Picture of the day
- Thread starter jwhc
- Start date
" wait 'til he stops, let half out slowly, then squeeze."
Pitiful. Sent into combat with a scope that was obsolete a generation earlier. The functioning of a Winchester A5 in the jungle or the South Pacific could probably be measured in days. The Japanese at least had the brains to issue a soldier proof, fully sealed scope. How did they make it fully sealed? No adjustment knobs, instead an etched glass ranging reticule. Lt. John George tried a captured one on Guadalcanal and found it excellent.
You might wonder why so few if any modern sniper scopes or other rifle scopes feature this system? There is nothing faster for target acquisition and aiming.
General Brooke wrote in his private diary about what a meneace Churchill was and how close to diaster thay have been with hime. The next line was about the fact that without him they, the british, would have been finished!!!
Pitiful. Sent into combat with a scope that was obsolete a generation earlier. The functioning of a Winchester A5 in the jungle or the South Pacific could probably be measured in days. The Japanese at least had the brains to issue a soldier proof, fully sealed scope. How did they make it fully sealed? No adjustment knobs, instead an etched glass ranging reticule. Lt. John George tried a captured one on Guadalcanal and found it excellent.
You might wonder why so few if any modern sniper scopes or other rifle scopes feature this system? There is nothing faster for target acquisition and aiming.
That is a sweet reticle.
DaveMachine
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Reminds me of an ACOG.
i think those are to indicate that the arms have been shortened for the image
How about a trio of Perth boys.
17Jan44 – Arielli River, Italy – Perths moving into their first combat action north of Ortona. Infantrymen move past supporting Sherman tanks of the Three Rivers Regiment (12th Armoured Regt, 1CAB.)
Credit: IWM, NA10962, Sgt Christie
17Jan44 – Arielli River, Italy – Preparing for the Arielli attack, a Three Rivers Sherman drags a Perth 6pr ATk Gun out of the mud. Note the positioning of Entrenching Tools on some of the men.
Credit: IWM, NA10965, Sgt Christie
Someone in the comments suggested that perhaps the tank was the tow vehicle, allowing for more immediate support.
And a littel over a year later...
15Apr45 – Netherlands – A section of Perths of ‘D’ Company takes a break on the roadside during the advance north from Arnhem to Harderwijk. Left to right: Cpl GC Gavey; No.1 Bren Pte GF Cote; Pte Wilbert R. Flood; Pte GC Compton; Pte RN White; LCpl EW Wilson.
Credit: NAC PA145973, Capt JH Smith
17Jan44 – Arielli River, Italy – Perths moving into their first combat action north of Ortona. Infantrymen move past supporting Sherman tanks of the Three Rivers Regiment (12th Armoured Regt, 1CAB.)
Credit: IWM, NA10962, Sgt Christie
17Jan44 – Arielli River, Italy – Preparing for the Arielli attack, a Three Rivers Sherman drags a Perth 6pr ATk Gun out of the mud. Note the positioning of Entrenching Tools on some of the men.
Credit: IWM, NA10965, Sgt Christie
Someone in the comments suggested that perhaps the tank was the tow vehicle, allowing for more immediate support.
And a littel over a year later...
15Apr45 – Netherlands – A section of Perths of ‘D’ Company takes a break on the roadside during the advance north from Arnhem to Harderwijk. Left to right: Cpl GC Gavey; No.1 Bren Pte GF Cote; Pte Wilbert R. Flood; Pte GC Compton; Pte RN White; LCpl EW Wilson.
Credit: NAC PA145973, Capt JH Smith
And a little over a year later...
15Apr45 – Netherlands – A section of Perths of ‘D’ Company takes a break on the roadside during the advance north from Arnhem to Harderwijk. Left to right: Cpl GC Gavey; No.1 Bren Pte GF Cote; Pte Wilbert R. Flood; Pte GC Compton; Pte RN White; LCpl EW Wilson.
Credit: NAC PA145973, Capt JH Smith
I was wondering about the small arms carried in that photo. Most of the guys have Lee Enfield rifles, but the first one - Cpl GC Gavey - is holding a Sten. Would he have that because he's the NCO, or because he was part of the Bren team and has it for CQB protection of the Bren gun while avoiding the greater encumbrance of a rifle and rifle ammo when acting as a loader? Or maybe both?
Those slashes are short hand indicating the lines have been shortened for illustrative purposes.
all the riflemen in the squad would carry one bren mag and keep it topped up from their own ammo. the NCO carried a SMG as he was directing the squad, and later in the war the L/Cpl got a SMG too as he would be directing the bren gun. the SMG was for personal defense mostly i think. the loader for the bren had a rifle, and the other guys all had rifles
Dark Alley Dan
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15Apr45 – Netherlands – A section of Perths of ‘D’ Company takes a break on the roadside during the advance north from Arnhem to Harderwijk. Left to right: Cpl GC Gavey; No.1 Bren Pte GF Cote; Pte Wilbert R. Flood; Pte GC Compton; Pte RN White; LCpl EW Wilson.
Credit: NAC PA145973, Capt JH Smith
What's Private Cote wearing on his head?
I tried enlarging and enhancing the photo, then finding a fresher copy on the web and examining that. Still can't tell. It's not a helmet and it's not a watch cap like the one Cpl Gavey next to him is wearing. It's also not a beret. My best guess is that it's some kind of 'personalized camouflage' hat - a watch cap similar to Cpl Gavey's or a beret like the armoured boys wore, with a helmet net over top it to break up the shape a little more.
