Libya, Tripolitania, vehicles, barracks 1950s to 1966

Thanks for the reply, David.

Let's look at another DT trailer with a 6RT Centurion aboard at Homs 1957/8, the front end close-up of what seems to be a lion with its four legs sticking out to the right, a crown above its head and perhaps something (a globe?) under its bottom, all on a rectangular patch which may be a single unknown colour or a say, red above dark blue? Can anyone throw more light on this please?

Photo by Peter Doyle 6RTR.

...what seems to be a lion with its four legs sticking out to the right.

I believe that's a lion rampant sinister ;-)

I believe that's a lion rampant sinister ;-)

You are so naughty, again, Sean! I do though, concur with your view. Have you ever seen such a lion before, and if so, where? Scotland (I jest)?

No, sorry, I'm not great on arms, unit symbols and so on. It rings a bell but I can't place it. Might also be reversed given the propensity to affix symbols the wrong way round (see also dhows)

Lion rampant dexter with a crown above is Scottish Yeomanry, but that has crossed lances behind.

Yes, point taken about dhows and lions facing 'the wrong way'.

These two lions I found straying on the web; billed as MELF post war. I would go further and say, post early 1956 and the British withdrawal from Egypt (maybe even post Suez?). The lions are slightly different in that one appears to be 'bullion' (no pun intended in composition of that word) perhaps for a commissioned soldier's uniform (or mid-east ceremonial No 3s or 4s, whatever they were .... I don't 'do' uniforms) whilst the other is just plain. Quite some size though, over 3'' top to tail! The lions and their backing colours are what I think I see (squint) on that Warpaint Saladin and as what I squint at on those tank transporters. The flash I believe, would have been assigned to those vehicles, sub-units and personnel at HQ Command level, i.e; those not assigned to specific divisions, brigades or .... regiments. I am most willing to be corrected on my jottings here so please don't be reticent or slow in providing more wisedom than I have done on these markings. Experts lurking are for me like the chocolate frog in a teapot!

A two-masted Tripolitania District formation flash, facing East with a cargo of British slaves. Seen in 1960 on the rear end of Saladin ...... 00BB75!!! What happened to the 3rd mast and sail? Why is the dhow facing the wrong way? Were these flashes self-adhesive vinyl-type sticky things, were they water-slide transfers (QDGs had them in silver for their double-headed birds), or, were they painted on? Maybe a bit of everthing! When were vinyl-type sticky formation/arm of service flashes first used if used at all? :-D

Wartime they tended to be hand painted in the fifties water slides were in use in the sixties the vinyl-sticky ones came

out l still have some of the water slide ones which are now very delicate the last one of these l used was on a FORD E4

belonging to 49th west riding Division

Good to know, thanks Wally.

I wonder who made those vinyl-type sticky ones? And now? Not that I'd get away with plastering our cars here with them! :-D

Well if you change your mind GERBER Scientific Products have been making them for the M.O.D for a few years

this what they do

Plenty of people out there making vinyl stickers if you have the artwork - all you need is a decent hi-res image.

Might the reversed ones be signwriter's error? Wouldn't be possible to reverse a self adhesive vinyl, and it seems unlikely a waterslide one could be reversed.

SEAN

You are more than likely to be right we were lucky at the museum in the fact that we had a army trained signwriter

who started in the army in 1944 sign writing motor bikes. His skill with a paint brush was nothing short of poetry

l think that there are always people who take pride in the work that they do and get it right and others that could not care

l have seen animals facing the wrong way bits left out and just the minimum amount of detail

SEAN

You are more than likely to be right we were lucky at the museum in the fact that we had a army trained signwriter

who started in the army in 1944 sign writing motor bikes. His skill with a paint brush was nothing short of poetry

l think that there are always people who take pride in the work that they do and get it right and others that could not care

l have seen animals facing the wrong way bits left out and just the minimum amount of detail

Having pride in your work and doing your best is the only way to go.

I'm not the best helmet painter but do the best I can.

I did however reverse a marking once, not my finest hour.

Having pride in your work and doing your best is the only way to go.

I'm not the best helmet painter but do the best I can.

I did however reverse a marking once, not my finest hour.

Shows how easy it is to do though, if you're having an off day.

2RTR Homs. Unaware, it seems, until last year when I pointed the boo boo out to them. They then blamed REME!!!! Ha Ha!

Thanks for sticky sticker info. Yes, I'd forgotten about the army trade of Signwriter.

Lucky me! I have a new source of many, previously unseen by Jo Public, 6RTR Libya photos! I'll show some here too, but as you know, I'm saving the very best for 'The Book'. Taken by yet another REME bod (they were so good with their cameras weren't they, the REME folk), one Ronald Gill, then a REME Sgt Fitter (were they called A Mechs by then, and not 'fitter'?) with the 6RTR LAD. So, don't get too excited but here we have one of those FV421 Cambridge Load Carriers getting fixed up in the LAD of Homs camp. Can't make the VRN out but you can see the Tripolitania District flash clear enough. I'm negotiating on getting my hands on the original transparency to produce a better image. Fingers crossed (OK, Ron? He's looking in!). Can you see the LAD Halftrack? Can you see a cement mixer? But what is that DBG thing standing on the concrete? Is it a detached engine cowl or bonnet and, from what?

