super6 Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 (edited) That is a quite staggering amount of abandoned vehicles/equipment. The Wehrmacht must have had more Morris Commercials and Bedfords on charge than anyone else in June 1940! A lot of the trucks, and presumably motorcycles, were impressed into new ownership, but what happened to the tanks/carriers? Were these repurposed as per French tanks? Herr Steptoe must have been rubbing his hands together with all that scrap metal, for their war effort! What a gift horse Edited May 27, 2020 by super6 Grammatical error! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pzkpfw-e Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 Many were reused, as Beutepanzers. many in their original form, some de-turreted & used as gun tractors & some modified to carry a variety of guns, etc. Lots of pictures on this website Beutepanzers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 Captured Allied Armor: Enemy Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing:- https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/08/31/captured-allied-armor-enemy-wolves-in-sheeps-clothing/ Repurposing German Vehicles by Allied Troops:- https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/08/08/repurposing-german-vehicles-by-allied-troops/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 This post has opened so many doors into different aspects of that period, and provided a little piece of history in its own right. A period in history when one country was invading other sovereign countrys without provocation for its own ends. Thank you for posting the original pictures. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morris C8 Posted May 29, 2020 Author Share Posted May 29, 2020 German dump for captured bikes .Dunkirk. Photo taken from my original neg. Keith 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 It has prompted me to find out a book I have owned for many years, it the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry War Chronicle 1939-1940. Its an origional edition signed by one of the Officers. Reading that really does make me think about what those chaps went through and how totally unexpected the type of warfare was. Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 The figures for the amount of abandoned equipment do vary. About 700 tanks, 20,000 motor bikes, 45,000 cars and lorries, 880 field guns and 310 larger equipments, about 500 anti-aircraft guns, 850 anti-tank guns, 6,400 anti-tank rifles and 11,000 machine-gun. Source:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Expeditionary_Force_(World_War_II) over 2,000 pieces of artillery and 85,000 motor vehicles. Also left behind were more than 440 British tanks that had been sent to France with the BEF Source:- https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Evacuation-of-Dunkirk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morris C8 Posted May 29, 2020 Author Share Posted May 29, 2020 AA guns. Photos from my collection. Keith 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 Been reading quite a lot this week about the Battle for France. So many people simply refer to Dunkirk but that last few weeks in May 1940 was one hell of a fighting retreat. So many acts of bravery from such young lads. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland_laddie Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 (edited) just watched a really good youtube movie by the curator of Bovington tank museum on the battle of Arras. Well worth watching. If I wasn't so poor at tech I would post the link - sorry Edited May 30, 2020 by Highland_laddie sorry UK thing about tank museum as if its the only one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 I will have a search for it on Youtube. We watched one yesterday on BBC iplayer that was about 45 mins long and was of interviews with veterans. Very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morris C8 Posted May 31, 2020 Author Share Posted May 31, 2020 (edited) A few more original photos from my collection. The 3rd photo shows the Gwen Eagle in the background with Germans nicking the petrol from one of the boats. Edited May 31, 2020 by Morris C8 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 This Prefect badged to 60 Coy. AMPC almost certainly didn't see further service with the Wehrmacht... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland_laddie Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 Like a lot of other I have been finding this thread very interesting and it has prompted be to do much more investigation/reading on the web with couple of books on the way too. I thought I would share this web page that I found (getting better at this tech stuff) http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=125:british-equipment-losses-at-dunkirk-and-the-situation-post-dunkirk&catid=50:other-articles&Itemid=61 Why lists what was lost but also looks at was was left in the UK and how the equipment situation improved between 1st June and later in the year when an invasion might have occurred. the headline numbers on the National Army Museum web site are given as: the BEF had suffered 68,000 casualties. Most of its equipment was lost, including 64,000 vehicles, 20,000 motorcycles and 2,500 guns This also chimes with the information in the Bovington Tank museum video (on youtube) about just how mechanised the British army was, particularly in comparison with the 'modern mechanised german army'. IIRC he listed the german army as having 120,000 vehicles for the whole army of approx 130 Division (can't recall the exact number) So 10 British divisions has the same amount of vehicles a the whole german army. No wonder captured vehicles from the fall of France continued to be used throughout the war. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morris C8 Posted May 31, 2020 Author Share Posted May 31, 2020 A few more original photos from my collection and yes the germans found a few British ww1 tanks at a french army camp given to the French in late 1918. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 I recall a story of my Grandfather, around the time of Dunkirk his regiment was boarded onto a troop ship and given notification they were being sent to France as reinforcements, I have a memory of him mentioning Cherbourg(?). After a few days aboard ship they were stood down and disembarked. Anyone have any knolwedge of soldiers being readied to be sent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland_laddie Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 Hi Rotes 75, do you have additional information on your fathers regiments/battalion as this may help tie down where he was being sent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 (edited) I have been told on another forum that it was called the 'Second BEF'. I will have a look round to see what I can find. Edited May 31, 2020 by Rootes75 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, 79x100 said: This Prefect badged to 60 Coy. AMPC almost certainly didn't see further service with the Wehrmacht... Now that one is fairly comprehensively denied to the enemy I would say Edited May 31, 2020 by Pete Ashby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morris C8 Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 (edited) More photos from my collection, 1st photo car and truck has Aos number 62 on the back. 2nd photo might have 58 on the Bedford MW. Keith Edited June 3, 2020 by Morris C8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 10 hours ago, Morris C8 said: More photos from my collection, 1st photo car and truck has Aos number 62 on the back. 2nd photo might have 38 on the Bedford MW. Keith For some reason I can't view the photos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morris C8 Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 is this better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Yes, can view them now thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobboat Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 Hi, just found this site and the reference to the motor boat Gwen Eagle. I own a 1 / 12th scale model of this boat, built by my father (with my help) in 1959. I knew very little of the boat, I believed it to have been built in 1949, imagine my amazement to see it on the beach in 19 40. I now believe it was only built the year before. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Prof Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 Hi @bobboat Nice model, and still seems well cared for. Do you know why your father hose this particular boat to build? I'm assuming it wasn't a kit, so he must have known it at some stage? Best Regards, Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.