wdbikemad Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Pulled out my grandfather's WW2 BD Blouse over at the parent's today.....Size 10 Canadian-manufactured by "Tip Top Tailors" dated January 1945......this was his "best" BD rather than his "combat" item, the latter no doubt worn out after slogging his way from Normandy through to Germany........his original insignia still fitted, badged for the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division ("Monty's Highlanders"), 5th Battalion Seaforth's, 152nd Infantry Brigade.........his medal ribbons have been removed though we have these somewhere......note the pipe-clayed rank chevrons.......this will never be sold.....)...... He was a pre-war territorial in the OX & Bucks LI (Bucks Battalion), served with the BEF in 39-40 and got out via Calais by the skin of his teeth.......he then remained in the UK in training and defence roles until June '44 when he went into Normandy on D-Day with the 6th Beach Group......by July his battalion was reduced to cadre strength and he was transferred into the 5th Batt Seaforth's, 152nd Inf Bde......he survived the war but sadly died about 10 years ago now...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locolines Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 It's awesome. A true family treasure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdbikemad Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 It's awesome. A true family treasure Thanks ! Rare to see a genuine wartime BD, with history, known owner, original insignia and still within the family.......somewhere, we still have his TOS bonnet, plus a box-full of insignia that he collected within the UK and across Europe.....I saw it years ago now, German stuff in there too.......... He was in my mind a true hero......pre-war territorial, then BEF 39-40...........managed to get back to England, spent time as part of the 48th, 54th and 3rd Inf Divisions, then went into D-Day as part of the 6th Beach Group landing on Sword beach in the morning of June 6th 1944 with the initial assault group..........absorbed into the 51st Div in August 1944, he went on fighting through France, Belgium (Ardennes '44), Op Veritable (battle of the Reichswald) and crossed the Rhine into Germany early 45........ He never talked about the war, but was a tall, gentle, proud man who loved his garden..........sadly, no longer with us.......:-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locolines Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 He was to you what my grandads was to me then. Truly great men Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdbikemad Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 He was to you what my grandads was to me then. Truly great men Agreed......and I have just looked at what his battalion (1st Buckingham Battalion (TA) Ox & Buck LI) went through in the BEF in 1940, FOUR YEARS BEFORE he went back to France on D-Day...........massive heroic action around Hazebrouck, many casualties and the battalion decimated.........he was lucky to escape alive and unwounded.........and then he went back on D-Day and fought his way from France, through Belgium, Holland and into Germany..........incredible man....as were they all...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Agreed......and I have just looked at what his battalion (1st Buckingham Battalion (TA) Ox & Buck LI) went through in the BEF in 1940, FOUR YEARS BEFORE he went back to France on D-Day...........massive heroic action around Hazebrouck, many casualties and the battalion decimated.........he was lucky to escape alive and unwounded.........and then he went back on D-Day and fought his way from France, through Belgium, Holland and into Germany..........incredible man....as were they all...... It's fantastic that you have this bit of his uniform and have also managed to detail his time in the armed services during WW2. I'm doing something similar on my great-grandfather at the moment and have managed to acquire his Unit's War Diaries for the period September 1939 - June 1940, they are a real incite into what this generation went through. Sadly he died long before I was born so never got chance to speak to him face-to-face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locolines Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 My grandad went over the top on the first day of the Somme at a place called Mametz. he died when I was little but I still remember the stories he told me. How could this soft gentle man go through all that and remain sane ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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