Local to me

[Ron Pier]

This picture was taken in 'Holdenhurst Village' near Bournemouth Dorset (It was in Hampshire back then). Near where I live. Can anyone help date it from the census numbers please. Ron

[Lynn Eades]

I can't date them Ron, but the left one is built by Thornycroft and the right one by Wolseley. (thanks to Nigel Watson's excellent books)

[Michael R.]

Could the other indicators suggest roughly the spring of 1940 or possibly 1941?

[Ron Pier]

Thanks for the replies. It looks like a smattering of snow to me and no leaves on that first tree, So maybe the winter of 40-41? Ron

[Lynn Eades]

Some of the early U.Cs were lost at Dunkirk. those U.C. T numbers are not as high as these two numbers, but I think these carriers would have been produced shortly after. The Contracts were T7807 and T7808. One of them is from the first 6 of its contract. If Nigel Watson is watching he could pin the dates pretty close. It is possible the contracts were let on the same day, to the two different companies. It was "all hands to the pumps" at that stage because "Britain was drowning"
My wild stab without looking at Dunkirk carrier photos, is that these carriers rolled off the production line about August or September 1940.

[Ron Pier]

Thanks Lynn. Apparently the book from where the picture was taken quotes it as "Holdenhurst Farmhouse 1940" .......So spot on.

Cheers Ron

[Ron Pier]

And now someone has provided me with a better res picture with colourised version and a caption.

"Infantry and Bren gun carriers of the 5th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment pass through a village during 3rd Division exercises near Christchurch in Dorset, 12 March 1941"

Ron

[David Dunlop]

It would be interesting to see that same location today.

David

[Ron Pier]

I will go look for it David. Ron

[Michael R.]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

I will go look for it David. Ron

. . . with your carrier parked in the cover position, Sergeant's uniform on. Or one of the bikes would be acceptable . . .

[Ben]

Originally Posted by Michael R.

. . . with your carrier parked in the cover position, Sergeant's uniform on. Or one of the bikes would be acceptable . . .

Perfect excuse to get a bike out and blow the cobwebs off ;-)

[Michael R.]

Originally Posted by Ben

Perfect excuse to get a bike out and blow the cobwebs off ;-)

Yes. The Scout would look good peeking around the corner.

[Ron Pier]

I know the village quite well, but nowadays there's nowhere to go when you're there except back the way you came. Parts of the village have disappeared because of the main A338 dual carriageway and slip roads into Bournemouth.

I'll scout around on one of the bikes.

Ron

[Ben]

Originally Posted by Michael R.

Yes. The Scout would look good peeking around the corner.

Local to Ron........ But yes it would

[Michael R.]

The thatch roof farmhouse is no longer there.
Images sourced 11 April, 2016, from the world wide web at universal resource locator: http://www.holdenhurstvillage.co.uk/

[Ron Pier]

Amassing what you can find out with Google! Shame about the cottage, but it's not the only one that got demolished. Ron