I am having trouble identifying the Tiger formation sign in the attached picture. The others appear to be 17th Indian Division and Gurkha Rifle badges. Can anyone help?
Well this is sign of 39th Indian Division, former 1st Burma Division and from 1943 until the end of the war it was training division. I never before seen the sign with tiger head (if it really is a tiger head). BTW nice collection
Thanks. I looked through my sources and the closest was the 26th Indian Division, but this is generally shown as a triangle not circle.
The Black Cat is the 17th Indian Division. 7 GR = 7th Gurkha Rifles? I can't find the Tiger in my book.
Dryan, I noted that all other sign are somehow connected with 7th Gurkha Rifles. Does all of this belonged someone you know? If it does than maybe tracing his trail we could find out what that sign represent.
Found these but it offers no clue www.himalayan-imports.com/faq/insignia/more%20gurkha%20patches.jpg and might find some help here 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum
Thanks. I looked through my sources and the closest was the 26th Indian Division, but this is generally shown as a triangle not circle. Yes it was because triangle represent "delta" of the Ganges River 6th Indian Division also had a "Tiger head" as its sign but it looks little different than this one. Only other option I can think right now is 111st Indian Infantry Brigade. When this unit was created it had a nickname "Leopards", just like 77th Indian Brigade was known as "Chindits". Only latter it also accepted "Chintie" as its sign. But did that have a sign at those time and, if they, what it look like I really don't know. Found these but it offers no clue www.himalayan-imports.com/faq/insignia/more%20gurkha%20patches.jpg Jason, those are post-war signs of Indian Army's formations.
Sol, I bow to your knowledge mate not my area really just thought Tiger............you know what I mean
Sol, I bow to your knowledge mate not my area really just thought Tiger............you know what I mean Yes, I know Not that I'm some kind of expert but couple years ago I found same signs while I was trying to find out more about Indian Army.
This is from the email of the friend who passed these signs on to me: "The items are in a collection that belonged to a Major of the 7th Gurkhas that has passed to a researcher who works for English Heritage. Given the regiment and the connections with 17th Indian, 1st Burma and 39th Indian Divisions my guess is the major was in Burma at the time of the Japanese invasion. Some other items in the collection include badges and papers that would place the gentleman at the training centre at Mhow - probably before 1942.......The officer's name was DA Hewson."
This is from the email of the friend who passed these signs on to me: "The items are in a collection that belonged to a Major of the 7th Gurkhas that has passed to a researcher who works for English Heritage. Given the regiment and the connections with 17th Indian, 1st Burma and 39th Indian Divisions my guess is the major was in Burma at the time of the Japanese invasion. Some other items in the collection include badges and papers that would place the gentleman at the training centre at Mhow -probably before 1942.......The officer's name was DA Hewson." Unfortunately this doesn't help too much. I must say that nothing of this signs don't necessary suggest that he was in Burma in 1942. Both battalions of 7th Gurkha Rifles almost all their time in Burma during 1942 were part of 17th Indian Division and during this time this division had different sign. Only later in 1943 this was changed it to the famous "Black Cat". 39th Indian Division had 7th/10th Gurkha Rifles training unit which provide replacements for 7th and 10th Gurkha Rifles. So if I had to guess I think that he was first with 39th Indian Division and latter with 17th Indian Division but easy it could be vice versa. But I steel don't know what represent the sign with Tiger head. It could be a sign of some training unit, or independent brigade but I really don't know. Sorry Cheers Enes
Is there any chance this Tiger insignia could be Japanese? just a thought I don't think that Japanese units had signs, or at list not in the way like Commonwealth troops. Their soldiers usually had their rank sign on the sleeve but I never sew or read anything about some distinct divisional signs. But off course this doesn't mean that somebody will maybe prove me wrong
I don't think that Japanese units had signs, or at list not in the way like Commonwealth troops. Their soldiers usually had their rank sign on the sleeve but I never sew or read anything about some distinct divisional signs. But off course this doesn't mean that somebody will maybe prove me wrong Sol I was thinking outside the box was all.............or you could say I just like throwing a spanner in the works
Sol I was thinking outside the box was all.............or you could say I just like throwing a spanner in the works It was a good idea Jason, with all those foreign units in Burma it really could be sign of some US, Chinese or INA formation. But I don't know really much about them, only about Commonwealth units there, and little about Japanese. Any idea is welcome Cheers