Another 6RTR bod tells me that the 421s spent most of their time in Libya, broken down. One was parked up and 'forgotten', another, in his squadron had only 1 mile on the clock and when the OC found that out, he went ballistic and had him (his troop) take turns for days on end driving around the tank park and up and down the beach (just outside the front gates) in order to notch up track mileage. The regiment did not appreciate having these 'things' foisted upon them, so he said.

Photo by Ronald Gill REME

The engine cover from a Ford E4

Really great to see a colour photo of a FV421 in use (if broken). Seems to be as originaly built with no mods at all. It is not one of the very first ones as it has the front windows with rounded corners vs the bolted in ones with square corners on the first few vehicles.

Please Ron, lend Lynn the original transparency so we can get a better look (and any other FV421 ones) and thank you for letting us see them.

David

The engine cover from a Ford E4

See, I was on the right track with 'engine cowl' and, Wally has to have a BIG Thank You!:yay:

Odd thing to do with it though. Maybe used as a visual aid for when an FV421 'moved'?

Really great to see a colour photo of a FV421 in use (if broken). Seems to be as originaly built with no mods at all. It is not one of the very first ones as it has the front windows with rounded corners vs the bolted in ones with square corners on the first few vehicles.

 

Please Ron, lend Lynn the original transparency so we can get a better look (and any other FV421 ones) and thank you for letting us see them.

 

David

Lynn, whoever she is, may be perplexed, just as Ron may now be too!:laugh:

Kind regards,

Lizzie

Lynn, whoever she is, may be perplexed, just as Ron may now be too!:laugh:

Kind regards,

Lizzie

Oops, sorry, I think my brain is disolving ! :red:

David

A poorly Bedford RL from 1 Inf Div, probably a CS Royal Artillery one. That’s what the white 13 superimposed on what seems to be an RA rectangle is telling me. As an RA truck, I wonder why I can't see a Battery insignia on the cab door? The RA 'always' displayed insignia, didn't they? Certainly the RHA liked to do that (as you may see later on in my 3RHA Homs, Libya 1954-56 ish offerings-SEXTONS, Cromwells, Halftracks, Diamond Ts, Champs! – drool material for some?). Many RA units visited Tripolitania from the UK, Malta and Cyprus for exercises, schemes, annual firing at Tarhuna (just south of Tripoli) and so on. The white diamond on a black rectangle indicates 1 Inf Div who around 1958/59 were based in Cyprus so the truck could be a 29 Field Regt RA truck from Cyprus (that unit visited Tarhuna twice, in 58 and 59) that needed a trusty old Scammell Explorer's assistance.

 

Update! Don't you just love 'getting it right'! I can confirm the RL belongs to 42Regt RA, Cyprus 1959-62, who with their 25pdrs, visited Libya frequently, even venturing from Tarhuna into the Tibesti mountains bordering French Equatorial Africa and Niger. :-D

Now a little something for the Land rover, or is it Landrover or, Land Rover aficionados amongst you, especially sand-coloured ones.

There was a time, of which I'm not really sure as I know nothing about the type, when the army in Tripolitania received (from the Trials 'department' at 595 Ord Depot RAOC, Kassala Barracks Tripoli at kilo 21) a Series 2A (I think?) Ambulance for desert testing. Yes, isn't this exciting. A 'noo' ambulance taken on by 38 Coy RASC at Prinn Barracks Tripoli, who, at around the same time, took on a Trials Austin K9 Multifuel Ambulance (sand-coloured too) for desert testing and pitched them both against an in-service Ford Thames E4 ambulance (sand-coloured too!). Many wheeled traipses through the deserts of Tripolitania ensued, some maybe into the Fezzan. I think I'm correct in saying that a noticeable difference between the trial LR ambulance and the production 'in-service' type is the central air intake/outlet on the cab overhang of the trials version and the ommission of it on production versions as two smaller corner intakes/outlets were evident. I feel the year of these trials was 1961 as plastered on the windscreen of the LR is a stenciled A/F 12/60 marking which surely means ...... Antifreeze checked/filled December 1960. Have I sleuthed that correctly, I wonder?

Also, there is a sticker or 'homemade' badge on the LR nose that says 'Trials', then 'MELF' (on a red pennant) and under that the word 'Vehicle'. The very same 'homemade' badge appeared on the nose of at least one Homs-based sand-coloured FV421 Cambridge Load Carrier 3 years earlier.

Pay no attention to the scruff in attendance. No, cancel that. His appearance is worthy of note; issue brown daps that have not been (as 'normally' required to be) boot-polished black, grey issue socks which preceded green ones, KD shorts, a shirt 'scratchy' KF or jungle green tropical all hanging out, the RASC lanyard, beret and non-issue shades. A Sgt too, who should have been given a month's worth of weekend extras as Orderly Sgt in full ceremonial best dress! Not that I 'do' uniforms or am pedantic about items of service uniform clothing like some folk are!

Photo by CH Bloxham REME

Notice too, how the Tripolitanian landscape, the sand, is a perfect colour match to the Light Stone paint applied to the LR :-D

Land rover two stretcher ambulance contract KL/H/O390 trails vehicle one of ten numbers 05 DE 35 to O5 DE 44

...who, at around the same time, took on a Trials Austin K9 Multifuel Ambulance (sand-coloured too) for desert testing...

And where are the photos of said Austin?

:cool2: