Lists of serial numbers for vehicles ?

Anyone know where i would find such a manifest ? iam looking for info on a bren gun carrier which was attached to 5th Div 2nd Bat RSF the serial number is T.10829 (this vehicle was used by my grandfathers unit)

anyone able to help me ?


cheers

Richie

 

According to Nigel Watson's Universal Carrier book, WD Numbers T10678 - T11677 were issued to contract T7807 for 1000 Universal Carriers Mk1 built by Wolseley.

I'll have a leaf through the book tomorrow to see if I can pick up any more pertinent information. Do you have anything particular in mind ?

Rich.

 

where it was sent and who used it perhaps ? dont think it would have which tank was allocated to which soldier though ? as much info as possible really as it was part of my grandads unit

 

As far as I know, there are no surviving Royal Ordnance records detailing vehicle allocations. There are some surviving census and contract lists. To the Forces, a vehicle was just a number on an inventory.

Some enthusiasts are trying to compile lists of armour establishments but this is very much a case of working backwards. In fact your photo of a carrier with a known unit would help.

Your Carrier comes from the first batch made by Wolseley. Production began on 10th September 1939 and was completed on 28th October.

 

yeah I could tell it was Mk1 from the front mud guards, they changed em on the mk2 to incorporate a foot old and they looked nasty in comparison thansk for the help does the list give you any specs about the vehicles, or is it a case of a number and where it was made / sent.

 

also the number range you quote is dead on, as the next carrier down is T.1148 (last number obscured) so they must have got the first batch as you say.

 

I've now found that it's possible to link to British Pathe films via the ITN site.

If you haven't seen film of Carriers being driven hard, well worth a look. The images are low res. but the sound of those Ford V8s being given what for is magnificent !

ShotList NonDigitised - ITNSource

Turn up the sound and enjoy ! (Try to ignore the commentary !)

 

you tube matey they sound so mint !!!!

 

there is a scotts fusilier driving at one point !!! grandads badge

 

I can revel in the commentary as well actually but can you imagine what it was like being fed that sort of corney tripe in cinema newsreels ?

The terrain looks a bit steep for Stratford to me. It's definitely a river with trout in, because the man says so !

I have a video of Army Motorcycle training made at a Driver and Maintenance (Infantry) school. The surroundings look similar and my best guess on that is somewhere around Catterick.

 

yeah. at first i was not sure about the sound, if you listen to the carriers on you tube they have such a distinct sound (georgeous !!!) they must have been really giving them beans for the news real good bit propaganda

 

if you like that try this one iam green with envy, i want one of these so bad !!!!

YouTube - Bren Carrier - Test drive

i have put numerous ads out there but most of the stuff i have been offered are the larger T16 (been offered a pair for 4.5k) or the larger still windsor carrier. also got offered this fella from Finland, 1943 involved in norway but it has been ruined and the bloke let me down !






as you can see all the shields have been taken off, some aftermarket seats popped in, the front crank aperture now has wire pulled through it, even the instrument pannel is in the wrong place. HOWEVER. it still runs !!!!

 

Rich, outta curiosity from your lists does it say when the batch was de commissioned or if they were destroyed in combat etc etc ?

 

Richard, I don't know of any lists detailing what happened to vehicles. The old census number records seem to have been destroyed. If a vehicle saw service post-war as late as 1947 then it would have received a "Key Card" - this shows the new post-war Reg number (early versions of what they still use). Although the census number is referred to, they are only catalogued by Reg. No. The Royal Logistics Corps Museum at Depcut has many but they charge £25 to search with no guarantee. My first call for armour would be the Tank Museum at Bovingdon.

A Key Card could show old number, new number and date "Struck off charge" possibly with a note of location but the chances are small.

Rich

 

Cheers I will give Dave Brown at the Tank Museum a bell.


Richie