MLU FORUM  

Go Back   MLU FORUM > MILITARY VEHICLES > The Armour Forum

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 24-12-19, 21:21
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
MLU Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 14,400
Default Sexton in Holland

A Sexton 25-pounder self-propelled gun, obviously on a victory parade with lots of spit and polish, most likely just shortly after WW2. The reverse of this picture postcard has the imprint "Canadeesche tank - Stevens Photo - Haarlem", implying this is a "Canadian tank".

Anyone with knowledge about artillery markings to identify the unit?

Click image for larger version

Name:	33091405472_ec94092293_k.jpg
Views:	32
Size:	424.0 KB
ID:	111052

Source: https://flic.kr/p/Sqb6XE

Edited to add a second source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/beelden/d...1-dcf30e614e9d
Captioned "Canadian tank. On its way to the center for the parade on Dam Square. "

Last edited by Hanno Spoelstra; 06-01-20 at 22:53. Reason: Edited to add
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 25-12-19, 02:53
Dan Martel's Avatar
Dan Martel Dan Martel is offline
Centurion nut
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 224
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra View Post
Canadian Sexton 25-pounder self-propelled gun, obviously on a victory parade with lots of spit and polish, most likely just shortly after WW2.

The reverse of this picture postcard has the imprint "Canadeesche tank - Stevens Photo - Haarlem".

Anyone with knowledge about artillery markings to identify the unit?
Hanno,

I don't think this photo represents a Canadian vehicle, and I say this for two reasons.

First, the soldiers are wearing uniform accoutrements identifying them as horse artillery. Take note of the cap badge, which is not the regular artillery cap badge, the use of collar badges and badges at the bottom of the epaulet. Canada only had one horse artillery regiment during the war, and it was equipped with towed 25-pounders serving in the 1st Canadian Infantry Division.

Second, niether of the field regiments in either 1st or 2nd Canadian AGRA had the AOS serial '338' like the Sexton in your photo.

However, according to Bouchery, 4 RHA in 5 AGRA was equipped with Sextons. But there is a glitch. Continuing with Bouchery, the AOS serial for 4 RHA was '1191'.

So, the bottom line to all of this is, I can't tell you to which unit the vehicle belongs but I don't think it's a Canadian one.

Cheers,
Dan.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 25-12-19, 12:22
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
MLU Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 14,400
Default

Thanks Dan. So it must be a British unit then. The search continues.

H.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 25-12-19, 17:08
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
MLU Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 14,400
Default British 98th Fd Regt RA

I consulted my friend Bert Lindeboom and he gave me some pointers, which helped me in my search.

AOS "338" denotes 98th (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. This unit served in Italy until it was attached to 21st Army Group fighting in North West Europe. So it was sent to Belgium in March 1945, and was re-equipped with Sexton 25-pounder SP guns. It was attached to 1st Canadian Armored Brigade, which supported both the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and the 49th British Division in the closing battles of the war in western Netherlands.

Reportedly, they moved to Germany before the end of WW2. I suspect that either a few units remained and/or came back to the Netherlands for the liberation parades.

Movements (source):
Mar 45 - Menin, Belgium (from Italy)
Apr 45 - Dunkirk, France
Apr 45 - Duiven, Holland
Apr 45 - Huissen, Holland
Apr 45 - Dodewaard, Holland
In April 45 the Regt moved to the Lubeck area of Germany as occupation forces.

Click image for larger version

Name:	98 FD Regt.jpeg
Views:	7
Size:	76.2 KB
ID:	111093
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 25-12-19, 21:18
Dan Martel's Avatar
Dan Martel Dan Martel is offline
Centurion nut
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 224
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra View Post
I consulted my friend Bert Lindeboom and he gave me some pointers, which helped me in my search.

AOS "338" denotes 98th (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. This unit served in Italy until it was attached to 21st Army Group fighting in North West Europe. So it was sent to Belgium in March 1945, and was re-equipped with Sexton 25-pounder SP guns. It was attached to 1st Canadian Armored Brigade, which supported both the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and the 49th British Division in the closing battles of the war in western Netherlands.

Reportedly, they moved to Germany before the end of WW2. I suspect that either a few units remained and/or came back to the Netherlands for the liberation parades.
Hanno,

Great piece of research. I guess my horse artillery theory has been blown clear out of the water. The troops in the Sexton are obviously wearing Yeomanry badges. I wonder if they came to NW Europe with 1 Canadian Corps?

Cheers,
Dan.

Name:  43191e2b05a8206638bdbf9a2c541430.jpg
Views: 443
Size:  13.2 KB

Click image for larger version

Name:	98th144thFldRegtRATAst1.jpg
Views:	2
Size:	85.3 KB
ID:	111101

Last edited by Dan Martel; 28-12-19 at 00:31.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 28-12-19, 00:10
Alex van de Wetering Alex van de Wetering is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
Posts: 2,670
Default

Here is another "338" Sexton in Culemborg 1945 , this time clearly showing the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade formation sign.

source: https://regionaalarchiefrivierenland.nl/home


Quote:
The reverse of this picture postcard has the imprint "Canadeesche tank - Stevens Photo - Haarlem".
@Hanno.....Looks somewhat like Santpoort or Driehuis maybe....
Alex
Attached Thumbnails
Culemborg Sexton.jpg  
__________________
Chevrolet C8 cab 11 FFW
BSA Folding Bicycle
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-01-20, 17:59
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
MLU Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 14,400
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering View Post
Here is another "338" Sexton in Culemborg 1945 , this time clearly showing the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade formation sign.

