11th Armoured

the W/T l think you will find has nothing to do with either weight width or transport

I agree with Wally - if it was weight or width, I would expect it to be stamped with a value for whatever weight or width was applicable

The date is likely to be late '50s, I would think (the number plates are obviously post-1949) - the article says, "Hundreds & hundreds of old British Army trucks, sad veterans of service in Europe more than ten years ago."

As for location, the 'Sea-fever girl' article mentions Portsmouth, while the main article about the trucks says they, "Can be inspected at ***nburg Docks" (the rest of the name is missing, sadly). No idea beyond that, but obviously they're next to a railway line, which should help narrow the location down a little.

Absolutely wonderful - you should be rightly proud of your achievement

I wouldn't know if it applies in these cases, but that abbreviation usually stands for 'Wireless Telegraphy'.

Looks good

 

This might seem like a daft question but as its a 1940s British lorry why is it painted in German Panzer colours?

The Germans used plenty of captured British motor vehicles to make up for the fact that they were still heavily dependent upon horse-drawn transport & never had enough of their own - the fabled 'lightning war' was usually only the very pointy bit at the front...

Very good! I liked the few bits left over at the end, too - I had the same happen a couple of weeks ago when I repaired our lass's laptop...

Hello from a couple of villages over... :-)

Your museum sounds very interesting, is it open to the public at all?

Kevin

Is it really going to be in Lincoln as the story says or somewhere in Lincolnshire? It's a large county:)

Top of Canwick Hill, apparently, just up from the South Common

Are you sure you want to build a plain GS truck?

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060022938?bt=europeanaapi

 

trevor

Those dashed cunning Brits - instant automatic smokescreen to mask the guns when you have to move to a new firing position...

Wonderful stuff - although the "In full chase" section really needed some rousing piano accompaniment!

There are many photos of different projects on their website, takes quite a while to look through it all.R

Apart from everything else, that's a very impressive group of Sherman tanks they have there

The restoration page gives a bit more info on this one with the mine plough: basically it was a British Sherman V (T-147194) that was apparently knocked-out by an 88mm shot through the right hand side below the sponson; the hull was subsequently stripped & then stuck on a range, where it was well & truly battered (including two hits courtesy of the article author in 1966 ). Where the plough originally came from isn't mentioned.

I thought all Shermans left the US with US numbers and these were simply painted over when the WD number was added once they arrived in the UK?

The operative phrase being "painted over", of course, whereas on this one they're both visible AND it's marked up as belonging to the US 2nd Armored Division, so the British number seems a little superfluous.

None of which takes anything away from the standard of physical restoration, which as I said looks very good, but in terms of historical accuracy, I'd suggest there are a few 'issues'. I don't actually know whether this particular configuration was used by the French army (presumably it was), but if that's its provenance, it's a bit of a shame it isn't presented as a French vehicle...

Strange mix of markings, too - British census number AND US registration number...

Looks a bit like it fell into a parts bin & quite a few stuck! Tidy looking, though

The inverted 'Y' with two dots is the insignia of 6. Panzer-Division (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6th_Panzer_Division).

The two circles with the line above signifies a motorised unit (see http://pala130.org/tact_symb_files/image002.gif).

Kevin

Webbing from Pattern 1908 to Pattern 1937 (& the various leather infantry equipments from the same general period), interspersed with a few bits of uniform, helmets & other headgear, badges (cloth & metal) & any other bits of a soldier's personal equipment that I can obtain for a pittance...

Brilliant work - well done on your perseverance!

I shudder to think what sort of a world we would have now if he had remained King...

I can't comment about vehicles, but Towergate have arranged my specialist business insurance for ten years & I've always been impressed with them - very friendly & helpful staff.

That said, I've never had to make a claim, but fingers crossed you'll be OK now you're 'under their wing'...

Stunning!

Hi Kevin, So by that rational did the 72nd infantry brigade come under the 3rd Infantry Division at that time? and do you know what Bty's made up 6 field RA?

