Bofors C9/B

[Paul Ramsden]

Hello
I am building a model Morris SP Bofors based on the attached picture. Does anyone know when they first came into service? The picture from the IWM says January 1944.
Does anyone know what units would be using them in Italy?
Thanks
Paul

[Larry Hayward]

Paul,

This vehicle may well be from the City of London Yeomanry, as other IWM photos in the same NA number range ie NA11161 & 62 show C9/B vehicles of the City of London Yeomanry (not to be confused with County of London Yeomanry!).

The other photos I mentioned confirm the unit carried the unit serial 14 and the Viking ship badge of 5th Corp.

I have not seen any C9/B SP Bofors in pictures I have studied of the Italian Campaign prior to January 1944.

I hope this helps

[phantom16]

Are there more pictures of these camouflaged Morris C9/B?
I can't find the pictures on the IWM site so I'd really like to know.
Thanks.

regards,

Dennis

[Paul Ramsden]

If you go to the IWM web site and look under the subject "mobile bofors" in WW2 era you will find a few pictures. Attached is another good one.
The camouflage looks like an old scheme of drab green and black overpainted with a light sand colour, quite interesting.
Also found a interesting picture of a C9/B in Korea in the snow.

[Keith Webb]

I have a series of images of one which was delivered new to Australia as an example vehicle when we were developing our experimental CMP versions.



Not sure what the paint was, other than to say it was as delivered from the Morris factory.

[Les Freathy]

A Couple of shots that may be of use Paul the first is in if i remember Holland, note also the Dodge WK60 gantry recovery and what seems to be a Citreon truck further down the convoy

[Les Freathy]

Forgot to say the first shot is a IWM credit, these two were taken at the Duxford military show backin the early 1980s and it was the first C9B that i had seen restored
cheers
Les

[Paul Ramsden]

Keith,
Did the Australian CMP bofors actually go into production? I have seen the pictures on the AWM site but none show them in action.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Les Freathy
Forgot to say the first shot is a IWM credit, these two were taken at the Duxford military show backin the early 1980s and it was the first C9B that i had seen restored
cheers
Les

Les,

This C9/B is now in the Firepower Museum at Woolwich. It was for many years outside the Royal Artillery museum at the Rotunda, and I undertook some work on it to get it in running order whilst at the REME workshops in the early '90's. Before it was put in the Firepower museum, it was refurbished again and I believe the gun was changed for the correct type as on its initial restoration, it appears that it had a naval Bofors fitted.

Richard

[Noel Burgess]

The following is a link to a site which details the history of 92 (Loyals) LAA Rgt - not many photos but a very interesting site. They fought in NW Europe but had originally been earmarked for Italy, being replaced by Canadians. It would seem that they received their first C9/Bs (1 Troop per Battery) in July 1943.

www.geocities.com/lightackack/imdex.html

As a footnote, this site was particularly interesting to me as they converted fron Infantry to LAA whilst based in my home-town of Redcar.