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Troops of the Australian 25th Battalion search Japanese bodies for documents and equipment after the action on Slater's Knoll, 6 April 1945.
Photos WW2 British & Commonwealth Forces
- Thread starter BravoZulu
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Tunisia, 1943: A wounded British soldier shares a cigarette with a wounded German prisoner
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On the 31st of August 1940 Bradford, West Yorkshire, was bombed during the blitz. 100 people were injured and 1 killed and over 10,000 windows shattered when stray German Luftwaffe bombers missed their target of Sheffield.
As industrial cities went Bradford left world war 2 virtually unscathed, which is surprising because Bradford was one of the most important industrial centres in the world (it had the largest silk factory in the world with over 11,000 workers) and Bradford’s lister mill factory produced parachutes used by allied airborne units.
Bradford would be bombed 5 times in the war (3 times in august 1940) and one Luftwaffe bomber would be shot down over Idle, Bradford unfortunately hitting housing and killing 4.
As industrial cities went Bradford left world war 2 virtually unscathed, which is surprising because Bradford was one of the most important industrial centres in the world (it had the largest silk factory in the world with over 11,000 workers) and Bradford’s lister mill factory produced parachutes used by allied airborne units.
Bradford would be bombed 5 times in the war (3 times in august 1940) and one Luftwaffe bomber would be shot down over Idle, Bradford unfortunately hitting housing and killing 4.
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On January 20th 1941, the Australian 6th Division began its attack on Tobruk, Libya, which was strongly fortified but only held by 25,000 Italian troops.
The attack on Tobruk was part of Operation Compass, which had also included the capture of Bardia two weeks earlier. Having suffered massive losses in the early stages of Operation Compass, the Italian 10th Army only had one of its original nine divisions available for the defence of Tobruk, the 61st Infantry Division Sirte, which was a completely inadequate force with which to defend the 54 km long perimeter of the port town.
Cut off from other Italian forces to the west by the British 7th Armoured Division, the 16th Brigade assaulted the south-eastern defences, followed by the 17th and 19th Brigades.
The Italians suffered 18 officers and 750 soldiers killed, 30 officers and 2,250 men wounded and more than 20,000 men taken as prisoners of war. The Commonwealth forces captured 208 guns and 87 tanks, for the loss of 400 casualties, 355 of whom were Australian.
Men of the 2/11th Battalion after the capture of Tobruk: AWM
The attack on Tobruk was part of Operation Compass, which had also included the capture of Bardia two weeks earlier. Having suffered massive losses in the early stages of Operation Compass, the Italian 10th Army only had one of its original nine divisions available for the defence of Tobruk, the 61st Infantry Division Sirte, which was a completely inadequate force with which to defend the 54 km long perimeter of the port town.
Cut off from other Italian forces to the west by the British 7th Armoured Division, the 16th Brigade assaulted the south-eastern defences, followed by the 17th and 19th Brigades.
The Italians suffered 18 officers and 750 soldiers killed, 30 officers and 2,250 men wounded and more than 20,000 men taken as prisoners of war. The Commonwealth forces captured 208 guns and 87 tanks, for the loss of 400 casualties, 355 of whom were Australian.
Men of the 2/11th Battalion after the capture of Tobruk: AWM
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Field Marshall Archibald Wavell, CIC India '41-'43, CIC ABDACOM '42
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Men of the West Yorkshire Regiment advance throught the ruins of Meiktila, Burma. 28 February 1945.
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V1's attacks on England ceased on 1 September 1944.
However, they resumed with a redoubled intensity over Belgium from 21 December 1944 to 20 January 1945, from launch pads located in German territory.
This V1 landed in Grimbergen without exploding in January 1945.
However, they resumed with a redoubled intensity over Belgium from 21 December 1944 to 20 January 1945, from launch pads located in German territory.
This V1 landed in Grimbergen without exploding in January 1945.
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A Hurricane PR Mk. IIB BM969, of "S" flight, No. 3 PRU, in the skies over Bengal, India, 1942.
