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Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2006-10 > 1160127110


From: PATRICIA TANNER <>
Subject: Re: [WARBRIDES] Desert Rats
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2006 10:31:50 +0100 (BST)
In-Reply-To: <008e01c6e900$4db86600$4aa2c2cf@Grannys>


Hi,

My father was a Desert Rat, a UK soldier in the 8th Army. I now have his army service records.

Tricia




joan reichardt <> wrote:
Hi, Elizabeth, That would be my suggestion, too. We used to have Queen
Alexandra Rose day in England to raise money for the nursing service - she
was the long suffering wife of Edward 7th. These days she would have
kicked his sorry rear- end round the block but then she just smiled and got
on with life!!
I think I was the one who started the 'Desert Rat' thing when I read that,
contrary to my belief that it referred to the British Eighth Army, it was
the Australians who started using that name. I think at the time I was told
I was wrong, and since I was not at all sure, that was fine. Cheers, Joan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Elizabeth Angela Guyver"
To: ;
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 3:32 PM
Subject: Re: [WARBRIDES] Desert Rats


> Sounds like the Queen's Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service.
> That
> would be the QA on the badge
>
> Click on to this website
> http://www.army.mod.uk/qaranc/qaranc_assn/index.htm
>
> http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3929/is_199907/ai_n8870956
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayodeok/62299566/in/set-1345045/
>
> http://www.crcmh.com/history.htm
>
> http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/corps/QARANC.htm#unif
>
> Sorry cant find the shoulder badge - will look again for you.
>
> Take Care
>
> Beth
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kathleen"
> To:
> Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 9:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [WARBRIDES] Desert Rats
>
>
>> Hi, talking of 'shouder flashes' I would like help on i.d- ing my aunts
>> uniform that she wore up until she became a war bride to my Canadian
>> uncle.i
>> have pictures that show a badge with a 'flash design ' on it. and what
>> looks
>> like a QA on her cap. Believed to have been stationed in Colchester
>> Essex.
>> Her name was Peggy Quigley. She married into the Chapman family.i can
>> send
>> a
>> photo if you are good at identifying uniforms. Thank you. Kathleen.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:
>> [mailto:]
>> On Behalf Of Elizabeth Angela Guyver
>> Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 8:22 AM
>> To:
>> Subject: [WARBRIDES] Desert Rats
>>
>> Some time ago someone was talking about Desert Rats and said it was the
>> name
>> given to the Australian Soldiers. Sorry cant remember who it was,
>> otherwise
>> I would have emailed them direct. I have just found the site about the
>> 7th
>> Army and it explains it better than I did at the time.
>>
>> The men took to the Jerboa and adopted the nick-name of "The Desert
>> Rats".
>> It is worth pointing out that the term 'Desert Rats' is often used to
>> describe any soldier of the Desert Army or men that fought in Tobruk.
>> Indeed
>> the Australians have a Rats of Tobruk Association, but the only true
>> "Desert
>> Rats" are the men who served in the 7th Armoured Division, whose
>> shoulders
>> or vehicles wore the Jerboa emblem. This new sign is shown above Left. A
>> picture of the shoulder flashes can be found on the Memorabilia page.
>>
>>
>>
>> I cant even remember how we came to be talking about them on here.
>>
>>
>>
>> Take Care
>>
>>
>>
>> Beth
>>
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>
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