Polar Bears

[David North]

Not at all within my area of collecting !

I wonder if someone could tell me what these are ?

Regards,

David

[David North]

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[David North]

03

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi David, they are the divisional shoulder flashes for the 49th (West Riding) Inf Div. Not a pattern I have seen before. They are certainly private purchase and most likely locally made. This is quite a collected unit. The patches can be dated by the position of the Polar Bear's head (looking up or down).


I am sure the other members will add more.

The same style of patch was adopted by the USMC who were based in Iceland during the early part of WW2.

Cheers, Ade.

[David North]

Thanks Adrian - I now think that you are spot on !

You have included within your reply the key word of Iceland and which I dare not mention before, just in case it seemed a little fanciful.

I have just found these Polar Bears among some old papers from my late Father and who served in the RAF, pre world war II and actually during the war. I am sure that he had once mentioned, that he was in Iceland with his mobile Spitfire (wing?) (squadron?), either just before or during the early period of the war.

Grasping at straws here, although does this make some sense ?

Regards,

David

[leigh kitchen]

49th (West Riding) Div was a first line Territorial unit, fought in Norway 1940, was back in UK then went to Iceland the same year.Spent two years in garrisons in Reykjavik, Akureyri & Halfurdurfjord.

Its original div sign was the white rose of Yorkshire, which was worn during & after WWII, but while the div was in Iceland it adopted the polar bear badge the first pattern with the head pointing down but it was changed to head up.
Worn by the ist brigade of the div to land in Iceland in May 1940 it was adopted by the rest of the div, Force HQ & non-div troops under command of Iceland Force.

The div returned to UK in 1943 & landed in Normandy June 1944 as part of 21st Army Group, France, Belgium, Holland, & later it was under the command of 1st Canadian Army during the final liberation of the Netherlands.

Legend has it that the polar bear was adopted as it was the logo of a local sweet factory, the bear & iceburg appearing on "Fox's Glacier MInts".

These are locally made / private purchase rather than issue badges.

[David North]

Many thanks Leigh for the quite remarkable profile and history provided towards the 49th (West Riding) Division. The Icelandic connection of course, marrying up rather neatly with what Adrian initially suggested.

It would now appear that the "old man" was in Iceland at 1940 and being a Yorkshireman by birth, probably had mutual interests with members of the "49th".

The Polar Bears undoubtedly a souvenir of his trip, rather than being say RAF uniform associated.

All greatly appreciated.

Regards,

David