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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Highland Division badge / flash - August 1914 to May 1915


rgalley

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I'm helping to coordinate the erection of a memorial in Bedford to remember the Highland Division's time in town (Aug 14 - May 15) and the way in which the local population made the troops so welcome. The memorial will be unveiled later in the year.

 

I'd like the memorial to include a representation of a Divisional fIash / badge, but I'm not aware the existence of one at that time (to my knowledge the well known HD flash came later in the War). However, someone out there may know different. If so, please do let me know.

 

Thanks in anticipation,

 

Richard

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My Great Uncle George Logan was in the 1/7th Gordon Highlanders, he trained at Bedford before going to France with the 51st Division on 2 May 1915.

No 3 section of D company when training in Bedford. I am working on a biography of him.

He was at least 6ft 8in tall; how he survived being in the trenches without developing a 'stoop' I do not know.

I know the battalion suffered many, many, casualties and I just wonder how many men of the 1/7th survived the full deployment to the Western Front.

In the second world war he was in charge of the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) for the North West of England. He was 'in the thick' of the Manchester and Liverpool Blitz. 

His family have this photo of him . He is wearing his Military Medal Ribbon awarded 26 October 1916. I do not know when he got his three stripes of rank. There is no sign of a Division or Battalion flash.

 

INW 

logan.jpg

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2 hours ago, HERITAGE PLUS said:

Richard

 

It would appear that each Battalion had their own flash:

 

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/51st-highland-division/

 

Dave

 

 

 

I suspect that post-dates the reformation if the Division in early 1916 (looking at the Battalions listed, I'm certain it does). My suspicion would be that there were no formation patched during the period at Bedford.

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Thanks for the replies so far. I've never come across a Divisional badge / flash for the period Aug 14 - May 15, so it's probably safe to conclude that none existed. Although it'll probably upset the purists, we may end up replicating the HD device on the memorial ... and await the letters of complaint!

 

 

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Just rest assured that whatever you do will annoy some 'expert' ;)

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