146 Regiment RAC

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by Alders1, Oct 1, 2012.

  1. JamesDrury

    JamesDrury Active Member

    Hi Rachel,

    fantastic photos !

    146 started in valentines, then moved to lee/grants and then in 1945 to Sherman’s so I think your right on al three.
    I know what you mean about being excited when you discover something like a photo album, I had the very same experience at Christmas when some of my grandfathers wartime artefacts surfaced that no one knew about.

    I think your right with both 146 and with B squadron. The cap badge on the Sherman crew looks like a DWR badge and if you zoom in on the foot ball it’s a little blurry but the lower text says B Squadron India 1941.

    The majority of of the regiment arrived In India in late October 1941 so places the picture to the last couple of months of that year I guess. I like the T shirts !
    My Gf was in A then C squadron. He also played football for his troop, A squadron and the regiment, he noted in a diary I have playing B Squadron in 1942, it’s nice to think they may have played against each other ! I have a picture but the shirts are not so professional !

    I would love to see any more pictures or bits and pieces, I’m happy to share anything I have or have found.
     
  2. Rachel Clough

    Rachel Clough New Member

    D424B197-C340-4C35-B1C0-8137E555C85C.jpeg 8D1F57BE-F2B8-4954-8491-9E53B760CBE0.jpeg 3BCB7FA0-8DB3-4625-9ACD-BAD88D72B59D.jpeg 9ED461A5-2380-4440-89B6-CE37852E209C.jpeg
    There are loads of pics! A couple more of vehicles first - I think the one in the garage is a bridge layer? My Grandad’s the tall thin one in front of the Sherman and I think in the jeep?
     
    sol likes this.
  3. I am not sure if this post os still open but nevertheless I will ask ... I belong to Portsmouth Model Boat Display Team - Armoured Division... my question in regards to Captain Sir Thomas Moore ... I have read a lot about this now famous gentleman but the one thing I am trying to find is did Sir Tom every crew a tank or was in he is position as the commander, group or otherwise... my reason for asking is that as a model tank club we have put together an M3 Lee and intend painting it in The 146th DWR Colours and numbers relevant to Sir Tom. I have written to Capt Tom and his family and the Regiment HQ but as of yet Have no reply ..... the tank has already been given an undercoat of green but am now stuck as what colours and number to finish it..... hope someone out there can help....
     
  4. JamesDrury

    JamesDrury Active Member

    Hi
    Not sure I can help too much.
    Attached is a picture of him on a tank, (© Tank Museum) a valentine I think. Wether he was part of a crew I'm not too sure, the few references of him in the regimental war diary relate to him being tech officer and intelligence officer. Others may be able to advice in more detail.

    Have looked to any reference in my grandfathers diary re colour this is all I can find so prob not too much help either ...

    Thur 4 June 1942
    PT at 6:30 painting again. Had to stop painting green have to paint everyting gray when we get some. We may go to England to form invasion army.

    Sat 13 June 1942
    RSM parade at 6:45 started painting trucks with Bliaty (Blighty) Colours.

    Tue 1 September 1942
    A + M wedding Aniversary.
    Rev 6 o clock PT till 7:30 working with Bill Birkbeck on his tank. We took all the guns out of the turret and shell racks. Besa belt c……. etc started painting the turret white.

    93615128_10158319340490842_6976336905268887552_o copy.jpg
     
    sol and Chris C like this.
  5. JamesDrury

    JamesDrury Active Member

    I know later in Feb 1945 146 went to Ramree Island and then on to the mainland. Only A squadron took part and apparently Tom was with this group so may be any marking should reflect A squadron ?
     
  6. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Sorry I missed this earlier. Yes, the first photo is of a Valentine Bridgelayer.

    And James, the picture you posted is definitely a Valentine - the lower plate shape with some angled and some straight sides is a giveaway.
     

