Photos WW2 British & Commonwealth Forces

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Men of the 1st Gordons, the first British troops across the canal, move up in single file as the attack presses on.

 

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Grave of an “Unknown English Pilot” buried by the Germans at an airfield later captured by the Allies somewhere in North Africa - December 1942
It appears the mangled propeller assembly from his crashed plane was placed near his grave, possibly from a P-40
LIFE Magazine Archives - Bob Landry Photographer

 

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This 88mm Pak43 (L/71) auf Geschützwagen III/IV (SdKfz 164)...also variously known as the "Hornisse" or "Nashorn"... was captured by troops of the 2nd Armoured Brigade, Eighth Army, north-east of Bagnacavallo, Italy, February 1945.
(IWM)

 

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British Infantry carrying assault boats in preparation for crossing the Meuse-Escaut canal at Lille-St Huberet, 19 September 1944.
Source: IWM

 

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Awaiting recovery, this Valentine of the British Eighth Army became waterlogged in the Wadi ZigZaou during the assault on the Mareth Line, Tunisia, 24 March, 1943.

 

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Sherman Mk III tank of the Indian Armoured Corps, with infantry of the Bombay Grenadiers aboard, training in the Middle East, March 1944.

Sherman tank crews of the Scinde Horse Regiment, part of the Indian 31st Armoured Division in Iraq. In the foreground, a party of Sikhs is being given instruction on stripping and cleaning a Browning gun, by a Viceroy's Commissioned Officer, March 1944

 

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A sniper from "C" Company, 5th Battalion, The Black Watch, 51st (Highland) Division, in position in the loft space of a ruined building in Gennep, Holland, 14 February 1945

 

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The Commander of the Allied Forces in Tunisia, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham, KCB, DSO, MC, DFC, AFC, standing on a perforated steel runway in the Italian theatre shortly before returning to Britain to take up his duties as Air Officer Commanding No 2 Tactical Air Force. January 1944.
Original Colour. Source: IWM

 

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25-Pounder Mark II gun of Sergeant Pearse of 1st Battery, A Troop, Australian 2/1st Field Artillery Regiment bombarding Bardia, Libya, 29 Dec 1940.
Australian War Memorial

 

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The Cruiser Tank Mk VIII "Centaur" (A27L) was a close relative of the Cruiser Tank Mk VIII "Cromwell" ( A27M)
The clue lies in the "L" and "M" suffixes.
"M" indicated the Rolls-Royce Meteor engine.
"L" indicated the Liberty engine.
The Meteor was the more powerful of the two.
A number of Centaur variants were produced both as gun tanks an as engineer vehicles including dozers and ARVs.
Perhaps the most well-known were the 95mm armed Close Support Centaur IVs which were a part of the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group on D-Day.
These tanks were intended to provide suppressing fire from their landing craft as they approached the shore and are recognisable by their short barreled 95mm howitzers and the numbered degrees prominently painted around their turrets as an aid to aiming.
Once ashore, they fought as regular gun tanks until the end of the war.

 

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This Churchill tank is not heavily camouflaged with natural foliage.
Rather, it is demonstrating the deployment of its fascine bundle, designed to be dropped into a ditch ahead of the tank to enable it and following vehicles to cross. ( April 1943)
A low-tech but effective solution to the problem.
Such Churchills were part of the AVRE family and were assigned to the 79th Armoured Division on D-Day and thereafter.
(IWM)

 

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Private M.D. White of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment observing from a defensive position, Colle d'Anchise, Italy, 26 October 1943.
https://amzn.to/3hmo7Gz

 

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Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery (right) visits Berlin for the first time for the signing of the Berlin Declaration, 5 June 1945. He is greeted by deputy-commander of the 1st Belorusian front, General Vasiliy Sokolovskiy (middle) at Tempelhof.
Photo by Ilya Arons.

 

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The Churchill Crocodile flame-throwing tank was a fearsome weapon.
Such was its reputation that it was said that merely the presence of Crocodiles in an assault was enough to prompt the enemy to surrender.
It is also said that captured Crocodile crews were summarily executed, such was the loathing of their weapon...though this might be apocryphal?
The Crocodile made its debut in NW Europe, 1944, with the 79th Armoured Division which specialised in the deployment of special-purpose armour...the famous "Hobart's Funnies".
Churchill 75mm gun tanks (Mk VII) were converted into Crocodiles via the addition of a flame-projector which replace the bow-mounted BESA...plus the related plumbing.
A sophisticated universal coupling was fitted at the rear to which was hitched a specially designed 6.5 ton armoured trailer which contained the flammable jellied gasoline mixture and pressurised propellant.
The flame-projector had a range of approximately 120 yards and had the capacity to fire 80 x 1 second bursts.
When the flammable mixture was exhausted the trailer could be jettisoned and the tank continued as a regular gun tank.
The Crocodile also saw service with the 7th RTR in the Korean War.
The following selection of images illustrate Crocodiles in the field together with a selection of shots of the immaculately preserved example in The Tank Museum.

 

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