Lieutenant Tom Plewman a (Back) Cover Story

Looking to enlist some help


This photograph is © IWM TR 2059 and is described as
"T L Plewman of Dublin and Bdr O Seman of London, of 53 Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery at the plotting table in their dugout." the creator was Malindine E G (Capt) No. 5 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit and is dated July 1944

The image appears on the back of Gunners in Normandy, It was picked because there aren't many images of the insides of command posts. Lots of pictures of guns. Not many of plotting boards. In fact this is about the only colour image showing command post work in Normandy We also wanted to make the point that history is about people and the human experience not just kit and organisations.

I was then contacted by an old friend who said that Tom Plewman was a cousin. He wasn't merely a cousin, but there is a family story worth sharing. At the time the photograph was taken Tom's wife Eliane was a prisoner of the Germans. She was an SOE Operative in the Monk circuit that had been betrayed by a double (or maybe triple) agent and would be executed at Dachau in September 1944 within two months of the photograph. The modern assumption is that soldiers fought for their comrades more than any cause, but the Plewman's must have had some personal convictions.

I am trying to track down more details of Tom Plewman's service and the location where these iomages were taken. The preceding images in the IWM transparency collection all seem to show 155mm guns firing which might mean the CP shot was staged after the gun was fired, and would put Plewman in 8 or 9 Heavy Battery. Can anyone narrow down the date of the images closer than July, or provide any more details?

.

 

Extract from the wiki page for Elaine Plewman:

After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Éliane Plewman worked for the Press Section of the British Embassies in Madrid and Lisbon until 1941. In 1942 she went to Britain to work for the Spanish Press section of the Ministry of Information. On 28 July 1942 she married Thomas Langford "Tom" Plewman of Lutterworth, Leicestershire, who had recently been commissioned an officer in the Royal Artillery, their home was at 14 Queen's Gate Terrace, Leicester.
In mid-February 1943 she joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and was accepted on 25 February 1943 for training to serve as an "agent in the field".
Eliane Plewman - Wikipedia

 

perhaps of help
Photoalbum

53rd Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery (World War Two) - RootsChat.Com

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35448/supplement/647/data.pdf

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38682/supplement/3796/data.pdf

 

Would be nice if I could open the image.

 

Fixed

 

Thanks and to dbf as well. What is of interest is just how basic is the kit. Apart from the all important map/chart there is nothing there that could not be found in the satchel of an 11 year old in their first year at secondary school. Three pencils, a perspex projector and ruler and some tacks. The only item that would have cost more than a few pence is the magnifying glass.

 

I think you needed some firing tables as well. I think the technical assistants had to pay for their own instruments and log books.

You can fire the guns without any command posts just with the aid of the material that the OP should have. A summary of times of flight and PER for each charge at a given range. You need a good position of observation and a big safety distance.

That image shows a pristine command post with a very smart Brylcreamed ack for the cameras. The norm for a field battery was a bit different. George Blackburn captures this very well. Fighting to keep water or dust off the plotting board (which should be covered with talc) poor lighting and exhausted and very tired CP crew. Try doing the trig at 3 AM.

 

Well I don't know about firing tables but eleven year olds used to have books of log tables in their satchels as well. Were slide rules too expensive/not accurate enough to use?

I know that by 1950 specialised comptometer or totalisators were being used in some battery command posts but the technology was pre war - surprised that such were not used.

 

Log tables are useful for survey work and for corrections.

I don't think the British used slide rules until post war. Graphic firing tables were slide rules which converted a range to an elevation. However, most British WW2 artillery was fitted with range drums. On a 25 pounder or 5.5 a range rather than an elevation was ordered. Not sure about the US 155.

Firing tables are really really important. These give the elevation needed for a range for each charge.

 

I wonder if the photographer had asked for some of the paraphernalia to be put aside for the shot.

 

1113985 Gunner Thomas Langford PLEWMAN Royal Artillery
Joined R.A. in 1940, commissioned from the ranks 23rd January 1942

Witness to the accidental death of a fellow officer cadet on a L.M.S. train in Staffordshire on 22nd December 1941



1039769 Gunner Patrick BARRETT Royal Artillery
Died as the result of an accident 22nd December 1941 aged 46
Casualty

The Staffordshire Advertiser 17th January 1942

 

Hope this may be of interest folks.

Extract (image below) of Tom Plewman and accompanying text, complete (pdf.) document attached too.

Kind regards, always remember, never forget,

Jim.