@Hanno.....Looks somewhat like Santpoort or Driehuis maybe....
Thanks Alex, clearly they were putting up demonstrations and parades in many places.

H.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-01-20, 20:49
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
MLU Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 14,400
Default

Marco Hogenkamp found another photo of a Sexton of this unit at the Amstellaan, Amsterdam Zuid:

Name:  114788.jpg
Views: 364
Size:  38.8 KB
Source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/beelden/d...a-30022882627b
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 21-01-20, 22:15
MicS MicS is offline
(Michel Sabarly)
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: France
Posts: 102
Default

The photo in Hanno's previous post above is of the same C3 Sexton as in his OP:
Attached Thumbnails
Sexton Aos 338b=98 Fd Regt RA C3 att 1 CAB - Amsterdam 27 May 45 - 114788.jpg  
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 22-01-20, 05:12
maple_leaf_eh maple_leaf_eh is offline
Terry Warner
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Shouting at clouds
Posts: 3,081
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra View Post
I consulted my friend Bert Lindeboom and he gave me some pointers, which helped me in my search.

...

Reportedly, they moved to Germany before the end of WW2. I suspect that either a few units remained and/or came back to the Netherlands for the liberation parades.

...
I can only imagine the difference in the reception the Allies had parading in the Netherlands versus in Germany. And, the Dutch always know how to have a good party.
__________________
Terry Warner

- 74-????? M151A2
- 70-08876 M38A1
- 53-71233 M100CDN trailer

Beware! The Green Disease walks among us!
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 22-01-20, 15:16
Ed Storey Ed Storey is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 1,426
Default British Victory Parade

The British, along with the Canadian Berlin Brigade, did hold a Victory Parade in Berlin along the StraBe des 17 Juni on 21 July, 1945. Not the cheering crowds associated with The Netherlands, but a pretty good turnout considering the city had been remodelled and fought over by the Allies.

Click image for larger version

Name:	Berlin Victory Parade.jpg
Views:	13
Size:	350.4 KB
ID:	111604
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 07-02-20, 00:25
Alex van de Wetering Alex van de Wetering is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
Posts: 2,670
Default

There it is again! Parade in Dordrecht 1945.

Postcard/picture currently for sale here: https://www.marktplaats.nl/a/verzame...reviousPage=lr

Alex
Attached Thumbnails
$_86.JPG  
__________________
Chevrolet C8 cab 11 FFW
BSA Folding Bicycle
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 17-03-20, 13:53
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
MLU Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 14,400
Default C3 again

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering View Post
There it is again! Parade in Dordrecht 1945.
Found the same pic of "C3" in the Dordrecht municipal archives: https://beeldbank.regionaalarchiefdo...AE5/showbrowse

"Parade of Canadian troops on the Krispijnseweg, Dordrecht"
Dated: 05-05-1945 ‐ 10-05-1945

Click image for larger version

Name:	552_306701.jpg
Views:	5
Size:	493.0 KB
ID:	112512
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 19-06-20, 22:03
Richard Nixon Richard Nixon is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Folkestone
Posts: 43
Default

My Grandfather served in 153rd Field Regiment RA, in Sextons. Sadly I never knew him, but recently I inherited some of his photos and momentos from his time in the 153rd.

There was a superb website; www.paoyeomanry.co.uk showing lots of Sextons and crews. Sadly this website seems to have disappeared.

Here are a couple of Christmas cards he sent in 1944, (I'll spare you of what he wrote to my gran!!) and a parade of the regiment being inspected after the war had ended.
Attached Thumbnails
153rd Field regt. RA.jpg   153 christmas 44 card.jpg   153rd Christmas 44.jpg   Christmas 44 GA card.jpg   christmas 44 GA card (2).jpg  


Last edited by Richard Nixon; 19-06-20 at 22:04. Reason: spelling!
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 19-06-20, 22:32
Ed Storey Ed Storey is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 1,426
Default Paper Ephemora

Second World War paper ephemora is always exciting to see.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 20-06-20, 04:07
Mike Cecil Mike Cecil is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Cody, Wyoming, USA
Posts: 2,365
Default defensive armament?

The .50 cal M2HB MG is an interesting addition.

Mike
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Sexton # 130 SDT16 The Armour Forum 31 10-08-19 16:16
Radio in Sexton Jesse Browning The Wireless Forum 4 04-03-17 02:29
Sexton windshield Jesse Browning The Armour Forum 2 08-12-16 23:43
Sexton SP gun Doug Knight WW2 Military History & Equipment 0 06-01-05 19:07
Sexton 25-pdr Perry Kitson The Armour Forum 4 27-02-04 20:10


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 20:57.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © Maple Leaf Up, 2003-2016