VIII Corps badge

I got this today from an RA Veteran of an LAA regiment, I can't place the tiger, can anyone help out:

 

Philip

My first port of call would be here, at Peter Ghiringhelli's super Div Signs site:

British Formation Signs

Ron

 

He great links, cheers Ron

 

Immediately I found errors in the insignias. As to the Tiger? Never saw that. I don't think there was a unit with that badge. certainly not on the Normandy plate with all the units on.
If you go to the Third Division,and click on units the you will find a RE unit that never existed.
sapper

 

If you look at British army formation badges, and alongside Details from Third Div you will find 248 Field Company RE.
No such unit And Lord! I do know The RE were 17th 246 and 253 Flied Coys with 15th Field park.
But that is not unusual, the histories are riddled with false units and mistakes.
Sapper

 

Brian,
I have looked through Peters website and cannot find anything like the tiger shown.
Still searching.

Tom

 

Hi Tom.
I am not at all surprised to find errors. I sometimes get yelled down when I say this or that is a mistake. But the ww2 histories are an absolute jumble of sometimes pure rubbish.
I was reading a book on the Normandy campaign. Where the Canadians landed on sword beach and the British just did not exist there at all. It was an absolute load of utter tripe. I cannot tell you the name, I slung it in the bin.
I reckon that about twenty % is wrong or in some cases ridiculous,

By the way.....There was also a number two bridging platoon as part of Third Div....never existed!!! But there is always the difficulty of units under command. thats a devils punchbowl. But Number two Bridging platoon never existed as part of the Third Div
sapper

 

I got this today from an RA Veteran of an LAA regiment, I can't place the tiger, can anyone help out:



Nice set. An RA Warrant Officer, Class II. Making him a CSM or a RQMS in a LAA Regt. in 8th Corps.
His service ribbons bar shows the 1939-45 Star and the France & Germany Star.
His medal bar has the Defence Medal, War Medal and one other?

Could it be the badge of 121 (Leicestershire Rgt) LAA Rgt RA(TA) 'The Tigers'

 

RQMS in 121 LAA, the last is the TA Poficiency medal, were did you find "The Tigers"

Bodston?

 

RQMS in 121 LAA, the last is the TA Poficiency medal, were did you find "The Tigers"

Bodston?
The Leicestershire Regiment have always been known as the Tigers, probably dating from some Indian connection. The Leicester rugby club is also known as the tigers.

 

Its surely not an official badge. Is it?
Sapper

 

Its surely not an official badge. Is it?
Sapper
Quite common for converted infantry battalions to 'carry over' remnants of their previous proud histories in the form of a flash. Especially if it was done prewar. This one was 1936. From that wikipedia article.In 1936 the 4th Battalion was converted to an anti-aircraft unit of the Royal Engineers , later part of the Royal Artillery .

 

I too thought of an Indian connection with the Tiger, but, sorry to say all my searches have drawn a blank.

Tom

 

I too thought of an Indian connection with the Tiger, but, sorry to say all my searches have drawn a blank.

Tom
It is mentioned in that wikipedia article Tom In 1825 the regiment was granted the badge of a "royal tiger" to recall their long service in the sub-continent.
and In 1908, with the creation of the Territorial Force , the 1st Volunteer Battalion formed the 4th and 5th Battalions (TF). There was a minor controversy in the same year, when new colours were issued to the 1st Battalion to replace those of the 17th foot. A green tiger had been shown on the old colours and the regiment refused to take the new issue into use. The issue was resolved when the regiment received permission for the royal tiger emblazoned on the regimental colours to be coloured green with gold stripes

 

Will contact the museum anyway, I thought I had seen a tiger like this once on ebay, bur can't trace it back, anyway thanks everyone for your reply and research

 

I got this today from an RA Veteran of an LAA regiment, I can't place the tiger, can anyone help out:


My grandad was in the same formation as the person you got the patches off. 121 laa 396 battery.
The images you have on the red card is what he wore on his arm which is
8 corps leicestershire regiment
I have got his complete wartime history of his battery. If you need any info please get in touch.
Glyn

 

That's a result!
The Leicesters' history confirms that 121 LAA Regt landed on 25 June 1944 and initally deployed with VIII Corps artillery. Apart from spending some of August-September as Army Troops, they seem to have been with 8 Corps the rest of the time.
It doesn't say anything about wartime regimental distinctions but does state that the postwar unit were permitted to wear Leicestershire Regiment distinctions.

 

Nice set. An RA Warrant Officer, Class II. Making him a CSM or a RQMS in a LAA Regt. in 8th Corps.
His service ribbons bar shows the 1939-45 Star and the France & Germany Star.
His medal bar has the Defence Medal, War Medal and one other?

Could it be the badge of 121 (Leicestershire Rgt) LAA Rgt RA(TA) 'The Tigers'

Bodston,

Out of curiosity wouldn't that be BSM or RQMS ?

Or would they carry over the CSM from a previous roll as a Company formation (I'm aware that a lot of LAA used to be infantry battalions) rather than reverting to Battery?

Andy

 

121 LAA were previously 4th Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment and a headstone of a man from the Leicestershire Regiment does show a Tiger as part of their insignia, with the word "Hindoostan" above the Tiger. So the Tiger badge does not seem out of place in that collection.



Also a casualty of 121 LAA on CWGC which confirms the Leicestershire connection.

Name:BARBER, CYRIL READ
Initials:C R
Nationality:United Kingdom
Rank:Gunner
Regiment/Service:Royal Artillery
Unit Text:397 Bty., 121 (The Leicestershire Regt.) Lt. A.A. Regt.
Age:33
Date of Death:25/07/1944
Service No:1658753
Additional information:Husband of Zena Vera Barber, of Northampton.
Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:IV. F. 19.
Cemetery:RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY