glorious

memory of the men of this

borough who in death made the

supreme sacrifice for their king,

their country, and their kindred

in the Great European War of

1914-1918

This monument is erected

by grateful fellow citizens in

whose hearts the record of their

comrades hardships and achieve-

ments in the cause of international

humanity freedom and justice

will remain for ever ineffaceable

and imperishable

On the first side of the Memorial is the memorial to the the Royal Flying Corps. Can't be many of these around! On top of the wording which reads: "In memory of those whoe served and died in the Royal Flying Corps 1914-1918" there is a circle with a central propellor blade. This seems to based on the roundels found painted on the planes for identification.

Royal Flying Corp Memorial

Below the Royal Flying Corps memorial is a memorial to the Honourable Artillery Company. This shows the "Battlefronts"which are Egypt, Palestine, Italy, France, Belgium, Aden and Syria. The reason for them being on this memorial is probably because they are based in City Road about a twenty minute walk from here, again in the Borough of Finsbury.

Honourable Artillery Company Memorial

Just below the Battlefront Honours is a brass plaque which reads " In memory of those members of the Honourable Artillery Company who lost their lives in the Second World War 1939 - 1945"

Memorial of the Nava attack on Zeebrugge

 On the other side of the memorial is that to the Navy as seen in the above photo. It reads:

These are they

that went down

to the sea in ships

and did business

in the great waters

they have seen

the works of the Lord

and his wonders

upon the deep

and have reached

there desired haven

T

Naval attack on Zeebrugge

The memorial is for the Raid on Zeebrugge which took part on 23rd April 1918. It was a plan to naturalise the key Belgium ports which at the time were being used by the German Navy as a base for submarines and light shipping. The idea was to send older ships fall of concrete into the harbour and scuttle them. However this did not happen and some 500 casualties were incurred at the end of the action, 200 of which were fatalities. The british anounced the raid as a succese, but the German controlled ports were fully operational a few days later. A total of 9 Victoria Crosses were awarded for that one night of action.

11th london regiment, Finsbury Rifles attack Gaza

Last but not least is the memorial to the 11th London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles). They took part in the Palestine campaigns during the Great War as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force  The above shows the Finsbury Rifles attacking Gaza on Tuesday 17th april 1917. This date is the start of the Second Battle of Gaza. The action was to attack a coastel strong point situated at the edge of sand dunes 2 miles in land. The image shows the Finsbury Rifles climbing up the ridge southeast of the town (seen in the middle right of the image) under heavy bombardment.  Interestingly in the top right corner it shows a bi-plane. These were used for ariel bombardment. The effort proved a failure as the Turkish were well prepared and outnumbered the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. Approximatly 6000 casualties were accounted for.
Below show the Battlefront of the Finsbury Rifles which were Gallipoli, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, France and Belgium.

11th London Regiment, Finsbury Rifles Battlefront

WW2 British Army Commando cloth patch



WW2 British Army No. 5 Commando cloth patch

 Above is a WW2 British Army No. 5 Commando cloth title. No. 5 Commando was a battalion-sized commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. Formed in July 1940, the unit took part in a couple of small-scale raids in France in 1941 and contributed some personnel to Operation Chariot before taking part in the landings on Madagascar in 1942. In late 1943 it was sent to India with the rest of the 3rd Special Service Brigade and subsequently took part in operations in Burma throughout 1944 and 1945.


WW2 Army Commando wing 

WW2 Commando Dagger flash



WW2 48th Assault Engineers attached to Army Commando

Above it the 48th Assault Engineers patch these were are attached to the Commandos.

WW2 Parachute Regiment & Airbourne cloth titles



WW2 Parachute Regiment Shoulder Title

 Formed during the Second World War the Parachute Regiment was the Airborne infantry of the British army. The following are some examples of WW2 cloth patches worn by the Regiment. Above is an example of a WW2 parachute Regiment shoulder title as are the two below


Parachute Regiment Shoulder Title 2



Parachute Regiment Shoulder Title 3

 Below is the WW2 Pegasus " Winged Horse" Patch. This is the insignia of the British Airbourne forces. It was designed in 1942 by Major Ewdard Seago and was chosen by Lieutenant General Sir Frederick "Boy" Browning when he was appointed to raise Airbourne Forces in 1941. It is worn on the sleeves of all Airbourne soldiers.



WW2 Airbourne Pegasus patch



WW2 Airbourne Shoulder Title

Above is the WW2 Airbourne shoulder title. This one is printed. And below we have three WW2 p
parachute Regiment Wings.


WW2 Parachute Regiment Wing



WW2 Parachute Regiment Wing

WW2 Parachute Regiment Wing 2

WW2 Glider Pilot Regiment Wings



Glider Pilot Regiment wings WW2

Established in 1942 the Glider Pilot Regiment was responsible for crewing the British Army's military gliders that saw  action in the European campaign during WW2. Above is a picture of WW2 Glider Pilot Regiment cloth wings. This badge is stitched in silk on black cloth. Sorry don't have picture of reverse yet, but on an original you should be able to see the stitching.


Below are pictures of two different WW2 Glider Pilot Regiment shoulder titles.


Glider Pilot Regiment

Glider Pilot Regiment

Below are three examples of the WW2 Glider Infantry badge. These were worn by soldiers who served with a glider bourne unit and had made at least one operational glider landing.


WW2 Glider Infantry badge no.1

WW2 Glider Infantry badge no.2



WW2 Glider Infantry badge no.3