I am currently working on a diorama incorporating a Humber
Scout Car of 11th Armoured Division in Germany 1945.
Also in the scene will be two British soldiers taking charge of
surrendering Waffen SS troops. What would be the likely
uniform insignia of the two British figures?
Thanks.
Paul
Paul, for pityâs sake - how long is a piece of string?(!)
I suggest first you study the order of battle (organisation) of the Div; identify where the Scout Car is from, then decide who is taking the surrender of the SS soldiers: the vehicle crew, accompanying Infantry, a nearby tank crew - who? (or whom even). All this will impact on the uniforms and even equipment and personal weapons.
Once youâre there, Iâll happily wade in(!)
Good luck.
Brian,
Yes, your answer makes perfect sense. Please forgive my slight
ignorance on the subject.
I was basing the vehicle on the one in the accompanying photo,
but Iâm not sure exactly where this would be in Germany.
As you can see, this is a colourised image from a well-known
b/w photo. No doubt you will spot the errors in the colourisation
attempt; namely the red interior to the squadron marking, and the
lack of red square for the AoS marking (of course, accumulated dirt
would have toned down the latter, but it would certainly be faintly visible).
Are you planning to be at Yeovil on Sunday?
Paul
This is another photo of a Humber AC near OsnabrĂźck Germany
Star decals have these markings on one of their sheets
Well, â52â is one of the constituent armoured regiments of the Div: 3 RTR - with a Squadron marking (the diamond) it must be from the requisite squadron - in this case HQ Squadron.
Brit Army org can be a nightmare to the uninitiated, and the complexities of the Second World War can certainly confound!
The armoured car unit in 11th armoured were the Inns of Court other than that they Armoured and Scout cars will be in HQ units. Late in the war (1945) most of the 11th armoured recce regiments used the Cromwell while the Armoured Regiments changed over to the Comet for the charge across Germany to the Baltic.
Also note that some units were returned to the rear after taking a beating during actions and replaced with âfreshâ units this can get confusing unless you know where to look.
If you can find a copy check out the divisions history book âTaurus Pursuantâ
Sorry Paul - forgot the Yeovil question: sadly not.
This thread reminds of my younger days buying spare parts for my first motorcycle. The guys at the shop would judge me for not knowing enough to ask the right questions when my crappy 50cc Honda broke down as it often would. Poor things were so invested in being experts that their knowledge was useless to me. I think they got a kick out of it though.
Thatâs a timely reminder Steve - nearly a rebuke(!) Just because I understand the arcane aspects of Brit Army org doesnât mean everyone else does; I know Paul will take it in the spirit in which it is offered, and Iâm always ready to educate, not to disparage, and hopefully, hopefully, that comes across.
As Boots has already pointed out, the vehicles in the coloured photo both appear to be from the second regiment in the armoured brigade, i.e. 3rd Royal Tanks in the OOB. However IMHO, the crew donât look like âTankiesâ. RTR trim their berets in a very specific way, with the badge central and the woollen beret cover sculpted into a âflapâ either side, so that the effect is almost like a forage cap without a peak. Also the badge is rather distinctive, even at a distance. The tank looks like a Comet, so very late issue. Is this a different unit? Could be Fife and Forfar Yeomanry?
This site may also be of help as it has the war diaries of the Div and is an interesting read. Note that 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry although a Armâd Recce Reg. While with the 11th operated as another Armâd Reg until withdrawn towards the end of August.
Unfortunately the diaries donât cover 1945.
