FWD SU-COE Medium Artillery Tractor

[Neilie (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Rich Payne

This is presumably a fairly well known picture (IWM H 11484 taken from Vanderveen's 'Source Book of Military Wheeled Vehicles')

It doesn't seem to have been posted here before and I had a copy scanned because of the Norton in the foreground.

The FWD appears to carry Census number H4458790 (SM2018)

Hi Rich,

Was there any info available as to unit, location and year of this photo. I am modelling it in 1/76 and would like to get that information if available.

Cheers,

Neil

[Rich Payne]

Neil, I'm afraid that the Vanderveen book doesn't include any background info but the IWM photo reference is something to go on. They should be able to provide you with a decent copy together with whatever caption was given at the time.

The 'H' series relates to the British Army in the United Kingdom commencing in the late 1930s.

I've searched the online archives and H 11484 isn't there but H 11489 is and shows a battery of 5.5" guns so probably taken at the same time. It is captioned as 240th Battery, 51 Medium Regiment RA at Ellesmere Port, July 1941.

http://www.iwm.org.uk//collections/i...ject/205197627

The Arm of Service serial '5' with Corps bar above is shown in the Vehicle Markings, 1941 listings as 'Medium Regt.(How).' but of course doesn't indicate which corps formation sign would have applied here.

51 Medium Regt. were 3 Corps troops during the 1940 campaign in France but I don't know where they were allocated after returning.

Rich

[Neilie (RIP)]

Thanks, Rich. I also couldn't find the H 11484 referenced but thought you may have some further info.
I have information that the '5' serial was used by 4th, 5th, 58th and 74th Medium Regiments attached to 5th and 9th Corps....not sure which regiments were with which corps. Unfortunately the Corps patch in the photo is just a very light square and as the 9th Corps did have an orange background, it could be it. That particular patch was used while still in the UK prior to joining 1st Army in North Africa.
A previous post referenced a driver's preference for the FWD for towing 5.5's during the Italy campaign....possible the photo is of one of those. Even the Norton in the foreground doesn't provide much of a clue as to location but the ground could be Italy or North Africa or even beat-up UK......and the search goes on.

Cheers,

Neil

[Neilie (RIP)]

Just as a follow-up to this thread, I took your suggestion Rich, and contacted the IWM who provided a number of scans and caption information and your hunch was right. It is indeed the 240th Bty, 51st Med Regt somewhere in Western Command territory in 1941. A view of the rear of the FWD (although somewhat distant) shows what appears to be the fig leaf on what background of 3 Corps.
Thanks for your suggestion and input.

Cheers,

Neil