'' Morris 15cwts sir , 'undreds of 'em '' Seen bits of this before but its now on Pathe as a continuous 5 mins of an infantry Battalion(?) passing through French (? )village in the rain , can't see any AOS numbers and all vehicles have headlights number plates and tax discs, so early days ? Wonder who they are ? BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN FRANCE 1940 BRITISH REGIMENT PASS - British Pathé Craig
I like that! There are some markings on the mudguards, but blowed if I can work out what they could be. The coloured mobilisation stripes seem to be on the passenger side wing, below what (if it didn't seem unlikely) could even be a blue and white Royal Signals AoS. Yes I know they wore black back then, and wouldn't have all those soggy squaddies marching. But are we downhearted? Clearly not. Chris
Yes if I was a French citizen I'd be quite impressed with this lot coming to my defence, they do look well equipped and quite chipper with John Cleese leading the gas caped marchers. The marching crew carrying Mortars (?) don't look too happy though ! unsurprisingly . Some good pics of the vehicles but as you say hard to make out any markings. Craig
Thanks to Rich for highlighting this in the Pathe Cypriot Muleteers film , a good picture of a Bedford OY , early model with the civvy type twin wheels and something I haven't seen in this era before semaphore indicators.
Looking through the IWM pics by chance noticed earlier posts 141 & 143 with battalion passing through French village matches IWM film and photos , quote ,- 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. Couldn't resist a couple of then and nows on the D33 in Gravelle , the pipe band is a IWM pic entitled 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles march through Gavrelle in the pouring rain, 17 October 1939 , (sic) looks like the same column as above , not much change in buildings with the modern signs pointing to Vimy and Arras-
Several more comments on pics above. The RIrF column: there are a few 8cwt Morrises in the column (the ones with tilts); I see no Scout Carriers; several Bren Carriers (more appropriate to an Infantry battalion) and one still appears to show a Universal; and, most of the soldiers are wearing groundsheets as ponchos; to see the difference, look at the pipe band who are in gas capes. The Bedford OY from the Cypriot mule thread is also interesting. The body has a metal brace on the third panel from the front, rising from front to back. I have another pic of the right hand side of a similar vehicle which has a brace on the second panel from the front rising from back to front. A drawing suggests that these vehicles had both braces on both sides, but I cannot see the front brace on the Cypriot one (the other one just might have one). Any comment from the experts or should I take it to a special vehicle site? Chris
I don't think the rather curious looking Tilling-Stevens Searchlight lorry has been mentioned previously in this thread. Some of them may possibly have been with the BEF. Even as a small boy in 1940, I vividly remember staring at one of these passing through our South Lincolnshire town because they looked so different to anything else! In the past, I sometimes thought I had dreamed the thing up but was reassured when, by chance, I saw a piccy of one on the web.
I think the Tilling Stevens lorrys are incredibly interesting with drive axle electric motor powered via dynamo via the petrol engine so no gearbox required or searchlight generators . ( but then Mrs JCB has me down a total anorak !) Years ahead of Toyota 'Pious' Hybrids! Craig
Tilling Stevens, and several other companies were making petrol electric hybrids well before the first world war.
Looks like it's had a rather tough time...where are they all now. I know of three genuine ones left, and two or three estate cars that have been converted from 8CWT pickups post war. I am currently restoring a customer's pickup back to it's original design that was converted into a shooting brake in the 1950s. The census number's on my heavy utility are it's original ones so I am still searching for that chance find of it's picture taken in 1939-49 before it was repainted by the Kreigsmarine.
I agree with all that Rich says and some. In fact Alan Philson's excellent and detailed books shown an Armoured Regiment as having 1 two seater car in every squadron, including the HQ squadron, so four altogether. I also attach two microscopic pictures of Austins with 1st Armoured. The first has a different unit with an AoS number 19 and a huge rhino. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=58139&stc=1&d=1312734865 On the second you can't seen any AoS sign but it has everything else. It was probably slowed down by the weight of its enormous markings. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=58140&stc=1&d=1312734989 Andrew Good evening Sir, do you know what colour the background is on the Unit Code 19? Hope you can help as I have started a model kit of this particular vehicle. Thanks from Colonel Durnford.
Good evening Sir, do you know what colour the background is on the Unit Code 19? Hope you can help as I have started a model kit of this particular vehicle. Thanks from Colonel Durnford. Hi By coincidence I was doing some work on these very numbers last night. Sadly it has not given me the answer to your question. The serial numbers for 1st Armored Division changed a bit and, although we know the numbers for the armoured brigades, I have not been able to find a definitive list for the supporting units nor make any conclusions from photographs. If anyone has better prints of those two photographs it might be possible to see more information. In the meantime, if I was to make a guess I would say the car belongs to one of the RASC units and I would make the background red/green split diagonally from bottom left to top right with the red at top left, green bottom right. Andrew
Thankyou Andrew for the information, it has helped big time!! Now I can crack on with the Austin 8hp. Oh yes your book is marvellous too. Ta ta Colonel Durnford.
One more photo from my collection, truck has a name and a good number L377770 Ammy? wonder if there is an s before the name. Keith
One more photo from my collection, truck has a name and a good number L377770 Ammy? wonder if there is an s before the name. Keith Ah, you bought the Guy. Nice one. I think that it does say 'Sammy' It's a shame that no unit markings are visible but if it was GHQ, then there is nothing to see once the reversible AoS plate has been removed.
Guy FBAX? On an enlarged view it does look as if there is an S before AMMY - perhaps painted in a different colour that does not show up well on the film used. Chris
Another nice 3-ton 6x4 GS - Leyland Retriever L384626 (Contract V3065) with 2nd Inf Div formation sign and the '10' AoS serial of 506 Field Company, R.E.
