Postcards

[RNCVR]

There is a LOT they dont know (& likely dont need to know) !

[ianjonesncl]

1 hour ago, Alan24 said:

In the bottom left and right corners is what looks like the pull-through and oil bottle for a rifle. Wouldn't these be stored in the rifle butt itself?

I suspect it is the type of item that is vital and can be easily lost. Consequently the soldier is required to show the item. 

[ianjonesncl]

43 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Yes it could be Dubbin too, I agree.

What is interesting is that it is a full tin and pristine.

One wonders if that is the soldier's inspection tin ? Reminds me that during basic training we had one set of items for the locker layout inspection, all pristine, and another for actual use.

[FROGSMILE]

22 minutes ago, ianjonesncl said:

What is interesting is that it is a full tin and pristine.

One wonders if that is the soldier's inspection tin ? Reminds me that during basic training we had one set of items for the locker layout inspection, all pristine, and another for actual use.

Oh yes I remember those days well Ian.  B_u_l_l_s_h_i_t  - in its truest sense.  I blame a culture inculcated and embedded by National Service and the untrammelled influence of the Guards.  If one examines back to the time when Britain had garrisons across the world, although there was a strict regimental discipline, personal accounts and recorded narratives indicate that there was little of the mindless practices like cutting grass with nail scissors, painting coal white, and endless change parades.  As an example boots were black balled and highly polished, but they were not bulled to a mirror like shine.  Looking at old photos of full dress and it’s clear that trousers were worn long, not creased front and back (a practice introduced by Americans), and tunics were commonly marked with residue from the whitener for buff belts and bayonet frogs.  For a long time the Guards remained around London outside of major war or high tempo campaigns, and the line cavalry, artillery and gunners were out policing the Empire.  That’s not to decry in the least the excellent influence and discipline of the Guards, but just to point out that the more mindless discipline wasn’t common for units on foreign service.

Edited 9 February , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

Royal Garrison Artillery.

" The Saucy Sally Knuts V Are Gee Ays "

" My Darling Sweetheart. These are the two teams in the match. Quite a good laugh> At half time they turned it into Rugger, which made it more exciting"

[GWF1967]

"J. Rawlinson".   Royal Garrison Artillery. - Photograph - Ateller. Otto Kneip, Bonn, Kolnsta? 50.

Royal Field Artillery Farrier.

[FROGSMILE]

4 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

"J. Rawlinson".   Royal Garrison Artillery. - Photograph - Ateller. Otto Kneip, Bonn, Kolnsta? 50.

Royal Field Artillery Farrier.

Koln Stadt = Cologne - HQ British Sector Rhine Occupation Army.  Bonn was one of the major stations within the sector.

Edited 9 February , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[squirrel]

1 hour ago, RNCVR said:

I did same with Dubbin, great for leather boots.

Unless you were required to polish them afterwards...

 

51 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Oh yes I remember those days well Ian.  B_u_l_l_s_h_i_t  - in its truest sense.  I blame a culture inculcated and embedded by National Service and the untrammelled influence of the Guards.  If one examines back to the time when Britain had garrisons across the world, although there was a strict regimental discipline, personal accounts and recorded narratives indicate that there was little of the mindless practices like cutting grass with nail scissors, painting coal white, and endless change parades.  As an example boots were black balled and highly polished, but they were not bulled to a mirror like shine.  Looking at old photos of full dress and it’s clear that trousers were worn long, not creased front and back (a practice introduced by Americans), and tunics were commonly marked with residue from the whitener for buff belts and bayonet frogs.  For a long time the Guards remained around London outside of major war or high tempo campaigns, and the line cavalry, artillery and gunners were out policing the Empire.  That’s not to decry in the least the excellent influence and discipline of the Guards, but just to point out that the more mindless discipline wasn’t common for units on foreign service.

My uncle was stationed at Dover Castle during WW2 serving with the East Surrey Regiment. Coal was whitewashed regularly, then washed so that it was black again. Boots had bulled toecaps, the rest dubbined and then that was changed to dubbined toe caps and polished remainder. Cap badges were removed from berets and checked for any residue of metal polish on the back of the badge. Battle dress was relentlessly pressed and ironed, Stick Men were carried on to parade by their comrades....

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, squirrel said:

Unless you were required to polish them afterwards...

 

My uncle was stationed at Dover Castle during WW2 serving with the East Surrey Regiment. Coal was whitewashed regularly, then washed so that it was black again. Boots had bulled toecaps, the rest dubbined and then that was changed to dubbined toe caps and polished remainder. Cap badges were removed from berets and checked for any residue of metal polish on the back of the badge. Battle dress was relentlessly pressed and ironed, Stick Men were carried on to parade by their comrades....

Yes, a lot of these things resulted from emergencies where the Army had to be increased in size substantially, and very quickly, so that emphasis was placed on methods of methodically ‘conditioning’ civilians into soldiers capable of following orders as swiftly as possible.

