Desert War & Other Ephemera

Interesting little collection of photographs here: lots of vehicles.

http://m.imgur.com/a/QTMbk#0

(Can anybody ID the cap badge in the third picture?)

 

Another interesting collection of British pictures, The link takes you to page three and you can work backward through two and one before you reach modern/family shots:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/31469271@N08/page3

They appear to be the collection of a soldier named Ian Williamson and I think he was a gunner in North Africa and Italy.

 

Some nice shots of a load of 40mm Bofors. perhaps he was with L.A.A regiment?

 

The shots of the guns are good, aren't they?
He appears to have been in Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Italy - possibly elsewhere.

 

I've turned up some more tidbits mined from the practically impossible to search/browse site here:

Database​

1) Cecil George Beech: War memoir of the North African Campaign
War Memoir located at Imperial War Museum Archives, Dept of Documents, Lambeth Road, London

"Bury Me In A Shallow Grave - Dig Me Up Later" by Cecil George Beech in collaboration with David W Dawson

Beech (member of the 2nd Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders) records very personal experiences of the North African war. He describes many of his personal relationships with his fellow soldiers and the intensity of the battles until he and his comrades in arms were taken as prisoners of war

Links Here:
ססיל ג'ורג' ביץ': זיכרון מלחמה של המערכה הצפון-אפריקאית

Only chapters 11, 12, 14 & 16, but very interesting.

2) Major David Ling: 44 Royal Tank Regiment in North Africa
War Diary located at Imperial War Museum Archives, Dept of Documents, Lambeth Road, London

Major David Ling, MC, A Sqn, 44RTR, Western Desert. TANK Magazine, Jan. 80-Aug. 81

In his war diary Major David Ling records in great detail his experiences tanking in the harsh North African conditions. Ling goes on to describe fierce battles and the carnage that surrounded him, while praising the valor of his brothers in arms. He also charts his specific tank movements during his tour of service

Link Here:
מייג'ור דיוויד לינג: חטיבת טנקים 44 בצפון אפריקה

Long and once again very interesting.

3) Field Doctor in Algeria and Tunisia, 1943
Journal located at Imperial War Museum, Dept of Documents, Lambeth Road, London

The doctor documents his personal experiences traveling in the harsh conditions of North Africa and records some of the operations he performed on wounded soldiers. On the last page he talks about the inadequate means (mepacrine tablets) of dealing with mosquitoes bearing malaria

Link Here:
רופא צבאי באלג'יר ותוניסיה, 1943

Author with 183 Field Ambulance with 139 Brigade, 46th Division--note: first page shown is the last page of the document. ​

 

Thanks

 

Large gallery (278 photos) from what looks to be an artilleryman who served across North Africa and into Italy (one or two of Greece, too).

Uncle Harrys War

There's a complete mix--just as you're tiring of grey blurs there's a great shot.