  7. I am fairly new to ww2talk.com ... I posted a bit a few weeks ago about an M3 Lee and Capt. Sir Tom Moore with regards to holding a Display in my Model Club (Portsmouth and District Model Boat Club Display Team- Armoured Division... I have now a 1/16 scaleM3 Lee being painted etc to coincide with ‘Ave A Duffy’ I have had the transfers made and ready to apply but my problem is where to apply them??? I have photographs of the Tac.Sign/the tank number/the sqd number/Reg. insignia etc but I am having difficulty in finding photographs of the front of the tank showing the position of the Sqd Number and the Reg. Insignia.. the tank I have doesn’t have the side guards and so not so much space Do I put them on the front armoured plate ? This has at present a piece of track/tow rope ready to be stuck in that position.... I need help as I only have two more weeks before the planned exhibition in Gosport Explosion Museum takes place.... David
     
  8. 1DAEA5AE-3DC2-43B9-A76C-09477B48805D.jpeg 34A9CD5B-1343-4CCD-ACA4-79E524E75475.jpeg DBE26947-F3C0-43B0-A6BF-76DD0D522FC4.jpeg 05AE02DE-A68D-4308-ABC5-1DC3AE24DC39.jpeg
    These are photographs of ‘Ava A Duffy’ so far with Capt. Sir Tom Moore in front...not a good likeness I might add
     
    Owen likes this.
  9. JamesDrury

    JamesDrury Active Member

  10. Chris C, Tony56 and Owen like this.
  11. JamesDrury

    JamesDrury Active Member

    very smart !
     
  12. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Captain Tom was with HQ according to his regimental diary and returned to the UK in Feb 1945 when A Squadron were about to head to Ramree Island give or take a couple of days. He never returned to the unit in 1945 according to the Officer Field Returns.
     
    Owen likes this.
  13. JITTER PARTY

    JITTER PARTY Well-Known Member

    I don't want to rain on anybody's cornflakes, but wasn't 146 RAC equipped with Grants, rather than Lees, in the Arakan 1945. What is the source of the photograph in post #52?

    Are we saying that Capt Tom didn't see any action in Burma?
     
  14. JamesDrury

    JamesDrury Active Member

    As far as I can see form the War Diary A & B Squadrons had Grants and C Squadron Lees. Screenshot 2020-08-23 at 13.57.09.png
     
  15. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I can only say what I've read in the regimental diary and regiments history by Barclay. I think the family may have googled 9 Battalion Duke of Boots and took Wikipedia for verbatum as to what Capt Tom did and Capt Tom forgot to mention he came home at the begining of 1945 to go on a course.

    I did get contacted by the BBC Breakfast show researchers and the IWM for access to my files as they wanted to do a VJ Day Programme dedicated to him about fighting the Japanese. I may have missed it but I don't think they did the programme in the end.
     
  16. The photograph #52 is from ‘Wikimedia Foundation’ - The British Army in Burma 1945 ... the tank photographed ‘A Lee Tank And crew on the banks of the Mu River near Chanta, Jan 1945’ belonging to 14th Army, India Division, 255th Indian Tank Brigade, 116th RAC (Gorgon Highlanders)
     
  17. As to the 146th RAC having only Grants according to the NWM Library - British and Indian Armoured Units - 50th Indian Tank Brigade, 146th RAC (9th Duke of Wellingtons Regt. (West Riding) they were equipped with Valentines in the1st Arakan Campaign, then LEE (10 Grants served with As Sqn) .....
     
  18. 'Burma army painting guide' is another useful piece of information I have found regarding colour schemes/type of tank/regt.. etc
     
  19. JITTER PARTY

    JITTER PARTY Well-Known Member

    So, let me get this right.

    You have decided to model a 146 RAC tank in the Arakan 1945, but state that you have based your model on a tank of a different regiment - 116 RAC - not in the Arakan.

    Even so, there appear to be significant differences, markings, etc, between the model and the selected photograph, and indeed other photographs of 146 RAC tanks.

    You have chosen to model an A Sqn tank, with an A Sqn name, as a Lee, even though they were equipped with Grants.

    And I’m not even going to mention Capt Tom.
     

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