WW2 database of tank, carrier and vehicle names used by various regiments

[kevinT]

Over the years myself and Dick Taylor have been compiling a WW 2 database of tank, carrier and vehicle names used by various regiments. The database has around 5400 names, these come from basically any vehicle that would have come from British / Commonwealth stocks and include British, Canadian, Czech, Dutch and Polish names.
The problem is that the WW 2 database is a 5.47mb pdf file. Is this too large to post here, if not where would be the best place to post it.
We also have Pre WW 2 names at 1.06mb and Post at 1mb, although these 2 are nearly all British named vehicles.
Any thoughts.

Cheers

Kevin

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hello Kevin,

I would be happy to share them on here on your behalf using the MLU google drive. I've used it in the past for sharing large documents and large numbers of photos - see http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...361#post259361 for example.

This way I am not putting too large a load on the mapleleafup.net database in an effort to keep costs down.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Kevin,

Sounds very interesting.....and I centainly have one or two names that I would like to look up!

[kevinT]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Kevin,

Sounds very interesting.....and I centainly have one or two names that I would like to look up!

Hi Alex,

I have tried with the help of Hanno to get these files uploaded so that they can be used by Maple Leaf Up members, but so far without success. The WWII file is 5mb alone and contains over 5400 entries. However the WWI, WWII and Post War pdf files have been uploaded to the following sites and can be downloaded:-

HMVF. On tabs Other Stuff in the Research Centre
https://hmvf.co.uk/forum/44-research-centre/

World War 2 Talk. New Resources tab
http://www.ww2talk.com/index.php

If you can add anything or see any errors please let me know.

regards

Kevin

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thank for sending me the files Kevin, I have uploaded them to the MLU Google drive folder (as stated above):

WW2_AFV_vehicle_name_database

[kevinT]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Thank for sending me the files Kevin, I have uploaded them to the MLU Google drive folder (as stated above):

WW2_AFV_vehicle_name_database

No problem Hanno.

If anyone can add anything or see any entry errors please let know.

Cheers

Kevin

[m606paz]

Great Job! Thanks for sharing!

[Lynn Eades]

A huge effort by you guys that put this together.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Kevin, thanks for making this list available for all of us to see! (and Hanno thanks for putting it online on the google thingy) As other said....excellent work.....what an extensive list.

One of the tanks I looked up was "Avalon", the Sherman Crab mk1 now in the Overloon museum. I see it listed as an M4, but it's based on an early M4A4 direct vision hull. I don't know of any wartime pictures, only pictures from 1946/47 when the museum had just opened, but I believe the name and census number are genuine.

[Harry Moon]

Thank you, very invaluable history .

[kevinT]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Kevin, thanks for making this list available for all of us to see! (and Hanno thanks for putting it online on the google thingy) As other said....excellent work.....what an extensive list.

One of the tanks I looked up was "Avalon", the Sherman Crab mk1 now in the Overloon museum. I see it listed as an M4, but it's based on an early M4A4 direct vision hull. I don't know of any wartime pictures, only pictures from 1946/47 when the museum had just opened, but I believe the name and census number are genuine.

Hi Alex,

We have tried to avoid using museum examples for names and numbers as they are not always what they propose to be. Museum examples are only used if there is confirming official paperwork/ photos.
AVALON is undoubtably a M4A4, I will update it accordingly.
Thank you for the correction.

Cheers

Kevin

[Alex van de Wetering]

Hi Kevin,

Well it was more a nitpick than an actual correction

We have tried to avoid using museum examples for names and numbers as they are not always what they propose to be. Museum examples are only used if there is confirming official paperwork/ photos.

I couldn't agree more. Far to often museum or monument vehicles have lost their true identity and details along the way, only to have them replaced by a made-up identity and markings.

But, that does make me very curious about Avalon. I am currently building a scale model of it, including the 20-ish Panzerfaust (?) penetrations on the right hand side...but there is some confusion about the true unit identity of the tank and how and where it was put out of action. Do you have any documentation that can shed some light on this?

Alex

[kevinT]

Hi Alex,

I have run a search across all databases (name list is 30+ years old) and emails (sad i know but i still have 10 years saved) and nothing has come up. The database does not have AVALON matched to a specific regiment, which regiment does the Overloon museum state it belongs to. If you can let me know I can then check to see if I have anything on that particular regiment.

