Bystander

Thanks Richard, very interesting info.

Thanks Richard? I presume that this is a standard dispatch riders bike of the period? (I know almost nothing about bikes I am afraid, unlike my father who loved bikes and had a Sunbeam S7 in the '50s)

There are a couple of questions that I have about the last photos I hope that you good folks could answer: What is the difference between a TEDV and a LCV? What is the dispatch rider's motorcycle that my Dad is sitting on - at least I presume is a dispatch rider's machine - there are two photos of it, obviously taken at the same time, in the other one there is what looks like a dispatch rider on it, wearing what looks suspiciously like a paratrooper's helmet? Sorry, incredibly busy at the moment, but hopefully will be able to scan in a few more later in the week.

Just three more tonight. Inscribed on reverse: "Just come back off Ex Wheel Spin Jan '52. My waggon + Gibbs' ", "By the TEVD on Wheel Spin. LTOR Herr Leineweber, Rix, Boxall, Young, with Bill Bowles kneeling in front Jan '52", and "Ex Wheelspin Rix + Myself mounted, Swankie behind + perhaps Stanger in the background Jan '52".

A couple more LCV interior shots entitled "Snap of 53 Set in Bateman's L.C.V during static working Jan '52", and "Raukus on the set in Bateman's C.V during static working Jan '52". I recall my father talking about all the bright multi-coloured radioactive paint on the dials of the radio sets and how spactacular it looked after dark inside (and how dangerous it was with a little more knowledge of the dangers of radioactivity). I am not sure whether he was talking about these LCVs or 'his' White Scout Car. I do remember him saying that the equipment was Canadian built, but don't know if he was taliking about just the radio sets or the White Scout Car body and whole fit out.

Just two more before I turn in tonight, both obviously taken on the camp above Hamburg after his last exercise, the first is inscribed on the reverse: "On my last exercise in Germany still in Rheinschler[?] Camp Actually with 107 Coy RASC. 'NIG NOG' Taylor i/c in the back of our 'spare' L.C.V" and the second: "L.C.V Showing part of Pent house + the mast can be seen faintly."

Apologies for the delay - been pretty busy recently. Have finally transcribed the last minute or so of Dad's video, which follows. Hereafter I will be posting the most interesting of teh remaining photos. [Photo of Herford Barracks from window, inscribed on rear: “Hammersmith Barracks at Herford. Taken when on the D&D. Plenty of bull**** here”] "On my way to England and demob via Divisional Headquarters Barracks at Herford. A BBC colleague placed an almost identical photograph in front of me, so we compared notes and discovered that we had overlapped at Herford by about a month so many years before. [Group photo of men against a shed, with Dad on right] On arrival in England we were dispatched to Newton Abbott for gardening fatigues before demob: the army’s last chance to bugger you about. I am the wally on the right."

Like everyone else I have watched this outstanding piece of restoration with great interest, while being very impressed. Keep it up!

The Duguay-Trouin, which became HMS Implacable and scuttled in 1949, the stern decoration is in the atrium behind the entrance and the National Maritime Museum in Grenwich. I have also seen a few bits displayed on HMS Unicorn in Dundee, and no doubt there are other bits around. Although the Duguay-Trouin/Implacable still spent much less time in HM service than the Victory (launched in 1765 and still in service - see earlier contributions to this thread).

The chap is interviewed on a video that I have on the Lightning, actually the plane was undergoing a series of tests to find an intermittent electrical fault. The pilot allocated had pushed off after a while, leaving the engineer to do the tests on a taxiway and on the day in question a plane pulled across the taxiway in front of him and, given his speed, he had no option but to pull back on the stick...

Yes Les, I have quite a few photos of it, although unfortunately all of the vehicle interior shots that I have, seem to be of LCVs. I will post them in due course (not this weekend though).

Nice photos! But I understood that the flooding was caused by a faulty seacock and not by unintentional contact with a landmass.

