Vehicles & Guns from 1930-40s

Hi,
I am attempting to lable my fathers photographs from his army days album as I promised the family some years ago. He was a Sgt. in 301 Bty. 127 Fd. Regt. Pre war, BEF, NAfrica, Sicily, Normandy, wounded home & NWEurope again. The photos have little or no info or a brief lable by me?
I have left the lables simple. I am sure many could give names / descriptions to the equipment shown and this would be a great help rather than my none service explanations;
Scan-101 A close up of the limber snarled up on Salisbury plains.
Scan-102 "4 Bty. 60lb. guns on Salisbury Plains 1933"
Scan-103 "These make more noise than the Steel Works"
Scan-104 "Carrier used as field gun tractor" I would also like to know what the insignia means on the front and left rear. This was on my fathers running, boxing etc., equipment as well.
Scan-105 A howitzer? All the above appear to be training pre war.
Any help would be very useful.
Neil

 

once i get home tonight after work ill look through my vehicles of ww2 book and give you what i can

 

Did anyone else notice the swastika on the starboard side of the Dragon in the first picture?

 

Yep, I noticed the swastika, presumably operating as enemy troops on an exercise.

 

Hi,
Thanks for your info I can start to put some real descriptions to these images of dad's. Yes I noticed, can't remmember if I asked dad at the time, perhaps not.
Regards Neil

 

Yep, I noticed the swastika, presumably operating as enemy troops on an exercise.

Nope, it's a Battery insignia, (can't remember which off hand), but prior to WW2, the swastika didn't have the same conotations as after the Nazi period. I've seen several examples of Dragons with swastikas.

Phil

 

I love a dragon, I do.

 

Phil, thanks for that little snippet - never heard of it being used as British insignia.

 

Nope, it's a Battery insignia, (can't remember which off hand), but prior to WW2, the swastika didn't have the same conotations as after the Nazi period. I've seen several examples of Dragons with swastikas.

Phil

Apparently, 462 Bty, 179Bde RFA had it as their insignia at one time.
Best
Rob

 

Thanks all I will post another 4 or 5 images when I have put some credible explanations to my scans. Always better with some acurate descriptions of the kit. I think dad would curl up at my tempy lables.
Neil

 

Apparently, 462 Bty, 179Bde RFA had it as their insignia at one time.
Best
Rob
The swastika was originally a religious symbol, Indian in origin. I thought that the legs pointed right on religious items still in use and pointed left in Natzi use. I am not sure of these direction things which may have been alternate depending on who was using them.
The regimental insignia I was interested in is on SCAN-004 not SCAN-001.
Dificult to describe basically a large 'H' bowed. Front of Dragon tractor and left side rear. This symbol is the one I associate with my fathers kit, thankfully not the swastika I will attach image to this post also. Neil

 

I will scan an image of Dad starting a run I believe several gunners have the insignia on the vest. Thanks Neil

 

Any chance you can do a hi-res scan of pic & zoom in on the insignia ?
I have rescanned the original but very poor, the photograph is only 2"x3" ish. SCAN0013
I tried to magnify the symbol as it appears there are numbers or signs above and below the centre bar but no good. The symbol on the vest of sports kit is simply the bowed 'H' sign. See if anyone can make sense of it.
Neil

 

I have rescanned the original but very poor, the photograph is only 2"x3" ish. SCAN0013
I tried to magnify the symbol as it appears there are numbers or signs above and below the centre bar but no good. The symbol on the vest of sports kit is simply the bowed 'H' sign. See if anyone can make sense of it.
Neil
Here are another four photographs from pre WWII of training etc.
SCAN-201 Is the business end of a 6" gun
SCAN-203 May be the same guns in a park area poss Aldershot?
SCAN-204 Are 2 DONRs (Despatch Riders) don't know the correct translation. The background vehicles have the same RA unit mark on them as before, as I call it the bowed 'H'. The near left an Austin 7/Ruby.
SCAN-205 A group in front of, modern equivalent, People carriers, these also show this bowed 'H' symbol. The man 1 from left, bent knees, hunched, is my father he didn't look like this usually he had been persuaded to bob down by someone behind.
Any help with descriptions would be of great help.
Neil

 

Here are another four photographs from pre WWII of training etc.

SCAN-204 Are 2 DONRs (Despatch Riders) don't know the correct translation. The background vehicles have the same RA unit mark on them as before, as I call it the bowed 'H'. The near left an Austin 7/Ruby.
Any help with descriptions would be of great help.
Neil

I do like this picture. I've never seen anything like the leather satchels fixed to the rear carrier with the battery sign on. I want a pair !

The motorcycles are rather early Norton WD16Hs. Unfortunately, the pre-war habit of only displaying the census serial number on the near-side makes it difficult to confim the exact year of manufacture but other Middlesex registrations issued to the War Office in the '*ME' series are from 1936. The bikes are certainly still in the gloss Bronze Green of the period. I wouldn't think that the photo is later than 1938.

Not all unit motorcyclists were 'Despatch Riders' and in an artillery unit, as well as carrying messages, these chaps would have had a lot of convoy escort work to do.