Just before WW2 this was achieved with the reestablishment of the Militia in May 1939.  the first group of men aged from 20 to 22 years of age reported for 6 months full-time military training as part of a ‘Militia’. Other recruits joined, either voluntarily or via conscription papers, in September.

With the introduction of the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, Britain by December 1939 had added an additional one and a half million men to the armed forces.  The things you’ve described were a part of the swift conditioning process, but had nothing to do with prewar regular army practice.

 

Edited 9 February , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[charlie2]

43 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

Otto Kneip, Bonn, Kolnsta? 50.

 

40 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Koln Stadt = Cologne

Kölnstraße 50 at that time the spelling Cöln was also used. From the 1919 address book.

 

[FROGSMILE]

18 minutes ago, charlie2 said:

 

Kölnstraße 50 at that time the spelling Cöln was also used. From the 1919 address book.

 

If the “Sta” was deliberate and not a typo (instead of Str = Strasse) then when I lived in Germany it meant Stadt.  As “Bonn” preceded I’d interpreted it to be Bonn, within Koln Stadt, but I’m not an expert on German geography and its location protocols and might well have misinterpreted things?

Edited 9 February , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

11 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

If the “Sta” was deliberate and not a typo 

It’s an incomplete stamp. 

28 minutes ago, charlie2 said:

 

Kölnstraße 50 at that time the spelling Cöln was also used. From the 1919 address book.

 

Thank you Charlie. 

[FROGSMILE]

25 minutes ago, GWF1967 said:

It’s an incomplete stamp. 

Thank you Charlie. 

Thank you yes I can see it now 👍. So Koln Strasse in Bonn.

[GWF1967]

Ambulance and Army Service Corps driver.   Photograph. K. Nicol & Co. 5 Waldemar Road, Wimbledon Park, S.W.

[GWF1967]

Army Service Corps rider & Douglas motorcycle. The truck in the background is lettered No.7

[RobertBr]

On 09/02/2023 at 19:19, FROGSMILE said:

We’re showing our age Bryan, youngsters don’t know what Dubbin is nowadays

If they have leather walking boots they may well use a  well known brand of "Conditioner for Leather' which comes in a plastic bottle with a sponge on top.

I find it best to rub it in with my fingers.

Edited 10 February , 2023 by RobertBr

[FROGSMILE]

1 minute ago, RobertBr said:

If they have laether walking boots they may well usea  well known brand of "Conditioner for Leather' which comes in a plastic bottel with a sponge on top.

I find it best to rub it in with my fingers.

Yes I know that there are modern alternatives and have used them myself.  Dubbin is seen as ‘old hat’…

[Gardenerbill]

My understanding is that Dubbin rots the stitching that's why it's no longer widely used. I use Leder Gris on my walking boots.

[CorporalPunishment]

On 09/02/2023 at 22:30, GWF1967 said:

Ambulance and Army Service Corps driver.   Photograph. K. Nicol & Co. 5 Waldemar Road, Wimbledon Park, S.W.

The ambulance is a Talbot, it looks to be the 15cwt model.     Pete.

[CorporalPunishment]

On 09/02/2023 at 22:33, GWF1967 said:

Army Service Corps rider & Douglas motorcycle. The truck in the background is lettered No.7

This looks to be the same man as is in the previous photo with the ambulance. He was a mechanic by the looks of it. The lorry in the background is an impressed Daimler.       Pete.

[GWF1967]

5 hours ago, CorporalPunishment said:

This looks to be the same man as is in the previous photo with the ambulance. He was a mechanic by the looks of it. The lorry in the background is an impressed Daimler.       Pete.

Thanks Pete,   it is indeed the same man, I’d missed that completely. 
 Thank you for identifying the ambulance and truck. 

[Jerry B]

On 05/02/2023 at 17:11, mark holden said:

The Monmouth Soldier is probably 1/2 Battalion the 29th Division ( red triangle)pioneer battalion.

thanks all, I only just noticed the comments

[Jerry B]

royal Indian army sappers & miners, though he has RE buttons, probably transferred over

[FROGSMILE]

On 05/02/2023 at 17:11, mark holden said:

The Monmouth Soldier is probably 1/2 Battalion the 29th Division ( red triangle)pioneer battalion.

Most unusual to not be wearing pioneer collar badges.  The battalions were generally very proud of that insignia that marked them out as beyond the ordinary.

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Jerry B said:

royal Indian army sappers & miners, though he has RE buttons, probably transferred over

As a British soldier he would be on the Indian Unattached List specifically designed for specialist NCOs attached to British-Indian Army units.  The Prince of Wales’s feathers indicate the precise unit to which he is attached:

.         1803 1st company raised by Capt T Wood as Bengal Pioneers

·         1851 became Corps of Bengal Sappers and Pioneers

·         1903 became 1st Sappers and Miners

·         1906 became 1st Prince of Wales's Own Sappers and Miners

·         1910 became 1st King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners

·         1923 became King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners.

NB.  The all brass POW feathers below have provenance as the actual pagri badge worn by native troops of 1st KGO Sappers and Miners.

 

 

Edited 16 February , 2023 by FROGSMILE