Corporal mc Bain of the 126 LAA Regiment

Hey guys,
I need your help.
I have an English Mk2 helmet with decal of the 126 LAA (Middlesex) regiment. The name on the helmet is from cpl. McBain. I am looking for all information about this person and about the regiment. I hope you can help me so that I can display this helmet with the right story. Thanks in advance!

$_85 (4) by Museumoftheuntoldstories posted Nov 20, 2021 at 10:30 AM

$_85 (5) by Museumoftheuntoldstories posted Nov 20, 2021 at 10:29 AM

 

I think the author is from this project: Welcome | Alive & Kicking Theatre Company which helps to explain his request.

Wrong, the opening post author is in Belgium.

 

So on a quick search we have: History of the 126 LAA Regt (9 Battalion, Middlesex Regt) in WW2 and 9th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment - Wikipedia

It appears in the regiment was converted from a 60th Searchlight Regiment to 126 LAA Regiment, with four batteries. See: Battery Finder – Regiments 50 – 79 - The Royal Artillery 1939-45

The IWM has an Other Ranks item:

From: Online Collection | National Army Museum, London

Post-WW2 the regiment became part of the Middlesex Regiment, becoming 571 LAA Royal Artillery (The 9th Middlesex Regiment) and I could find one regimental journal The Die Hards from 1957. Perhaps, this journal could help? See: http://queensregimentalassociation.org/pdfs/volume-13/vol-13-2.pdf

The CWGC have no record for a dead McBain from the formation. Not the easiest website to search as could not find any deaths for them, which is unlikely. Others may know better how to use their search function.

 

Thanks for the info.
I had already read the part on Wikipedia. I never knew the other site, thanks in advance for that. I am mainly looking for the Corporal's history and personal stories of the regiment that I did not know yet.

 

welcome to the forum

you require the 126th LAA war diaries and for the soldiers personal detail you will require his service records from the UK Get a copy of military service records

other forum members will be along to advise more

 

The badge and insignia are shown on: Light Anti-Aircraft Regiments - The Royal Artillery 1939-45 Scroll down to the 126th.

The regimental arm badge being on a helmet is beyond my competence, it does explain the colours on the helmet.

I would also caution that the badges appear to have been used after WW2, so could be damage whilst a TA unit once more.

 

Thanks for the info, but the problem is if I want to get his Service records, I need to know his full name and date of birth. And I don't have that information. Do you know where they sell these diaries. Because here in Belgium there is nothing to be found about the 126 LAA Middelsex regiment.

 

Thanks for the info,
I had indeed heard that these were used after the war. That is why I search the forum for the answers so that we know whether it is real and if so what history lies behind it.

 

re the war diaries forum member below offers a copy service at reasonable rates
PsyWar.Org

 

Although some websites claim to have UK Service Records, they do not have them, only the MoD has them and there is a long wait to get them currently. The big snag is you have so little information: surname, rank and regiment.

Other ranks often only appear online when awarded a medal, die or appear in an event. Unless a reader has access to the regimental history and again Other Ranks don't generally appear there.

 

The bigger sang is that you need a death certificate (either CWGC or civil) before you apply

 

Are you sure its 126 LAA? did any actual Middlesex Battalions wear the same helmet flash? I think they used a variety of diamonds and triangles and maybe squares in Regimental colours - the fact he is Corporal rather than Bombardier also doesn't tie in with RA (although in units converted from Infantry to Artillery it may have lingered)

 

This is the uniform.



And this is a original photo of them

 

I believe the BD Jacket is 2nd Middlesex, there were several (4 I think) Battalions of the Middlesex in N W Europe, are you certain its not one of them

 

The Uniform is definitely not Royal Artillery. On conversion, 126 LAA retained their Middlesex cap badge and buttons and wore an arm badge of a red and yellow Diamond. They did not wear the Middlesex arm title and would have worn a red/blue arm of service strip not the red infantry one shown. Also, the uniform has the badge of 3 Infantry Division. 126 never served in an Infantry Division being Army troops in NW Europe. The helmet may be from the regiment, the Corporal rank belonging to one of the attached personnel such as Army Catering Corps etc.

 

Ok thanks for the information! The uniform jacket isn't mine, it belongs to an acquaintance who thought it belonged to 126th LAA. The helmet is mine. So the helmet could be from 126th LAA regemint? And could therefore have fought in Europe?

 

The helmet could be 126, the badge is correct although it may have also been worn by the infantry battalions as well. There would have been Corporals in various attached groups who may have worn the the regimental badge on their helmets. These include Army Catering Corps, Royal Signals and Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers.

 

Wat ik verwarrend vind, is dat de badge op mijn helm rood/geel is. Als je de badge van 116th LAA opzoekt is het geel/rood. En ik kan nergens anders een rood/gele badge vinden.

 

From the position of the stud, I presume the badge is on the side of the helmet. Is there a badge or any sign of one on the other side. They may be opposite handed so that both have the yellow portion to the front. Also, my drawing is based on a photo in a book. It is possible that the badge was shown the wrong way round, it has happened in the past. Never presume a source, no matter how good, has always got it right.
Additional : I have just done a search on line and found a photo of re-enactors of the Middlesex Regiment. They have the red/yellow triangle as shown on the tunic in this thread. It is opposite handed with the red portion facing forwards.

 

thanks for the info! I found an original photo where the badge is red/yellow. I also found some other helmets that are in the museum where it is also red/yellow. So my suspicions are that this is a good mid-sex regimental helmet from World War II.