Nik, that last photo of yours is marked to 98 Field Regiment who were with GHQ. The hop poles in the background might suggest a location around Poperinge. Mike has them listed as equipped with 25pdrs. Is the second-to-last definitely a 6-wheeler or could it be two 8cwts parked close together ? It looks to have a 1 Corps formation sign.
From 99 Field Regiments war diary there is a mention on the following vehicles in Movement Orders before May 1940 whilst the regiment was in France: 3 Ton Lorries 30 CWT Lorries 'M' Truck 15 CWT Quads with new camshafts Old Quads
Nik ref your pictures in Post 21 The first is in Cassel 99% sure its one of the main roads that leads into the town. The second and sixth are 100% Cassel on the same road. I did and a 'then and now' of the second one in September this year after spending an age walking round the town and up and down that road about 3 times before I realised. The fourth in my opinion (just a hunch) is K Battery, 5 RHA at Hondeghem. The Eighth one is at Cassel in the main square.
I had forgotten this one. From an old (1982) Ian Allan title 'Gunners at War'. Not a great photo but it does show 24 Field Regiment, 1 Division, about to leave Aldershot for France, September 1940. It is equipped with Morris CDSW tractors, 25pdr MkI guns and Trailer No 27. Also shown are the reserve trailers for each gun so that the regiment needed 36 tractors. Mike
The first pic in the post above (post 27) is interesting. It shows an early Morris Quad plus an 18 pdr with MP conversion and ditto limber, but also a CDSW. However, this one looks to me more like a Bofors tractor than an FAT. I wish I could identify the unit or units involved! I certainly have one picture of a CDSW FAT towing two No 27 limbers (97 (Kent Yeomanry) Fd Regt on exercises on the Somme in Jan 1940). Perhaps Quads replaced CDSW FATs as actual gun tractors and the CDSWs were relegated to towing back-up limbers and as 'second line' gun tractors. Chris
Chris, your hypothesis regarding the replacement of the CDSWs seems quite probable to me. We ought to be seeing more of them abandoned but Quads are more common. The Bofors tractors would be more photographed as the AA defences were allowed back inside the Dunkirk perimeter. Isn't the first location Cassel ?
Your picture definitely looks like Cassel, opposed to the other angle in the first picture in Post 27. That said I literally walked all round Cassel with a mate using a 1940 sketch map a few months ago and don't recall seeing those garages anywhere - I think I need to go back
It is Place du Genéral Vandamme in Cassel. The Quad is from 140 Army Field Regiment. Who had the Bofors and CDSW tractor there ?
Definitely recognise it now. It's where 2 Glosters had their HQ in the Credit du Nord bank. The area is now a car park. To the right of the pic of the Bofors if you follow the road down you'll come to 4 Ox and Bucks HQ and then a little further under a bridge you'll come to 140 Field Regiments HQ. I can't find it now but I'm sure I had a map marking a MT unit as well. I'm confident that its that building with the arches.
Post 479 on the top thread under the 1940 heading (France/Belgium related pictures) has a Guy Quad showing about halfway down on the right. No direct indication of what it was towing, though M-P 18 pounders in nearby pics. Chris
Here is an ebay pic of some CDSW's in a ditch-- with their guns ? I would go with the theory that the CDSW had mainly been replaced by Quads by May 1940 , I have seen dozens of abandoned Quads in Ebay Dunkirk pics. Craig View attachment 144985 View attachment 144975 View attachment 144976 View attachment 144977 View attachment 144980 View attachment 144981
There are some good pics of the CDSW on this link- http://www.track-link.com/forums/modelling_kits/15277/flat Craig
What's the marking on the front LH wing of the CS8 in the foreground? Inverted V, vertical line, 9 ?? I bought an early CS8 from France last year, which appears was left by the BEF then used by the Germans and the French after that. Whilst rubbing the upper layers of paint I found a marking that looks very much like the one in the photo. Mine is white characters on a blue background (full front wing section, not a divisional square) I'll try and take some pictures tomorrow. Thanks
