Desert Transport: 4 Lines of Communication / 569 Transport Column

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Kuno, Jan 4, 2014.

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  1. Barry Scowen

    Barry Scowen New Member

    My father was with the 569 company,I have a number of photographs one tof "the company" all named
     
  2. Barry Scowen

    Barry Scowen New Member

    my Dad was in company 569 RASC
     
  3. GerryD

    GerryD New Member

    My father was in 569 coy driving macs and whites. Name was Sid Dixon, have very little infomation of what they did, and only lots of town names. Would love to see more detailed info.
     
  4. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    Nearly ten years ago. The little book about this unit has not (yet) materialized but I am planning to take it up again and hope that one not to far away day it is all shown and described in a special issue of TRACKS. BUt... I am still lacking the information/documents I was looking for all this time.
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    @ Gerry - can you list some of the town / place names, please?
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    GerryD never came back after posting that.
    I suggest "starting a conversation" with him & maybe he might get an email notification.
     
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  7. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    I am afraid but it appears that nobody (not only here) knows about this unit... so it will remain one of the "desert misteries"...
     
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  8. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

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  9. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

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  10. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Haven't been able to discover the current owner of those photo albums, but the expanded information within the link has some names of those featured within the photographs.

    "M.O. Bryan Philips", "Lieut Starkey", "Lt Lang".

    Here's the full descriptive text from Andreas' link.

    "Two albums belonging to a Mack driver of 4 L of C Company (Lines of Communication) involved in the Kufra supply convoys of 1941 onwards. Two sections of 4 LoC were involved, the sections in 1942 being formed into 569 General Transport Company. In � total there are 286 photographs, each 3 inches by 2 inches (landscape or portrait). About 20 to 25 are obvious commercial � productions (for example an aerial photo of burning Italian cruisers in Tobruk harbour), the remainder are good quality unpublished images of incidents and service life from 1941 through to shortly after El Alamein. The name of the driver/photographer isn't recorded, but he appears with his truck in one photo. The photos have been captioned in silver pencil, block capitals, most clear, a few captions are partially readable. Highlights include photos of Gloster Gladiators of RAF 6 Squadron being transported from Wadi Halfa to Kufra on trucks loaded on barges, Marble Arch, the aftermath of fighting at Agedabia, wrecked Junkers 52s and an Me109, war memorials and graves in the desert, and views of Benghazi and Tobruk. I've transcribed most of the captions below, with some added notes. Spelling of place names as written.Album no. 1; leather cover shows Nefertiti,� 164 photos on 17 leaves, 13 inches by 9.5 inches� Turo caves, Mena Sphinx and pyramids Abbassia workshops 4LOC River Nile views Asswan railhead Nile Hotel Asswan Steamers on Nile 4LOC trucks on river transport Wadi Halfa railhead Short Sunderland arriving at Wadi Halfa Abu Simbel Wadi Halfa, boat station, derelicts, fallow Loading benzine for LRDG Kufra 4LOC drivers and water boy Billets Wadi Halfa Sudanese sports and camel racing Wadi Halfa Selima well Midday halt� Convoy of American Whites End of day trip Sudanese troops on parade Crossing desert Stick up on sand plain Digging for sand trays Sand dunes and Kiwi troops Part of Wadi Sura Camel graveyard A few of boys and Italians Sudanese troops at dinner “Macks” and “Whites” convoy “Jock” (dog) In or near Wadi Sura Grub line 3 ton and 10 ton convoys My truck and I Sand dunes Officer’s “bug” Sick parade on desert M.O. Bryan Philips Grub time with two spuds Lieut Starkey stuck at 30 mph Wadi Wassa and near Part of ten ton convoy all stuck Approach Wadi Sura Single line traffic Wadi Sura Breakdown in Wadi Loading derelicts left by Sudanese Largest convoy to cross desert 21 ten tonners Fitting gear box in mack out on blue Gebel Kamel in distance Kufra dunes no way through Kufra sand plain first wash in weeks Kufra village and fort Rifle practice Xmas dinner 1941 Aircraft transport (serial N 5621) German airmen Kufra oasis Bathing in irrigation well Kufra Indian troops Salt road Kufra Kufra oasis Ex Italian hangar Oldest inhabitant and Kufra Oasis from top of pylon Inside fort Saltlake Kufra On salt road ready for return trip Lt Lang paddles boat Dates palm in fruit Kufra Oasis camel scrub Irrigation by windmill Irrigation with donkey and skin bag More Oasis Hidden lorries (17) Bren and Lewis guns Burn out no. 2 near Jarlow Zigan with white dunes Album no. 2, leather cover shows hieroglyphs and pyramids,� 13 inches by 9.5 inches,� 15 leaves� (last 3 leaves vacant),� 122 photos (probably about 15 commercially produced) Benghasi Town square English salvage depot (entrance to Italian garrison) Bomb damage NAAFI at Benghasi 56RCT COY vehicles plus park Benghasi On beach near Benghasi Benghasi cathedral Benghasi bombing Italian hospital D’Annunzio Italian mess orderlies Benina airfield (Airfield with derelict JU52s) Tobruk square Tobruk church German monument near Tobruk German diesel engine Tobruk Tobruk water tower Blowing German ammo etc near Tobruk English war graves Tobruk Views of Tobruk".

    A cracking link Andreas, thanks for posting it up.

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.
     
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  11. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    4 Line of Communications Motor Transport Company R.A.S.C.

    https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C163573

    All the best

    Andreas
     
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  12. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    Andreas - this diary describes an earlier period. I have the diary for the "wanted" period... but it only says that two sections were detached to "Sudan" :-(
     

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