War PictorialNews No.218 Channel Islands

[abn deuce]

Found on Youtube posted by PublicResourceorg

A few glimpes of the Queen visting the Islands and a clip of Churchhill Bridge laying tanks , The Australian war effort in the pacific and Eisenhower in London .

 

I hope The HMVF members with connections to channel islands will comment .

 

Edited April 2, 2011 by abn deuce
correct spelling

[Tony B]

In Jersey the landing of HM was the old steps on the Albert Quay, where the Vega memeorial is now. The old Imigration building was there til about 1980. The Airport Terminal, then one of the best airports in the world, originally opned 1937, is still mostly the same. Without digging up books I think the visit was in the August of 1945.

Will be going through the terminal on Monday, wish for once I wasn't.

Edited April 1, 2011 by Tony B

[abn deuce]

Thank You Tony for the details , always intertesting to get to put past and present together . Hope your trip goes well.

[mash]

Excellent video, thanks for sharing.

[steveo578]

I think Tony covers most of it apart for the bazaar Machine gun stockpiled -looks like a BAR with a mdified butt and grip

 

The Churchill video was quite nice, The tank number seems to be T68682/B and the location again I think is Birmingham Railway Carriage Co (Valentines in the background) although that tank was part of the Newton Chambers contract T753 that's not uncommon Churchills were often rebuilt several times. The testing area seems to be Vauxhall especially as the Mk8 Churchill crossing the bridge is T173142/H originally a Mk7 returreted as a Mk8 and retained by Vauxhall for tests.

[Tony B]

I noticed the odd MG. Possibly a French Chatelleraut MLE 1924 1924/29 . A lot were taken the Islands, and yes they were based on the BAR. Or just to be awkward, it may be the Hotchkiss 1922. Change mind AGAIN! The shape of the pistol grip being curved, it a Chattelleraut 1931. This one had a 150 shot drum magazine. It was intended for fixed defences, especially the Maginot line. The wire stock appears to be a Germnan modification.

Edited April 2, 2011 by Tony B

[steveo578]

Hi Tony

 

Problem is both Chatellerault mle 24/29 and Hotchkiss mle 1922 have top mounted mags and the Mittraileuse de char mle1931 had a side mounted mag as does the other suspect - the Darne mle 1922 and the weapon shown has a box mag. loading from beneath. I think it could be a Polish BAR with a extemporised butt made from a Mg13 or Mg15 butt or possibly an 8mm MG 107(f) -which was a Lewis gun derivative used by the French Air force as Fusil mitraileur Lewis mle 1924 -which was fitted with a underslung box mag and of course could have been modified to replace an aerial spade grip with a MG15 style butt.

 

Steve

[Tony B]

So it appears to be a right Humgrumit. I'm still plumping for a 1931. They were fitted to the Char B tank, which were sent to the Islands. See other thread. a close inspection of a better picture shows two holes above pistol grip that would fit a wire stock. The shape of the pistol grip, and I'm a stubborn S8D! :-D

 

(And all this from about three seconds of clip)

[steveo578]

yes I think you're right i am mistaking the ejection port extension for a box mag. slot.

 

Tony B

....(And all this from about three seconds of clip)

A philosopical question of weapon ID - how many weapon IDs can be balanced on the head of a Bren firing pin:-D? Edited April 3, 2011 by steveo578
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