Norman Best – Photo – Preparing for D-Day

Preparing for D-Day. Making rank insignias removable because Germans shoot at Officers first.

Peter Best writes: This photograph is very significant as it shows my father and Ned Hitchcock on their last night prior to joining up with 21 BDS. My father is the one with a half pint and Ned is sitting cross-legged on the floor.

The WAAF ladies are adjusting their Officers’ shoulder rank insignias to make them removable as they were advised that the Germans would shoot at Officers first.

It also shows their RAF battle tunics which subsequently caused so many problems with the dye running, making them too much like German uniforms.

This photo was taken in 60 Group Headquarters at Leighton Buzzard.