 

I found reference to the 6th under the 3rd Inf Div on 17.08.1945 - 31.08.1945

No, the infantry brigades in 3rd Infantry Division at the time were 1st Guards Brigade, 185th (later 7th), 8th & 9th Infantry Brigades - there's no mention of 72nd Infantry Brigade at all, I'm afraid.

Also, no mention of the batteries making up 6 Field Regiment, sorry.

The 'durability' of that old steel never ceases to amaze me, incredible to see how well it 'scrubs up' - fantastic work as usual!

I did find some info on 6 field Regt RA from 1938-45. In 1947 it seams that it was re designated as 67 Training Regt RA. Consisting of 165, 155 and 74 Field Bty's It also had "B" bty from 112 Regt RA. This Bty was latter replaced by "B" Bty from 188 AAFC Regt.

 

However nothing from 1945-47. 74 Bty is still around, so I might be able to get a Bty history from them.

 

My plan is to find out what unit the vehicle served with before it was struck off, then work backwards from there, cross referencing the info where ever passable. For example, I know the Quad started out in green paint and finished up in Portland stone, so logic would say it didn't finish up in N.W. Europe. I know its not a very accurate way to do it.

 

Regards Ross

 

:-D:-D:-D

Hello Ross, as briefly mentioned in an earlier post, I have a booklet titled "The General Service Medal: Palestine 1945-48", that in addition to listing medal recipients, also has an Order of Battle list for the units involved in the conflict. It's not infallable, in my experience, as there seem to be a few typos here & there, but I think the bulk of the info is probably accurate.

Anyway, 6th Field Regiment, RA is listed as divisional troops belonging to 3rd Infantry Division (along with 7th & 33rd Field Regiments), which was in theatre (in whole, or in part) from November 1945 until June 1948.

Kevin

Thank you Wally for taking the time and looking that up for me. I found this on Wikipedia, more or less the same as what you have said. However the 1st Infantry Davison's symbol is a blue triangle with a black border and a white spot in the centre. This doesn't match the markings on my vehicle.

Hi again. I must confess, I'm not familiar with that symbol in connection with the 1st Inf. Div. at all - I'm pretty certain that the badge used on both vehicles & uniforms from the '30s to the '50s (at least) was a plain white equilateral triangle (with point uppermost), as shown on one of my Dad's (rather battered) KD slip-ons:

Is there any sign of a plain white triangle anywhere on your Quad?

Other than I am an uneducated swine I cant think of any reason :blush:

My Dad was there, so they tend to be the first places I think of when anyone mentions the British Army in the late '40s to mid-'50s

I have a book on the last days in Palestine which lists quite a few of the units there - if I can find it, I'll see if there are any specific RA units mentioned that might have owned your Quad. As for Egypt, there's a good photo site here: http://www.suezcanalzone.com/pics01.html - I haven't been through them all for a while, but do remember quite a few MVs in evidence, so there might perhaps be some with markings similar to yours if we're lucky.

If the markings are post war then we need to be looking at desert campaigns between 1945-59 (my paper work suggests the Quad's saw service well into the 50's). That really only leaves the "Iran Crises of 1945-46" and the Greek civil war 1946-49. I think Aden is to late for Quads to be used.

 

Alternatively the markings could be war time. this would mean it would have needed to have finished up in North Africa, grease or the middle east before being brought home and struck off. Or the vehicle could have stayed in these areas with British garrisons post war (unlikely)

Hi, could I ask if there's any reason why you seem to be discounting Palestine (up to 1948), Trans-Jordan or Egypt (to mid-1950s) as possible service locations? The first & last were certainly subject to large British deployments post-war.

Will remember that for the next bar fight at the 40`s dances!!!:cool2:

I will be the idiot shouting "Right, ive been told....Me against you five NOW!!!"

Please send my cards and flowers of condonence to......!!!:-X

Hmmm, well he was a boxer while in both regiments, so that might have stood him in good stead...