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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

16th (Irish) Division


Guest Ian Bowbrick

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

Whilst on the subject of photos recntly acquired, I have another which shows a truck near the front, the tapaulin of which has a shamrock on a white square. I think this is a truck of the 16th Irish Division, or am I being too simplistic?

Ian :rolleyes:

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I know that the 16th Irish Div. had markings like the one you discribed on their trucks you can see them on 2 pictures which are in alot of books 1 is of them returing from Guillemont and the other is an ambulance I think in Wytschate. I can't really see the marking being for anything else though.

Conor

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Ian i have two player cig cards and on the back of 16th irishit says that the shamrock emblem was worn by the men but on vehicles the second one was used,how accurate this info is i dont know or how rigidly it was adhered to is anybodies guess, anyway i've scanned them for you to see

Arm.

post-2-1052072347.jpg

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Conor,

I will scan and post on the forum later this week if you are interested?

Ian

Cheers Ian it would be interesting to see it :) I will root out those to photos in a book somewhere and try ! to scan them (I amn't the most patient when it comes to uploading !)

Conor :D

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Just for interest it says that the vehicle marking was used by the Second Commanding officer Maj-Gen Sir William Hickie in remeberence of the creator of the division Lt-Gen Sir Lawerence Parsons. KCB. Obviously its a L and P together.

Arm.

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

Conor,

Shall be done.

I can see this being popular - my Guvnor was related to a Pte Henry Pearce who was KiA on 21 March 1918 serving with the 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers!

Ian

:)

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Posts on this are moving at 100mph but The LP was shown on trucks HQ signs etc. but if you have Ray Westlake's Kitcheners Army look at pages 40/41 I will try to scan them though.

Conor :D

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wouldnt mind seeing that Conor .be patient and try...

On the subject i suppose when you had two signs it was possible that the two overlapped and also i suppose as the second vehicle marking was introduced later it may not have replace existing markings.

Arm

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

Conor,

Yes - I have got the book. The shamrock in the picture I've got is more the size the one on the truck door (p41), rather than the one on the ambulance (p40), which I can only make out next to the red cross!

Ian

:)

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Just to add to the discussion. I have a sacking Brodie helmet cover (dated 1918) with a green felt shamrock sewn to the front. Also a picture of a RE dispatch rider with a shamrock on the tank of his Triumph motor cycle.

Cheers.

John.

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Is the emblem on the tank the same?

John.

post-2-1052398969.jpg

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Ian - remember this emblem was also used by the SRD - Special (?Service) Rations Department - I have seen it painted on supply vehicles and boxes of rations etc supplied to men in the field.

Just to confuse things further!

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My understanding of the scheme of insignia used by 16th (Irish) Division is that the "LP" device was used on transport, while the shamrock on the drab disc was worn on the upper arms by personnel of the division. In addition, infantry wore further devices in green on the back of their tunics below the collar, such as the maple leaf worn by 7th Leinsters. It is quite possible, however, that units preferred to display the shamrock on unit transport, just to be difficult!

As it happens, the shamrock (painted in black) is still used as a unit identification on the vehicles of 1st Bn Irish Guards (who have also readopted the old Guards Division "eye" badge for their deployment in Iraq) and 1st Bn The Royal Irish Regiment.

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

Thanks for that Paul :lol:

As ever nothing is clear cut!

Does anyone have other examples of Divisional sign on transport?

Ian

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Virtually all formations that had devices displayed them on transport, but here is the scheme used by 46th (North Midland) Division as an example:

Around June 1916, devices began to be painted onto unit transport of 46th Division. The insignia displayed on transport was the divisional sign (left); a blue square indicating, “first line transport” (centre); and the battalion insignia (right). Both the divisional sign and battalion device were outlined in white.

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