British tank stowage item identification

[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.

[Philliphastings]

Took a while to find a similar (but much later US Army issue) stretcher/litter as my earlier post suggested the mystery item may be...

Cheers

Phill

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Thanks, seeing that unfolded, I can picture how it might fold up to resemble the mystery item. Could well be that’s what it is, yes.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Philliphastings

Took a while to find a similar (but much later US Army issue) stretcher/litter as my earlier post suggested the mystery item may be...

Having used this type of litter during exercises, I noted a key feature are the wooden/ bamboo slats in the backside. These are fitted so a patient can be strapped in the litter and be manhandled out of tight spaces, while keeping the patient straight.

Noteworthy is that these litters cannot be folded lengthwise, as it would defy their purpose. So this cannot be the same item as shown on Jakko's photos.

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Good point, that rules that out again, too, then.

[Philliphastings]

We had one of the original WW2 British Commonwealth pattern examples in a Western Australian Military Museum where I volunteered.

It had NO such bamboo or any other rigid reinforcement and so to my thinking it is still a likely contender.

Cheers

Phill

[Lang]

I have done a bit more research on those mystery equipped tanks.

The photos above show the tanks of the British C Squadron, 3rd CLY (County of London Yeomanry) lining up and loading onto the landing barges for the invasion of Sicily. The exit shots are of them debarking in Sicily.

I have found several photos of tanks in the same regiment at the same time carrying no similar equipment.

Just a wild guess is the Squadron commander was a bit of an innovative chap and organised rafts (from the Air Force or Navy?) for his boys for the sea crossing and landing. Obviously whatever they are, they are very temporary as the dozens of photos of this unit in subsequent days after the landing display no such equipment.

[Jakko Westerbeke]

There’s just one photo of a 3CLY Sherman in there, AFAIK, and that’s of the one exiting the Landing Ship, Tank on Sicily. That photo is why I’m wondering about the mystery item in the first place: for a model of that particular tank

IMG_2982.jpeg

When I began wondering what that thing is, I started noticing it in photos of tanks in North Africa as well, and that’s why I included a picture of one of the El Alamein Shermans: to show that it wasn’t a thing specific to the Sicily landings.