Brian Wolfe

Another view

Hello Everyone,

I stated back in the winter that I pass a Russian T34 going to and from work. I was asked to post some photos so here they are. You will notice that it is in fact a T54/55 and not the T34 though the 54/55 is an improved version of the 34.

It sits in front of the parking lot for KW Surplus in Kitchener Ontario. The store actually sells only a few common modern military items (mostly trash) and is the place to go for industrial surplus items and a lot of odds and ends.

I hope the photos are clear enough as I took them in the very early morning so that I could avoid customers in the parking lot and the sun was too bright when facing east for good photos.

Cheers

Brian

Hi PK,

I'm not even going to ask how you would know that.

No, really, don't tell me.

Cheers

Brian

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the images

Cheers

Brian

Brian,

I agree with Rick on the tunic. Unfortunately, because it is a black and white photo there is no way of telling what branch of the Administrative service he would have belonged to. The colour of the collar and trim on the cuffs would have told us that.

Regards,

Gordon

Thanks Gordon

Brian

Here is a close-up of the identification number area showing the large red A, the T and Regimental identification. Give this would have provided too much information to the enemy and would have been removed when war broke out. We can assume that this Carrier was one that would have been painted glossy dark green. The track-adjustment bar can be seen quite clearly.

A simple tool that probably worked well enough in the field (or not at all).

Thanks for looking.

Cheers

Brian

Hello Everyone,

Besides my interest in medals I have always been drawn to the Universal Carriers used in WW II. My fasination has stopped short of trying to restore one due mostly to lack of mechanical ability and storage space. I have some books on the subject and a few photos of restored Carriers and picture postcards from the WW II era. While thumbing through my copy of Osprey's Universal Carrier 1936 - 48 by David Fletcher for the 100th time (well maybe not the 110th), I noticed one photo that looked very familiar as did the vehicle I.D. number. It turns out that on page 24 (denoted as "A") there is a Carrier drawn that I have on a picture postcard. The artist has eliminated the soldiers and the rifle muzzels shown on my picture but it is the same Carrier.

I thought I would post it here with their write-up.

Machine Gun Carrier No.2 Mark 1, 2nd Battalion the Cheshire Regiment, c. 1937

The 2nd Battalion provided a motorized infantry element for the 1927 Experimental Armoured Force and in subsequent years employed the troublesome little Carden-Loyd Carriers. Designed as a machine gun battalion and equipped with Machine Gun Carriers. It would have exchanged these for 15cwt platoon trucks once the Bren Gun was introduced. In peacetime, when appearances counted for more than camouflage, the vehicle would have been finished in a glossy dark green and decorated with the regimental badge and battalion title [as in my photo]. The large red A indicates a front-line, combat vehicle; other types carried a B. The War Office census number was the carrier's primary identification but, between wars, military vehicles were also required to display a civilian-style registration plate, invariably in sequences issued by the County of Middlesex.

As an added bit of information, just below gunners (?) feet you can see the Track-Adjusting Bar axiffed to the side of the Carrier.

I hope you found this interesting.

Cheers

Brian

Some sort of administrative official, I think. It looks like rosettes on his Oberleutnant level collar patches rather than the pointy stars of combatant troops.

An NCO's military long service Cross (can't tell which one since the Roman numerals in the center don't show), the MILITARY 1898 Jubilee Medal but the CIVIL SERVICE 1908 Jubilee Cross-- both on red ribbons.

Hi Rick,

Wow! That was fast!

Many thanks for the information.

Cheers

Brian

I forgot to mention that this is a cabinet photo and not a photo/postcard. I've included a photo of the reverse of the photo's card in case there is something there that can help with the identification.

Many thanks

Brian

Here is a closer picture of the medals and the collar insignia.

Thanks again for your help.

Cheers

Brian

Hello everyone,

One of the sideline projects I've been thinking of starting is the matching of actual medals to photos of recipients. I am going to keep to unnamed medals such as the ones this officer in the photo is wearing as I don't want to feature named medals with another recipient's photo in my collection. I thought it would add a little more interesting look to my collection.

Can anyone tell me what medals this soldier is wearing? The one on the far right looks to be the 60th Anniversary of the reign of Franz Joseph, the middle one might be the 50th Anniversary medal but I don't know what the first cross would be. Perhaps the middle one isn't the 50th Anniversary I was just thinking that there would only be 10 years between the two issues so it could be the 50th.

Also would anyone know what rank and/or unit this fellow belonged to. I'm pretty sure he is Austrian going by the medals.

