Restored Bren Carriers

Universal Bren carrier off road - YouTube

Dave

[YOUTUBE]9mgU9apMuFQ[/YOUTUBE]

 

Dave

Mine could turn on a sixpence

Ron

 

Lovely, just lovely! I

Ron, that's the Tank Oversuit you're wearing isn't it (now more commonly known as the Pixie suit). I know this is a bit of a stretch but do you remember at what period you chaps in Italy started to get the oversuit? Was it Winter 44 or 43?

 

Ron-
Daft question?! What's the significance (if any) of the number 41 ?

Lesley

 

nice mk1 canadian carrier ron, i heard all the best looking guys drive them
here's mine

 

Now that looks like a FUN day out!

 

That with the tilt up is a Loyd carrier, not the same as the Universal which is the major subject.

41 ? I see no 41. The Universal appears to be marked as a mud and blue/black carrier of the 2nd New Zealand Division. 84 on a green background would, in 1941, have indicated the senior infantry battalion of the second infantry brigade of the division, but the colour scheme indicates a later date (Sicily.Italy) when that number seems to have been allocated to RASC or equivalent.

The 3 on the Loyd carrier is a bridging classification indicating that the vehicle can safely cross a bridge with a classification of 3 or more (approximately 3 US tons).

T33285, if that is the original number, was built by Wolseley as a Universal Carrier Mk 1.

41 had indicated various types of unit earlier in the war, depending on the colour of the background, but does not seem to have been used in the 1943 timeframe (in the Middle East) indicated by the vehicle colour.

Chris

 

Lesley


With regards to

Ron-
Daft question?! What's the significance (if any) of the number 41 ?
Lesley

I see that Owen has provided the explanation. If you look closely a the pic I provided you will also see that the 56 tac sign of the Black Cat is also stencilled on the opposite mudguard.


Oldgit
Ron, that's the Tank Oversuit you're wearing isn't it (now more commonly known as the Pixie suit). I know this is a bit of a stretch but do you remember at what period you chaps in Italy started to get the oversuit? Was it Winter 44 or 43?

I remembered writing about these super suits before;

The tank suits that we wore were ingeniously designed so that one could unzip them right down to the ankles and we would then use them as an extra ground sheet. In the morning one would then just reverse the process, zip up, roll the bedroll back to its packed position and we were ready to move off again.
As for dates, when first joined the 4th QOH in March '45 I think these were already standard issue and as prior to that I was in Ack Ack the best we were ever issued with were leather jerkins to try & keep out the cold.


Ron

 

Thank you Ron it's much appreciated. I'm trying to get to the bottom of when the Oversuit started appearing in theatre and when. I suppose the poor old lads in the Italian campaign were pretty much played the poorer cousins to the better equipped invasion forces in the NWE Campaign.

I have a couple of these Oversuits and they are lovely, even naerlyy 70 years after they were made.

There's a document at the National Archives on the development of the oversuit but when they I last requested an estimate for copying they quoted me about £650 to copy it...which I though was a bit steep, LOL! I'll just have t go up there and read it in the archives!

Thanks again Ron.

 

There is in Ron's pic that Lesley mentions.





Lesley, it denotes the recce unit of an Infantry Division.
Infantry Division Vehicle Markings

In this case 56th Div.
Which Ron's unit were part of .

Quite right - but in NW Europe, not Italy!

Chris

 

Thank you Ron and Owen. I thought it had something to do with a Recce unit.

Lesley

 

Chris
Quite right - but in NW Europe, not Italy!


Sorry !.................. Italy it was, see the Rgtl Diary



Regimental Diary 4th Queen’s Own Hussars

1/10/45

Major JJ O’Brien left to go on a course in UK, also 14 days leave. Warning order received that the Regt will move to TRIESTE and become Recce Regt in 56th (Lon) Div in lieu of 44th Recce Regt. Capt A Smith rejoined the Regt from 26th Armd Bde.


Ron

 

Chris

No problem !................ just putting matters straight

Ron

 

NOS 'bren' carriers still available at your local garage in 1971, as the buyer says 'jolly handy in the winter ' and ideal for grouse shooting!

Nice bit of colour newsfilm--

MACE The Media Archive for Central England | Media clip[ATV Today: 22.07.1971: Grouse shooting - use of ex-army Bren gun carrier]

 

Still on the grouse moor maybe !