Picture of the day

Vespa 150 TAP anti tank scooter for use with French paratroops...

vespa_150_tap_00.jpg
 
Anybody else thinks that some of the aircraft designers smoke some hard stuff since days of Wright Brothers?

1900-1920 period was full of totally outlandish machines then Germans designed some insane looking (and mostly hardly working) examples,then Russians and French and for 40 years now US designers hold that trophy.
 
I knew a fellow who actually SAW Allenby enter Jerusalem that day.

His name was Angus Kellie and he was with the Siege Train along with his Holt tractor and his 6-inch Howitzer. He had joined up as a Gunner when the War broke out, served 6 years beginning in France and Flanders, then to Suez and actions at Gaza, Be'ersheba, Jerusalem (where he was happy not to fire a single round), Armageddon and then the dash chasing Johnny Turk all the way to Damascus and Aleppo.

Sgt. Kellie's medals were donated in his memory to the XII Manitoba Dragoons/26th Field Museum in Brandon, Manitoba, 2 years ago.

I met Sgt. Kellie when he was with the Corps of Commissionaires, working night-guard at Brandon University. I was a bit taken aback at seeing medal ribbons from the Great War being worn by a working man and we got to talking. After that, I went to bed awfully late and we would talk half the night away; I learned a LOT. Sgt. Kellie actually had considerable sympathy with the ill-equipped Turkish troops he was fighting against but he had NO respect at all for the British companies which were selling medical supplies to Turkey. In this world, he hated only three things: Camels, Fray Bentos corned beef (which he was issued every day for 6 years)..... and Field-Marshal Haig. For General Allenby he had great respect but was not sure about this "crazy little Englishman with the big nose, dressed half in uniform and half in Arab clothes", the one who was "living out in the desert with the Arabs" and "telling Allenby how to run the war". He only made the discovery that he had been close enough to touch Lawrence of Arabia after he got back to Glasgow and saw the movie.... in 1921! In addition, he was a FINE piper!

All honour to Sgt. Angus Kellie, 520 Siege Bty, R.A.

A photo of the aforementioned Sgt. Kellie, just to stick a face to the name. The photo was taken in a studio in Cairo in or around 1920 and it is from the collection of the son of Angus Kellie.

tUB7r7r.jpg
 
Last edited:
Yes, that is DEFINITELY him.

Shell for the 6-inch How came Normal or Light. Normal shell was 122 pounds, Light was merely 100. He was a big, powerful man; when they were preparing for Gaza, they unloaded ammunition for a month. He carried a shell on each shoulder.
 
A photo of the aforementioned Sgt. Kellie, just to stick a face to the name. The photo was taken in a studio in Cairo in or around 1920 and it is from the collection of the son of Angus Kellie.

tUB7r7r.jpg

notice, the big .455 Webley strapped to his waist,, in open top holster, most of these holsters were issued to machine gunners, and i suppose those in the artillery also, correct me if i am wrong,
 
Anybody else thinks that some of the aircraft designers smoke some hard stuff since days of Wright Brothers?

1900-1920 period was full of totally outlandish machines then Germans designed some insane looking (and mostly hardly working) examples,then Russians and French and for 40 years now US designers hold that trophy.

I think back then if it flew and landed reliably it would be considered a good design, christ they only had sliderules and nothing like we have today. The designers were poineers and the pilots had clackers of iron.
Be well
 
Last edited:
A photo of the aforementioned Sgt. Kellie, just to stick a face to the name. The photo was taken in a studio in Cairo in or around 1920 and it is from the collection of the son of Angus Kellie.

tUB7r7r.jpg

Aside from the cap badge, you can tell he is a gunner by the wrap of his Puttees - top to bottom.
 
e1a7ed149e89e7f469409d5229f03da6.jpg

Pilot of the Luftwaffe with his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 that was damaged by anti-aircraft guns in 1944.

3cd292148cbc395a2c0a4533095fe70a.jpg

Battle damage from flak to a Stuka

b598ce23ead7a16a53d17ac3d7bdffd9.jpg


hs129b3wa_2-759x350.jpg

Henschel Hs 129 Tank buster
 
All American. The jeeps (well, 'trucks, 1/4 Ton Utility Willys MB' actually) are all the early slat gill type. Nice pic.

all US troops wore
this uniform and steel helmet, even after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and in the Phillipines US troops were equiped with the same weapons as in WW1, 03 Springfields, though some Garands in small numbers were issued. BAR's, and water cooled browning machine gun,
 
all US troops wore
this uniform and steel helmet, even after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and in the Phillipines US troops were equiped with the same weapons as in WW1, 03 Springfields, though some Garands in small numbers were issued. BAR's, and water cooled browning machine gun,
Don't forget the Lewis gun. Many landing craft at Guadacanal were equipped with the Lewis.
 
Back
Top Bottom