How long is the combat history for the UC?
 

I was looking into some unrelated history topics over the weekend and found an article regarding Portugal and Angola in the 1960's. In it was the following picture dated 1961.

The carrier looks quite complete and original. Not certain what the description says, however.

This made me wonder just how long these vehicles served inactive combat. I know they were still on strength in Canada into the early 1960's but I don't think they ever saw further combat with the Canadian military anywhere post 1945.

David

It still has it's tools on the tool board. It can't have been active yet. :D

The literal translation into Portuguese is:-
" Bren car lot used to open trails in the theater of operations in northern Angola"

I was there briefly in 1971 but didn't see any carriers. Just lots of lady soldiers.

What could be worse than PMT and a machine gun :giveup

Ron

1952
 

Korea, the forgotten war . . . Pte. Mahoney of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 1952, Korea.

Photo credit Archives Canada

The Belgian army was still maintaining their Loyds until at least 1963, as I recovered an engine rebuild data plate from a range target Loyd with that date.
I'm going to Northern Angola at the end of September.

That's because UC's are badass..... :yappy: :yappy:

T16s in Korea
 

T16 Universal Carriers service with the British Army in Korea - that was unknown to me.

Attachment 119419 Attachment 119420
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/britis...57687925962996

The Australian Army used the LP2A carrier in Korea. Apparently, most of those deployed to Korea remained there.


Hanno's image also has a few 17-pdr AT guns visible - Australia (3RAR) used the Aust version of the 17-pdr for 'sniping' duties against enemy bunkers and positions in the latter stages of the Korean War.


Mike

Rhodesian Lloyd carriers in the 1970s
 

There was at least one Lloyd carrier used in Rhodesia in the 1970s for convoy escort or airfield perimeter security. The typical low superstructure was replaced with more functional side screens, as was their anti-ambush experience.

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=10167

Attachment 119442 Attachment 119441

why do you think it is a Loyd carrier?
could you be confusing the chassis with something out of Somerville, Massachusetts?

Yes, definitely a heavily modified T16.

Plain idler, not the braked sprocket but undriven idler of a Loyd. different wheel spacing. Some mid production curly spoked T16 wheels.

David

I do not claim to be a Carrier expert. If I used the name Lloyd, it was because somewhere in the folds and nestled regions of my brain, that is the name to use for a four-roadwheel carrier. The photos were sourced by photographers in southern Africa long ago and published in various period publications, including Soldier of Fortune in its heyday and other definitive places.

Armament
 

The images of the carriers in Rhodesia appear to be armed with Bren guns, but with straight magazines for rimless rounds, so either the L4 version in 7.62-mm NATO (which would be by far the most likely) or the much rarer 7.92-mm version. The magazines appear quite short, so possibly the L1A1 rifle 20 round magazine, rather than the 30 round L4 magazine, which would tend to confirm the calibre as 7.62-mm NATO.


Mike

I don't remember noticing other Brens in RhSF images, so there may be a practical explanation. (Edited) The 7.62 conversion was well established in RSA at the time with over 8000 LMGs of all Marks modified.

http://nutria.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=326

You learn something new everyday.

Sure do ... an interesting article indeed, thanks for posting.


Mike

Also, of note the Republic of South Africa (being a bit on the "Outer" in Commonwealth nations due to Apartheid) was not a party to the L1A1 SLR production, which is known in firearm collector circles as the "Inch FAL".

RSA rifles are the "Metric FAL" produced in Belgium, so the 20rd magazines for the R1 FAL, and by association, the 30 round RSA 7.62mm Brens, are not interchangeable with the L1A1 SLR (aka C1), L2A1 AR (aka C2), or L4A1 Bren. This probably makes the RSA Bren quite unique amongst all the family of Brno ZB/Bren weapons.

Tony,

I'm by no means an expert and have never heard the terms inch or metric FAL before, but I can assure you that the Canadian-made C1A1 was not a direct copy of the British L1A1. There were enough Canadian characteristics on the C1A1 to differentiate between the two.

I don't know if the British and Canadian magazines were interchangeable so I'll leave that to the more knowledgeable posters on here to comment.

Cheers,
Dan.

... the sounds of R. Blake Stevens turning over in his grave.

E gads man.