Guest Wakiva Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 My father, Charles L. Bennet, was wounded at Messines in 1917 and evacuated to England, where part of his recovery time was spent at Sling. I have found a photo of a group at Sling in which the troops are wearing a black armband on their left uniform arms. I recall a funny story my dad used to tell about that time. (The funny stories wre the only ones he ever recounted of his wartime experience). He'd asked a mate which arm the bands were meant to be swen on and the chum replied, "Bennie, I'm quite sure it's either the right or the left". The only time I remember black armbands being worn was when, as a young reservist in the Royal Canadian Artillery, I wore one on the death of George VI. However no British monarch died in 1917 or 1918. In whose memory were they worns at that time? I'll be grateful for anyenlightenment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brimacombe Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 Hi Jim (and welcome to the forum) Is the armband DEFINATELY black (rather than a dark colour)? Have a look at these earlier threads regarding armbands worn by wounded/recovering men which might be the answer. http://1914-1918.inv...1 http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=117843&st=0&p=1127758&hl=++armband%20++wounded&fromsearch=1entry1127758 Kind regards Shawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 I have found a photo of a group at Sling in which the troops are wearing a black armband on their left uniform arms. Jim, The armbands were in fact blue in colour, and were worn on the left arm to denote the soldier as having been wounded/convalescing. Attached is a photograph of a group of wounded soldiers wearing such armbands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 Officer wearing the blue wounded/convalescing armband. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 Officer wearing the blue wounded/convalescing armband. Now there's an interesting insignia photo - Overseas Service Chevrons on the wrong sleeve AND upside-down to boot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 And a mis-matched star in the centre of the rank insignia as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tipperary Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 Hi Jim and welcome.There was various arm band colours denoting the condition of patient i think there was a very recent thread on the subject.john PS i think there was no official policy that colours and meaning of same differed in different hospitals.A more knowledgeable response may come soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 Now there's an interesting insignia photo - Overseas Service Chevrons on the wrong sleeve AND upside-down to boot! Andrew, All the caption tells us is a " Cheshire Captain - wounded and convalescing " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 And a mis-matched star in the centre of the rank insignia as well. Mismatched stars seem surprisingly common, I guess the newly promoted Lieutenant going from 2 stars on his cuff rank insignia to the 3 stars of a Captain, obtained the additional set of stars from whatever sources was available at the time, and with all that was going on around them, it was probably of no real consequence back then that the stars were a little different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 Hi Jim and welcome.There was various arm band colours denoting the condition of patient i think there was a very recent thread on the subject.john PS i think there was no official policy that colours and meaning of same differed in different hospitals.A more knowledgeable response may come soon John, I have checked various references, and can find no reference to the armband being a different colour for the patient's condition, or different colours for different hospitals. There may have been a variation in the colour blue, some being light blue and others maybe dark blue, but still blue. I will be interested if any member can provide regulations showing a different colour armband depending on the patient's condition, or a different colour to the normlly encountered blue armband for the wounded/convalescing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tipperary Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 From the first of Shawnydymond's links and there are more references on the forum.john QUOTE (GRUMPY @ Mar 29 2010, 02:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> disabled men white with red crown, discharged soldiers in hospital red white blue, convalescent patients green, hospital [staff?] HP on ? colours unknown. These above not all necessarily contemporary to each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 From the first of Shawnydymond's links and there are more references on the forum.john QUOTE (GRUMPY @ Mar 29 2010, 02:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> disabled men white with red crown, discharged soldiers in hospital red white blue, convalescent patients green, hospital [staff?] HP on ? colours unknown. These above not all necessarily contemporary to each other. John, I also previously took a look at Grumpy's post from 2010, however in reference to the original enquiry for this particular thread, it seems that the armband in question was a solid colour, so we can rule out a white with red crown, we can also rule out red/white/blue, and we can rule out the armband with " HP " on it, and my understanding, is that the " HP " stood for Hospital Police. That only leaves Grumpy's green for convalescing, and all the references I have seen, only mention a blue armband not a green armband. It may be that blue was for wounded/convalescing, and green was just for convalescing, hopefully someone will enlighten us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 From the first of Shawnydymond's links and there are more references on the forum.john QUOTE (GRUMPY @ Mar 29 2010, 02:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> These above not all necessarily contemporary to each other. John, There was an even earlier thread by Grumpy ( 2006 ) relating to armbands, and he posted some armband colours from his own notebooks ( left ), and later some better images, you will note that in both, he shows the hospital armband as blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 Another period photograph showing the blue armband in use. Photograph caption :- Robert Cuthbert Grieve VC (19 June 1889 4 October 1957) ID Number: H00038 Place made: United Kingdom Date made: C 1917 Physical description: Black & white Summary: Studio portrait of Captain Robert Cuthbert Grieve VC 37th Battalion of Brighton Vic. A warehouseman prior to his enlistment on 23 February 1916 he embarked from Melbourne on Board HMAT Persic on 2 June 1916 and returned to Australia on 8 April 1918. Grieve is wearing a hospital blue armband on his left arm denoting that he was wounded at the time of this photograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 Nice to be quoted! Just to add that, officially, black was for mourning and officers only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tipperary Posted 22 March , 2012 Share Posted 22 March , 2012 LF my sole source on this is what i have read on the forum (Thank You Grumpy And All )and enlightenment from whatever source is all i seek.john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 23 March , 2012 Share Posted 23 March , 2012 LF my sole source on this is what i have read on the forum (Thank You Grumpy And All )and enlightenment from whatever source is all i seek.john John, I am certainly in agreement with you on that, and that is why I enjoy being a member, excellent topics, nice people to discuss our mutual interests with, and lots for me to learn. Kind regards, Leo Nice to be quoted! Just to add that, officially, black was for mourning and officers only. I always read your posts with great interest. LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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