This photograph was taken in late 1942 at Rye, Sussex, outside the current British Legion Club (near the ancient archway) and features most of the Battalion's Sergeants and Warrant Officers, along with the Commanding Officer, Second in Command and Adjutant. For a left side enlargement, Click Here. For a right side enlargement, Click Here. Photograph courtesy of ex-D Company C/Sgt W 'Jimmy' James. Identifications courtesy of ex-Sgt Charles Bray (D Company) ex-Sgt Joe Drake MM (HQ Company, Carrier Platoon) and 'Jimmy' James. Caption last updated 22/2/14

Front Row, left to right: (1) Orderly Room C/Sgt Knights, Bn HQ. (2) C/Sgt Les Barker, B Company. (3) Platoon Sgt Major Fred Glover (5946406), HQ Company and R Company, ex-Beds and Herts, from Stratford, London. (4) CSM George Broadhead, D Company, ex-Beds and Herts, KIA Sedjenane. (5) CSM Arthur Pearson, C Company, later Major and MC. (6) Major David Bannerman, Second-in-Command. (7) RSM Edmund Thomasson. (8) Lt Col Richard Ware MC, Commanding Officer. (9) RMQS Golightly, HQ Company. (10) Lt David Girling, Adjutant. (11) CSM Miles Etherington, B Company, KIA Sedjenane. (12) C/Sgt 'Tubby' Baker, HQ Company CQMS, ex-Beds and Herts, wounded 9/9/43 Salerno as a CSM. (13) CSM John Plemper, A Company, KIA Sedjenane. (14) CSM George Gates, HQ Company). (15) Sgt R Marshall (4447090).

Second Row: (1) C/Sgt 'Larry' Gaines, C Company CQMS, joined Battalion at Rye after service with a DLI battalion in Iceland. (2) Sgt Danny Feasey, ex-Beds and Herts, captured Sedjenane, see photos elsewhere on site. (3) C/Sgt W 'Jimmy' James, D Company CQMS, ex-Beds and Herts, interviewed by author for IWM Sound Archive. (4) Sgt Charles Bray, D Company, ex-Beds and Herts. POW from Sedjenane, interviewed by author for IWM Sound Archive. (5) Name forgotten, a Geordie. (6) Possibly Sgt Henderson One of the two Sgt Hendersons on the photograph. (7) L/Sgt Jimmy Rennison, C Company, in Lt Duck's 15 Platoon. (8) Sgt 'Smudger' Smith, a Londoner. (9) Sgt Russell King, D Company, later served in NW Europe with Warwickshire Regt. Interviewed by IWM Sound Archive (10) Sgt George Smith, D Company. (11) Possibly Sgt Walton? In the MT Section. (12) Name forgotten (13) Name forgotten. A CQMS ('three straps and a crown'). Did not go abroad.

Third Row: (1) Sgt Weymes, MT Section. (2) Possibly Sgt Dowell, B Company, POW from Sedjenane. (3) Sgt 'Fruity' Currant, HQ Company. JJ: 'Bert Newman's righthand man. An elderly chap with very bad feet, he was in Bert Newman's stores.' (4) Sgt H K Wright, HQ Company, in the MT Section. (5) Sgt Acheson, HQ Company, Carrier Platoon. (6) L/Sgt F McDonough, D Company, KIA Sedjenane. (7) L/Sgt Joe Drake, HQ Company, Carrier Platoon. Award MM for his actions on 3/3/43. Interviewed by author for IWM Sound Archive (8) Sgt Arthur Mattin, ex-Beds and Herts later MiD and MM, KIA 4/9/44. (9) Sgt 'Sibble' Battle, HQ Company, in charge of all the cooks. Ex-Beds and Herts. (10) Possibly Sgt H Dorman? POW Sedjenane. Or involved with the stretcher bearers?. (11) Sgt Arthur Abbott see more photos elsewhere on site. (12) C/Sgt Crow, A Company then B Company CQMS. JJ: 'A Durham man of vintage years'. Came to the Battalion from Brancepeth with 'Ginger' Argent. Did not go to Tunisia. (13) PT Instructor, from APTC. (14) Name forgotten. With Sgt Wright in MT? Or possibly Sgt Gascoyne?

Fourth Row: (1) Sgt David Brown, HQ Company, Mortar Platoon, later Provost Sgt in Regimental Police. (2) Sgt Vic Walker, D Company, ex-Beds and Herts. (3) Sgt Thompson, HQ Company, Signals Platoon. (4) Name forgotten. (5) Name forgotten. (6) Sgt Peter Griffin, Medical Sgt, later MM, ex-Beds and Herts. (7) Sgt Jack Douglas, C Coy, captured Sedjenane 2/3/43. Interviewed by IWM Sound Archive.(8) Name forgotten, a Geordie. Back Row: 1) L/Sgt John C Henderson, the second Sgt Henderson. HQ Company, see 1942 Mortar Platoon photo elsewhere on site. Sgt Tom Forsythe, C Company, in Lt Duck's 15 Platoon. (3) Sgt Rogers, Mortar Platoon? (4) Sgt Tom Baker, HQ Company, Signals Platoon. A pre-war Regular. Ex-Beds and Herts. (5) Sgt Cave, HQ Company, Orderly Room Sgt. (6) L/Sgt Thomas N Swan, C Company, KIA Sedjenane see photos elsewhere on site. (7) Name forgotten. (8) Name forgotten. Not on the photograph, but known to be with the Battalion at this time: Sgt Jeffrey Emerson, D Company, KIA Sedjenane. Sgt David Friswell, POW from Sedjenane. C/Sgt Wilson Wales, KIA 22/4/43. Sgt Dorman, Carrier Platoon. Sgt Dunn, Carrier Platoon. Possibly on the photograph: Sgt James Hood, ex-Beds and Herts, POW from Sedjenane; escaped in Italy while en route from Camp 82 to Germany, with fellow 16 DLI Sgt D Feasey, for which awarded Military Medal. Sgt Bell, C Company.

16 DLI PHOTO INDEX PAGE

CO, Adjutant, Warrant Officers and Sergeants of the 16th DLI, late 1942