Hi Frank - Like the pic of the Lt Tk VIb - T.2250 I currently hold details of this veh as follows: T. 2250 (EHX 908) Lt Tk Mk.VIB Contract T/3565 to Armstrong Whitworth D & M Wing, AFV School Bovington Engine No: S/9890 1939/40 - Veh initially listed in UK - BTM Ledger 623.438(41)WD Nos/8 When was your reli down there ? Roddy
Hi Roddy, according to his tracercard, he was 'Y' listed from 24th Lancers to RAC from 3/6/42 to 22/7/42, which I'm assuming was when he attended the wireless instructor course, during which that photo was taken. Looking at the other 'class' photos, I believe it would have been at the end of the course. I hope it's helpful!
Frank apologies l forgot you’d already posted something about those lock gates and there was me thinking l’d had a ‘Eureka Moment’ when l posted these pics over on ‘Faceache’ . . . . . . . DOH!
Hi, going back over those photos of my grandfather on his wireless course and sat on the MkVIB, I think he's made a mistake with his notes.... as you can see under one of them, he wrote, "Wireless Instructors Course Bovington Dorset 1942. Passed with P.1." , which he did, however I don't think the photos are from then. The faces that appear in the photo are the same ones that also appear in the others, in which you can see more Mk VIBs, and with them a card with the names and regiments of his classmates. My grandfather lists his regiment as "4th CLY" (County of London Yeomanry, who he enlisted in), so this was before he was posted to 24th Lancers (which was on 16/4/41), and according to another annotation, he was posted to the Lancers after becoming an NCO i/c Signals at Catterick. Would they have had Mk VIBs at Catterick? Also, I know summer in Blighty isn't always very warm and sunny, but they sure look well-wrapped up for June-July, which is when I believe he did the course at Bovington.
Hi all, hope you had a good summer! Bertin has asked me about this : service , where it mentions Tpr Willam Jones having billeted with a family in Aarschot. I'm guessing this is a mistake, perhaps mixing up with where they left their tanks, but just to confirm...did a part of the regiment end up not billeting in Poperinge?
Frank 3RTR were billeted in Poperinghe in late 1944, then got sent to the Dinant area during the Battle of the Bulge and then back to Poperinghe in January 1945 where they completed their conversion to Comet. After a period of final training etc, they then moved to the Aerschot/Aarschot area for about a week or so in late March prior to their final move over the Rhine etc which started on about 27th March 1945. I have some of dad's photos which show (photo souvenirs) the people he was billeted with in both Poperinghe and Aarschot. Steve
In fact, I came across this: Eligius Geyzels 1895 - 1976 Registro de BillionGraves So it seems whoever compiled the biography had the names of the family in Aarschot, but obviously no reference to Poperinge. I've learnt something new today! Cheers! EDIT: Here's the link to the site where the biography appears, does anyone know Eric? Lots of interesting photos, etc! Might be an idea to drop him a line. 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
Never got round to making contact. The web site hasn't changed in years, not that that necessarily means anything. The photos include reference to A Squadron, there is an A Squadron triangle on the turret of one of the Comet photos and there is reference to a Bill Bourne. Bill Bourne was 1 Troop A Squadron (my father's Troop) and I have several of dad's photos which include Bill Bourne....except that the chap in the photo (on the website) doesn't really look like 'dads' Bill Bourne. Probably we should have a go at identifying the people - we've done it before!....and, as you know, I'm useless at facial recognition so could be wrong.....
I sent an email shortly after, which was promptly returned....looks like there's been no activity on the site for some 2 years... oh well.
I've sent a message via his main website: fingers crossed. It's had no update for some time but paradoxically has a 2020 Copyright date.
I've had contact a few months ago with the family my dad was billeted with in Aerschot - the Leers family. First contact with (Willy) Leers was in about 1998 when I visited Aerschot on a speculative visit (it was just a short side trip during a business trip to Antwerp) and we've had occasional contact since then. Edit: I also tried email but, as with you, it bounced straight back.
Saw this on the Tank Museum page, about the exhibition updates, and the photo on the display caught my eye.. despite what looks to be a surprising museum mistake, 'Comet tank & crew 3rd Royal Tank Regiment North-West Europe1944', the photo looks like it could have been taken in Schwarmstedt, so probably B Squadron.... has anyone seen this photo before anywhere? I've looked (albeit hurriedly) on the IWM site with no luck.
Frank, if we can get a better image I’ll ask Len Brererton. I would have seen that during Tankfest 19 but didn’t pay attention to the caption obviously!
aahh- I didn't realise the display was from then....(and I remember you posting this photo before) and no-one noticed the mistake??!! Give Len a bollocking for not spotting it! The last time I was there was three years ago, not sure when I'll be getting back