War graves / graves registration units had to be about the worst job not involving being shot at.
Almost. I’d hazard the Chem-Detachments and UXO’s were nearly as fraught with nerve-wracking danger.
Granted, War graves/Graves Registration were certainly overlooked, or, worse, known as the “Ghoul Brigade”.
But at least the WG/GR units were not, as such, at risk of life and limb as Chem and UXO units.
Similarly, Naval Diving parties seem to be overlooked, despite being to a man volunteers and working at extreme hazard due to the still largely unknown and unresearched effects of distribution of various otherwise innocuous gases through the bloodstream and muscle tissues. Add the often dreadfully primitive (though then state-of-the art) equipment with which these men trained and later went into combat, and one can only admire them.
Yet these too, outside all but the most esoteric of military history circles are basically ignored/overlooked.
Kind and Respectful Regards RS* my friend, Uyraell.
A few forgotten units
Liberation of Death and Concentration Camps
Bergen-Belsen – List of British units known to have been involved in liberating the camp and in the provision of subsequent humanitarian assistance (15 April to 8 June 1945)
HQ 10 Garrison (subsequently relieved by 2 Control Section (later 102 Control Section))
63 Anti-Tank Regiment (Oxfordshire Yeomanry)
113 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
1575 Artillery Platoon Royal Army Service
Corps att. 113 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
35 Pioneer Group
32 Casualty Clearing Station
35 Casualty Clearing Station
30 Field Hygiene Section
76 Field Hygiene Section
11 Light Field Ambulance
163 Field Ambulance
9 (British) General Hospital
29 (British) General Hospital
81 (British) General Hospital
30 Field Transfusion Unit
7 Field Transfusion Unit
22 Field Transfusion Unit
7 Mobile Bacteriological Laboratory
104 Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit
314 Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit
Bath Unit Section 8 Corps
Bath Unit Section 11 Armoured Division
Bath Unit Section 6 Airborne Division
Bath Unit Section 15 (Scottish) Division
10 Displaced Persons Camp Staff
3 Military Government Inland Depot
224 Military Government Detachment
618 Military Government Detachment
904 Military Government Detachment
908 Military Government Detachment
Six British Red Cross teams, medical students
from the London hospitals, Medical Research
Council nutritional teams, and both Jewish
and Quaker relief teams arrived later to assist.
In the UK, it was known as the “Y” Service, part of the GCCS.
In the USA, the entire science becomes known as SigInt: Signals Intelligence.
In neither case it a direct connection to “Ultra” or “Purple” to be assumed, though without doubt indirect connections exist.
However: Vital, and to this very day largely unsung and un-noticed work was done by these units, in often appalling conditions, by men and women alike, working and serving side-by-side.
As such, These units also merit recognition in this thread.
Kind and Respectful Regards, Uyraell.
Maybe his magazine keep falling out?
I’ve read the the Queen manned an AA Gun during the War.
Also the Coastie is carring a Reising SMG
Although not military I’ve always admired the Firefighters and volunteers who responded to bombings in England (and, I assume, all cities suffering this fate).