Help figuring out uniforms, medals, badges, vehicles!

Thank you very much, Rich! I see this book is available at the library here in Denmark
I will have to go check it out!

 

To return to the original query for this post: I do have more pictures, and since you did so extraordinary well at pin pointing the uniforms in the first pictures, perhaps I could ask you to look at some more?

 

Sorry but I can’t help but I’m sure one of our members with an interest in military vehicles might be able to assist.

If you could provide a better quality image of the first photo it might be possible to identify the 2 officers Regiment by their cap badges.

Steve

 

I'd wager that picture no.5 is Belgium (Trust me, I'm a Belgian ! ) He has medal ribbons so this has to be late 1945 or perhaps more likely 1946. If I had to guess, I'd say that he has a Royal Signals cap badge...

 

P/A/L/Bdr Jack Price's award roll states 41 Field Regt, roll dated 3 Aug 48. He re-enlisted 26 Feb 47. Number suggests original enlistment with Royal Engineers

 

Good Call...The Old Man was R. Sigs and I see "Jimmy" everywhere.

 

According to my dad, it IS Belgium 1946. Well spotted! But I don’t know what he was doing there, or why he hadn’t been discharged yet, since the war was over.
I saw that someone in a different post was able to identify vehicles by their number, and I wonder if the truck might be a clue as to what he is doing.

 

When I zoom in on the picture, I can quite clearly see that you are right. This is confusing to me, as by 1946 my dad should have been in the Jewish Brigade, not Palestine Regiment. Did they wear the same caps, perhaps?

Edit: I just found a picture online of the Jewish Brigade cap badge, and it does look enough similar that it could be what my dad is wearing. Attaching pic to this post in case anyone is interested.

 

Here is a zoomed version of the officers.

 

Does anyone know if these white belted desert uniforms are British or early IDF?

 

Also, when zooming in, I found the name “Dodge” on the truck.

 

I’m no expert on cap badges but as a starter for 10 I’d say the officer on the left (looks to be a Major) has a General Service Corps cap badge. Image attached.

I think the Sgt on the right is wearing a Royal Army Service Corps cap badge. He has metal curved brass shoulder badges which are a pre war device that was discontinued during the war. It is difficult to identify Medal ribbons in black & white photo.

The officer in the middle looks to have 2 badges on his shoulders so either a Lieutenant or Lt Colonel - I’d go for the latter as he is in the central position in the photo. I can’t identify his cap badge but it is different to the other 2 and has a Sphinx on the top that features in a number of cap badges.

Steve

PS

I’ll ask a MOD to consider moving this cap badge query to a stand alone topic.

 

I’d say IDF from the caps. It appears to be an exercise with a “captured” Luger pistol?

Steve

 

I'd agreed GSC (although I think for officers it means General List rather than GSC), but I think the second is Essex rather than Dorset and then I'd agree Cheshire

 

For the 55 on the vehicle (its on a few of the vehicles in the photos) I think in an Independent Brigade this means Senior Infantry Battalion, which I assume would be 1st Battalion the Palestine Regiment - one of the initial photos with the unit camp sign (attached below) shows the Jewish Brigade sign/55/1 Jewish Battalion - which I'd say confirms that in the Jewish Brigade 55 was the 1st Battalion

 

James Spektor involvement in Danish clandestine operations. There should be some evidence in SOE files of this . Agents were usually dropped with money to support an organised resistance cell and would be known by a SOE field name. Weapons were dropped by parachute canister.

I have just looked up SOE individuals and cannot find any reference to Spektor but some of the Jewish faith saw military service under assumed names for fear of reprisals if captured.

The other point is that the award of the Air Crew Europe medal might have been from a role as a Dispatcher, although the RAF carried their own dispatchers within a squadron when supporting the SOE. The Parachute Regiment would have their own Dispatchers for their parachute drops and although the medal is normally associated with the RAF, army personal acting as Dispatchers might have qualified for the medal....have not referenced the qualification.

Incidentally, in August 1938 the Nazi regime forced the forename of Israel for males and Sara for females on all of the Jewish faith in Germany who had non Jewish forenames. Might have some bearing on research of those who were caught up in this policy.

Overall, only James Spektor's service record will solve the questions posed in this thread.