BD Blouse badged to a Major of the 2nd NZEF Signals, and Side Cap

[Loupie1961]

As promised, another Battle Dress Blouse badged to a Major of the 2nd NZEF / 2nd NZ Division Signals. The Side Cap that came with it, complete with a NZ Signals cap badge and colored backing, is named to L. D. Williams, possible service number (barely readable on the liner) 633689. The blouse sports overseas service chevrons, for an overall 4 years of overseas service. The NZ Signals sign is a white over blue square, and this is somehow puzzling, since Divisional Troops in the 2nd NZ Division usually wore a circle (Cavalry, Engineers, Intelligence and so on). New Zealand Army Distinguishing Patches 1911-1991 by Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord maintains that the sign of the NZ Signals in the 2nd NZ Division was a blue and white circle, while it pictorially represents it as a white over blue square. I wonder whether the square could be the sign of the 4th NZ Brigade Signals, but I guess Signals would operate rather at a Divisional level. What your advise, gentlemen?

[Loupie1961]

Happy to say that the mistery has been solved: as a matter of fact, the order of battle of the 2nd NZ Division in may 1944 (Cassino) according to Wikipedia (and the New Zealand Official History) gives 4 Squadron, 2 NZ Divisional Signals as belonging to the 4 Armoured Brigade, therefore making it perfectly understandable that a square sign should be worn. The most knowledgeable collector and NZ militaria expert Cliff Lord maintains that when 4th NZ Bde was infantry their formation sign was a red square, but when they switched to armoured, the support units could have worn squares signs in Arm of Service colours as the armoured regiments had their black berets with red badge backing denoting their "armoured" nature.