Attached is a screenshot from War Pictorial News No. 169 courtesy of the Imperial War Museum Archives. The image shows a Sherman V named BEN MACDHUI, there are no visible AoS or Divisional markings but looking at the Sherman behind it looks to have the Black Bull of 11th Armoured Division on the transmission and also looks to be a BEN something, but I may just be seeing things. If it is 11th Armoured I am guessing at 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry. Can anyone confirm either. The film is dated 31/7/1944 but that may not be accurate. Cheers Kevin
As you said BEN MACDHUI is clearly a Sherman V from the RHQ of one of 11 Armd Div's regiments, probably 3 R Tks since the tac sign on the hull side appears to be yellow rather than blue: On the very last frame of this sequence I also believe I can read the first three digits of 3 R Tks' Mob Serial Number 0042: Next sequence in WPN 169 shows a Sherman Vc named MONAR:
I had excluded 3 RTR as all the names I have other than some early cruisers begin with "C" and I have a few 2 F & F with names beginning BEN something. I had seen MONAR, also a large area in Scotland and there is a 2 F & F Crusader named LOCH MONAR. I tried to enlarge that area showing the Mob number and agree it starts 004? but could not make out digit(s). War Pictorial has turned up several new names I had not seen before a few of which I have posted on section of WW2T. Cheers Kevin
As a matter of fact I do not know the MSN for 2 FF Yeo, so can't excude it just yet. Maybe it also starts with 004x, but I doubt it. Anyone knows the Mob Serial Number for 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry?
Is it possible that Ben and Mchdui are names/ nicknames of the driver and co-driver? Maybe a piece of WW2 ironic satire.
Ben or Beinn is the Scottish Gaelic name for hill and Ben MacDui is the second largest mountain in the UK after Ben Nevis. Regards Hugh
I have put the question out to a couple of sites and email contacts to try and resolve who BEN MACDHUI belongs to. Cheers Kevin
Mob # for 1 F&F Yeo 8020 (p22 1944 index); 2 F&F Yeo 18000 p35 1944 index. I have the same names (& vehicles as your list) and no more.
Thank you Christian! MONAR is therefore 2 FF Yeo, as per the Mob Serial on the amn box on the offside mudguard: As for MACDHUI, it seems that it is indeed from 2 FF Yeo as well. See: Mobilization Number? BEN ALDER is clearly the tank right after BEN MACDHUI. The number which looks like 004x on the top right corner of the glacis plate may not be the MSN after all, or maybe one inherited from another unit (R Tks?) and not painted over when the tank was taken on strength by 2 FF Yeo. There is another, unreadable writing on the opposite corner.