As to dating the photo, if the middle medal is the 50th Anniversary of the reign of Franz Joseph then would this place the photo around 1898 or at least between 1898 and 1908?

Your help with this is greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Brian

Not so fast, he looks to me to be Prussian Landgendarmerie. The "Foot" or Fu?gendarmen had the round peak and the "mounted" or Berittene Gendarmen the square peak like a dragoon helmet. The Preu?en Landgendarmerie (Rural Police) wore Polish cuffs with a single Garde Litzen, and in 1889 Swedish cuffs with double Garde Litzen were adopted for the Landgendarmerie. According to Ingo L?hken Die Polizei-Uniformen in Preu?en 1866 1945 (p.19) the Garde star was adopted in 1895.

Hi Thomas,

Just to get this clear in my mind. Are you saying this fellow is a Prussian Landgendarmerie and would have been mounted? I assume that the Garde star is the star on his helmet so the photo would have to be after 1895. I'm a novice to uniform identification but I can't resist purchasing these older photographs for my collection.

Thanks for you assistance.

Cheers

Brian

Hi Kevin,

Very nice.

That the first one I've seen.

Thanks for posting it.

Cheers

Brian

Gentlemen,

I know this is supposed to be easy but I need some help. I have a BWM named 97089.2.A.M.J.KELLY. R.A.F.

I bought this "out in the wild" with nothing to refer to. I never know the abbreviations and for me this could have meant Air Marshall. I now think this is 2nd class Air Mechanic J. Kelly. I put this into the search page for the index cards and I do not get a name and service number match. Kelly brings up 82,000+ names so that is no help. What am I doing wrong? There were three possible matches under air mechanic Kelly but the service numbers were wrong and no others were listed when I looked at the details.

Thanks,

Chet

Hi Chet,

I believe you are correct about this being a medal to a second class air mechenic. I have one named to 81439 1 A.M. A.C. CHANDLER R.A.F. and I found a reference stating this was to a 1st class air mechanic. I can't seem to find where I put the reference material at the moment.

Cheers

Brian

Many thanks for the information Chip.

Cheers

Brian

Born January 1897, Waterloo County, Linwood Village. Father Meredith Lavery. He had ten brothers and sisters - he was the youngest.

Thanks Michael. I can find no family still in that area but I'll check with the Township Office this summer to see what I can find. Considering the number in the family there are probably some still there.

Cheerrs

Brian

Hi Snoopy,

WOW! The KG 5, what a great find.

You are one lucky fellow.

Here's to you.

Brian

Many thanks Bernhard and Christophe for the translations. I had no idea that this was such an early post card. Post cards with messages on the back lend a realism to the artifact that even named medals lack.

Thank you both again.

Cheers

Brian

Here is a photo of the body of the postcard's message.

Thank you for any assistance you can extend to me, it is most appreciated.

Cheers

Brian

Here's the address area.

Brian

Hello Everyone,

Here is another postcard from a large lot I purchased this weekend that I need help with. It is a photo of a French soldier taken in full uniform in 1915. If anyone can help with the identification of his unit it would be appreciated.

I also need help with the translation of the writing on the reverse of the postcard. I am sadly unilingual despite the best efforts of my High School French teacher, may he rest in peace, poor fellow.

Thanks again for any help you can give me.

I will save the rest of the photos until I have a scanner that will allow me to post them.

Cheers

Brian

I've tried to get as closer photo but it is probably too out of focus to help much but here it is anyway.

Thanks again for any help you can give me.

Cheers

Brian

Here is a closer photo of the collar tabs and helmet.

Brian

Hello Everyone,

This weekend I picked up a number of items including this photo of a soldier and his family. Is it possible to identify his unit? It is a cabinet photo not a postcard which propaply explains the lack of any writing on the reverse of the photo.

My scanner will not allow me to do anything except scan and print so I have to rely on photography so I hope the detail is sufficient for identification purposes.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Brian

Hello Saltynay,

Welcome to the forum.

I think the bayonet you have is a Pattern 1855 for the Lancaster carbine.

The dimensions for the Pattern 1855 are as follows,

Overall length: 738 mm

Blade length: 612 mm

Blade width: 31 mm at the crossguard

Blade width: 29.5 mm at the point

Blade thickness: 7.6 mm at the crossguard

Muzzel ring diameter: 20 mm

If this is the Pattern 1855 then it was issued to the Royal Sappers and Miners and to Sergeants of the Medical Staff Corps.

Information source: Bayonets of the World by Paul Kiesling, Volume Two, page 127.

Very nice bayonet.

Cheers

Brian