BEF Vehicle Arm of Service Markings (GHQ and others)

This picture shows a temporary graveyard for British and French troops beside the sand dunes. Obviously well cared-for by the local population.

Relevant here as the shuttering keeping the sand at bay is a tailgate with a very clear image of the 3 Corps stencil form.

 

Does this impressed flatbed have the same cab shape ? It has twin rear wheels for those who like this sort of thing.

 

Rich - Got me stumped that one
Craig

 

I think it could be a guy

 

Bray Dunes?

 

Not Bray Dunes, Drew, but Malo Terminus.





Jan

 

Interesting picture of what may be an impressed Commer with an unusual cab with half sliding doors .
AOS 85 with bar below would give ' 1 Troop Carrying Company RASC ' , which would fit as the RASC seemed to get all the tatty old 'butchers and bakers vans' whereas front line units seemed to have mainly newish miltary vehicle types by May.
The only other 85 AOS is 'HQ and all AMPC and Docks Labour Companies' but this has split bar above.
Writing on door says 'British Rolling ?? Mills ?? which I assume is original owners name showing through army paint.

 

Is anyone able to identify any of the units in this video? There's a carrier with reasonably clear markings at 03:05.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/british-expeditionary-force-in-france-1940-britis/query/British+column

 

Hi , its a fascinating clip , discussed before , from Post 146 in the BEF vehicles thread -

''Vehicles belonging to 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers motor through the outskirts of the village of Gavrelle between Arras and Douai on a wet day - they comprise a single Humber (?) shooting brake staff car, a procession of Morris-Commercial trucks carrying stores and a detachment manning a Bren light machine gun on aircraft lookout duty and scout carriers. Soldiers from the Royal Irish Fusiliers are seen wearing waterproof capes and steel helmets as they march along in close order. They wave when they notice the camera. When the rain stops, they are seen marching along in the new British Army Battle Dress in single file on both sides of a country road. They are all wearing gas mask satchels on their chests. ''


Craig

 

Bren Gun Carriers, not Scout Carriers!

Chris

 

This image shows an 8cwt FFW Morris-Commercial displaying the '14' on red / blue with GHQ bar of 32 Army Field Company RA. It has taken a hit just below the door and sadly it looks as if the driver didn't manage to get out.



A comparison of CWGC records with 32 Field's War Diary does not show an immediate link. The first casualty listed for the regiment is on 25th May but the most likely incident occurred on 18th May after the withdrawal round Brussels. The Regiment were in 4th Division rearguard in front of the River Dendre (no specific location given).

"...Enemy not expected to make contact till the afternoon, actually he appeared about 09.00 hrs. At 11.00 hrs, the enemy had worked round both flanks of the rearguard which necessitated a quick withdrawal which was successfully carried out. During the operation, both F.O.O.s lost their 'T' trucks and were nearly captured. The LAD breakdown wagon, one tractor and two amn. trailers had to be destroyed as they could not be got away. One signaller (107 Bty) was killed."

This 8cwt 'Fitted for Wireless' truck is not the Forward Observation Officer's 'T' truck though as it is clearly marked 'S3' which was the HQ Reconnaisance Group's Signal Section. If the Signaller was Royal Corps of Signals, I'd expect to find him on CWGC but there are none listed from this Corps for 18th May and none likely from 19th May either.

This rather useful site is very helpful on the 1940 RA organisation :-

http://nigelef.tripod.com/fdregt40.htm

In cataloging some images, I find that I did in fact have another view of the same scene on file but hadn't made the census number link between them and the other vehicle markings are not visible. It does indeed show that the driver was a fatal casualty. The reverse is captioned 'Dünkirchen' but that seems to have been a later alteration and it originally stated 'bei g.......'

 

The war diary lists a Gunner Owen believed killed with the officer(s) FOO's he was with escaping on foot after running into tanks. There is no Gunner Owen listed on CWGC that matches.

 

From WO 167/481 32 Field Regiment. I think the number after Owen reads 107 for 107 Battery.

 

Thanks Drew, that's a different diary from the one that the other Andrew sent me an excerpt from.

I think, reading this one, that it is more likely to be the incident with the Recce party on 22nd May at 'Zonibergen' and that the unfortunate casualty is Gunner Brealey who has no known grave.

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2770774/BREALEY,%20WILLIAM%20THOMAS

The diary refers to the 'R.B.' truck receiving a direct hit...What is RB ? This one certainly took a direct hit.

'Zonibergen' is likely to be 'Zonnebergen' which seems too small to appear on any maps but which is just to the south of Zwevegem (Kortrijk) and Ootegem (Otegem) is close by. I can't trace any unidentified casualties in the area.

 

RB would be the Troop Leader of the 2nd Troop - check your nigelf link

 

Yes indeed. Rather took my eye off the ball there.

We don't have an explanation for why the S3 has been hit except that both were 8cwt FFWs - Could there have been an emergency substitution ?

What's the explanation for two different war diaries, as well ?

 

Excellent research gents.
Many people come to this forum researching family members killed in France 1940 ( myself included )
and speaking personally it would be good to have detailed information like this.

Craig

 

Craig, don't you think that they might become a little discouraged by having to plough through 957 posts on vehicle markings (and that's just GHQ and Corps.... )

 

Interesting about the two diaries. Andrew copied his one in the 'special room' as I recognise the back ground where as mine was copied in the main area. They look to be done in the same format, same handwriting? I wonder if his are another part of the same diary?

 

Anyway well done Rich for IDing the chap. I always have mixed emotions when we do this, part of me feels proud and honoured to have helped unlocked a piece of history and sad that someone one day may see a dead relative on here.