Medium Regiment Forward Observer's vehicles

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by DavidW, Jan 28, 2019.

  1. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Did the Medium Regiments use Daimler Dingos as Forward Observer's vehicles?

    The time frame is 1940 - 1942. The theatre is Western Desert.

    Thanks,
    David.
     
  2. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    Why do you ask?

    The 1939 establishment had a 8cwt for the BC BK and RA and RB troop commanders. Organisation of a Medium Regiment 1940

    Not suggesting that they did not, but why do you think they had Daimler Dingos.
     
  3. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Hi Sheldrake.

    Thanks for your reply.

    I asked because I wanted to know!

    Not being an expert, do you know which type of lorries fell into the 8cwt category?

    I read somewhere that Field units (or was it RHA?) sometimes used Dingos, so I wondered if Medium units did too?

    Do you know what vehicle was the armoured OP listed in the link you posted? I thought that website was long gone, good to see it back.

    Kind Regards,
    David.
     
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  4. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    The Armoured OP Vehicle was a tracked Universal Carrier. Universal Carrier - Wikipedia

    The Establishment table shows two AOP vehicles, but they are not mentioned in the battery establishment, which is where I would expect to see them. This might explain the odd grouping with one troop commander as the single battery OP Party and the second as the Battery Leader.

    The 8 cwt vehicles looked like this. British light trucks.jpg British light trucks 2.jpg lorry 8cwt 4x2 ffw humber.jpg

    Those tables relate to establishments which say what on paper a unit is supposed to hold. What vehicles were actually used, and who used what might vary depending on what vehicles were available and how commanders chose to deploy them. It wasn't unknown for a friendly armoured unit to lend a tank or armoured car to an OP to enable the OP to keep up with the armour.

    I could understand borrowing a big armoured car as an OP vehicle, something like a Marmon Herrington Mk II, but the Daimler Dingo is too small to be an ideal choice. As an OP Troop Commander I spent three years with a Ferret Scout car as my second vehicle. You could not fit the whole party of four in it.
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Thanks, that's so helpful.
     
  6. Gary Kennedy

    Gary Kennedy Member

    David,

    I've got a vague memory this might've come up over on AHF, if so I hope I pointed you to this entry on Tony Chadwick's site -

    http://www.warestablishments.net/Gr...(Middle East Scale of Transport) May 1942.pdf

    Its lists the AOP types, somewhat vaguely, in the notes. AOP tracked I'm sure would be the carrier detailed above, AOP wheeled I don't know (white scout car?).

    Nigel's RA site has stayed around, it's Derek Barton's RA 1939-45 that sadly got disbanded. I did drop Nigel an email though for his thoughts on the 25-pr shell performance that came up recently, no answer received as yet.

    Gary
     
  7. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Thanks Gary
     
  8. Tom OBrien

    Tom OBrien Senior Member

    David,

    I'm not sure if this helps - it's from WO169/1492 - 64 Medium Regt War Diary for 1941

    Armoured OP.JPG
    I have always thought the Armoured O.P. was a carrier.

    Regards

    Tom
     
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  9. Richelieu

    Richelieu Well-Known Member

     
  10. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Thanks all!
     

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