Identifying Regiment/Group etc?

[ali.]

Didn’t expect it to be such an unusual photograph. Shame I don’t have any better quality photos of the uniform, just this one. Thanks so much to everyone trying to help & figure this out!

Ali

[ShaunJ]

It's the sort of photo that got taken at training events. A class photo perhaps.

Might the cap badge be RAOC?

[Dagenham Steve]

Ali,

The soldier on the far left of the middle row is definitely wearing the famous Battleaxe insignia of the British 78th Infantry Division, which served in the North African and Italian campaigns and ended up in Austria at the war's end.

All the troops are wearing a small flaming grenade in their (rather unflattering) general service caps which identifies them as Gunners in the Royal Artillery - the RA didn't wear their usual Wheeled Gun badge in this particular type of headdress. 

Given how smart and relaxed they look, the fair few medal ribbons being worn and the mountain background I'd take an educated guess that the photo was taken in either northern Italy or Austria after hostilities had ceased.

Steve

[ali.]

Ali,

The soldier on the far left of the middle row is definitely wearing the famous Battleaxe insignia of the British 78th Infantry Division, which served in the North African and Italian campaigns and ended up in Austria at the war's end.

All the troops are wearing a small flaming grenade in their (rather unflattering) general service caps which identifies them as Gunners in the Royal Artillery - the RA didn't wear their usual Wheeled Gun badge in this particular type of headdress. 

Given how smart and relaxed they look, the fair few medal ribbons being worn and the mountain background I'd take an educated guess that the photo was taken in either northern Italy or Austria after hostilities had ceased.

Steve

Thank you so much Steve, I think you’ve got it! I’ll do some digging into the 78th Infantry Division & the RA at the time. Can’t thank you enough.

Ali

[ShaunJ]

Can you give us your great grandfather's name? If he was Royal Artillery there may be a record of his attestation and/or a tracer card.

[ali.]

Can you give us your great grandfather's name? If he was Royal Artillery there may be a record of his attestation and/or a tracer card.

His name was Wallace Broomhead, born 9 Oct 1907 in Manchester.

[ShaunJ]

Not seeing anything for him in the RA attestations or tracer cards

[ali.]

Thought i'd give an update, I received his record a while back and he was absolutely a member of the 78th Infantry Division, 64th Anti-Tank Regiment from Sept 1944 until the end of the war. You were bang on! Thank you so much again for your help.

[jimbo50]

 Thanks for the update Ali. My Dad was in the same campaigns. I remember seeing a letter type-written on his demob, signed by commanding officer, detailing all their regiments' accomplishments. Unfortunately lost now when Mum moved. Does anyone know if museums keep this sort of thing ?
All I've got is a paperback entitled 'Monte Casino' that was his.