Picture of the day

[gewehr76]

Different angle on that Ausf B:

And yet another in glorious colour:

Big bastard, no?

Only 88 were produced according to Wiki. 3 are known in existence today, one in Bovington, one in Kubinka and one in the Fort bening museum.
Kubinka's one was captured without a scratch on it in Austria and its the latest variant of the model.

 

[MarkCNP]

Those aren't so big . . .

 

[kjohn]

A lot of steel in one of those babies!

 

[kjohn]

Valentine tanks...

View attachment 19660

 

[RMXC51]

Those aren't so big . . .

When your coaxial gun is 75mm, you've pretty much gone full retard.

 

[cornelunc]

Here is a picture with our infantry regiment at drill Romania 1984. Original picture from my family album.

 

[gewehr76]

How you guys controlled and kept those evil ak47s from killing everything in site, is beyond me.

 

[kjohn]

How you guys controlled and kept those evil ak47s from killing everything in site, is beyond me.

After looking at that evil AK47, I had to run out and hug a tree, then guzzle some latte. Ewwww!

 

[smellie]

Valentines.......

There was a whole production run of Valentines built in Canada.

They were ALL delivered to Mother Russia as a sop to the Communist Party-backed "AID TO RUSSIA" hysteria.

Meanwhile the Canadian Army was training with Fords and American-built copies of the Renault FT-17.

Nothing changes.



I am more than a bit "down" today. This is the 50th anniversary of my Regiment's Colours being paraded for the final time.

People wonder why I detest the Liberals. Think.

We were thrown away to save pennies, basically. Two years earlier, we were expected to fight T-55s with our Fireflies.... and we would have DONE it if the balloon had gone up any farther.

 

[diopter]

Sad for you. Least my old unit still exist. Nice when I get nostalgic.

 

[points]

Valentines.......

There was a whole production run of Valentines built in Canada.

They were ALL delivered to Mother Russia as a sop to the Communist Party-backed "AID TO RUSSIA" hysteria.

Meanwhile the Canadian Army was training with Fords and American-built copies of the Renault FT-17.

Nothing changes.



I am more than a bit "down" today. This is the 50th anniversary of my Regiment's Colours being paraded for the final time.

People wonder why I detest the Liberals. Think.

We were thrown away to save pennies, basically. Two years earlier, we were expected to fight T-55s with our Fireflies.... and we would have DONE it if the balloon had gone up any farther.

Smellie
What regiment. A whole slew got shtcanned in the sixties. As a nod to the old days, I rented a Black Watch regimental kilt for a wedding a couple of years ago. It was quite the hit.

 

[mr.e moose]

It was a sad day when the Black Watch trooped the colours for the last time. So much tradition and many a fine man served. RIP RSM Reekie.

 

[purple]

Some of the regiments that were zeroed out in the 1964/64 timeframe included the 4PLDG, 14th Canadian Hussars, the Irish Fusiliers of Canada, the Winnipeg Grenadiers, 12th Manitoba Dragoons, Halifax Rifles, Victoria Rifles of Canada, Royal Rifles of Canada, and there were others. The 14th Canadian Hussars and 12th Manitoba Dragoons were still carried on the Canadian Army Staff College orbat when I attended there in 1974.

Add the 19th Alberta Dragoons who were disbanded at the same time.

 

[Ballsofice154]

The Colours of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons still fly albeit figuratively they hang in place at the regimental museum in Brandon, (Shameless advertising -website 12mbdragoons.com and the facebook page for those of you that book face- facebook.com/pages/26th-Field-Regiment-Royal-Canadian-Artillery-12th-Manitoba-Dragoons-Museum/369782049790739)

The Virden Cadet Corps still wears the charging buffalo so not all is lost.

photos below are of the final parade of the 12th MB Dragoons 31st DEC 1964:

 

[Rule 303]

I remember watching the Watch parading their colours for the last time.

The rain was pissing down.

 

[surfclod]

What tank is this?

Some old photos from my grandfathers collection.

He served with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles during WW2 but refused to ever speak of his experiences. He did speak of time in Jamaica (photos from 1943-44) and Holland. He was a Bren gunner at one time but not sure what part of the war he filled this role.

Wish he had spoken about his experience even a little but he refused and is gone now.


Found this photo in his wallet. What tank is he standing on? Panther?

 

[scott585]

yep, its a panther, looks like it was thoroughly stripped by that point

 

[MarkCNP]

My uncle was the same way, he was part of the march through Holland. He was front-line infantry, never really spoke about it, but one day he said that he had "seen it all." One can only imagine what he had gone through.

 

[scott585]

We were thrown away to save pennies, basically. Two years earlier, we were expected to fight T-55s with our Fireflies.... and we would have DONE it if the balloon had gone up any farther.

i wonder if you could share with us a bit of your experience with the firefly?

what position were you in? how many rounds of what type were expected to be loaded in the tank for combat? were APDS rounds common during your service? i understand that the accumulator for the recoil system had to be under filled from early requirements because the gun wouldnt eject after the oil got hot on the 4th or 5th round, was this ever resolved?

what small arms were carried with the vehicle? stens, or were C1s issued?

 

[surfclod]

While in Jamaica my grandfather and the guys he served with over there seemed to have a fairly relaxed duty.

Found a couple of photos of them shooting the Boys Anti-tank Rifle.



It looks like it would NOT have been much fun to shoot.