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Original wartime caption: when Sergeant G.F. Cavin, aged 20, of High Weldon Farm, Long Framlington, Morpeth, Northumberland, was making his 13th operational trip over enemy territory as rear gunner in an R.A.F. heavy bomber, his aircraft was attacked by three JU.88 night fighters. Thirteen was certainly unlucky for the fighters, for the first was shot down in flames, the second was last seen diving away with its port engine on fire, and the third broke off the attack after receiving a determined burst from Sergeant's Cavin's guns. Picture (issued 1943) shows - Sergeant C.F. Cavin.
Source: IWM
Source: IWM
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February 1944, Brighton Sports Stadium, UK.
Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery shakes the hand of a Canadian ice hockey player at the Canadian Army Hockey Championship.
Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery shakes the hand of a Canadian ice hockey player at the Canadian Army Hockey Championship.
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General Motors 'Staghound' T17E1 armoured cars of the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons) crossing the Seine River in Elbeuf.
https://amzn.to/2YodxGn
https://amzn.to/2YodxGn
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Major David V. Currie (with pistol), accepting the surrender of German troops at St. Lambert-sur-Dives, France, 19 August 1944. This photo captures the actions that led to him being awarded the Victoria Cross.
https://amzn.to/3puChZv
https://amzn.to/3puChZv
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Infantrymen of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders searching railway cars, Vaucelles, France, 18 July 1944.
https://amzn.to/2NR9eRV
https://amzn.to/2NR9eRV
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Quadruple Vickers .50 / 12.7mm AA Mount on the Battleship HMS Rodney in September 1940
Two of these Vickers Quad .50 AA Mounts were installed in 1934/35 positioned on the forward superstructure, they were removed in 1941/42
The Vickers .50 MG used 12.7×81mm ammunition, not the better known Browning .50 BMG / 12.7×99mm
IWM - Coote, R G G (Lt) Photographer
Two of these Vickers Quad .50 AA Mounts were installed in 1934/35 positioned on the forward superstructure, they were removed in 1941/42
The Vickers .50 MG used 12.7×81mm ammunition, not the better known Browning .50 BMG / 12.7×99mm
IWM - Coote, R G G (Lt) Photographer
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The Blackpool Winter Gardens was a Morse Code Training School in WW2.
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A troop of Vickers Mk. VI light tanks of the British Army during pre-war exercises on Salisbury Plain.
Although the British Army led the way in the development of mechanised armoured forces between the wars, these tanks are evidently not yet radio-equipped, relying instead on signal-flags to communicate.
The circular tactical marking applied to their turrets indicate that these tanks belonged to "C" Squadron.
Although the British Army led the way in the development of mechanised armoured forces between the wars, these tanks are evidently not yet radio-equipped, relying instead on signal-flags to communicate.
The circular tactical marking applied to their turrets indicate that these tanks belonged to "C" Squadron.
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20mm automatic Canon
When Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the Polish design team escaped to England and resumed work together with Czech and British designers. The need for the Polsten was apparently mooted in June 1941. It went into service in March 1944 alongside the Oerlikon. Both the Oerlikon and the Polsten used similar 60 round drum magazines, however, the Polsten could use a simpler box magazine with 30 rounds. It remained in service into the 1950s.
When compared to the Oerlikon cannon which was made out of 250 parts, the Polsten was made out of 119 parts, without sacrificing the effectiveness or the reliability of the cannon. Simplification of the design of the Polsten cannon made its production much cheaper. The cost of one Oerlikon cannon was about £350, while the cost of the Polsten was between £60 and £70.
The Polsten was used as a substitute for the Oerlikon in the same roles, one of which was as an airborne unit anti-aircraft gun. It was used on a wheeled mounting that could be towed behind a jeep. Various double, triple and quadruple mounts were developed. John Inglis Limited of Toronto, Ontario in Canada produced many thousands of guns and some 500 quadruple mountings that saw limited service at the end of the war. These multiple mounts were both trailered and truck mounted.
The Polsten gun was used for armoured vehicles equipped with anti-aircraft guns based on the Cromwell/Centaur tank.
The Polsten was also mounted on early models of the Centurion tank not coaxially with the main gun but in an independent mount on the left hand side of the turret.
