Daimler Armoured Car

[john_g_kearney]

Can anybody identify the badge on the right-hand mudguard (as viewed) of this Daimler armoured car please? The car is at Celle just after the war ended. The badge looks like a New Zealand fern, but as far as I am aware no New Zealand units served in north-west Europe at this time.

John.

[Alanmccoubrey]

John, it looks to me to be a censor's scratch marks rather than a sign.

[john_g_kearney]

Interesting thought, Alan, but the photograph is a soldier's snapshot and I don't think the negative was ever run past a censor.

John.

[Alanmccoubrey]

In that case I'd opt for the Wessex Wyvern but that could be because I live in Wessex and Wyvern Close is just around the corner ! That said, just when would they have been issued the modern Daimlers ? According to Peter Brown they didn't have them as late as December 1944 but did have them in June 1945.

[Tom from Cornwall]

Alan,

I agree - it does seem the right shape for the Wicked Wyvern!

John,

Any more vehicle photos to follow?

Regards

Tom

[Gary Kennedy]

From my old notes based on 21AG AFV returns for Jan45 onwards -

"The Humber Mk IV was the standard armoured car of the Reconnaissance Regiments in Normandy, with an increasing number of units adopting the Daimler during the course of the campaign. 3rd (British), 43rd (Wessex) and 51st (Highland) Divisions all converted to the Daimler during late 1944 and early 1945. 5th (British) and 52nd (Lowland) Divisions also arrived in theatre equipped with the Daimler. 49th (West Riding), 50th (Northumbrian), 53rd (Welsh) and 59th (Staffordshire) Divisions all retained the Humber throughout. 15th (Scottish) Division began to convert to the Daimler but still had a proportion of Humber armoured cars by VE-Day."

Do we know which units/formations were around Celle at this time?

Gary

[T. A. Gardner]

The 41 has to be in a Red and cobalt Blue half and half square signifying that the vehicle is from an infantry division reconnaissance regiment. That's because the 41 is the numerical designator for such units. I'm guessing a bit, but the divisional symbol looks like the 43rd Infantry Division.

So, that would make the vehicle from the 43rd Wessex Reconnaissance Regiment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/43rd_(Wes ... e_Regiment

[john_g_kearney]

Thank you very much for these replies - I think we can definitely say that the Daimler belongs to 43rd (Wessex) Reconnaissance Regiment. Here is the complete photograph. I think the occasion is the 43rd (Wessex) Division march past through Celle on 24 May 1945. In the photograph, it looks as though the march past is over and Field Marshal Montgomery is making one last inspection of parading troops before leaving the town. (The review stand was on Schloßplatz, but the parading soldiers are on Stechbahn.)

John.

Celle Stechbahn.jpg (230.61 KiB) Viewed 682 times