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WWII History: Throughout the long history of the British army regiments have been the basic organizational unit, whereas battalions have been basic field unit. During wartime the number of battalions in the same regiment is greatly expanded. These battalions would operate independently, often sent to different theatres of the war, and were not normally tied to each other at the higher brigade or divisional levels. Battalions therefore developed their own characteristics and pride of tradition, separate from the other battalions that nominally made up the 'regiment'. Many battalions created their own distinguishing insignia, sometimes unofficial, that would mark them as separate from the other battalions in their regiment. Eighteen battalions of parachutists were formed in WWII, all part of the Parachute Regiment and all issued the same uniform and insignia. They quickly developed a system to distinguish themselves apart from one another. |
British Parachute Battlions
Epaulet Colours
By: Tony S.
3rd Parachute Bde. (NWHA)
The British Paratroopers of World War II all wore the same basic uniform, this uniform for NW Europe consisted of the camouflage Denison Smock, and the Battledress Blouse. Some units within the airborne forces made use of colored epaulet loops to differentiate the Battalions of the Parachute Regiment.
The Reverend John Gwinett, padre for the
9th Battalion, Parachute Regiment. The maroon epaulet loop is clearly seen sewn underneath the officer pips.
Colored epaulet loops were worn on the Battledress and Denison smock. They do not appear to have been worn on officers Service Dress. For the 9th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment this color was Maroon, much like the maroon color of the Airborne Forces beret. This color has been erroneously recorded in some reference sources as red or purple. Correspondence with 9th Battalion veteran "Freddie" Glover confirms the color as maroon.
The loops were made of cotton twill and were about 7/16th of an inch wide. They were to be worn at all times by members of the battalion, and according to Pte. Glover this was strictly enforced, especially on the battledress. These epaulet loops were issued by the Quartermasters store, and consisted of a pair of "slip-on" loops for each garment. The epaulet loops were usually worn on the Denison smock as well.
The Reverend Jenkins, Padre for the
12th Battalion, wearing the light blue "Yorkshire" epaulet loop slipped on over the officer pips.
The other battalions of the parachute regiment used various methods to differentiate between units. This could be the colored epaulet loop, shoulder lanyard or some other means like the 7th Battalions use of a cloth behind the cap badge. Some of these methods are listed below:|
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Green lanyard |
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Yellow lanyard |
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Red lanyard |
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Black lanyard |
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Hunting Stewart Tartan behind cap badge |
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Black collar ribbon |
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Green cloth behind cap badge |
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Dark Blue epaulet loop |
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Maroon epaulet loop |
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Light Blue epaulet loop with "Yorkshire" or lanyard |
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Black epaulet loop |
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Yellow epaulet loop |
A recreated photo of a member of the NWHA 9th Battalion, wearing the maroon epaulet loop on the Denison smock.
It appears that epaulet loops were used primarily by the 6th Airborne Division. The parachute Battalions of the 1st Airborne used a system of colored lanyards worn only on the Battledress blouse. The lanyards were first used when the airborne forces were formed in 1941. With the formation of the 6th Airborne Division in 1943 the use of epaulet loops was used instead of lanyards. Some reference sources list the above battalions as all having epaulet loops or lanyards, veteran recollections indicate usage of other methods, like the lanyard or cap badge backing.Sources:
My Thanks to Private "Freddie" Glover, 1 Platoon, A Coy, 9th Battalion, Parachute Regiment for his assistance with this article. "The Paras", Gregor Ferguson & Kevin Lyles, 1996 "The British Soldier, D-Day to VE Day", Jean Bouchery, 1998 "British Army Uniforms of WWII", Brian Davis, 1983
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WWII Reenacting: The club held its fourth live-fire, full-auto shoot this November. A new team winner this year, congratulations to the Russian 150th Rifle Division, Za Rodina! |
4th Annual NWHA Shoot
Live-Fire, Full-Auto
By: Wayne W.
1st ID (NWHA)
The 4th Annual NWHA Live Fire Match is over and the smoke has cleared. First of all I'd like to thank all the people that came out for the match and the Clatskanie R&P Club for the use of their range again this year. The attendance for this year was less than last year with 10 shooters signing up for 23 different matches. Four units had shooters there in uniform with the largest group being the 150th Rifle (Soviet) with 5 shooters.
