Can anyone identify these ribbons?
 

I don't know why I say 'anyone'.. :ok:;)

https://twitter.com/nickonslow/statu...91972839927808

Al ...

I'll have a go ...

39/45 Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, 39/45 War Medal

Looks like Royal Engineers Bombs on the lapels.

But I could be wrong ...

TTN is probably our best man to help ...

Coff.

I thought he might be, thanks mate. Good stab! :ok:

Got them in one, Coff :ok:

The grenade collars (and the grenade badge on his glengarry) could well be Royal Engineers, but they could also be Royal Artillery. The two are distinguished only by the number of flames bursting from the grenade - two extra small ones on the RE version - but you can't really get that amount of detail from the painting.

Passed on, thank you.

Much more fun trying to identify Cpl Jones's medals.

Not Royal Highland Fusiliers is he? The regiment David Niven would not join at any price

Not Royal Highland Fusiliers is he? The regiment David Niven would not join at any price

No not Royal Highland Fusiliers, which did not form until 1959, when the Royal Scots Fusiliers and the Highland Light Infantry, in which David Niven was commissioned, were amalgamated. So no wonder he couldn't join it at any price!:)

However, Wanders was nearly there since I suggest that our bespectacled Captain was in fact a Royal Scots Fusilier.

Jack (aka Jock)

PS One day, if I can get round to it, I might enlarge on the difficulties that apparently arose between the amalgamation of a predominantly Protestant Lowland regiment and a predominantly Catholic Highland regiment, and how they were cleverly resolved.:ok:

UJ - silly me, but only excuse very jaded today having been kept awake most of the night by thunder storms and serious rain. Of course you are correct -Royal Scots Fusiliers, and Niven did not want to join the HLI. Thanks


W

having been kept awake most of the night by thunder storms and serious rain

there are advantages in being

1. DEAF without hearing aids

2. a blase old Met Man!

PS how do I do clever Froggy accent thingies? Acute grave circumcised?

PN ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance-Corporal_Jones

Funny you should say that ... someone has had a go ;)

Coff

No worries Wander00, and I can sympathise having been subjected to very similar night-time weather, and daytime temperatures in the mid 30s, close to Uzes last week, although I have to admit that the thunderstorms did not keep me awake.:ok:

Royal Scots Fusiliers, and Niven did not want to join the HLI.

As a contrast, it may be of interest that a certain Air Commodore** Winston Churchill was quite happy to join the Royal Scots Fusiliers, and took command of the 6th Battalion on the Western Front in 1915, following the unsuccessful Gallipoli campaign, before it was amalgamated with the 7th Battalion, whose CO was senior to Churchill and so took command of the 6/7th, and Churchill returned to the Commons.

Jack

** Military Aviation link:)

UJ - thanks - knew about that one. I must say the guy in the painting looks awfully studious/serious

Coff,

Thanks to that Wiki link for Cpl Jones, you have just restored my faith in humanity I think. Dads Army is essential viewing in our house, and despite having the "full set" on DVD we will always find any re transmissions and watch for fun. It's noteworthy that all his medals seem to chime with the characters professed former service, I wonder if modern programme makers go to such lengths of accuracy.

Smudge :ok:

Just to go back to the original request.

With that combination of medals he must have served in the 2nd Bn the RSF, which was the only one to serve in the Italian campaign as part of the 17th Infantry brigade (5th Division), after returning from the far East in 1943.

I would hazard a guess that the officer in question joined on the return from the Far East and had been based in the UK prior to that - hence the Defence Medal.

The Bn took part in Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily) and also took part in the first assault on Monte Cassino.

HTH

EG

Re the possibilty of his serving in the The Royal Scots Fusiliers. The officer is wearing a grenade badge on his glengarry. If you look carefully you will see there appears to be a scroll at the base of the grenade. Both Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery officers wore a grenade cap badge on certain headdress, with a scroll with the word "Ubique" (everywhere) which is the motto of both the RA and the RE. The RSF grenade badge on the other hand, did not have a scroll at the base, and thus I am pretty sure this officer is either RE or RA, not RSF. Incidentally the fact that he is wearing a glengarry does not mean he was necessarily in a Scottish regiment. In 22 years in the REME my son at various times wore a khaki beret with his REME badge when he was attached to the Irish Guards and a tam o'shanter when he was attached to the Black Watch, and his dark blue REME beret at other times. This officer may well have been attached to a regiment which wore the glengarry, but retained his own headdress and collar badges. Of course if anyone could enlarge those collar badges and see a thistle on them, then we are back to him being in the RSF!

Best I can do.

"Best I can do" :E:D:8

Wonderful, made me laugh. Passed on chaps, thanks.

And a couple of replies. A clearer portrait and reference to RSF..

One was once told - probably by a Sapper - that in the case of the RA, Ubique was better translated as "all over the place"!

The Gunners - in response - claimed it did mean "everywhere" but was a Battle Honour rather than a motto.....

There can't have been many junior officers given to having their portrait painted so frequently.