Apologies for the delay, but have managed to get a bit more done this evening. Only a little more relevant material to transcribe from the VT now then I will post up all the other MV pictures in the album that were not a part of Dad's narrative. [Photo of Bad Lipspringer Barack Block] "Herewith the Barrack Block at Bad Lipspringer. [Photo of Officers NAAFI at Bad Lipspringer] The most unfortunate thing about Bad Lipspringer was the absence of facilities for other ranks, in other words no NAAFI. The officers, however, had a fine NAAFI building shown here on the right, which featured the occasional ‘orgy’. Our barrack block is visible on the left. [Photo of battery charging room] Herewith the battery charging room in ‘The Summerhouse’, where I spent most of my time whilst not on exercises. The batteries shown are 6 Volt 170 Amp Hour, two of which were used in series to power the vehicles transceiver equipment. A container of dilute sulphuric acid stands in the left foreground. [Photo of two soldiers, Dad on right] By now I had a new Zeiss Ikonta camera that produced photos of remarkable clarity when developed by Hans Pilsen [?] from whom I purchased the camera. I am standing on the right. [Photo of Autobahn inscribed on reverse: “Same place looking towards Hamburg temperature in the 90’s”] On the conclusion of my last exercise (Black Swan) we were travelling down the Autobahn towards Hamburg, seen through the windscreen of the White Scout Car. For long point-to-point journeys the Brigadier usually left us and went by his personal Jeep instead. Sometimes, tanked up to the eyeballs, he would tell his personal driver Trooper Phillips[??] to move aside to allow him to drive, leaving the poor lad terrified. We have now moved into May and the temperatures are in the nineties. This roll of film was developed by Boots, and the drop in print quality is immediately obvious. [Photo of Bridge Portal, inscribed on reverse: “Some hours later resuming the journey just about tpo go over the bridge over the Lubeck”] Later in the same journey: the river bridge on the northern outskirts of Hamburg. Quite spectacular in design, it appears in the occasional movie or TV shot. [Photo of rear of White Scout Car, inscribed on reverse: “after finish of the exercise just after cleaning up the White Scout Car - Taylor”] After the exercise, instead of returning all the way back to home, we moved to a grassy plain on the outskirts of Hamburg for a rest, probably so that the officers could visit the fleshpots of Hamburg. This shot shows the rear view of the Brigadier’s White Scout Car, with an interloper standing in front. Battery charging engines for the wireless batteries hung on a special framework on the rear of the vehicle. [Photo of trailer, inscribed on reverse: “Squadron Officer Barnes + myself leaning on the Coventry Climax”] An interesting shot of a battery charging vehicle. The batteries were fitted in racks in the vehicle, controlled by a rheostat fitted above the batteries. The charging power came from a petrol powered Coventry-Climax engine, later developed to become on of the foremost racing engines of the 1960s [surely the late 50’s/very early 60’s as far as FI racing is concerned]. I am on the left, verging on the demob-happy. [Further photo of Bad Lipspringer, inscribed on reverse: “NAAFI Officers Club in the camp in Bad Lipspringer”] A last shot of the NAAFI Officers Club in Bad Lipspringer, with bathing houses barely visible through the trees in the background. [Photo of soldier sitting on rear of VW Beetle, inscribed on reverse: “Jock Warren taken on the same Sunday morning as the other pictures cleaning out his Volkswagen after going out shooting with Captain Irving at 3AM”] A final shot in Bad Lipspringer: a driver cleaning one of the staff cars. The shot is included to show that the Beetle was being used by the Army in large quantities at this stage. Note the charging bull symbol of the 11th Armoured Div, which also can be seen on my old battledress. "

Yes! (That is also why Japanese cars tend to have their fuel filler caps on the nearside, whereas European cars have them on the offside - even most supossedly British cars these days)