The Rifle Match started off with targets placed at 100 yards with the shooter firing a slow fire and a rapid fire stage. The third stage was shooting a balloon, tossing a grenade and shooting at the mover.
The Pistol Match had the shooter firing at IPSC targets set up at 15 and 25 yards. The second stage was three tries with the balloons, tossing grenades and shooting at the mover.
The SMG Match started with the shooter firing at IPSC targets set up at 15, 25, and 50 yards. The second stage was three tries with the balloons, grenades and mover.| Pistol Match |
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| Unit |
Name |
Score |
Weapon |
| 150th Rifle | Markus P. | 131 | Tokarev |
| 6 FJR | Greg H. | 130 | P-38 |
| 6 FJR | Warren N. | 127 | Browning M1935 |
| 150th Rifle | Wayne W. | 123 | 1911 |
| 11th PNZ | Anthony B. | 101 | P-08 Luger |
| 11th PNZ | Steve M. | 93 | P-38 |
| 3rd Para Bde | John K. | 80 | Browning 9mm |
| Rifle Match |
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| Unit |
Name |
Score |
Weapon |
| 6 FJR | Greg H. | 405-2X | K 98 |
| 150th Rifle | Wayne W. | 403-3X | Mosin-Nagant |
| 150th Rifle | Markus P. | 393-2X | Mosin-Nagant |
| 11th PNZ | Anthony B. | 389-4X | K98 |
| 6 FJR | Warren N. | 334-2X | G-43 |
| 3rd Para Bde | John K. | 278 | Enfield .303 |
| 11th PNZ | Steve M. | 143 | K98 |
| 150th Rifle | Allen T. | 83 | Mosin-Nagant |
| 150th Rifle | Stephan M. | 71 | Mosin-Nagant |
| 150th Rifle | Dan L. | 59 | Mosin-Nagant |
| Subgun Match |
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| Unit |
Name |
Score |
Weapon |
| 150th Rifle | Markus P. | 235 | PPSh 41 |
| 11th PNZ | Anthony B. | 217 | MP 40 |
| 150th Rifle | Wayne W. | 210 | 28 TSMG |
| 6 FJR | Greg H. | 200 | Beretta 38a |
| 3rd Para Bde | John K. | 173 | Sten Mk V |
| 11th PNZ | Steve M. | 173 | MP-40 |
| Team Match |
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| Unit |
Name |
Score |
Weapon |
| 150th Rifle | Wayne W. Markus P. Allen T. |
879-5X | Mosin-Nagant |
While the mover was being set up John K. put on a firepower demonstration with a MG 34 and a BREN. Both guns were quickly able to show that cinder blocks are not bullet proof.
This year the shooter had to fire one round or full auto burst at a balloon trying for bonus points before picking up a grenade and attempting to get it through the window for more bonus points. Two seconds or so after the grenade was tossed the mover would start it's run across the range with the shooter trying to hit the IPSC target. At this point I'd like to thank the TCGC Practical Rifle people for letting us borrow the mover.
This was the year for the Red Horde to take the Team Match. The 150th Rifle was the only unit to have three or more shooters entered in the Rifle Match.
Next year it will not just be the mover doing all the moving but the shooters will do some running and maybe a little bit of crawling too.More Matches:
If anyone wants to do any other live fire shooting throughout the year there are several ranges and matches around the area. Here is a partial listing:
Clatskanie Rifle & Pistol Club - Clatskanie, OR - Outdoor rifle & pistol range with covered firing line. Monthly Action Pistol matches and various rifle matches throughout the year. Tri-County Gun Club - Sherwood, OR - A large club with many different ranges. Monthly Practical Rifle and other matches throughout the year. Albany Rifle & Pistol Club - Albany, OR - Outdoor ranges with covered firing line. Monthly Subgun matches and Full Auto Shoots twice a year. Central Oregon Shooting Sports Association - Idaho - A shooters/collectors association that puts on several matches and shoots throughout the year at various ranges in Idaho.
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Club Listing: All club members can post items 'for sale' or 'wanted' for free in the newsletter. Just send an email to newsletter@nwha.org. |
Contact: Scott W. - westclan@quik.com
Contact: Scott W. - westclan@quik.com
(Willing to trade for stuff listed above.)
