My grandfather served with a Royal Artillery ack-ack unit during the war. As did his older brother in fact (who “claimed” him).
Interest factor - low. But it’s interesting that men could “claim” their younger brothers. Although apparently my grandfather was told “you can’t be claimed, you’re a lance-bombardier” which he promptly gave up so that he could serve with his brother.
nice info Reiver, 
, for the record, I like the pic of ur Grandady as ur Avatar, you said he was in the Luftwaffe?[/quote]
Hi PzKpfw VI Tiger
I think you have me confused with Walther 
My avatar is my father, (yes, I’m that old) in the uniform of the Royal Artillery.
His job, since he served in an ack-ack Battery in WW2, was to try to shoot down Walther’s Grandfather (among others):)[/quote]
wow
My paternal grandfather was a Luftwaffe AA gunner, though my maternal step grandfather was a Luftwaffe pilot (and later makeshift Fallschirmjäger).
But unless your RA grandfather was based in Northern Africa or Malta, I don’t think they would have ever met…
Jan
Possibly your grandfather dropped a couple of bombs on my grandfather! :lol: Well both of them, but mainly the one working in the Air force (he said that a bunch of bombs landed very near to his base in Italy)
Sword beach mate - Omaha was where the Americans landed
[quote=“BDL”]
Sword beach mate - Omaha was where the Americans landed[/quote]
hehe, you can easily tell hes American
sas is imo the best spec. force army in the world
Off topic I know, but perhaps the Mods may be forgiving
[quote=“festamus”]
My grandfather served with a Royal Artillery ack-ack unit during the war. As did his older brother in fact (who “claimed” him).
Interest factor - low. But it’s interesting that men could “claim” their younger brothers. Although apparently my grandfather was told “you can’t be claimed, you’re a lance-bombardier” which he promptly gave up so that he could serve with his brother.[/quote]
As far as I can make out from his “Record of Service” document, my Dad joined the 310 A.A. Coy, R.E. (TA) in February 38, and served with them until October '38.
I’ve discovered that this company became a wartime-only unit of the Essex Regiment, which the same document shows he served with from 1st November '38 until 31st July '40, at which point he apparently transferred (was transferred?) to the Royal Artillery.
On the back of the pic in my avatar is written, in his handwriting, his name and service number, with the rank of Lance Sergeant, and the date January 28 1941, just two months before his 23rd birthday.
As I’ve said elsewhere, he finished the war as a WO2 (Battery Sergeant Major)
(Edited to add the “off-topic” comment)
Has anyone got any more information on the couterpoint to the LRDG.
The heavily armoured bedfords that would resupply the LEDG but hten on return to Lines purposefully engage in unnign firefights?
Jock columns? Jack Columns? Cant remeber the name entirely :?
On topic- LRDG were an influence and aid to the formation of 22Reg
(22reg was so named so that the enemy would believe we had more units and spend more troops guarding their rear)
I have a reprint of the catalogue issued to SOE agents of all the equipment available for their jobs. Pure James Bond stuff!
Jan
Isn’t the leader of the SAS Sean Connery?
Hahahahahaha !
Yeah, he’s the leader of Sellout And Scoot.
That’s Sir Sean, a rabid Scottish Nationalist from his well known Scottish seats in Spain and the Carribean. :roll:
Edited for typo.
Bluffcove wrote
22reg was so named so that the enemy would believe we had more units and spend more troops guarding their rear
Not too sure about this.
If anyone else knows give us a shout.
I think that there was several SAS units, 1 through to about 8, during the WW2.
1 later became the Parachute Regiment. Hence the name of their parachute display team “The Red Devils”.
This is what the Germans called them in the desert, as they would be covered in red dust whilst out in the desert. Hence the colouring of the famous pinkies!!!
22SAS was so named because it was the next number up from 21.
At the end of WW2 the SAS were disbanded (they were seen as useful in war but not in peace!!!), but luckily a plan to preserve their experience was hatched.
They were attached to the Rifle Brigade for Admin and pay, and adopted the title of the 38th Middlesex (Artists) Rifles, and were technically TA.
They became the 21 (Artists) SAS Regt.
The 38th Battalion was formed from conscripted artsy farty types during WW2 and thus took thier name from this fact., similar to the Bankers Battailion which was all conscripted from London bankers.
Although artsy farty, the Battalion became one of the most decorated battalions in the war!!! Their capbadge is on the right hand side of the main enterence to RMA Sandhurst, the other side being RMAS’s capbadge.
After 21 had done so well during the Malaya campaign (I think), the Army decided it would be good to have a regular contingent, and thus 22SAS were formed. Later a 2nd TA regiment 23SAS were formed.
The sandy beret was adopted in memory of their formation in the desert or so the legend goes, during WW2 they actually wore white berets!!!
Scarab wings, the qualification badge of the SAS, were originally worn over the left (?) breast pocket of the fatigue dress worn during WW2. Later they were moved to the RHS shoulder, like the British Armys Para qualification badge.
The LRDG eventually were used by the SAS to ferry them out and pick them up from ops in the desert. This was after various problems were encountered with the use of parachutes. I think on the first raid over half the men dropped were lost, many being blown off in to the desert by fierce winds even when they had landed (but still attached to their parachutes!!!)
The LRDG also helped train the SAS. At the start they were very disorganised and raw. Although very soon they were a force to be reckoned with!!! Experience from all of the specialist units of WW2 was retained with 21SAS including men from the LRDG.
The modern SAS can claim a very mixed and able bloodline.
Interesting point, although possibley legend, is that the colours of the SAS, light and dark blue, were adopted because most of the original recruits had attended Oxford or Cambridge University. I do not know if this is true or not!!!
The flaming dagger is reputed to be either Excalibur, Sword of Damecles or a third that I can’t remember.
Sorry I meant to say 21’ I was unclear on the finer points.
There were not 20+ SAS units active but that the numbering of the units was “set” so as to make it appear the force appear larger to anyone that might be taking an undue or unhealthy interest in British forces.
Although they where part of airborne forces when they returned to civilisation (after Africa) and hence had a red hat.
The pink comes from another observation. A crashed aircraft was used for many years as a marker for an airfield in the desert before the days of RDF. Then it disappeared, on closer observation it was found that it had been bleached pink in the desert sun and become difficult to see. Also look at early pictures of Matildas in three-colour cam.
The flaming dagger is reputed to be either Excalibur, Sword of Damecles or a third that I can’t remember.
Winged dagger is the Sword of Damocles.
He’s a good actor though even if he’s a slightly bit old.
Wait, you mean like the James Bond Sean Connery? :lol: :oops:
Wait, you mean like the James Bond Sean Connery? :lol: :oops:[/quote]
Yeah hes done a few movies…james bond…league of extraordinary Gentlemen ect … hes scottish through and through in the movies…he sometimes tries and puts an american accent on that sounds funny. :lol:
My understanding is that a fictional unit called “22nd Special Air Service” had been set up in order to persuade the Germans that the British had parachute troops in North Africa some time before David Stirling had his big idea. Some guy or other was at the time energetically paradropping dummies near PoW camps in the hope the news would get back to the Germans. Stirling was then given the name 22nd SAS as much to make keeping up the deception work much easier (he intended at the time to arrive at targets by parachute) as anything else, and it’s kind of stuck.
Source for this is this book, although I’ve got the paper version not the audio one. Fairly illuminating if somewhat sensationalised.