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  #61  
Old 26-09-11, 22:51
Rich Payne Rich Payne is offline
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Originally Posted by Ian McCallum View Post
Rich,

Where do you manage to find all these great shots, certainly recognise the church, just can't quite figure ourt the orientation without checking a street plan.

Are my eyes playing tricks or is there another vehicle behind the WOC? You can quite easily define the cab and rear tilt frame devoid of any canvas but there also appears to be another 'tilted' vehicle beyond it. Also interesting as this is the first photo I have seen of the bridge plate painted in this position.

Ian
Ian, eBay Germany is the treasure trove but it rather takes the place of a social life and uses up valuable workshop time. 'Axis History' of course likes vehicles in German service but my preference (oh, alright, obsession then) is for them to still show their BEF markings.

I'm pretty sure that there are two vehicles there and thought that there was another WOC1 front mudguard low down.

Reading through BEF marking instructions, they do tend to be a bit vague and open to interpretation so I'm not surprised that there are variations.
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  #62  
Old 27-09-11, 08:27
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Will you stop going on Rich and Just get back to finding a picture of a Morris PU8/4 in BEF markings. Ron
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  #63  
Old 27-09-11, 18:41
Rich Payne Rich Payne is offline
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It's not for want of trying that I haven't found anything Ron. The only written suggestion that I've seen of the PU 8/4 in BEF service was in Michael D. Taylor's old article about M/C recce units in which he says that 4 RNF appear to have had "Morris 8cwts (PU or PU 8/4)" - I don't know whether he was suggesting that it was both or simply that he didn't know.

They seem to have come on the scene a little late for BEF service but I'll keep looking.
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  #64  
Old 27-09-11, 20:27
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Yes Rich it was that article that inspired me to paint it up as 4 RNF. Please don't make me re-paint it in desert colours Ron
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  #65  
Old 23-12-11, 19:44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich Payne View Post
I had the pleasure of chatting with Ian in Dunkirk yesterday. There was a fascinating collection of 1940ish British vehicles.

His Ford really is superbly turned out and the V8 sounds most impressive amongst the straight engines.

Another Dunkirk picture. The census number is quite close!



Jan
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  #66  
Old 23-12-11, 20:51
Rich Payne Rich Payne is offline
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That's a nice find, Jan. Frustratingly, we've still to find a WOC1 with a BEF formation sign. Interesting too that it has a 4-ton bridge classification.

I don't think that Ian is going to find a closer reference for his census number !

There is no GHQ or Corps bar on the AoS marking and '6' indicated an A/Tk Regt. RA in an infantry division. I can't see a horizontal red / blue colour division though.

I wonder if it is on the RE cobalt blue ground, '6' was used for an RE Field Company by at least some of the Motor Divisions (50th and their duplicate, 23rd Div.).
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  #67  
Old 26-12-11, 16:30
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Ian McCallum Ian McCallum is offline
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What a fantastic picture, and as you say the census is VERY close! Opens up my original thoughts that 'Ellie May' might have been one of the fortunate few vehicles that did do to France and make it back to the UK? No indication however of her military history other than the units markings when demobbed in 1946.

Ian
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  #68  
Old 29-12-11, 17:47
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Ian McCallum Ian McCallum is offline
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Default Where is the photo?

Quote:
Originally Posted by rewdco View Post
Another Dunkirk picture. The census number is quite close!



Jan
Jan,

Are you the owner of this photo as I would like a copy, without the fancy sunflower, or where did you see it.

Regards,

Ian
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  #69  
Old 29-12-11, 21:44
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Ian,

It was on eBay.de last week, but I see that it's sold now...
http://www.ebay.de/sch/zilpy/m.html?...id=p4340.l2562

Jan
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1940 Royal Enfield WD/C
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  #70  
Old 29-12-11, 22:59
Rich Payne Rich Payne is offline
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The location is not immediately obvious to me. The vehicle looks to be standing on sand but the tree growth behind doesn't immediately suggest the dunes from De Panne to Dunkerque. I wondered about the area around Calais.

We know from photos posted earlier that some WOC1s were there but not who they were with.

The only hope now with the photo is to watch if the buyer posts feedback and then contact him to ask if he'd share a decent copy to help off-set his costs. No harm in asking and some say yes.
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  #71  
Old 10-01-12, 14:09
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Keith Brooker Keith Brooker is offline
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Here are two original photos from my collection. 1st one only good for parts, 2nd photo, rare to see with cammo frame on top.
Keith
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  #72  
Old 10-01-12, 16:48
Alex van de Wetering Alex van de Wetering is offline
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Excellent pictures guys! Why is it that there are so much German pictures turning up on Ebay nowadays?

Quote:
2nd photo, rare to see with cammo frame on top.
Keith
Or a German radio antenna?
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  #73  
Old 10-01-12, 22:12
Rich Payne Rich Payne is offline
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I think that you're right about the Wehrmacht FFW bits Alex.

The answer to your question, I'd suspect is that German house clearers have discovered that the albums and photos they find in attics and which they used to be embarrassed about are now an easily saleable gold-mine !

Added to that, even the children of those who served in 1940 are getting old now and I can't imagine that finding out what Grandfather did during the war is quite as popular in Germany as it is in the on the 'Allied' side.

