British tank stowage item identification

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by Lang

Could only have been used in the desert as it would have been torn off in the first 30 seconds anywhere there were bushes and trees.

Also, they always seem to be hanging from the Sunshield rails (the ones for the lorry disguise), which were not present on tanks elsewhere except those that had served in North Africa, too For all I know the item was on a lot more tanks but stowed somewhere else, where it wasn’t obvious.

Originally Posted by Lang

Just looked at hundreds of tank photos and the only ones I can find are related to landing operations.

In addition to the Shermans and Crusaders in the middle of the desert, you mean? The first photo I posted is of a Sherman around the time of El Alamein, the crew would hardly need a life vest there, I think. Also, just one life vest per tank seems a little … under-equipped? if that’s what it is — which I doubt.

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

I realize now that the pictures were enlarged on just the item in question.

Ah, yes, sorry — I had put a zoom tool over the item in question to show it better. Maybe I should have made that clearer. Here it is at normal size on Churchill as it came ashore in Sicily:

Sherman III “Churchill” (NA 4262).jpeg

[Lang]

Jakko

I was suggesting they were an inflatable raft capable of saving half a dozen people not a life vest.

The desert photos could be 100 metres from the beach after the North Africa landings or even Sicily

Certainly non operational photos at the start, Everything is in top order and clean. I would not wonder if they were lined up to load on barges in North Africa for the Sicily operation.

Once inflated it would be about this size.

[Jakko Westerbeke]

I’m not convinced, sorry The mystery item has straps on the outside that seem improbable for an inflatable raft or boat, and why would any tank in North Africa carry one even if it was? The tank merely being close to the beach would be an odd reason — would you pack a life raft every time you go to the beach? Even in an amphibious landing, carrying a life raft strapped to every tank doesn’t make that much sense, as it’d be much easier to rely on the landing craft’s.