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Royal Scots Greys, Libya 1950s


simon king

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Spending some lockdown time researching things I know nothing about.

The Royal Scots Greys were in Libya in the 1950s as part of 25th Armoured Brigade, which eventually grew into a reborn 10th Armoured Division in anticipation of Operation Musketeer, (an idea ultimately stymied by treaty obligations) but what formation sign would their vehicles carry?

 

thanks

Edited by simon king
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May I enquire as to the source of your information please?  Surely not Wiki?  Some facts that may help with your research. I too am a researcher of the British Army in Libya post WW2. 25 Armd Bde were formed in Libya in 1952 post exodus of 1 Inf Div, and adopted the similar white Rhino symbol or Formation marking of the defunct 1 Armd Div....which was the non-rampant white Rhino on a black oval exactly as now seen on the uniform shoulder patches below. 10 Armd Div was uregently reformed in Libya around May 1956, incorporating 25 Armd Bde. It made sense not to revitalise the 'dead' fox of the previous 10 Armd Div and instead incorporate the white Rhino on a black oval of the subsumed 25 Armd Bde as the Formation flash.... worn on uniforms, vehicles, stationery, notice boards etc. On tanks, vehicles etc; the white Rhino appeared on a black oval, no surrounding white ring or other adornment. On tank and vehicle fronts, the Rhino always seems to have faced to the left as looked at from in front whereas on the rear the Rhino faced which ever way the signwriter chose. It follows therefore, that the RSG, based in Barce, were in the formation of 25 Armd Bde as were many other regiments and units throughout the then M.E.L.F. The RSG at that time were the senior armoured regiment of the brigade and as such their tanks and vehicles bore an Arm of Service marking to reflect their position.... a white 50 on a red rectangle. All those regiments in theatre at that time were subsumed into the 'new' 10 Armd Div which in reality at first, was only a slightly expanded Brigade. When 10 Armd Division came to be disbanded after a nominal year of existence.... units in Tripolitania adopted the black/white/blue Barbary Dhow as the formation marking (shield or rectangle) for Tripolitania District. Units in Cyrenaica adopted the twin white-ish pillars of Cyrene on a black rectangle as the formation marking of Cyrenaica District. Hope this helps rather than hinder. I may copy this post to put it where in really belongs on here....yes, you know where!

25 Armoured Brigade  and 10 Armoured Division white rhino RH arm.jpg

25 Armoured Brigade-10 Armoured Division white rhino-LH arm.jpg

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Just trying to analyse what’s seen in a specific picture at a moment in time for a project.

So just starting with a picture and then following the paths that lead from that, be it Wiki, personal approaches to experts on markings, reading books and trawling through IWM photos, sometimes using photos of different vehicles from the same unit at the same time or even on occasions vehicle status boards, unit signs etc etc to develop a comprehensive idea of the markings applied.

Sadly (but why should they?) photographers did not think that someone 70 years later might want a picture from left, right, front, rear and top with comprehensive colour notes when they snatched that quick 3/4 front view with their mates covering up half the markings on a small format Ilford.

Incidentally there is a Pathe film (called The Queen honours Empire war dead) of the Queen visiting the Tobruk war cemetery and then inspecting the RSGs and SRY. The Royal Land Rover carries both the Rhino and twin pillars Cyrenaica badges.

Edited by simon king
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Oh yes, both sets of Formation markings and note which way that pesky Rhino to the front is facing in this press photo! 😆

I have 30 or so original photos (non press owned) of the occasion...on the parade ground with a myriad of interesting Bedford QLR-type lorries and recording/pa system equipment. HQ units of 25 Armd Bde in both Cyrenaica and Tripolitania bore both Formation flashes as also occured within 10 Armd Div.

HM Queen Tobruk 1954-Rhino-Cyrene District-HQ vehicle.jpg

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  • 1 year later...
2 hours ago, sturgis said:

10th Amd. Div White scout car in background ? Tripoli 1956..

No, not a WSC.  I know the owner and of his father-in-law who took that photo at 5 Medium Wksp REME, Gurgi Barracks, Tripoli, 1956. Richard? The vehicle in question, 37YT42 is an M5 halftrack of J Battery, 3RHA Homs barracks. Yes. 10 Armd Division. I have other photos of the same Halftrack but regretably won't show them anywhere but in the appropriate book-in-the-making.😊

 

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  • 7 months later...
1 hour ago, Ex-boy said:

At least one was still in use with 10 Div. Support Workshop in Tidworth in the early 1970s.

Might have been this one.  Taken at Westdown, SPTA possibly as late as 1972/3.  Certainly I can recall one doing an engine change on a Centurion at Tilshead Lodge at around that time.1023980650_REMEhalftracklightrecoveryvehicleWestdownlate60searly70s.jpg.abecd8837c2940b45da05563a25eae68.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Fascinating. 25 Armoured Brigade was an independent brigade, ie not part of a division. My late father Brigadier A W Brown was the Brigade Commander and I have many happy memories ov visiting Base Workshops, going out into the desert on exercise with the B Echelon vehicles, and visiting a tank regiment (5RTR?) carrying out live firing but I forget where. Later a J Arthur Rank film unit came out to make a film called The Black Tent. Needing quite a lot of military equipment and personnel the Producer and Director came to see my father at our villa about 10 kilometres west of Tripoli. I was out for the school holidays with my mother. My father agreed to lend them a troop of Centurion tanks, a couple of half tracks, plus some other vehicles as well as a couple of dozen soldiers.  thanks you try doing that nowadays, off your own bat without getting permission from a lot higher up the chain of command!! As a quid pro quo the Director offered me a job on location at Sabratha with the film unit.  Happy Days!

ian Ward-Brown

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