You can just make out the top of a ‘37 Pattern water-bottle over the top of the Majors’ sandwich, I am betting it is corned beef! He is also a trained Parachutist ‘Wings’ on his right sleeve.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sat 26 Sep 2020 09:31:53 BST
These are Army Ranks undergoing Commando Training and negotiating the Water Tunnel on the Woodbury Common Endurance Course. The men are taught to work in a Syndicate of three, one swimming, one pushing, one pulling, they then change places until all three have gone thru and move on to the next obstacle before the 4 and a half mile double back to CTCRM . They are wearing ‘58 Pattern Webbing and would be carrying a 7.62mm SLR. Three different Corps shown in this Syndicate, one an Officer.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 25 Sep 2020 20:19:56 BST
In this picture Mr Mark Heard wears Miniature Dress Medals of those which were awarded to his Father. He is also wearing the miniature Legion d’Honneur awarded to his Father.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 25 Sep 2020 20:05:22 BST
The man on there right of the group (as looked at) is wearing Medals on his right breast. This is traditionally how Family members are allowed to wear these hard earned Medals in salute to the person who was awarded them.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 25 Sep 2020 20:02:28 BST
The 11 Hussars earned the nickname ‘The Cherrypickers’ during the Peninsular War after being forced to take cover in a Cherry Orchard’ and wear a badge-less beret in two shades of red.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 25 Sep 2020 14:41:18 BST
Great photo and not one my family have seen before.
Bottom row, second from right is my grandfather - Joseph Spicer.
Posted by Laura Stokes on Fri 25 Sep 2020 10:12:41 BST
The Royal Marines in this photo are wearing Battledress (BD) with the RM
Shoulder ‘Flash’ and Commando Dagger. This was worn in the Corps until
the mid-1960s when the Lovat Uniform was introduced. The ‘Flash’ was later introduced again and worn on the Jersey Wool Heavy, known in the
Corps as a ‘Woolly Pulley’.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 16:01:06 BST
Apologies: For ‘Bars’ please read ‘Clasps’
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 15:52:03 BST
The Cap Badge of The Royal Welch Fusiliers, could be worn with a white feather Hackle.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 15:15:38 BST
Flame can be seen between pots 1 & 2 and could shoot out about 10 feet.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 14:57:15 BST
Grub is being prepared for at least a Troop, the gear being used was the ‘Hydro’ Burner which ran on 1 star petrol where a ring ahead of the nuzzle was heated, the petrol under pressure would be sprayed onto it so that it produced a burst of very hot burning petrol which was channeled down a folding metal tunnel on which the various ‘fannies’ and Hay box liners were placed using a mix of tinned Ration Pack food and anything scrounged in the locality. The Hydro was very noise so could not be used anywhere near action. Still in use well into 1960s.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 14:55:27 BST
....and the piano!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 11:06:21 BST
Nice touch here, having borrowed chairs for the previous photo these men are taking them back in, not something Russians would do!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 11:04:46 BST
Note the German white flag hanging behind this group. The very well worn bolt handle on the rifle held by the right hand man speaks of recent hard fighting.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 10:52:59 BST
Good shot of a 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun in the light role as used in a Commando Rifle Section, it is belt-fed and ammunition comes in the metal liner seen alongside, and the belt fed into the gun ready for action, this comes as 4 ball rounds and 1 tracer., known as 4 and 1
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 10:43:34 BST
The sign behind the troopers reads “Waldfrieden” a German word sometimes used as Wonderland!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 10:30:22 BST
Note that the Trooper second from left has his pistol ready to use!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 10:25:37 BST
The right hand man is wearing his (mouth) inflatable life-belt so they are probably waiting to go ashore.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 10:22:49 BST
The Trooper stands in a 3 inch Mortar ‘pit’ with the covered muzzle of one tube just visible.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 10:20:09 BST
Westkapelle is a small City near Walcheren the photo taken during a lull in fighting as none of these men is armed.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 10:16:10 BST
This appears to show a ruined German Casement or Bunker probably close to, and overlooking, thevLandingnBeach.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 10:10:41 BST
This is called, “Living off the land”. Those chickens should leg it now!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 10:08:32 BST
This shows a US built M4 Sherman Tank one of almost 50000 built and used in all Theatres of the War. They used petrol, the common fuel adopted, but caught fire relatively easily so the Germans called them “Tommy Cookers”. The photo was probably taken in Holland as some of the men are wearing traditional clogs, the Royal Marines call Dutch Marines “Cloggies”.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 10:04:39 BST
This is probably on active service the left hand man has a bandolier only used for ‘live’ rounds, he has his mess tin out, and seems to have ‘proffed’ a couple of spuds so a cook-up is in the offing.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 09:57:26 BST
What is rarely mentioned is the fact that when the Invasion began and the areas on and around the Landing Beaches were bombed and shelled very heavily but the French residents were still in place and could not be given any warning. They suffered huge casualties, their livestock was killed and buildings massively damaged, there was no alternative. The amazing fact is that when Allied troops moved thru these same areas they were welcomed in a manner which can only be described as rapturous! Anything to get rid of the hated Boche!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 24 Sep 2020 09:46:23 BST
