Interesting to see the Tyne Tees divisional patch on his arm, shouldn't it be the 7th armoured 'Desert Rats'?

Colin, I think this may answer your query on the shoulder flash. My Uncle J Battman served with 1st/7th throughout the war as a bren gun carrier driver 1/7th Battalion: When war was declared in September 1939 the 1/7th Bn. was part of 131st Infantry Brigade, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division stationed in New Street, Walworth, London. With the rest of the Brigade and Division it arrived in North Africa in mid 1942 and took part in the Battle of Alam Halfa before joining 7th Armoured Division for the battle of El Alamein. During the advance from El Alamein the enemy counter-attacked at Medenine. Here on 7th March 1943 the 1/7th Queen's put up an epic resistance to the German counter-attack, and succeeded in knocking out 27 German tanks with their 6-pounder anti-tank guns. It the remained with the Division throughout the North African Campaign, in Italy, Normandy and in Northern Europe. During the action at Villers-Bocage (13th June 1944) the battalion used its 6-pounder Anti-Tanks again to good effect, when it went 'Tiger Hunting' in the town using these guns and their PIATs to ambush any German tanks they could find. Although 7th Armoured Division was not engaged in Market Garden, 1/7th Queens were involved with Guards Armoured Division in keeping the Nijmegen road open from 24th September 1944. In November 1944 the battalion was disbanded with those of it not returning to the UK under the 'Python' and 'Lilop' orders joining the 1/5th Battalion to replace the casualties suffered in the Bocage and the break out into France and Belgium. Quite a few others were also transferred to the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. The cadre of the battalion served out the remainder of the war as part of 151st Brigade, 50th (Northumberland) Division, as a training unit.

Many thanks Ash, that's enlightened me!