British 4.2-inch Heavy Mortar

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Surviving example of the towed version: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...haosef-4-1.jpg
On display at the Batey ha-Osef Museum, Israel

[horsa]

Hey Hanno,

Great reference picture as that example has the earlier pattern wheels along with some other variations in features compared to most I've seen.

The wheel with holes around the edge with 5.00-5.25 tyres are the same as used on airborne trailers and some other WWII GS trailers. It seems these are what the towed mortar first came with and then late in 1945 they began changing the wheels out for the type found on 6-pounder guns with the lower profile wide tyres.

One of the features which I'd not seen on one of the mortars is this one has spring clips for the steel pivot bars. Very similar if not the same as those found on airborne jeeps for holding rifles and Bren guns. All others I've seen have hinged clamps to hold the bars and they look like smaller versions of the clamp used to hold the barrel while in transit.

[Keith Brooker]

Here are a few photos of the 4.2 inch mortar 1st photo shows them at Larkhill in1953 and the mortar that the firepower museum let me have for 30 mins,so that i could tow it with my Morris. photo of me with my morris and mortar. do you see any for sale?

[Keith Brooker]

more photos

[Keith Brooker]

Had to have some one with me from the museum so that i did not take it home. i do have a VHS film 120 Mortar Battery 61st Light Regiment Royal Artillery in Korea 1951 - 1953 towing them with Morris C8 GS and firing them some of it in colour.

[Neil Ashley]

Did we ever decide if this late war version ever actually saw any war-time service?

[horsa]

Hey Keith,

I've got one of the towed mortars that I am just starting to restore. Haven't seen any for sale but people still say there might be one or two available in Australia. Will post something if I hear anything on one being available.

One thing that I will need to fabricate is the pair of poles used to help swing the wheels up and down for lowering the base. I'd guess they are 2" diameter since the sockets in the base and wheel brackets are slightly bigger than that. And the length is probably 40-42" based on how it seems to be the same rough length of the base plate. It would help me in getting something made proper to know a few true measuements if you have access to the example at your museum since it has them with it. Items related that I can think of are:

Diameter of socket end of pole.
Diameter of the blocking wide part of the pole (ring about 1" tall?).
Diameter of the hand holding end of the pole.
Length of the thinner hand holding end of the pole.
Length from wide end of pole to the blocking ring.
Overall length of the entire pole.
And are they hollow, made of sections of pipe welded together or are they solid and milled down? Seems it would be entirely too heavy if solid.

Many thanks in advance.