[Sussex] Military experts

[Hampden Park]

There seems to have been several pongo units with forage caps, when I've been searching, including the Pioneer Corps, and in photos of the BEF.
I suspect it is Army rather than the jolly what oh, boys.

http://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/pioneers_1.html

ah ok, roger out

 

[Blue3]

Thie photo was on a postcard to his mother and written on the back was “sailing to France sometime tomorrow “ this was dated 3rd Jan 1940, so wouldn’t be home guard would it.

Home guard booze cruise sailing to France sometime tomorrow do you need me to pick you u any duty free, just an idea like!

 

[Jim D]

Home guard booze cruise sailing to France sometime tomorrow do you need me to pick you u any duty free, just an idea like!

Don't you have to wait until next April before you can bring back duty-frees?

 

[alfredmizen]

Looks more like RAF than Army with the Forage caps and greatcoats. If you have his name and d.o.b you should be able to locate him online using Ancestry.co.uk, they have access to all sorts of info that should help you.

You obviously dont know a.lot about.ww2 army uniforms mate.

 

[alfredmizen]

When I used to sing a lot, I had a few singing lessons and the lady who did it was a Canadian. When you walked into her house, the first thing that you saw was a large picture of a plane and a guy standing by it. I thought nothing of it, until one lesson, she had to take a call therefore I wandered over to the picture, and it was a Dornier bomber. There was also a couple of pictures of other aircraft.

Turns out her father was a senior pilot who had flown bombers that she said actually had bombed this area, and also he had transferred from the Luftwaffe in North Africa where he had shot down many allied aircraft...she showed me his war medals, which included his Iron Cross, which must have meant he was an important guy.

I wasn't sure if I was very comfortable with looking at the pictures. I know it was irrational and it was a long time ago, but it left a bad taste in the mouth as the pictures glorified his war record against us!

Has anyone been to the military museum in Rome by the Forum? Again, a very surreal experience with records of Italians fighting the British and rather uncomfortable accounts.

The instances of.the italians actually fighting were so.rare thats the reason they are commemorated

 

[Hampden Park]

You obviously dont know a.lot about.ww2 army uniforms mate.

oh good, we are safe now percy pongo has joined in

 

[Mr Bridger]

There seems to have been several pongo units with forage caps, when I've been searching, including the Pioneer Corps, and in photos of the BEF.
I suspect it is Army rather than the jolly what oh, boys.

http://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/pioneers_1.html

I think this is going in the right direction.

 

[alfredmizen]

oh good, we are safe now percy pongo has joined in

Yes im sure people would rather entrust their safety to the navy

 

[Hampden Park]

wahay

 

[Thunder Bolt]

wahay

Respect to the Senior Service.

 

[portlock seagull]

It didn't show up anything when i tried it. On your original point of the royal pioneer corp would there have been a local ( Sussex) regiment

This is making more sense now you’ve provided further clues. The Pioneer lead may be a red herring. If your grandad was in the Royal Sussex, he’d have been in 133rd Brigade under Major General Osbourne as part of 44th Division. The RS was heavily engaged in the retreat to Dunkirk, May 1940 comprising of 4 battalions none of which were Pioneers albeit Territorials were in most instances little more than weekend soldiers and hopelessly equipped I.e. like a Pioneering (labour) battalion.

2nd (Regulars)
4th (Territorials)
5th (Territorials)
7th (Territorials) aka ‘the Cinque Ports’

Hope helps.

 

[Dave the OAP]

This is making more sense now you’ve provided further clues. The Pioneer lead may be a red herring. If your grandad was in the Royal Sussex, he’d have been in 133rd Brigade under Major General Osbourne as part of 44th Division. The RS was heavily engaged in the retreat to Dunkirk, May 1940 comprising of 4 battalions none of which were Pioneers albeit Territorials were in most instances little more than weekend soldiers and hopelessly equipped I.e. like a Pioneering (labour) battalion.

2nd (Regulars)
4th (Territorials)
5th (Territorials)
7th (Territorials) aka ‘the Cinque Ports’

Hope helps.

Watched that brilliant Churchill film the other day. Is it accurate that the Calais division were wiped out fighting on to deflect the Germans away from Dunkirk?

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Luftwaffe?

https://therupturedduck.com/collections/uniforms/luftwaffe-uniforms
regards
DR

 

[Tribunal Alta]

If it's the glorious Pioneer Corps badge it will have a show a pick axe with the curved blade at the bottom of the badge with then a shovel and a rifle crossed above.

 

[portlock seagull]

Watched that brilliant Churchill film the other day. Is it accurate that the Calais division were wiped out fighting on to deflect the Germans away from Dunkirk?

Pretty much albeit I wouldn’t use the word deflect, rather it was to hold up the final attack on Dunkirk. Churchill issued to the last man orders, so they died literally so others could live.

If you’re into this period, I can’t recommend highly enough this book. 5 Days in May, Professor John Luckas. My favourite book of ww2 certainly, although Dunkirk has been my ‘specialist subject’ of ww2 for the past 20 years bordering on an obsession because , as this author so brilliantly describes, I really don’t think people get just how close it was. Even after the excellent recent films, both of which are heavily indebted to this book. Dunkirk, Midway, Stalingrad, Normandy - the 4 pivotal moments of WW2.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Pretty much albeit I wouldn’t use the word deflect, rather it was to hold up the final attack on Dunkirk. Churchill issued to the last man orders, so they died literally so others could live.

If you’re into this period, I can’t recommend highly enough this book. 5 Days in May, Professor John Luckas. My favourite book of ww2 certainly, although Dunkirk has been my ‘specialist subject’ of ww2 for the past 20 years bordering on an obsession because , as this author so brilliantly describes, I really don’t think people get just how close it was. Even after the excellent recent films, both of which are heavily indebted to this book. Dunkirk, Midway, Stalingrad, Normandy - the 4 pivotal moments of WW2.

Ok cheers mate. I will check it out.

My area is Greek and Roman classics so it would be good to read something different.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Some of the British who couldn't get out of Dunkirk/France did manage to get across to St Nazaire before the Germans, and got evacuated that way.

 

[portlock seagull]

Ok cheers mate. I will check it out.

My area is Greek and Roman classics so it would be good to read something different.

It’s an audiobook too, very very well narrated too. Now, I don’t know my Rome from Romford so can you recommend any basic history of the Roman Empire? I tried Mary Beads book a couple of years ago but didn’t get on. Think I might need one with picture Is there a decent ‘starter’ out there because I’d like to learn about the Romans. Ta!

 

[Two Professors]

This is making more sense now you’ve provided further clues. The Pioneer lead may be a red herring. If your grandad was in the Royal Sussex, he’d have been in 133rd Brigade under Major General Osbourne as part of 44th Division. The RS was heavily engaged in the retreat to Dunkirk, May 1940 comprising of 4 battalions none of which were Pioneers albeit Territorials were in most instances little more than weekend soldiers and hopelessly equipped I.e. like a Pioneering (labour) battalion.

2nd (Regulars)
4th (Territorials)
5th (Territorials)
7th (Territorials) aka ‘the Cinque Ports’

Hope helps.

Now that has stirred the old grey cells a bit.There was a photo on the wall outside the MO's room at Preston Barracks when I went for my pre-induction medical.The different greatcoats were Sussex territorials transferred to the regular army in 1940,I think.

 

[Blue3]

Don't you have to wait until next April before you can bring back duty-frees?

Good point finally found a positive from Brexit the old booze cruise will be making a come back