Interesting article by American exchange officer

Discussion in 'REME/RAOC' started by RemeDesertRat, Mar 19, 2013.

  1. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

  2. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Hello Steve,

    An interesting article - thank you for posting.

    Two matters were asserted therein of which I was previously unaware:

    1) Ardennes

    ...American troops were temporarily issued British equipment, which the REME workshops modified.
    and

    2) Germany
    A shortage of infantry at one point led to the creation of a "services battalion" to which REME contributed a company. The battalion served in the front line while an infantry battalion rested. In another incident, a REME light aid detachment led an attack on a German-held area.

    I will be investigating, but wondered if you had any further information about these areas?

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  3. Oldman

    Oldman Very Senior Member

    Interesting Article, last time I was at Catterick there was a number of exchange officers mostly at the Captain level attached to the Infantry Training branch
     
  4. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    According to craftsmen of the army, 100 Sherman tanks were issued to US troops to replace tanks lost in the Ardennes, the service troops were in the front line near Maastricht for a fortnight, recruited from RAOC, RASC & REME in 30 corp.
    Cant remember the LAD attack, will look it up and post relevant pages when I can dig the book out.
     
  5. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    The British radios in the shermans were removed and replaced with American ones.
     
  6. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Hello Steve,

    craftsmen of the army

    Is this a publication and if so, would you be able to copy the relevant page(s) here?

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  7. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    Yeah, I,ll post the relavant pages here, I'm having trouble finding the part about the LAD attack, might be in another book.
    I'll post scans tommorow evening.
     
  8. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Yeah, I,ll post the relavant pages here, I'm having trouble finding the part about the LAD attack, might be in another book.
    I'll post scans tommorow evening.

    Thanks Steve. I look forward to that!

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  9. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

  10. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

  11. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    Can't find any mention of the LAD attacking German units in these books, but I'm pretty sure it was in North Africa. If I come across it I'll post it here.
    Sorry about the poor scans, I'll try and do some better ones and transcribe them when I have more time.
     
  12. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Thanks for posting these excerpts, Steve.

    The quality of the scans is fine for me; I leave it for others to comment if they find them poor!

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  13. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

  14. m kenny

    m kenny Senior Member

    All told just under 400 Shermans were given over to the US to replace their losses. The 25pdrs were issued because of the acute shortage of US 105mm amunition.
     
  15. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    All told just under 400 Shermans were given over to the US to replace their losses. The 25pdrs were issued because of the acute shortage of US 105mm amunition.

    Any info on what the US Army thought of the 25-Pdrs and were any of the Shermans Fireflys? If so, what did the US Army think of the Fireflys? Please post the authority!

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  16. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    I have the Osprey book on the Sherman, and it reports that the US Army in Europe ordered some Fireflies late in the European campaign. The backlog of British supply, the impending arrival of the Pershing, and the swift end of the war in Europe prevented this from happening.
     

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