Images of Welsh Guards in Alpen (Bönninghardt)?

Nick, he was really a great artist. Thanks a lot

Not a great artist Uwe but not bad. Rembrandt was a a great artist - though he never painted Panther, Churchill or Sherman tanks and as my father never did a self-portrait it is difficult to compare them.

One more for you - 'Churchill passing 2 Cromwells - 2nd Battalion Welsh Transport - 6 March 1945

Best Wishes

Nick

 

Lovely artwork, there's a few of his pieces in the regimental history for WW2 as well.

I assume you are referring to John Retallack's book in which the pictures were rather poorly reproduced and his name misspelt - I sometimes wonder where the 4 sketches are now as they were not returned after they appeared in 'Welsh Guards at War'

I sometimes wonder about the whereabouts of another painting - by the some what better known Rex Whistler - see attachments - the diary entry is much reduced and the original is quite detailed including the 'Running order' This could be the last picture RW

View attachment R Whistler - Sec. Show, Eastbourne.doc ever did.

 

Hi Uwe,
Your shell is a British or Canadian 25pdr smoke container.
The near vertical grooves in the brass driving ring indicates it is shot. Or else it would be smooth. It is caused by the rifling in the gun's barrel.
If it is empty it will be open on the bottom and you can see the top from the inside.

Complete it holds 3 little smoke containers and a bottom plug.
It also has a pointy ballistic cap made of thin material on top of the detonator wich, as probably with yours, is mostly destroyed by impact.

After a pre arranged time set on the detonator, wich is the brass part on top, a small explosion inside the shell lights the smoke containers and pushes them out allong with the bottom plug.


The shell casing would just fall to the ground.

It is this type of shell wich they used for the smoke screen at the artillery barrage at the opening of the reichswald battle.

They came in different colours as to be used for signalling.
For example at the starting of a rolling barrage the high explosives would drop at a straight line stationairy. The infantry forming up behind it.

A few smokes of a pre determined color were then mixed with the HE shells as signal that the barrage starts to move forward. As the barrage pauses to allow the infantry to catch up they would again put a few smokes in, of a differend color as the starting signal color, to prevent men running in the barrage wich has suddenly stopt moving and dropping at one line stationairy again.

Or to indicate targets for the airforce as wel keeping men on line to their objectives. The latter mainly used in open ground with few orientation points as there was in the desert campain.

They still come up by the dozens every year in the rhineland area.

 

Stolpi -

I suspect the Pathe Film you found (2121.09) shows Canadian units...my reasons for this are:

A. Sherman T-228649 is in the range issued to Canadian units.
B. A few pics on shows a Ram OP Tank
C. A series of pics shows a Sherman covered in 'wooden armour' - only seen that on canadian tks
D. Towards the end of the film there is a brief view of a Ram Kangaroo that looks distinctly canadian...

Any one out there who can suggest which Bde units ?

Roddy

 

Hello everyone, this is my first posting. I am trying to find the exact location of the farmhouse where my uncle Lance seargant Austin "Bobby" Joyce. 1st Battalion Welsh Guards won his MM. All citations and even The Victor comic just say near Bonninghart. Any information would be valuable. Thank you.