The official AHF Allied & Neutral Armies quiz thread

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Guys

While it was my first post, I have been a lurker here for a while. I do consider myself a beginner in many areas shown in the quizzes. While I have a general interest in military history, I tend to be interested in OOB and TO&E more than in battles. For WW2, my primary area of interest is the Commonwealth forces in the Middle East with a secondary interest in the Allies in the Pacific War.

I didn't get the answer by any great knowledge. Commonwealth unit patches are not my strong suit. It was by analysis and luck. The water buffalo (?) head links it to Southeast Asia/East Indies/Western Pacific. While it is like the U.S. Philippine Division patch, that patch doesn't have the "V". The only "V" related unit was "V" Force in Burma/Assam. When the clue about the local tribes was given, I thought that it might be the patch for the regular (British/Indian) members of "V" Force. However, the reference to the Indian Infantry Battalions negated that answer. Since one of the tribes mentioned was the Lushai, it triggered my memory. I came across the Lushai Brigade in earlier studies. It stuck in my memory because it was the only Brigade in 14th Army that used a name and not a number.

I came up with this answer a while ago. I fully expected some of the regular posters to come up with the answer. It was only when some much time went by that I got off my butt and posted.

I am afraid that I am not prepared to post a question of my own. I defer to whomever wants to post one.

Pat B.

[iffig]

You are too modest!

So, another one:



Type and users?

[Pat Brennan]

Hi

I believe that this is a Crossley HP 30/100 HP 4x4 Fire Tender primarily used by the RAF. There is a photo of one in German service in AHF thread http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... start=2190 (page 147). I speculate that it may have been used by the USAAF and other Allied air forces in the UK.

Pat B.

[iffig]

You are right as to the type. Users are a bit more "exotic" than you figure. Anyway they used this vehicle before WW II (where they initially played a very modest part).

[Pat Brennan]

There is a typo in my original reply. The name given in my source was Crossley Q and not Crossley HP. This source is "The Observer's Fighting Vehicles Directory - World War 2" by Bart Vanderveen.

As I was doing further research, I came across a different designation. At a Crossley site http://www.crossley-motors.org.uk/history/military.html, it was designated as a Crossley FWD. I am not sure which is correct.

In either case, my sources state that the first production vehicles were delivered in 1940. The design phase appears to be pre-war.

Unfortunately, my sources do not give a users list. I would be guessing even further, so I will pass as far as the Fire Tender version is concerned. If your question was for the basic chassis, then there were some photos on the web for a Signals Van version in Australia.

Pat B.

[iffig]

Hello!

Not, it is an European country.

[The Edge]

http://www.armyvehicles.dk/crossleyfwd.htm

Anyway they used this vehicle before WW II...

No such info in above source. :roll:

[iffig]

The Edge wrote:

No such info in above source.


You are right: I too hastily read the info.
That means that Pat won in fact!

[The Edge]

That means that Pat won in fact!

Agree - such a promising young chum!

[iffig]

The Edge wrote:

Agree - such a promising young chum!

Looks as if he were! And my apologies to both of you. I mistakenly "read" that these tenders had been in use in Denmark as early as 1939 (I commented to myself : "Wow ! for such a small air force ..." ). There is something rotten in the Kingdom, sorry, the Republic of France!

[Pat Brennan]

Hi guys

Thank you for the "young" comment, even if it is far from true. I guess it is my turn to ask a question. The hardest part of these quizzes is coming up with questions that comply with the "rules".

Pat B.

[Pat Brennan]

This one may be too hard.

Please identify the nationality of the horsemen in the picture below. Also, the location and the year of the photo.

For bonus points, identify the unit.

Pat B.

[Ironmachine]

Polish Carpathian Mounted Rifles, Palestine, 1941.
http://www.militaryhorse.org/forum/view ... 18&start=0

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Ironmachine

You are correct. Even with the URL on the photo, I thought that it would be harder.

This photo is a good example of the diversity of the WW2 Middle East campaign. Who would have expected Polish horse cavalry in British uniforms serving in Palestine in 1941.

BTW - most other sources that I have seen give the cavalry unit in the Polish Carpathian Brigade as the Carpathian Lancers, not the Mounted Rifles. However, that is what they are called in thread at the URL.

Over to Spain

Pat B.

[Ironmachine]

Thanks, Pat.
What is that?

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