Casualty List - 2938286 James Lyle Irvine RAE, Cameron Highlanders

If my mind is correct I'm not sure if he got into trouble for not wanting to jump. I carnt really remember to much tho. I have a bit of info from the museum about him tho.

 

I checked the whole of 1944 and scanned by sight every name and number mentioned in the diary text.

He's not there.

 

Thank you so much for looking for me, it's very nice of you I really do appreciate it.

He must have got left off the list maybe or we were given the wrong information, it has been 75 years and perhaps my family have forgot things in time.

Thank you again for looking.

Kind regards
Chris

 

A letter taken from 79th News The Camerons regimental magazine, to give a little insight into his time in Italy.

 

Thank you for sharing this with me it's very sad to read what they all had to endure it sounds awfull a lot like the First World war with the mud and the other conditions.

They sound like a very sturdy regiment tho, (sorry if that's not the correct term). They were all very brave men with what they had to endure.

Regards
Chris

 

Hi just thought I'd share these pictures, my mum has found these pictures of my grandad from his time in the Army. There is one recovering in Italy to it says.

Chris

 

No such talent myself, but if you get a high-quality scan of that first photograph there are people who can correct and remove the fold with digital editing.

It'd make a good photograph to frame.

 

Thanks Charley, yeah I thought it was a nice picture, he had wrote to my grandma on the back aswell which was lovely to read.

If anyone can read the back of the 1944 picture be nice to know what it says.

 

(San Vittore del) Lazio? Military hospital there treating casualties from Cassino, I believe.

 

Hi

Bario?

There were many hospitals and places to convalesce around Bari.

I see a wide variations of spelling and pronunciation when it comes to Brits in foreign places. Especially in Greece.

So maybe Bario is Bari.

Gus

 

Could be. Not confident about my guess, but trying to decipher that first letter as a capital.

 

Thank you for looking.

Chris

 

Chris.

In the photo of him wearing his TOS, he has a 4 Ind Div badge on his epaulettes. It is a red screaming eagle on a dark blue background.

Regards

Frank

 

Interestingly, it's the 'old ones' they were wearing in North Africa.

Homemade / Indian Issued / Printed:



Never did work out which highland regiment that last one must be.

Frank, does the single (red) stripe denote the senior battalion in the brigade or the senior brigade in the division?

Edit: I pretty sure it's the latter, so what's going on with the tartan--there was no Scottish battalion in 5th Brigade (the senior of 5th / 7th / 11th) throughout the war!?

 

Hi the picture in the uniform is dated 1944 on the reverse of the photo. On the first photo I've iploaded the other men in his unit have some tartan under the red eagle.
Chris

 

The tartan is a Tactical Recognition Flash. It will be CAMERONS tartan.

TRFs were used extensively by the Parachute Regiment to help different battalions sort themselves out quickly on landing. The Suffolk Regiment always wore a red and yellow TRF which was passed on to 1 R ANGLIAN when they were formed in 1964. The 1st Battalion still wear it today.

James. The red line denoted the senior infantry brigade in the Division. The middle infantry brigade had a green line and the junior infantry brigade had a brown one.

On the vehicles of the senior infantry brigade, a red square with number 55 in white was the senior battalion, number 56 was the middle battalion and number 57 the junior battalion.

Regards

Frank

 

Thank you for the information, it's great to find out these things. Be nice to let the rest of my family know.

Regards
Chris

 

At some stage they seem to have worn a battalion stripe, too.

This one has a single-red for 5th Bde and a single-purple (pompadour, I suppose) for the Essex.



Unless I have the wrong end of the stick!

 

James.

If that was worn by someone in 1/4 Essex then that would make absolute sense.

Purple is the colour of the Essex Regiment.

Regards

Frank

 

Hi, it's been a while!! With one thing and another it has took some time to get my Granddad's army records. Just thought I'd post an update on the info we received. Sorry its took a while things have been bit up and down last few years