Bofors 40mm

handtohand22 · 17-01-2007, 06:07 PM

Basic Bofors Training at Coleraine 1939.

von Poop · 17-01-2007, 06:13 PM

Those 2 are superb.
Waiting for their uniforms or some other home defence group beginning training?
If the former it really does look like the gun itself was the very first priority on the training staff's minds, straight off the bus and down to the very heart of things?
Cheers H2H, keep 'em coming.

handtohand22 · 17-01-2007, 06:27 PM

The 6LAA Battery started training as soon as the Bofors were delivered to N Ireland on the last week of April 1939.

The training programme was then issued and the men started training before their uniforms were issued.

For many months their only uniform was a pair of overalls and a pair of boots.

handtohand22 · 17-01-2007, 06:37 PM

Here they are a couple of months down the line and still in overalls, but a tin hat has been added to the limited kit list of three items.

They are firing for the first time beside a famous North Coast tourist landmark, Mussenden Temple.

Each gunner fired one round into the sea.

von Poop · 17-01-2007, 06:49 PM

How come such an excellent picture archive on one unit survived so well, and was created in the first place? They're not just historically good, they seem to be of generally good technical quality too. Gathered together recently or are they the fruit of some dedicated officers plan?
(sorry for the questions, that's a hell of a resource you're working on there.)

handtohand22 · 17-01-2007, 08:02 PM

6 LAA Battery RA (SR) were a group of 200 volunteers from Coleraine N Ireland. They were in action around the world from 1939 to 1945.

After the war they were disbanded. Due to their close 'espirit de corps' they continued to have a reunion on the 23rd Oct (the Battle of El Alamein) every year.

The majority of the photos were taken by the veterans themselves as the official photographs were stolen, along with the camera equipment during the return journey from Egypt in 1943.

In 1988, the Secretary of the Old Comrades Association decided to start a museum of the battery memoriabilia. Most of the surviving members contributed all sorts of things, some had to be handed into the local police station.

There were over 2000 photos and documents collected.
I was given access to these by the current secretary.

I have made a website and written a book on the social history of the Battery. The book is not for general sale, as it was totally funded.

Since that time I have collected a further 1000 photos and documents from veterans and surviving relatives of deceased veterans.

For the security of the photos and documents are copyrighted to Coleraine Museum Services.
I'm able to use these photos as I am collecting them and I do not make any monetary gains from the use of the photos. Any money I make from lectures or the book are deposited in the OCA funds.

They stopped their reunions last year, only 10 veterans survive in NI.

http://coleraine-battery.tripod.com

von Poop · 17-01-2007, 08:12 PM

Cheers H2H, it's certainly a fascinating mound of pictures.

Owen · 17-01-2007, 11:15 PM

Ronnie
You are one lucky chap to have access to such an Archive.
Very envious.

spidge · 17-01-2007, 11:38 PM

Great to see living history captured for all time.

17-01-2007, 08:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
handtohand22 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Coleraine Co. Londonderry NI Posts: 309	6 LAA Battery RA (SR) were a group of 200 volunteers from Coleraine N Ireland. They were in action around the world from 1939 to 1945. After the war they were disbanded. Due to their close 'espirit de corps' they continued to have a reunion on the 23rd Oct (the Battle of El Alamein) every year. The majority of the photos were taken by the veterans themselves as the official photographs were stolen, along with the camera equipment during the return journey from Egypt in 1943. In 1988, the Secretary of the Old Comrades Association decided to start a museum of the battery memoriabilia. Most of the surviving members contributed all sorts of things, some had to be handed into the local police station. There were over 2000 photos and documents collected. I was given access to these by the current secretary. I have made a website and written a book on the social history of the Battery. The book is not for general sale, as it was totally funded. Since that time I have collected a further 1000 photos and documents from veterans and surviving relatives of deceased veterans. For the security of the photos and documents are copyrighted to Coleraine Museum Services. I'm able to use these photos as I am collecting them and I do not make any monetary gains from the use of the photos. Any money I make from lectures or the book are deposited in the OCA funds. They stopped their reunions last year, only 10 veterans survive in NI. http://coleraine-battery.tripod.com Last edited by handtohand22; 17-01-2007 at 08:08 PM. Reason: Added web site

17-01-2007, 11:38 PM	#9 (permalink)
spidge Legendary Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 8,025	Great to see living history captured for all time. __________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm

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17-01-2007, 06:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
von Poop I Like Tanks Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Perfidious Albion. Posts: 8,364	Those 2 are superb. Waiting for their uniforms or some other home defence group beginning training? If the former it really does look like the gun itself was the very first priority on the training staff's minds, straight off the bus and down to the very heart of things? Cheers H2H, keep 'em coming.

17-01-2007, 06:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
handtohand22 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Coleraine Co. Londonderry NI Posts: 309	The 6LAA Battery started training as soon as the Bofors were delivered to N Ireland on the last week of April 1939. The training programme was then issued and the men started training before their uniforms were issued. For many months their only uniform was a pair of overalls and a pair of boots.

17-01-2007, 06:49 PM	#5 (permalink)
von Poop I Like Tanks Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Perfidious Albion. Posts: 8,364	How come such an excellent picture archive on one unit survived so well, and was created in the first place? They're not just historically good, they seem to be of generally good technical quality too. Gathered together recently or are they the fruit of some dedicated officers plan? (sorry for the questions, that's a hell of a resource you're working on there.)

17-01-2007, 08:12 PM	#7 (permalink)
von Poop I Like Tanks Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Perfidious Albion. Posts: 8,364	Cheers H2H, it's certainly a fascinating mound of pictures.

17-01-2007, 11:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
Owen Top Moose Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Under the stairs Posts: 9,306	Ronnie You are one lucky chap to have access to such an Archive. Very envious.

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