Got a question... Anyone know a way to track down a Bren Gun Carrier (what unit it was in etc) if I have its original wartime number on a photo? I know its 53rd Div/most likely 4 Welch.
What's the number Swiper? A few of us have some decent-ish reference on machines & Numbers, though the stuff I have is more likely to tell manufacturer than Unit and is pretty patchy. You might get lucky though (If it were Canadian the Watson books might get a hit on Regt.), it's certainly worth a shot. (Maybe post the picture too?) ~A
Not got the picture yet, a copys coming in the post from a 4th Welch relative. T252522 is the number, they think its Welch Reg/53rd based, but not 100% sure! Failing that where would I find the vehicles numbers and what units they were attached to in the Nat Archives, I cant seem to find them in the War Diary.
No regiment I'm afraid, but it is part of a series mentioned in the Watson books. WD #s - T252505-T253123 Type - UC 3" Mortar No1. Mark II Quantity - c.619 Contract Number - M1532 Manufacturer - Sentinel Wagon. Might help a little with the paper-trail. On Archives; Bovington might be worth a punt for the Contract cards - but I seem to recall reading it's unlikely you'll find more detail on them, or very rare anyway.
This page on Rob van den Brink's Norton 16H site gives an explanation of the problems of tracing wartime service history - It is about motorcycles but the principle is the same. Individual motorcycle history It would seem that the AB412s and AB405s were all destroyed after the big post-war stock-take and introduction of the new registration system. It may just be that if the carrier survived the war and was kept on afterwards and if it stayed with one unit and they were noted that the RLC 'Key Cards' tell something but in my experience unlikely. I think that your best hope is that formation sign and arm of service markings will be visible.