1944

Andrew Ansell (43rd & 52nd Old Comrades Association) commented: 'I believe the troops formed up for inspection on the left of the photo are Letter D Coy. The reason I say this is that the officer in front seems to be David Wood, the soldier in the front rank on the left (full figure) appears to be Pte Gardiner (of famous picture holding a Bren pictured with Capt Priday and L/Cpl Lambley). But the most compelling evidence to show it is Letter D Coy is that a black soldier is pictured in the second rank. The 52nd only had one black soldier, Pte 'Darky' Baines, who was a 3" mortar number in Letter D Coy. It is also one of the few pictures I have ever seen of their CO at the time of D Day, Lt Col Roberts.'