Scout T5329

[Rich Payne]

Keith who posts on here and owns an original of the photo has posted a close-up of the gunner's position on ww2talk. Unfortunately there were a number of fatal casualties from this incident and the bodies had not yet been removed.

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/3631...e-mille/page-2



Perhaps those with a knowledge of the rifle might be able to pick something out from this.

[Ben]

Hi Richard

One of the photos from the WW2 talk thread shows a partial answer.

One of the problems with photos of Scout carriers is that the Boys rifle is nearly always in the front "Boys" mount, as we've seen this makes looking at the details difficult. The rear angle shows another Boys rifle lying on its side in the LH rear compartment, you can make out a cylindrical section pointing upwards. This isn't a normal fitting on a Boys so I think we can assume it's part of the gun mount fitting. This answers the fact that it's a simple drop in type fitting IMHO. Sadly a strap is obscuring other clues. Perhaps part of a Y shaped fitting going under the gun frame? The gun in the mount doesn't seem to have anything over the top?, Hard to say. The original on WW2 talk is clearer.

Abandonded Bren carriers with Boys rifles don't have this fitting as they don't have a Boys mount.

Perhaps there's another photo out there that will make it a little clearer.

Ben

[Lynn Eades]

Tony, those carriers are firstly Universal carriers and the later ones are Australian LP1s. No Scouts in it.

[kevin powles]

Ben, That Boys laying on its side is pretty conclusive regarding your mount being for that gun, what's the distance between the inner faces of clamping arangement for the gun?. I'm sure there's another picture out there that explains it all.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Tony, those carriers are firstly Universal carriers and the later ones are Australian LP1s.

Yes I was jumping to conclusions about the gun mount. Close inspection shows they're not drilled for the Scout type mount. This would seem to contradict Ben's earlier suggestion that "the only brackets to fit the Boys in a Universal are for stowage or transport, they're saddle type brackets or rests rather than a gun mount." These Australian carrier gun mounts look fully operational to me.

Also of interest is the curved metal strap attached to the hull on some of these Boys equipped carriers, including the experimental roofed version. Presumably it's designed to limit downward travel so the barrel doesn't strike the hull over rough terrain. Instead the monopod would strike the metal strap, even when traversed.

All very interesting but still doesn't shed light on the Scout mount!

Snapshot 3 (14-05-2016 6-03 PM).jpg Snapshot 4 (14-05-2016 6-05 PM).jpg Snapshot 5 (14-05-2016 6-12 PM).jpg Universal Carrier Mk I with experimental armoured hood and Boys anti-tank rifle, Albury Heath, S.jpg

[Ben]

That's not a piece of metal it's a strap. The universal doesn't have a gun mount it has a rest and a strap.

I can't comment on LP carriers. I should've been clear in that my comments were for the British and Canadian types and not the LP family, I've had no experience with LP carriers but I think their construction and fit out probably makes them very close relations rather than siblings.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Ben

That's not a piece of metal it's a strap.

Aha! I was wondering why they were different lengths and colour! Thanks for the correction.

[Ben]

Following on from David's suggestion I contacted the royal armouries museum.

They sent a list of drawings that were possibilities, there were three which sounded good so i bought copies. The one below seems to be the accepted design, its not quite complete as there must be a sleeve or adaptor that fits the square end and acts like a lock.

The design calls for the gun frame to be modified and the bracket bolted onto the frame. I think between us we came to a similar conclusion to what the drawing shows, an interesting question has been answered I think. Hopefully the drawing for the sleeve will turn up in the achieves, knowing British design it'll be one of hundreds of drawings all called "sleeve", no mention of what its for.

looking at the drawing I suspect it was some sort of forging, post machined to fit the gun and mount. There's enough detail and information to allow me to make an adaptor to fit the mount.

Ben