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Alamein Brit vehicle id.


Rick W

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The truck in the first 2 pictures is a Ford WOT2H. The 3rd picture is, I beleive, a Humber radio truck. All the vehicles are from the AFPU unit in North Africa called 'Chet's Circus'. They were famous for faking photographs, and the second photo is a good example. The explosion was actually caused by one of the crew throwing a hand grenade for effect. Chet's Circus was led by Sgt Len Chetwyn, and they re-staged events to get good photographs. There is a classic photograph in the Imperial War Museum, number E18908, which is supposed to show troops advancing in battle. It actually shows Australian troops storming a cookhouse in the rear areas. If you want to read more on 'Chet's Circus', I can recommend 'The Desert War 1940-1942' published by the Imperial War Museum, where a photo of all of Chet's Circus personnel are shown on page 185.

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I knew someone would say a WOT....Are these published photos then Robert?

The first photo I think I have seen before. The second photo is most definitley published and is well known. The 3rd photo I have not seen before, but I have seen very similar photos of a WOT with 'arranged' bullet holes (IWM photo E23186).

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great pics, looks like a big hand grenade to throw up dust like that ?

 

regards graham

 

There was a TV programme on some years ago where they interviewed one of the surviving members of 'Chet's Circus' and he explained the details of how they got that particular shot. His advice was, if the photo shows action in the far distance then it is probably a genuine photo - if it is in the foreground, then the photo is probably faked. The faked action photos were usually done the day after the battle had happened.

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