*WW2, Eighth Army Service of Thanksgiving, Annotated “Service Held at Leinz Austria, Souvenir to My Darling Wife, 13.5.1945“*
Measures approc: 24.6cm x 16.9cm
The Program is poignantly annotated “Service Held at Leinz, Austria” and “Souvenir to My Darling Wife, 13.5.1945“. It also has an “X” next to the patch for the 78th Infantry (Battleaxe) Division. The British 78th Division, renowned as the ‘battleaxe division,’ engaged in arduous campaigns during World War II, battling from Algeria to Austria through Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy.
The Eighth Army, initially named the Western Army and later the Army of the Nile, was a field army of the British Army during World War II. Formed in Egypt on September 10, 1941, it played a crucial role in the Western Desert campaign, participated in the Tunisian campaign, and led troops in the Italian campaign. Comprising multinational forces from various Allied nations, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Poland, and others, it controlled significant formations such as the British V, X, XIII, and XXX Corps. At the end of the war, the army moved into Austria and became part of the allied occupation force. On 29 July 1945, the army was disbanded and its forces were used to form the command British Troops Austria..
Patches of all regiments who formed the Eighth Army as marked by their insignia:
Left of the gold crusader cross insignia of the Eighth Army:
1. 5th Army Corps
2. 10th Army Corps
3. 2nd Polish Corps
4. 78th Infantry (Battleaxe) Division
5. 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division (Polish)
6. 4th Infantry Division
7. 51st (Highland) Division
8. 9th Australian Division
9. 1st Canadian Infantry Division
10. 50th (Northumberland) Division
11. 5th Canadian Armoured Division
12. 48th (Midland) Division
13. 44th (Home Counties) Division
14. 56th (North London) Division
15. 2nd New Zealand Division
16. 5th Kresowa Infantry Division (Polish)
17. 6th South African Armoured Division
18. Free French Forces
19. Jewish Brigade Group
20. Folgore Gruppo (Italian)
21. Friuli Gruppo (Italian)
Right:
1. 2nd Canadian Infantry
2. 30th Army Corps
3. 13th Army Corps
4. Airborne Division
5. 1st Infantry Division
6. 8th Armoured Division
7. 8th Indian Division
8. 1st Armoured Division
9. 10th Indian Division
10. 1st South African Division
11. 8th Armoured Division
12. 4th Indian Division
13. 7th Armoured Division (Desert Rats)
14. 5th Infantry Division
15. 5th Indian Division
16. 2nd South African Division
17. 6th Armoured Division
18. 6th Division
19. 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade
20. Cremona Gruppo (Italian)
*Condition*
This is in good used condition with crease marks evident. The annotations only add to its historical value and it is a rare find. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
JAQCOXFO_8182147814
