Empire & Allied Armoured Vehicle Census Numbers

[kevinT]

Hello Richard,

Thanks firstly for posting the Carrier numbers, you say that there are other vehicle census numbers for all the other vehicles listed.
Do you still have access to these as I would certainly be interested in them.
Thanks again for posting.

Cheers
Kevin

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by kevinT

Hello Richard,

Thanks firstly for posting the Carrier numbers, you say that there are other vehicle census numbers for all the other vehicles listed.
Do you still have access to these as I would certainly be interested in them.
Thanks again for posting.

Kevin,

The other vehicle numbers are not armoured, but range from BSA M20 m/cycles, Tillies, Bedford MW 15cwt trucks, Morris Commercial C8 gun tractors, Humber staff car, etc. I guess quite a few people would be interested to see if their vehicle was listed, so I could post on the Softskin forum.

[kevinT]

Richard,

Please post the soft skin WD census numbers on the Soft Skin forum as you say I am sure there are others who would be interested to see them.

Cheers
Kevin

[Roddy de Normann]

Richard -

Many thanks for carrier Nos - can you give me the source - NA File of War Diary ? I have yet to start looking through the Gunner War Diaries at the NA - the same goes for the Inf Bns. But that said, carriers are a big hole in my attempts to date.


Kevin -

Ref B Veh listings. Enormous undertaking to publish any list as they are generally huge. Best just to give accurate references.

Roddy

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Roddy1011

Richard -

Many thanks for carrier Nos - can you give me the source - NA File of War Diary ? I have yet to start looking through the Gunner War Diaries at the NA - the same goes for the Inf Bns. But that said, carriers are a big hole in my attempts to date.

Hi Roddy,

The source was the son of a war veteran that served in the 143rd Field Regt. R.A., 49th Infantry Div. The original copy of the weekly returns on vehicle status in the unit. If they were not to Class I or Class II, then they had to be classifies to Class III, IV, V, etc and the amount of hours work shown to bring them to Class II standard. It is several sheets of large paper typed out and signed by the Unit O/C, not something I could scan unfortunately. Probably unusual to come across, but I thought the Census numbers should be recorded in the rare chance that someone may have a vehicle beraring one of these numbers.

The Unit had been stationed in Iceland prior to this, but were brought back to UK in 1942 when the US took over. This unit were then training and preparing for the invasion of Europe.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Not sure if this is of any help: derelict Sherman T211936, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1945.

[Roddy de Normann]

Hanno -

Thanks for this - spotted it myself this evening while looking at the same site ! Unfortunately I have no details of that aprticular veh.

Meanwhile on the same site, there is a pic of a Sherman racing into Eindhoven on 18 Sep 44. The WD no appears to be T-232394. I hold this as a Sherman Firefly that in Apr/May 45 was KOed. The Wright & Harkness Veh Cas Report stated:

Germany - Veh creeping fwd when likely hit R-43 mine. RH front suspension unit blown off & track broken. Crew unhurt - Wright & Harkness RAC Cas Study, Jan 1946

Obviously the Sep 44 pic shows a standard Sherman V, so I am not sure if it was converted and, if so, when ?

Hope this helps

Roddy