Next installment... Might be a couple of weeks before I can do any more after this. [Photo of signal at Leamington Spa station – not scanned in] "In February 1952 I got my second and final leave from Germany. Whilst I was on leave the King died, which meant big ceremonial parades: I was relieved to be on leave… [more family stuff]… this photo was taken out of the carriage window at Leamington Spa. [Photo of Empire Wansbeck inscribed on rear ”Returned off last leave on the Empire Wansbeck. Here is the hulk Feb ‘52”] On my way back off this leave the troopship Empire Wansbeck awaits us at Harwich. The accommodation on these ships made them death traps for ordinary ratings, that is probably why so many of them chose to do the crossing of the North Sea on deck. .... [Photo of cargo ship “Merchantman moving towards the Hook of Holland Feb 52” inscribed on rear] The troopship arrived at the Hook of Holland about 06.30h, and by about 07.30h we were on the train to take us to Germany. The rail line to Rotterdam runs along the shipping canal to Rotterdam. [Group of four men, Dad to right “After the NAAFI break one morning Feb ‘52” inscribed on rear] This photo shows Bad Lipspringer in the grounds of the Kurpark[?], with the sinister stores building, known as “The Summerhouse”, in the background. I am seated on the right. [Photo of three men in front of White Scout Car, inscribed on back: “’Slasher’ Price, Morton & Sgt Rae. Waiting to be taken to our location Feb ‘52 Ex Endurance”] The commander of 33rd Armoured Brigade was Brigadier Beltram, one of Montgomery’s right hand men during the war. He was quite a character: one Christmas when completely sloshed, not an unknown event, he challenged a junior subaltern, who had just bought an old Amilcar, to race around the Kurpark, himself on one of motor cycle dispatch riders motorcycles. He subsequently came off and broke an arm. He was married to Greta [unclear]’s sister: quite a dish. However, he seemed to be more interested in his vast model railway layout. I had been his wireless operator for some time; this vehicle was his main means of transport on exercises, an American White Scout car fitted with a wireless body. The Brigadier occupied the rear compartment, and the wireless compartment was an extension of the driver’s cab. This fantastic 9 ton four wheel drive vehicle could manage 70 mph on the Autobahn. This photograph was taken on Exercise Endurance in February 1952. In the centre in Lance Corporal Morton, the driver, with whom I got on famously. He had seen the tail end of the War in Germany, had married a local girl, and was still stationed there at the time."

Only time for a brief bit of transciption tonight I am afraid: "[Photo of soldier digging a slit trench, “On Ex Wheel Spin Priest digging slit trench in area where it started. Sennelager Ranges* annotated on reverse] We spent about nine months of the year on exercises, which lasted night and day for three to four weeks. The exercises always followed the same pattern, practicing tactical withdrawals from East to West. One very rarely moved in daylight hours, so you never got any sleep. Once daylight came the first priority was camouflaging and digging slit trenches, at which we became quite accomplished. [My father had a very dry sense of humour]. [Photo of three men in front of the Hindenburg Memorial, Dad in Centre, “In Herford as instructor on the upgrading course “Up the Hill” on the first Sunday afternoon Jan 52 Alsop Myself + Raucus” written on reverse] After some months I was sent on a wireless operating upgrading course at Divisional Headquarters in Herford, which resulted in higher pay, and then again to attend a drill and duty course to become a Lance Corporal. From now on life became much tougher, because my troop sergeant from Bad Lipspringer had no time for young upstarts. I also had further trips to Herford as an instructor for further upgrading courses, which allowed some respite from problems at Bad Lipspringer. This photograph dates from one of these trips to Herford, with the Hindenburg Memorial in the background. [Photo of Herford MT Square, annotated on rear: “In Herford on OWL Upgrading Course from window of Instructors room Jan 52”] The MT Square at Herford taken from the barrack room window in January 1952. The Hindenburg Memorial shown in the last photo sits on the skyline in the middle of the picture."

Thanks very much for your kind words - it motivates me to carry on knowing that the my Dad's photo's are appreciated. Hopefully I will get a little bit further with the story this weekend.

