The wreckage is that of a Short “Stirling” aircraft converted into Glider Tugs to tow Horsa Gliders across as part of the Airborne Forces. These took very heavy losses.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 20:24:39 BST
The Sherman Tanks in this photo are Duplex Drive fitted witha flotation collar which enabled them to ‘swim’ from Landing Craft onto the Beaches.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 19:01:37 BST
The SNCO central is the Squad Drill Instructor holding his ‘Bsdge of Office’ the standard issue Pace Stick.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 18:56:06 BST
This interesting photo was taken at the Infantry Training Centre RM at Lympstone (now CTCRM) in front of Sylvan Glade where the original Tarzan Course was built. The brick building to the left of the picture was the old Camp Cinema. It can be seen that the already Commando trained NCOs are wearing the same dark blue beret with the scarlet patch as the Recruits as the decision that all Trained Ranks would wear their Green Beret at all times lay in the future.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 18:53:20 BST
The Bailey Bridge was invented by a Donald Colman Bailey who had been called to come up with this form of design. It proved an essential ‘bit of kit’ and he was Knighted for his contribution after WW2. The famous Allenby Bridge across the River Jordan between Jordan and Israel was originally a British Army Bailey Bridge!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 18:43:54 BST
The small assault boat in the picture was US built and still in use for Royal Marines Recruit Training in the early 1960s during the Cliff Assault and Rocky Landings Phase in Plymouth Sound. A bowman was selected to stand on that blunt bow holding a rope and when the boat hit the rocks he had to jump and hold the whole thing steady as the Troops leapt
ashore. This fell to me, at night, and I still bear the scars!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 18:33:31 BST
See ROH
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 18:16:31 BST
Taken at CTCRM Lympstone on the occasion of his Kings Squad Pass Out where, on completion, the Squad Officer gives the Command , “ Royal Marines, to your Duties, Quick March! “They March Off to the tune of Auld Lang Syne played by the Royal Marines Band. He is wearing his hard earned Green Beret and the White Lanyard only worn by The Kings Squad. He is stood in front of the Centre Commando Memorial. Salute!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 18:04:44 BST
This Royal Marines Officer wears the Royal Navy Pilots’ Brevet (Wings) quite common as many qualified and flew from Aircraft Carriers. It is still a RM norm when they qualify, usually in Helicopters, but I read of one such who had qualified as a Hawker ‘Harrier’ Pilot and on secondment, in that Role, to the United States Marine Corps, quite recently.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 17:55:09 BST
This is a very unusual photograph as Marine Connolly stands at attention with rifle at the slope and bayonet fixed but is in front of the Regimental Colours of 42 Commando RM. I have never seen this allowed before. He must have been well thought of.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 17:46:11 BST
This Marine carrie the 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) which replaced the Bren Gun as a Section Support Weapon and used in the Light Role. It has the advantage of being belt-fed and can be used to lay down heavy immediate covering fire. It is fondly known as the ‘Gimpy’ It is also used in the Support Company in the Heavy Role as it can be
mounted on a solid Tripod and fitted with a heavier barrel. The ammunition comes as 4 in 1 Tracer.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 17:39:55 BST
The Cap Badge this Trooper wears is the South Wales Borderers, the man behind is possible a Royal Engineers (RE) but MAY be Royal Army Service Corps (RASC), their Cap Badges being similar in shape/layout.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 17:27:01 BST
This a ‘live firing’ Bren. If using blank ammunition a different barrel would be fitted, wooden rounds used and the cone shaped flash eliminator on the barrel would have a half metal plate across the bottom.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 13:22:05 BST
This shows a much larger Aldiss lamp fitted on board a Warship given the gun in the background.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 13:18:46 BST
These would appear to be Signallers training in the use of the Aldis Lamp dating from a time when this means was still in use, the man sat in front appears to be using a field issue Morse key. Interestingly the SAS used Morse well in to the latter part of the 20th Century due to the range this equipment had and the difficulty that arose if anyone tried to ‘jam’ it. In contrast a pal of mine with the Falklands Task Force spoke to SAS men on the deck of a Carrier heading South who were using equipment with a ‘fan type’ aerial similar to the old camera ‘flash’ gun and when he asked they were stealing Satellite time to have a chat with their families. As he expressed disbelief they linked him immediately with his Wife in Cardiff! You could not make it up!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 13:15:52 BST
I believe that this Troopers’ medals include a Police Long Service Medal so he may have been one of the Wartime Police entries who returned to that Job on demobilisation, it is the right hand medal as the photo is looked at.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 13:06:37 BST
I served with a number of Wartime Commandos in Cardiff City Police and was told that when they arrived at the Commando Depot they had no previous military affiliation so had to select one prior to being issued with kit, given a Regimental Number and receive any pay. Some chose this Cavalry Regiment because of the Cap Badge. Correction to previous.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 12:59:26 BST
These Troopers appears to be sat on the roof of a railway carriage given the curved roofline and it is interesting that they are wearing studded boots (Boots AP or Army Pattern) and not Commando Boots with It side made cleated rubber soles so perhaps this is quite early on.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 12:49:53 BST
This shows a .303 inch Bren Light Machine Gun loaded with a magazine which could hold 28 rounds and there are spare mags stacked close to hand in the picture.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 12:45:42 BST
The Trooper in the centre rank has received a head injury which is covered by an issue First Field Dressing issued to all ranks. This was well sealed so a sterile dressing was immediately available. These came in different sizes and a Trooper could carry as many as he wanted (referred to as a FFD)
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 12:43:22 BST
These LSTs were built to run straight up onto the beach where, if possible, Tanks, Troops and other equipment could be landed ‘dry-shod’ through large doors in the bow. Each was also fitted with a huge Kedging Anchor on the Stern which had a swivel ‘fluke’ plate attached to powerful windlass also stern mounted. On the run-in to the beach that anchor would dig into the seabed. This meant that the LST and other similar ships could quite literally haul itself back out into deep water where that anchor was recovered. That Kedging Anchor features on the famous Combined Operation ‘ flash’ brought into use which also shows the equally famous Thompson Sub Machine Gun and an Eagle for the Air Forces involved.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 12:39:17 BST
His Parachute Badge looks similar to that worn on Best Blues as it has a black or dark blue background and the wings appear to be gold in colour. It might also indicate that he had been attached to a Special Unit who wore this to show that distinction.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 12:15:47 BST
If a soldier sees a camera........
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 12:12:24 BST
The toppees worn in the photo were standard issue back in the day once a soldier arrived at a certain latitude where it was originally feared that the hot sun might scramble the brains of Britons exposed. The white Royal Marines Parade helmets (known as the Wolsey Helmet) is based on this headwear.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 12:10:57 BST
The ‘beds’ in this photo are made up of old-style petrol jerrycans balancing on planks. These thin tin cans were superseded by British copies of the German petrol cans, hence ‘Jerricans’! Simple when you know how.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 12:07:38 BST
