Royal Norfolks -shoulder titles

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by shreevejames, May 2, 2016.

  1. shreevejames

    shreevejames New Member

    Hi
    I'm in the process of requesting my grandads service record from the Second World War-he fought in the Battle of Kohima.

    Did certain ranks wear the brass shoulder titles and others the white on red material shoulder titles? Or did all soldiers wear both?

    Once I know which units etc he fought with I will be using these boards to research.

    Thanks

    James
     
  2. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The brass shoulder titles should only have been worn on the pre-war style Service Dress and shouldn't have been applied to Battledress but they sometimes were early on.

    With tropical kit, slip-on cloth shoulder titles were more common. It really depends on where and when but if he was a pre-war regular who started off with brass then he is likely to have had them all at some time. Was he with the battalion in France in 1940 ?
     
  3. shreevejames

    shreevejames New Member

    He fought in the Battle of Kohima in Burma and am unsure of any other service as he never wanted to talk about. I have had his medals passed down but that's all I have so am looking to collect some items that he would have had. Shoulder titles? Cap badge? Etc etc. If fabric shoulder title-I'm lead to believe they were red with white writing for the Royal Norfolks in WW2.
     
  4. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Hi James Welcome to WW2talk.

    An interesting question, would be nice to know if there were any official rules governing these shoulder titles.

    I have looked through Peter Hart’s book. At the sharp End From Le Paradis to Kohima (The story of the 2nd Battalion Royal Norfolks in ww2) and can find no pictures of any soldiers wearing either of the title stripes in the battlefield or on parade.

    Would recommend that you read that book, then you will understand, why your Granddad did not say too much about his war.
    Would be most interested to see his records when you have them.
     
  5. Charpoy Chindit

    Charpoy Chindit Junior Member

    Neither in India and Burma.
     
  6. shreevejames

    shreevejames New Member

    When were the cotton/material strips with the regiment on worn? Royal Norfolks white writing on red strip?
     
  7. ceolredmonger

    ceolredmonger Member

    Generally badges were applied to tidy uniforms when the Officer Commanding clamped down on 'bull' - or needed to busy the soldiers with some morale boosting chore to help unit cohesion.

    'In the field' the logistics of ensuring there were enough good uniforms and badges was not worth the effort. A factor was the need for regular and robust laundry - especially in the tropics. Ensuring a soldier got their own shirt/jacket back was impossible. Headdress was more personal so was more likely to bear the unit badge.
     
  8. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Found a photo showing shoulder stripes.

    [​IMG]

    This photo by the look of the clothes, would seem to be late 40s early 50s, taken on the piece of ground between Guildhall hill and Goal hill in front of the Guildhall Norwich. (Now used as taxi rank).

    Hope Brothers outfitters 1880s to 1950/60, 12 Gentleman’s Walk. (Now branch of Halifax) to the left of them is Jarrolds Department store behind which you can just make out Norwich Cathedral.

    The view today most of it blocked by a tree.
    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.628857,1.2925287,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVDLSiJYNyVSlfiyjRNsg_w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en-GB
     

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