I find it a bit of a shame that the pictures are being removed from their context but I can't grumble about all the new BEF images.
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  #74  
Old 10-01-12, 22:26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Brooker View Post
Here are two original photos from my collection. 1st one only good for parts, 2nd photo, rare to see with cammo frame on top.
Keith
Keith,

First pic looks like a Ford WOC that has been rear ended by an Austin K30, obviously to destroy them.
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  #75  
Old 15-01-12, 18:06
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Ian McCallum Ian McCallum is offline
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Default WOC 1's

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Brooker View Post
Here are two original photos from my collection. 1st one only good for parts, 2nd photo, rare to see with cammo frame on top.
Keith
Keith,

Many thanks for sharing your pics of WOC1'S. I now have far more images of them abandoned, destroyed and in German hands than in British service! Perhaps that in itself is telling me something.

Keep looking guys.

Ian
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  #76  
Old 19-01-12, 00:55
Rich Payne Rich Payne is offline
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Default WOC1 in the Drink - Not suitable for Sensitive Owners !

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian McCallum View Post
Keep looking guys.Ian
I'm still looking, Ian !...Stumbling around the Belgian Ceges Soma archive which is not especially user friendly.



I haven't checked the location yet. Is it Le Havre ?

Census number looks to be Z4128345 - another V3615 vehicle.

Quite a well - photographed vehicle, the BEF WOC1 ! The markings are elusive though.
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  #77  
Old 19-01-12, 22:03
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Ian McCallum Ian McCallum is offline
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Default WOC1 - In the Drink!

Hi Rich,

More astounding pictures. I wonder if they missed any during the recovery?

Any ideas how do I go about getting copies without the good old 'copyright' logo? Interesting as this is the first photo showing a WOC with the wheel arch extensions as fitted to mine. Others show the modified recut wing version. I cannot determine why there are the two variants and there does not appear to be any logic, or a natural change during the build programme. I have photos from both contracts and at different intervals in the contract with both options? All I can think is that several 'bodyshops ' were outsourced to modify them and they were fitted at random in the build programme as available. Ian
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  #78  
Old 19-01-12, 22:26
Rich Payne Rich Payne is offline
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Ian, it looks to be quite straightforward to obtain a digital image from them although prices are on application if you want more than 300dpi.

http://www.cegesoma.be/cms/banque_img_en.php

These scans are from period copies of German propaganda images so the quality of the original may not be great - but better than on-line.

If you want to order, send me a personal message and I'll try to tell you where to find the pictures. It doesn't seem to be possible to hyperlink to search results and it's always searching within a search to find anything.

Rich
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  #79  
Old 10-03-14, 23:46
Rich Payne Rich Payne is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian McCallum View Post
Hi Rich,

Many thanks. Had a quick attempt to get into the bundesarchiv photos without too much success. However of the 34 photos I did find for Calais 1940, one was of a WOC1. Unfortunately the angle and debris on the bonnet hide any serial number, but its definately a Ford this time.

Ian


Back in November 2009, Ian mentioned that it wasn't possible to read the bonnet serial number. Four years later, a view of the other side of the poor old WOC1 that did its bit in the barricades of Calais has come to light. The table on the bonnet is still in the same place.



The serial looks to be Z4128426 ? No signs of any other markings. It has become clear that there were a fair number of these in Calais.
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Last edited by Hanno Spoelstra; 10-03-14 at 23:49. Reason: added pictures - please add them to your posting as those photobucket links will one day be gone!
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  #80  
Old 04-10-15, 15:35
Rich Payne Rich Payne is offline
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Default Ford WOC1 in BEF Service

Another snippet shedding some light on the BEF usage of these 8cwts, but still no trace of Ian's...

From 12th (Eastern) Infantry Division, R.E. Vehicle Returns.



This shows that 262, 263 and 264 Field Companies each had two WOC1s on their establishment. They should have had five 8cwts and eight 15cwts on their strength but 12th were an under-equipped newly formed Territorial division sent for Lines of Communication duties (in effect, labour and training).

When they left Gravesend prior to sailing on 14th April 1940, each field company had only twelve vehicles and six motorcycles.



These vehicles would have carried the 12th Div white diamond. Unfortunately, as they arrived in France after 11th April when the last available BEF lists were made, there is no confirmation of the Arm of Service markings which they carried although they would have followed standard practice on a cobalt blue background. '7' , '8' and '9' would have been the serials expected.

All six were from contract V3615

262 Field Company RE :-
Z4128481 & Z4128456

263 Field Company RE :-
Z4128405 & Z4128284

264 Field Company RE :-
Z4128469 & Z4128442
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  #81  
Old 05-10-15, 00:20
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Ian McCallum Ian McCallum is offline
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Default And Still they come!

Great find Rich. Thanks for sharing the photos and info on BEF WOC1's. Slowly, slowly the past gives up some of its secrets. Take it the Calais barricade Pic is yours?
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  #82  
Old 08-05-22, 14:54
Rich Payne Rich Payne is offline
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Default Seven Years Later...

I thought that I'd spotted this one some time ago and posted it here, but apparently not. From the Alamy Archive.
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