Early war British help.

[Ray Earle]

Ah, right, should've paid attention a bit more. It's all falling into place now. 

I'd read that the divisional patch for the 48th was created on their return from France, so it makes sense that being a Territorial Division that they were sent to 'plug gaps' in other formations that had already seen action. Is this likely to be the case Jim?

So 4th Division? Quarter circle patch?

[Arlequín]

I've no idea what the divisional patch was, I'm a an organisation and equipment junkie. 

The 48th was fielded in France in its entirety as the reserve division in I Corps in January 1940, backing the 1st and 2nd Divisions, with the 4th Oxford and Bucks LI eventually taking the place of the Northants sometime before May 1940. The fighting hadn't started in January, so I think it was a case of expediency that they were a battalion short in a 'front line' formation on the border and the Northants got the job.

Without checking the planned deployment of 1939 with the actual deployment by May 1940, I couldn't say if this was common, or just a one-off. That the Northants went to 4th Division, while the O&B didn't, says a lot for the Northants readiness though... or how keen their CO was, at the very least. 

The Army was very short of its projected manpower and equipment in 1939 and was deployed in fits and starts from the word go. Three divisions hadn't even been fully kitted out by the time the Germans attacked in 1940 and some of their battalions had only received a weeks training, with many of their men having never actually fired their rifles. The O&B had to field two battalions and I'm guessing they could only manage one initially, hence the gap in the line.

[georgec]

The 48th Division badge was red diamond in a blue oval - with a blue macaw on it (!).  Cole's 'Formation Badges of WW2' explains that the Div HQ was quartered in a stately home near Hungerford and the first time the GOC entered the house the bird shouted 'Good luck, good luck'....

Now, the commander quoted was Maj Gen Thorne who commanded from Oct 39- Jun 40 and the badge was adopted 'in 1940', the IWM notes on the picture below say after it returned from France

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30072623

However, Mike Chappell Martin Brayley notes in Osprey Men at Arms 354 on the British Army in WW2 in NW Europe that most battledress worn in the BEF only had rank markings on it.  The colourful badges etc proliferated after France....  Sorry to be a kill joy!

[georgec]

Deleted - fat fingers double post... sorry!

[Ray Earle]

That's an interesting point George. Although I wonder how true it was of the 'regular' divisions? I can understand that many Territorial battalions wouldn't have had badges as many of them appear to have been rushed into service.

[georgec]

That's an interesting point George. Although I wonder how true it was of the 'regular' divisions? I can understand that many Territorial battalions wouldn't have had badges as many of them appear to have been rushed into service.

I was wrong in my previous post in that MMA 354 was written by Martin Brayley and illustrated by Mike Chappell, but Mike did write (and illustrate) 'British Battle Insignia (2) 1939-45 Osprey MAA187, which discusses all this.

In summary, formation (division, brigade etc) distinctions were deleted from Service Dress soon after WW1, apart from a few Territorial Army formations, leaving only regimental titles, rank and trade/proficiency badges.  When Battledress was introduced in October 38, to militiamen conscripts in TA units first, even these badges were 'subdued' in drab and black.  The first formation badges appeared on vehicles in late 39 to help with traffic control, but no such badges were to be allowed on Battledress.  By April 40 'flashes', small cloth strips in regimental colours, began to proliferate and the 51st Highland Division had started to use a St Andrew's cross and 'Phantom' sigs regt a 'P' patch, leading to a War Office Order that 'Divisional Signs or badges will not be worn by British divisions during the war. So with the exception of the 51st and Phantom, there were no formation insignia in the BEF, just boring BD with the odd regimental flash.  Photos of the BEF even show this order being obeyed, a rare for a dress order in the British military, so sorry, really boring...

By September 1940 the War Office gave way and issued a full set of instructions for arms of service strips, regimental flashes and divisional and other formation signs.  This started off in the UK base, and moved out to the desert etc as divisions and brigades deployed, not really taking hold in the 8th Army until mid to late 42.

[Arlequín]

I've not read the books George mentions, but what I've read backs up what he said. There were changes to insignia after Dunkirk, largely more colourful variations of the original designs, but in some cases quite different ones.

The reason for no uniform insignia was to deny information to the hordes of enemy fifth columnists presumed to be wandering about in Europe, who could track troop movements by the insignia they wore, without getting up close and noticed. The back-pedalling later was due, I believe, to wanting to improve morale and instil some esprit de corps in the somewhat darker days after Dunkirk.   

Likewise, the new battledress was issued to those called up for the general service training units, while service dress was supplied to men (new and old) in the pre-existing units until stocks ran out. For a time this meant that in some cases men could be seen in numerous mixed variations of both, usually BD trousers with SD tunics, as trousers wore out quicker. Webbing seems to have made it to units quicker than battledress too, so you get men in SD, with '38 webbing, sometimes with the '38 anklets too.

It was noted somewhere that officers were the first to appear in BD though, often months ahead of their men.