Article about: Greetings, may I first of all congratulate you on your very interesting website! Just by chance I bumped into your website after literally years or going around in frustrated circles. Please
Greetings, may I first of all congratulate you on your very interesting website! Just by chance I bumped into your website after literally years or going around in frustrated circles. Please find the attached photo of my father as a member of the 3 Carpathian Rifle Division, II Polish Corps (most probably in Italy?). Unfortunately, like many other veterans of WWII, my father hardly spoke about his involvement during the War. Nonetheless, I was reading through some of your thread, whereby a thread referred to a white and red armband, stating that it identified a Duty Officer, a position usually held by an NCO - (my father held the rank of a Lance Corporal). Therefore, my question: Why would my father be wearing this armband and for what reason? In addition, although I can see that he is wearing two medal ribbons - I can barely see the left one but would the ribbon to the right be the Italy Star, … thus indicating that this photo was taken after the War? And/or, dressed smartly as such would that also indicated that he was not in a combat zone? I would appreciate any information you may be able to derive from the photo (knowing that it is not very clear), but your expertise on other such matters seem to be so extraordinary thus, it has increase potential expectations! Yours Sincerely Chris
Chris, I would think the photo was taken late 1945 and that the first medal from the left is the British 1939-45 Star (for which ribbon was being issued from May 1943), the middle one being the Italy Star (established May 1945) the third is possibly the 1939-45 War medal (established August 1945). That would fit with late 1945 at the earliest. Divisional cloth patch above the arm band.
3 Carpathian Rifle Division had a proud record in Italy, particularly at Cassino.
Greetings Adrian, sorry about the mishap - here we go: My Name is Christopher Franzmann, I will be 70 year of age next month, thus retired. Although I live and worked in most of my working life in Germany, I was born in England. I am married and have two wonderful children. Over many years I have tried to put some pertinent information together about my farther, but like many other threads which I have read, my father also did not want to talk about his war experiences. After very little success, I frustrated put everything on the back-burner. By chance I bumped into some data pertaining to my father’s parents in Poland, which I supposed helped to kick-start me again and together with the encouragement of my daughter I have just started to try and pick-up the pieces and have another go at it! Chris
Another Wow!!! - you really surprised me with your expertise (I could only see two ribbons) fantastic, so slowly and maybe surely you folks may be able to throw so light on the missing pieces - thanks again and enjoy a wonderful New Year celebration! Chris
Once again thanks for the info and based on your post, I went onto the internet and found photos of the mentioned medals however, digging back into my childhood memories I can distinctly remember seeing three Medals on one claps however three round medals - I cannot remember any star shapes - maybe I was too young to really understand the importance then. That being said, I can also distinctly remember along with the medals in my Dads wardrobe, there were several small bottles - it was only much, much later did I learn that the British Government provided morphine to maimed ex-servicemen that were suffering from, what we call today “post syndrome”. Could you elaborate somewhat of this subject and/or these procedures after the War? Chris
3 Carpathian Division, II Polish Corps
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