AUS CMP tyre loading ramp

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Keith's image: note the soldier has a 9 Infantry Division colour patch (2nd version).

Mike C

To expand on this, the "2nd Version" patches still used the original colour schemes, but were changed to a "T" shape in recognition of that unit's service in Tobruk!

[Mike Cecil]

Tony,

Regarding the 9 Inf Divs 'T' shaped colour patch, what you have said is a popularly held belief, but which apparently has no basis in fact.

According to Morsehead, who chose the 'T' shape for his Division, when he answered an inquiry in 1952:

'....nothing, as far as I was concerned having been indicated that the 'T' stood for Tobruch nor, when informing the C-in-C in Australia, the late Field Marshal Blamey, of the change did I make reference to Tobruch but explained that a common colour patch was necessary and I had decided, as all other simple forms from squares to circles had long since been bespoken, on the combination of two oblongs, the larger one on top.'

It's also interesting that the Sun Newspaper's 'Colour Patchs' guide published in 1946 makes no reference to the 'T' being associated with the Division's service at Tobruch. The relevant paragraph is quoted below:

'Thus duplication of many patches of 1 and 6 Divs, 2 and 7 Divs, 3 and 8 Divs, and 4 and 9 Divs, resulted. To distinguish itself, 9 Div changed its divisional shape from the circle of 4 Div to a T.'

Moreshead explained it slightly differently, stating (again, in 1952) that:

'The 9 Divison was hurreidly formed and wore a collection of colour patches - oblongs, squares, circles, ovals - and after coming out of Tobruch I decided we should have the one form ...'

So it would appear that the 'T' was based on a rather more mundane requirement than commemorating the Division's good service in the defence of Tobruch. The timing of the decision, and the shape, have, however, led to that belief.

Mike C

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

There's a lot of careful photo retouching in this pic, a fairly normal practice at the time, it was a real art

Now, don't tell me it was photoshopped!?! It couldn't have been, back in those days photoshop didn't exist yet.