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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: katomyllo on Monday 27 February 23 15:13 GMT (UK)
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Hi
I wonder if anybody can help with divisional insignia from the photographs. My great uncle was in North Africa and I've taken some of his photos from his album. I believe he may have been Sherwood Foresters.
From what he had written on the photos this is where is was during ww2.
MENA , EGYPT XMAS DAY 1942
TRIPOLI 1943 (TRIPOLITAINEE) AUG
ALGIERS XMAS 1943
BEIRUT 1943
SIDON , SYRIA 1943
BALBREACK? 1943
BEIRUT 1943
PHILLIPVILLE, ALGIER S TO ITALY 1944
CASSOLI , ITALY 1944
ROME 1944
LANCHIANO 1944
NAPLES 1944
SALERNO 1944
VASTO , ITALY 1944
The insignia seems to be a black diamond shape, but in one photo you can see divisional insignia but not very clear. It is almost like an elephant or rhino
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The divisional flash is indeed a rhino and denotes the British First Armoured Division (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Armoured_Division_(United_Kingdom)). Although the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters were part of 1st Armoured Brigade (which in turn was part of the 1st Armoured Division) in early 1942, the vast majority of the battalion were taken prisoner by the Germans at Tobruk in June 1942, so I don't think that was his unit. The only other two battalions of the Sherwood Foresters that I can identify as part of the 1st Armoured Div were the 9th Battalion, which later became the 112th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps, and the 11th Battalion. The 9th converted to armoured cars and were responsible for reconnaissance. However I don't think this can have been your great uncle's unit, or at least if it was, he didn't go over to be part of the 112 Regiment RAC because they were withdrawn from North Africa in 1943 and later took part in the Normandy landings before reverting to the infantry role (as 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters once again) in October 1944. That leaves the 11th Battalion. Apart from knowing that they were part of the Ist Armoured Brigade between March and June 1942, I can find out nothing else about this unit.
For a bit more background on the Sherwood Foresters Regiment, this BBC History article (https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/66/a5298366.shtml) provides a brief summary.
Added: I don't know what the black diamond symbol signifies.