Cheers

Kevin

[Alex van de Wetering]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for taking the time to look into "Avalon".
The museum states that the Crab was part of the 22nd Dragoons, while some internet sources say it was part of the Westminster Dragoons instead. The latter is based on an article in The Telegraph on William Hall, who is said to have commanded the very tank when it was put out of action in Broekhuizen (SW of Overloon). The museum however states that the tank was put out of action, close to Boxmeer (N of Overloon).

Another mystery is what caused the 20-ish penetrations on the right hand side of the tank, but I don't want to hijack the thread any further

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by kevinT

I have run a search across all databases (name list is 30+ years old) and emails (sad i know but i still have 10 years saved) and nothing has come up. The database does not have AVALON matched to a specific regiment, which regiment does the Overloon museum state it belongs to. If you can let me know I can then check to see if I have anything on that particular regiment.

I am not a specalist of Operation Aintree, but do know that all Sherman Crab flail tanks were operated by the 79th Amoured Division, 30th Armoured Brigade. The Brigade had three regiments: 22nd Dragoons, 2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons) and the 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry.

There is some uncertainty about to which regiment T-147955 "AVALON" belonged to. One story line states the tank commander was William Hall, troop leader of 4th Troop, "A" Squadron of the Westminster Dragoons. Another uncertain part is where this tank was actually knocked out with a Panzerfaust. Hall stated it was near a small town called Broekhuizen while other reports state it was near Boxmeer (further North).

Possibly Michel Sabarly has more info about "AVALON", he is an expert on the 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry.

Edited to add: I now see Alex and I were replying simultaneously. Maybe we should start a separate thread about "AVALON", Alex?



Source: jarnob.nl (2005)


Picture courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Buan

[kevinT]

If the markings are anything to go by the 51 on red is 22 Dragoon Guards.

One thing I did find were some landing tables. They don't all apply to 22 Dragoon Guards but they may be of interest to others.

Cheers

Kevin

[kevinT]

So you can only upload 5 files at a time!?

Cheers

Kevin

[Alex van de Wetering]

Edited to add: I now see Alex and I were replying simultaneously. Maybe we should start a separate thread about "AVALON", Alex?

Good idea Hanno; I will put something up tonight.

If the markings are anything to go by the 51 on red is 22 Dragoon Guards.

Kevin, this is a nice example of what you mentioned earlier; The "51" is what the museum painted on it, but we are not sure this is the correct AoS, as pictures of the tank shortly after the museum opened (and before it was repainted) don't show a readable AoS.

[David Dunlop]

Alex.

The Crab is something of an unusual Sherman variant. Is it possible the record of it being knocked out made it into German records of units operating in the two possible areas that might have actually knocked it out?

A confirmed location from German records might narrow down which unit the Crab came from.

David

[Adrian Pohl]

maybe interesting to update Your list

daily loss report for motor vehicles and weapons of 24th Lancers Regiment, 1st Polish Armoured Division

[kevinT]

Hi Adrian,

Thank you also for these. Can you translate the header over the numbers at all? The top line are all Stuarts, the middle block are all Sherman V's and the bottom line are Sherman Vc's ( Firefly ).
All of this is helpful especially as we now know which regiment they belonged to.

Cheers

Kevin

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Here you go

[Adrian Pohl]

Originally Posted by kevinT

Hi Adrian,

Thank you also for these. Can you translate the header over the numbers at all? The top line are all Stuarts, the middle block are all Sherman V's and the bottom line are Sherman Vc's ( Firefly ).
All of this is helpful especially as we now know which regiment they belonged to.

Cheers

Kevin

Hi Kevin...this is what You mean ?
z powodu uszkodzen = due to damage

[Adrian Pohl]

Please join also the FB groupe
https://www.facebook.com/groups/349246235759292

There are a lot of people who show their private photo collections...there are also many pictures with tanks, etc

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Update - Kevin sent me V6 of these files, please view them here:

• Pre WWII Vehicle Names V6 as at 1st July 2021.pdf
  
• WWII Vehicle Names V6 as at 1st July 21.pdf
  
• Post WWII Vehicles Names V6 as at 1st July 2021.pdf