Morris antenna base

[Ron Pier]

Good research mike. I guess this unit that came to the UK could have brought there own Australian wireless equipment and other more familiar kit with them?
I notice that that last PU has the antenna bracket for the normal sprung loaded base and just has the Australia base poking up through it.
I'm surprised that you haven't got that base screwed to the top of your PU already. Ha Ha!

Ron

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

Good research mike. I guess this unit that came to the UK could have brought there own Australian wireless equipment and other more familiar kit with them?

Ron

Yes I'd say that's the likely scenario .

I did begin the drawings of that base . It sits on a large brass/bronze casting shaped like a saucer . I had actually spotted that base at a hamfest a few years before . On that occassion somebody else beat me to it ........ the odd thing is, it turned up for sale again at another hamfest where I got my hands on it , for $30 .

[Ron Pier]

Love it when that happens!
You know the 6volt battery boxes that Rory made from your drawings..... Then I found an original on a stall at a show/swap meet at Popham airfield. I paid £3 for it. The best part is that I had only just arrived an hour earlier and Rory and his Dad had been there 2 days and missed it...........He still speaks to me though. Ron

[Lang]

Mike

Not to doubt captions on AWM photos but the bloke leaning against the Morris looks pretty British to me, at least his uniform is. This along with the British vehicle puts a few questons in my mind that it is actually what it says it is.

Were Australians issued with British uniforms at some stage or was it just "borrowed". The Battle Dress jacket is certainly more comfortable (and better looking) than the Australian uniform

Any comments?

Lang

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Lang

Mike

Not to doubt captions on AWM photos but the bloke leaning against the Morris looks pretty British to me, at least his uniform is. This along with the British vehicle puts a few questons in my mind that it is actually what it says it is.

Were Australians issued with British uniforms at some stage or was it just "borrowed". The Battle Dress jacket is certainly more comfortable (and better looking) than the Australian uniform

Any comments?

Lang

He may be wearing overalls ? . I think the Aust. WW2 uniforms were a left over from WW1 . Mike

[Lang]

Mike

Sure looks like a British OR type battledress jacket (buttons showing) with battle dress trousers to me. it also describes him as Gunner but the patch on his sleeve looks suspiciously like Warrant Officer 2 to me.

Also if he was captured in Crete it is highly probable he was in 6 Division who were not in UK. Still might have been in some detached unit that found its way to the Greek debacle.

Is it possible he was attached to a British unit?

Lang

[Lang]

Here is the jacket.

PS: just researched 2/3 Field Regiment and it did indeed go to UK to "defend against invasion" in 1940. With the invasion threat over they were sent to the Middle East just in time for the Greek Campaign. They were the first Australian unit to get 25 pounders.

Looks like they arrived in UK with little equipment and the British equipped them with vehicles and old WW1 field guns. Probably where the British uniform came from. What is the badge on his sleeve?

Lang