The origin of the name is not entirely clear. Some sources suggest Poland and the "Sten Company" to give Pol-sten, though the Sten gun was not made by a Sten Company. Official (United Kingdom) sources indicate the name to have been a compound based on Poland and the Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield in the same manner as the Bren gun (Brno + Enfield) or Sten (Shephard, Turpin + Enfield); also to reflect the gun design being mostly Polish (and the magazine mostly Czech) and the 8 Polish engineers in the design department. The "Sten" ending may also have linked in with the idea of the gun as a cheaper and quicker to produce weapon just like that gun was
When Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the Polish design team escaped to England and resumed work together with Czech and British designers. The need for the Polsten was apparently mooted in June 1941. It went into service in March 1944 alongside the Oerlikon. Both the Oerlikon and the Polsten used similar 60 round drum magazines, however, the Polsten could use a simpler box magazine with 30 rounds. It remained in service into the 1950s.
When compared to the Oerlikon cannon which was made out of 250 parts, the Polsten was made out of 119 parts, without sacrificing the effectiveness or the reliability of the cannon. Simplification of the design of the Polsten cannon made its production much cheaper. The cost of one Oerlikon cannon was about £350, while the cost of the Polsten was between £60 and £70.
The Polsten was used as a substitute for the Oerlikon in the same roles, one of which was as an airborne unit anti-aircraft gun. It was used on a wheeled mounting that could be towed behind a jeep. Various double, triple and quadruple mounts were developed. John Inglis Limited of Toronto, Ontario in Canada produced many thousands of guns and some 500 quadruple mountings that saw limited service at the end of the war. These multiple mounts were both trailered and truck mounted.
The Polsten gun was used for armoured vehicles equipped with anti-aircraft guns based on the Cromwell/Centaur tank.
The Polsten was also mounted on early models of the Centurion tank not coaxially with the main gun but in an independent mount on the left hand side of the turret.
The origin of the name is not entirely clear. Some sources suggest Poland and the "Sten Company" to give Pol-sten, though the Sten gun was not made by a Sten Company. Official (United Kingdom) sources indicate the name to have been a compound based on Poland and the Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield in the same manner as the Bren gun (Brno + Enfield) or Sten (Shephard, Turpin + Enfield); also to reflect the gun design being mostly Polish (and the magazine mostly Czech) and the 8 Polish engineers in the design department. The "Sten" ending may also have linked in with the idea of the gun as a cheaper and quicker to produce weapon just like that gun was
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RAF armourers and mechanics prepare a Hurricane MkIIc of 3TAF / SE Asia Command, for its next sortie.
Note the two-colour subdued roundel applied to RAF aircraft in this theatre. The central red disc was ommitted in order to minimise the risk of confusing it with the red Hinomaru on Japanese aircraft.
(LIFE Collections)
Note the two-colour subdued roundel applied to RAF aircraft in this theatre. The central red disc was ommitted in order to minimise the risk of confusing it with the red Hinomaru on Japanese aircraft.
(LIFE Collections)
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A British officer dressed in a crisp set of khaki drill examines the wreck of a Tiger 1, believed to be in Sicily, circa 1943.
This figures because 17x Tiger 1s of the Hermann Göring Panzer Division were deployed on the island, all of which were lost...except one...which escaped by ferry across the Straits of Messina.
Note this Tiger 1 has one remaining Fiefel air-filter, which were fitted to Tigers operating in hot, dusty climates like Tunisia > Sicily.
(The Tank Museum's famous Tiger "131" actually has these large air-filters fitted.)
This figures because 17x Tiger 1s of the Hermann Göring Panzer Division were deployed on the island, all of which were lost...except one...which escaped by ferry across the Straits of Messina.
Note this Tiger 1 has one remaining Fiefel air-filter, which were fitted to Tigers operating in hot, dusty climates like Tunisia > Sicily.
(The Tank Museum's famous Tiger "131" actually has these large air-filters fitted.)
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Improvisation in the field, par excellence!
So, what do you do to camouflage your tank in the absence of any white-wash? You use "liberated" bed-sheets instead.
British / Commonwealth tankies use a variety of such sheets to create winter camouflage for their Churchill tank during the winter '44 -'45 campaign in NW Europe.
Obviously this would be most effective whilst the tank was stationary.
So, what do you do to camouflage your tank in the absence of any white-wash? You use "liberated" bed-sheets instead.
British / Commonwealth tankies use a variety of such sheets to create winter camouflage for their Churchill tank during the winter '44 -'45 campaign in NW Europe.
Obviously this would be most effective whilst the tank was stationary.
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