Herewith is the first part of my father's transcript, anything in square brackets is a comment that I have added. I don't currently hold all of the photographs discussed in the video commentary - I will try and dig these out when I am next at my mother's house in about three weeks time and add them retrospectively. Video Title – “National Service 1950 [Group Photo of Intake – not to hand at present] "Following a medical in February 1950, a rude shock awaited me on 11 May 1950 when I arrived at Catterick Camp in call-up group 50/09. Intakes were on alternate Thursdays. Abuse was screamed at us even before we got out of the train at Richmond Station, now a supermarket I believe. We finally arrived at the Basic Training Camp, to non-stop verbal abuse. This photograph was taken after the first week or two. The drill sergeant in the centre was little short of a sadist and the corporal to his right little better. I am in the front row third from the left. The man two positions to the right of me was [unintelligible], called up from Gibraltar. Shortly after this photo was taken it was discovered on the rifle ranges that this man was blind in his right eye, his shooting eye: so much for army medicals. He received an immediate discharge and was sent home: I felt very envious. [Circular red dog tag placed on photograph] As soon as we joined we were given two dog tags to wear at all times. One was red and the other grey. I seem to recall that the grey one was rectangular with the corners chopped off. It was said that one was fireproof and the other waterproof. This was to make it easier to identify a body in the event of something nasty happening. In a time of war one tag stayed with the body so that it could be identified when exhumed for removal to a war cemetery to be buried. The other tag went to records with any personal effects. [Photo of three men with Dad in the middle - not to hand at present] After six weeks of hell in the basic training camp I moved to [unintelligible] Lines at Catterick for six months trade training as an operator, wireless and line. Whilst conditions were always harsh at Catterick, the new camp was less so than the previous one, and one was gradually hardened to the regime. A number of young lads cracked under the strain, however, and suicides were frequent, popular methods were: hanging on the last day of leave; shooting oneself on the rifle range; drinking Thawpit[?] (a spirit cleaner) or Brasso. By the time that we left Catterick we were made of sterner stuff. This photo dates from this time and shows Green on the left, a cockney, myself in the middle and Jock McCabe, a Glaswegian. Some very strong bonds were developed in National Service, and Green and Jock became inseparable; whenever they went to the Naffi together in the evenings they always marched in file with their bodies about 12” apart, Green leading and playing Lilly Bolero, the signallers’ march, on his mouth organ. My troop in the training regiment was destined for Egypt; because my Morse was judged better than the rest I was put in for a trade test two weeks early, with the result that I went to Germany with an earlier intake, rather than going to Egypt. I was therefore separated from my new-found friends… … taken shortly before going to Germany in November 1950; because I had passed my trade tests my pay jumped significantly, in fact significantly higher than at Bristow & Townsend [his employers] [Photo of man lying on bed in barracks, with empty bed to his right – not currently to hand] I travelled to Germany via the Hook of Holland and thence by train to Herford, where we spent a day or two, before some of us were sent to Luneburg for a few weeks and then to Hamburg (Hock[??] camp. I enjoyed my stay in Hamburg. After many weeks I was attached to Corporal Gibb[?], who had grown up in India: his father a Colonel of an Indian regiment. We roamed round Germany for a week or two trying to locate a spare wireless truck. 11 Armoured Division, disbanded after the War, was to be re-formed, we were part of the advance guard. Once we had a truck we were dispatched to Bad Lipspringer to form the signals contingent of HQ 33 Armoured Brigade, part of 11 Armoured Division. After some weeks further personnel arrived, until we were up to strength. This picture shows my barrack room in Bad Lipspringer, my bed is on the right, with the bed made up in day mode: blanket, sheet, blanket, sheet, all specially folded with square edges, ones webbing kit is laid out on the locker. [Dad on horse “Up the airfield just after Christmas me on Atexes Dec-Jan 52” written on reverse] After seeing a western film, a crowd of the lads decided to try horse riding, I was almost forcibly dragged along. The interest soon waned, however, except for me. I subsequently put in 10-15 hours a week on horses, when not on exercises. This photo was taken at Sennelager, near Bad Lipspringer. [Photo of radio truck and trailer "Batemans CV during static working with Rolland + Severn" written on reverse] Herewith a Bedford Light Command Vehicle, or LCV, a four wheel drive truck: a typical headquarters vehicle, with a centre compartment for the officers commanding the battle, and an electronics compartment squeezed into the rear compartment. Aerial poles were carried in racks on either side. The vehicle was grossly overloaded and therefore grossly underpowered, its maximum speed was around 45mph on the downhill stretches.. An American-built trailer carried a 240V petrol generator. The end of the barrack block is visible on the right, and the white building visible on the left is the battery charging room/stores. This building had sinister cells in the basement, which had all the appearance of gas chambers."

Elsewhere on this forum I have promised to post the photographs taken by my late father during his national service in Germany in 1950-2, accompanied extracts from the commentary of a video that he made of his reminiscences and family history that he made in the last few months of his life. I would think that a bit less than half the photos have MVs in them ranging from one of tanks down to an army VW Beetle, and army tractor and some bikes. But mostly they are of his radio trucks. Most of the rest are of army life, barracks, and photos of his comrades-in-arms (he used to sell the prints to subsidise his photography). To set them in context I would like to follow his narrative. Dad had no previous experience of photography and so the quality of the photos improves as time goes on, as can be seen in the two sample photos that I attaché tonight. All the photos are 120 size and appear to be contact prints. Dad initially had a “cheap camera”, make unknown, which he put down in part exchange for the replacement Ziess Ikonta that he used for the rest of his life, which took pin sharp pictures. I am afraid that the process will not be a rapid one as my time is quite limited, having two very young children, two businesses to run, two classic cars, a rambling house and garden that need a lot of upkeep, and a wife who is slightly more destructive to domestic appliances than Attila the Hun. However, if you stick with me we will get there in the end. Hopefully I should be posting the first part of the transcript up tomorrow night.

