Who? When? Where? 3 RTR

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by Crock, Dec 15, 2018.

  1. Crock

    Crock Active Member

    Hi all,

    Long shot i know but thought id post a pic to see if anyone recognises either any faces or where and when it might have been taken.

    My grandad is Harry House ( 2nd from left ) and served with the 3rd RTR from 1940-45.

    It obviously looks hot so guessing its 1941-43 sort of time.

    Keith

    14a.jpg
     
    Guy Hudson likes this.
  2. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Alexandria? Educated guess on the basis of the architecture in the background.
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I give up, been looking at loads of old postcards & such-like.
    The architecture looks Venetian* but the tower looks like an Egyptian minaret.
    Gold star to anyone who can ID it.


    * Yes I know it can't be Venice in 41-43. :)
     
  4. Crock

    Crock Active Member

    Lol Owen I’ve been doing similar going through war time pics on the web of all the obvious places but can’t find it
     
  5. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    It might be worth checking 3 RTR war diaries to see if there are any references to rest camps. It could have been taken after the Tunisian Campaign?
     
  6. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

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  7. Crock

    Crock Active Member

    Thanks for the link 4jonboy some great photos there.. no clues tho unfortunately
     
  8. S54

    S54 Junior Member

    The location could be the RAC Training Depot at Abbassia!
     
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  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Attached Files:

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  10. Crock

    Crock Active Member

  11. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Here we go!!!! The chap on the left looks like Dirk Smith, of Poperinge fame...

    Dirk Smith (a banker's son) front.jpg

    ..... and the chap on the right could be John Kitson, ditto.

    John Kitson photo (front).jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2020
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  12. Richard Lewis

    Richard Lewis Member

    I do believe you have!

    From National Library of Australia:
    Exterior view of a building in Heliopolis, Egypt, approximately 1916 / Noel Minchin.
    Heliopolis1.jpg

    From Flicker:
    Heliopolis Palace Hotel from the Air, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt 1910
    This shows the tower from Crocks picture in relation to the Heliopolis Palace Hotel and the stadium.
    Heliopolis2.jpg

    Map from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
    Tower marked, so Crock’s picture taken from area of grid marked “53” in red, which appears to be within the army barracks.
    Heliopolis3.jpg

    Edit: Another map from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Year 1920, showing stadium.
    Heliopolis4.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2020
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  13. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    Sorry to interrupt this (wonderful) 3RTR conversation, but I see lots of photos passing by, in this and some other 3RTR threads, from - obviously - some great collections. Given the connection between 3RTR and 11th Armoured Division: are there any 8th Rifle Brigade ones, which you might want to share?
     
    Chris C likes this.
  14. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    If you are referring to the copious number of images being posted here and on Facebook with a 3RTR driver, the answer to the best of my knowledge is 'no 8RB images'.
     
  15. Crock

    Crock Active Member


    Good likenesses ( is that a word?!? Lol ) in both pics Frank, thanks!
     
  16. Crock

    Crock Active Member

    Great pictures and certainly confirms Owens discovery!

    Thanks guys!
     
  17. Crock

    Crock Active Member

    This is what I love about this site...

    I started this thread 7months ago with vein hope of getting any answers..

    And boom! The detectives have come up trumps!!

    Thanks to all!
     
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  18. twinotterpilot

    twinotterpilot Active Member

    So a bit of history on the Palace Hotel In Heliopolis. It was originally a grand hotel designed in 1910 (See Wikepedia for more detail). It was taken over by the No.1 Australian General Hospital from Jan 1915 to March 1916. It was repurposed when they moved out, later that year to become No.3 School of Military Aeronautics at least until October 1918. My grandfather's brother Sidney got some of his training here in the early RFC/RAF days. Not sure when it converted back to a hotel, but in the Second World War my grandfather spent time here as well approximately 1940-42. It's not clear if he was a patient, as it was described as being repurposed a hospital again, or whether he had an office here as part of RAF. Still a tossup between here or the Hotel Seramasis in Cairo, which also gets a passing mention.
     
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