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Saturday, 6 June 2015
Experimental Mechanised Force/Experimental Armoured Force
I have long been interested in British tank development and doctrine between the wars, in particular in the Experimental Mechanised Force/Experimental Armoured Force of the late 1920s, and have been assembling some vehicles to portray it in 1/76 and 1/72. While looking for information on the armoured cars with the force this morning I came across this - Pathe News Super Gazette newsreel of Winston Churchill visiting manoeuvers at Tidworth, listed on the IWM site as 1926 and on the Pathe site as 1927 (which makes more sense).
There are Medium Mk IIs, Carden Lloyd Mk IVs, Rolls Royce armoured cars (1920 pattern?), Birch guns on the move, tank signalling with flags, and Burford Kegresse infantry half tracks.
The clip may be well known, but I have never come across it before.
If anyone can suggest a reasonable proxy for the Burford Kegresse half track in 1/72 or 1/76 I'd be very grateful to hear from you. - the nearest I have come so far is the EWM Citroen P19 for Dragons Portees.
What a wonderful piece of footage. As a boy I loved playing with my father's Dinky Mrk2s etc (sadly gone ) and have always like interwar armour ever since. Any books to recommend on this period? Not to mention plastic/resin kits?
ReplyDeletealan
I'm currently (as we speak) filing down thw hatches on four Raventhorpe Light Tanks Mk II so I can put commander figures in them and add new lids. Since I first got one of these (about 20 years ago) they seem to have started making the hulls out of resin, which is a good thing. Frontline do a particularly nice Vickers Medium Mk II. Giesbers have recently brought out a very nice resin kit of the Birch Gun, which is now easier to get hold of as Early War Miniatures are stocking them, and have an agreement to put out simplified quick assembly versions, which I am looking forward to. The first of these (i think) are Carden Lloyd one man tanks Mk i and II. You can also get the Giesbers medium Mk II and Vickers Independent from the same source. EWM also do a Carden Lloyd Mk VI in their own metal range. I have a couple of lovely Carden Lloyd Mk VIs in resin from Moonlite Modelworks, but they are currently unavailable. I have just ordered a pair of Minimi 1920 pattern Rolls Royces - there is a lovely Milicast kit but nearly twice as much (plus you need to assemble it). This is a proxy a really I think they should be 1924 pattern - the only model of which I could find without the 1940 open topped turret is by Reviresco. It will be lovely but cost a fortune to buy and ship from the States, with the possibility of customs charges, and will be huge anyway.I'm struggling for a proxy for the Burfod Kegresse 30 cwt infantry half track as seen with troops in the clip, the nearest I can come to it is the Citroen P19 which may do.
ReplyDeleteBooks - David Fletcher's HMSO bools Mechanised Force and Moving the Guns (written with Philip Ventham) both have some useful information. I'm waiting for a copy of his War Cars as I try to find out a bit more about the armoured car component.
I have a few between the wars British tanks purchased and used ages ago for VBCW.
ReplyDelete28mn or 20mm Colin?
ReplyDeleteAnother book recommendation - picked up a cheap copy today at the Durham Wargames Show of British Armoured Fighting Vehicles 1919/40 published by Profile in 1970 fantastic one volume guide with loads of photos, lots of which were new to me. They cost from £45 upwards on Abebooks and starting at £35 on ebay so pleased to pick mine up for £12
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't already got it, British Tanks and Fighting Vehicles 1914-45 by B.T. White is not as detailed as the Profile but is a good summary.
ReplyDeleteThanks I'll check - I think I do have it
ReplyDelete