14th Corunna Battery, 4 Field Regt. R.A. Nowshera, N.W.F. 1933-38

I am not sure of the exact date but 818811 Dvr. Robert James Edgar, enlisted into the Royal Artillery in the 1930s, and served with the 14th (Corunna) Field Battery on the North West Frontier until 25th July 1938 when he went onto the Army Reserve. He was called back to the Colours in 1939 and served in North Africa, the Middle East, North West Europe and ended up in Palestine in 1946/47.

I am now the proud owner of his photograph album which appears to span his entire career, although some of the pages are not in chronological order. The album contains some superb photographs of various vehicles and I would appreciate your help in identifying them.

 

Photographed with a mate and a motorcycle, J.929. On the petrol tank can be seen 14 - IV F, which I understand to be 14th Battery 4th Field Regiment. R.A.

 

14th (Corunna) Battery on manoeuvres on the North West Frontier.

 

It seems that at some point in the 1930s the Battery were issued with some shiny new vehicles which they proceeded to take out and get dirty. This one is a Vickers light Dragon

 

Vickers Light Dragon with 14 IVF markings.

 

1932 Attestation:

 

Thank you for posting, I have the same download and I am guessing that you must have got the enlistment date from the volume title?

 

Those vehicles are not Carriers but Light Dragons, much earlier than the Universal Carrier.

 

I am not sure if "gun tractor" is the right term for this vehicle.

 

Derek,

many thanks for the identification, I will correct the caption.

Simon.

 

No problem, in the middle of something right now but I will give you more details on the vehicle later.

 

The gun tractor and limber.

 

Correct.
First name(s) Robert James
Last name Edgar
Age -
Birth year -
Birth place -
Attestation year 1932
Service number 818811
Former service number -
Record set Royal Artillery Attestations 1883-1942

 

There are 2 Gun Tractors in the photos, the wheeled one being a Morris Commercial CDSW. The tracked vehicles are Light Dragons Mk II. The Mk II had 5 variants being Mk II, MK IIa through to MK IId. There is very little visible difference between the marks, most of the changes being mechanical. I think most of the ones in the photos are MK II c's.
The guns are 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzers. They entered service in 1917 and served through to 1945 but weren't declared obsolete until 1960. The gun could be broken down into 8 mule loads.

 

Another view of 4-3734 with limber and mountain gun..

 

They are clearly putting the gun tractor (4-3734) through its paces.