Tony B Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 I've found some rather poor pictures of the WLFs in Jersey 1945 dumping German guns, TTM has better copies. I've also included a restored gun at Battery Moltke on the headline at Les Landes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 Great pictures. Makes me wonder why they didnt scrap those. They scrapped the Mirus battery and associated guns and they were huge.Any WLF owners out there fancy a challenge? ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 Its a fortunate thing that someone had the foresight to document the event and for others to save the photo's I guess they then used both of those WLF's to work as one to back up to the cliff's to then shove them off with a bulldozer or similar vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 Nope it was 'Let 'em roll'. One of the first recovered was just left on the slope for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeEnfield Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Is there no interest in recovering any of the remaining ones ?? Or is it a case of 'too expensive' ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooTallMike Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Hi guys, Here are the photos I've got. I didn't have either of the ones Tony posted so maybe there are more I don't have? Anyway there are 6 here with many thanks to the Channel Islands Occupation Society (CIOS). These are scans of grainy re-prints so I've left them as large as possible to keep the quality up. I think they're a great set of period pictures of these trucks playing a really important role. - Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooTallMike Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 And the other 3. Thanks too to Tony for getting these for me in the first place :tup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooTallMike Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 For the WLF geeks out there - there are various interesting features on these 3 trucks: - emblem on grille (photo 2) - RH headlight set out from brush guard on wing (photo 6) - hawser stowed around crane frame and spare wheels (photos 2 & 6) - fire extinguisher on rear right of cab (photo 6) - single headlight with blackout on RHS (photo 1) - spare wheel stowed on RH running board (photo 1) - missing siren (photos 1, 3, 4 & 5) - Butler side lights (all photos) anything else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 You dont realise how big them guns were until up against the WLF :schocked: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooTallMike Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Has anyone got any idea what the car silhouetted on the top of the hill in photo 5 is? Most likely to be English, American, German or French. It looks like a HMMWV but I doubt it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooTallMike Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 You dont realise how big them guns were until up against the WLF :schocked: Does anyone know how much one of these would have weighed? Also range etc.? Are they the guns which were normally towed by the FAMOs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 I'll have a nose about see if I have the info. Getting any left back up is a case of cost, the ownership and 200 foot of vertical cliff. Those which can be got up have been. I'll post some more photos when I have a minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooTallMike Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Answered my own question about the FAMOs (if the picture comes out here.) Again thanks to CIOS. Recent photos of guns on the rocks are photos 0010585 to 0010595 on the website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 The guns in your pictures are the 122mm ex French guns from the St Martins battery. I look up the name. The mirus gun barrels had 3 15 ton Famos to pull them about. Two recovred and preserved guns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Thanks for sharing all the information , The photo's look fine , One cant complain about quality when the originals are so old and werent taken with any thought about being all that perfect in the first place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 Since interest has been generated I'll go checking the library for more. (One happy little anorak :cofee:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodge Deep Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 The guys in pic no.6 appear to be wearing german jackets (3 of them anyway)... spoils of war? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 The guys in pic no.6 appear to be wearing german jackets (3 of them anyway)... spoils of war? I think it more likely they would be POW's used as extra labour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 The POWS did a lot of work including mine clearance. this particular actitivity did lead to casualties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeEnfield Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Great pics,..........Cheers for posting these, and to all for the researce thats gone into supplying facts. Its interesting what happened close to home,................something all to easily forgotton, when looking at the wider view. (Not I hasten to add, by those of the Channel Islands, I'd imagine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 Like I said a Happy little Anorak :-D This is one of the Mirus guns in Guernsey . 30.5 ex Russian battle ship St Petersburg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeEnfield Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 well, from SOME angles the painted 'camo', quite probably fooled,.............'cept when that bl**dy great barrel pointed skywards...... :whistle: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Thats the picture Ive been after! Top marks to that man! I was trying to tell my better half how it was disguised as a cottage...she didnt seem that impressed though :? Great photo :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 Its knowing where to find the info. I'm doing an audit of stuff at the moment, we will see what turns up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooTallMike Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 The guys in pic no.6 appear to be wearing german jackets (3 of them anyway)... spoils of war? I was also told they were POWs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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