oversmock: painted sign identification

Dear Chuck, dear All,
herewith a better detailed picture of the Red and White stripes painted on the oversmock tail.
Surely it has a meaning, hasn't it?

Regards,
Ludo

 

Dear all,
a bell rang in my mind just... a moment ago...
Could there be a relation between the Battalion shoulder title colour and the flash colour on the Oversmock?
I explain: I have attached a photo of a 9th Para battledress (Bill Stack) on which we can see the red title for 9th Para
The colour of those shoulder tittles were:
8th Para: Blue 7th Para: Green
9th Para: Red 12th Para: Light Blue
1st Canadian Para: Yellow 13 th Para: Black

from what we have seen in the previous posts about the flashes:
7th Para : Green Circle with white triangle inside:

8th Para: Blue Circle within a white circle:


the colours of the battalion flashes seem to match the coulour of the shourlder tittles. Is it just a pure coincidence?
Regards,

Ludo

 

Ludo,

No I don't think it's a coincidence. The natural choice would be to use the regimental colour in the DZ flash. There is a list of Airborne shoulder loops and lanyard colours compiled by Phil at the Reenactors site (post 12) here:

WWIIReenacting.co.uk Forums • View topic - Lanyards

Notice, however, in the book scans above Arthur Thorpe of the 12th Parachute Battalion wore a pale green circle on Op Varsity which doesn't accord with the light blue colour listed for 12 Para. I see the strips on your oversmock's tail were painted on. Maybe one colour was to signify a section stick and the other to indicate which particular stick? That is just a wild guess.

Regards ...

 

Hi

A picture at Amfreville with a white cirle on a Ovresmock

 

very interesting

 

This photo was just posted on another thread asking for ID of location ( most likely Salisbury Plain) I zoomed in on the chap in the middle and you can see the big O on the Oversmock

Alex

 

Two photos from Ken Joyce's site showing a couple of men with a circle DZ flash said either to be white or yellow. They are members of C Coy, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, on a training exercise prior to D-Day, no date given.




It seems Joyce's site dedicated to Canadian Special Service and Paratroop history is no longer accessible?

Regards ...

 

Another smock identification

Photo of Exercise in the UK or Operation in Europe?

 

Ludo,

Another thought on the red and white strips painted on your oversmock's inner tail. I thought If these were the official colours of 224 PFA they might turn up in their lanyards. The clearest example I could find was a photo of Doctor Vaughn, 224 PFA, clearly showing him wearing a lanyard with interwoven light and dark strands.



To confirm documentation regarding the colours would need to be found.

Regards ...

 

Hi.
RAMC colours have always been the same as far as I know....

 

Thanks Alex,

As far as I can see all the lanyards of the 6th Airborne Field Ambulances where dual coloured. A couple examples of other Airborne PFAs (16 and 23) found on the web show their lanyards as maroon and pale blue. So if that was universal for Airborne Field Ambulances ignore the theory I espoused above.

Regards ...

 

Did anyone ID this smock? 9 Para i think were described as having this type of pattern.

 

Hi Alex,

It's a scene from the same series of clips as pointed out in post # 9. Most likely men associated with 5th Brigade HQ just before boarding their lorries on June 5th at RAF Harwell which would take them to RAF Fairfield. It comes from the Official Film A70 25-3 which I can't find on the IWM site at the moment but is available on the British Pathe YouTube Channel under the title "Landing Craft -Gliders (1944)".

It was taken by Sgt Harris and as he pans across the assembled men he captures his stills partner Captain Malindine who is standing next to the reporter Leonard Mosley who must be wondering at that point what the hell he has got himself into.



Regards ...

 

Hi i'm wondering if anyone has any information on the 7th bn as my great grandad was in the 7th from 1945-1947 but when he join in 1944 he was in training the on the 8th may 1945 he was sent to 1para as they need men for operation doomsday and he was there for 24days. After that he was sent to 7th and was mainly in Singapore and the far east.

 

Hi dibdabcr01,

You might want to get a hold of the war diaries of the 7th Parachute Battalion during the period your great grandad was with them in the Far East and Palestine. The Pegasus Archive has the WDs for sale up to June of 1946. There are also chaps on the Forum who will copy them out for you at the NA, Drew5233 (Andy) being one.

ParaData has a few pics of the Battalion while in the Far East and Palestine.

Media Collection | ParaData

Regards ...

 

hi andy

we have his war records and we been through the photos on there and found 2 from operation doomsday. I have looked at some wds and i don't full understand some of them on the paradata website.

 

dibdabcr01,

My knowledge of 7th Battalion during their period postwar in the Far East is not really up to snuff. My Father wasn't sent out with them as he was near the end of his required time with the Army. Have you by any chance contacted Michael Pine-Coffin? He may have additional information? Let me know and I'll pass along his address by PM.

Regards ...

 

hi yes ive been in contact with micheal recently... im just trying to gather as much information as i can so i can understand my great grandad before life with all us.

 

Hi Chloe!
Glad you found your way over to this Forum!

Alex.

 

Hi,


Pictures of airborne exercice in 1944.

an oversmock sign is visible with two (yellow?) triangles one upright & one upside down

BIG AIRBORNE EXERCISE

BIG AIRBORNE EXERCISE

BIG AIRBORNE EXERCISE

BIG AIRBORNE EXERCISE

BIG AIRBORNE EXERCISE