Thanks will do, hopefully should have a window to start in the next week or so. But it will be a slow process, with two young children my time is rather limited! I will start a new thread somewhere else on the site, rather than continue to hijack this one. As a taster I attach a picture, entitled "Ex Endurance Feb '52 in same loc as above but bogged to the axles." NB does the "9" on the White Scout Car signify 9th Armoured Div not the 11th?

Officially he was in the Royal Corps of Signals, of course... When I start posting his photos narrated with the commentary from the video he made of his reminincences (assuming people are interested) the locations will come out, but he seemed have spent most of his time in Bad Lippspringe, but he also spoke about Herford quite a bit.

My father would get very aerated whenever I placed a reference book quoting a maximum Comet speed of 29mph in front of him, emphatically stating that he had seen the speeds in question on the speedo of lorries driving immediately behind Comets. While I greatly respect your knowledge of the subject, as you quite correctly point out, there appears to be quite a volume of testimony that these speeds were seen. It is always difficult for an expert, however eminent, to argue that something is impossible, when there appears to be considerable eyewitness testimony from a variety of independent sources to the contrary. As these stories seem to be widespread it would indeed appear that the doctoring/disabling or whatever of governors was indeed carried out in an organised manner within fiefdoms in the field. As the idea appears to have been to have to increase convoy speeds it would only be effective if all tanks in a column were doctored, as a tank column can only move at the speed of the slowest tank. This needs to be seen in the context of the atmosphere of the early Cold War. On the question of engine revs the Meteor was of course closely related to the Merlin which was I believe rated to develop its max power at 3000 rpm in all marks, given that over-revving engines in fighter aircraft was not uncommon the engine must have been designed to survive a degree of over-revving without going bang and then of course there are the safety factors in design and construction (there are plenty of stories of Spits being dived to near-supersonic speeds). So that 4400 rpm looks credible for the average engine, even though we are more than doubling some of the key component stresses. With the greatest of respect to the wonderful work being done by restorers the engines were probably in better condition when they were new than now (certainly conrods would have been lower down their fatigue life curves). Armies are not exactly known for their parsimony so I am sure that if the odd engine failed to stand the treatment meted out no one lost any sleep over dropping a new one in. Finally, yes I agree that all of the tanks in the photo look like Comets to me as well.

My late father who served as a radio operator to brigade HQ in the RTR (11th Armoured Div?) on national service in Germany 1950-2 always thought very highly of Comets (although I think that the only tank that he only ever travelled was the Brigadiers’ Centurion). He always scoffed at the stated maximum speed of 29 mph in books – he said that he regularly saw 45-50 mph on the speedo of following lorries on manoeuvres, and occasionally up to 55 mph – apparently it was normal practice to tie up the governor. Manoeuvres invariably consisted of practicing an orderly retreat in the face of a massive Russian attack and although the convoy speed was quite sedate, in theory, in practice once one was a few miles back in the queue one was either stationary or “driving hell for leather”. If there is any interest I will post up some of his photos, together with his acerbic comments in the coming weeks. Unfortunately only one of his photos features tanks (mostly they are of various radio trucks and army life) and this is hardly one of his best. It is attached herewith. The caption on the back reads: “I took this from the turret of the Brig’s tank after the parade for Churchill. The tanks here are forming up after having just come off the parade. A Cromwell tank nearest the camera, and a Comet to the right. You can just see the flags on the tanks’ aerials. Note the exhaust gas in the trees”.

Interesting that some of the tanks were carried in gondola cars rather than the flat cars that one would expect (and are being used for some of the tanks in the photo). Was this common US practice?

There was a book writen on the subject c1970 by (I seem to recall Richard Hough, but my memory might be wrong) that I read as library book many years ago, that I think was a reasonably interesting read.