44th Recce Regiment
Re: 44th Recce Regiment
I thought that it was the L.R.Cs that were "useless" not the carriers?
Re: 44th Recce Regiment
Reconnaissance Battalion, 1940-1941 War Establishment
Battalion HQ; Universal carrier, 2 LMGs
Headquarter Company - (LMG for Coy HQ)
AA Pl; 4 twin Bren LMGs, each on 15-cwt, and four atk rifles
Signals Pl
Mortar Pl; two 3-inch mortars (slated to be increased to six 'in due course') and atk rifle
Anti-tank Pl; twelve anti-tank rifles
Admin Pl; atk rifle
Three Recce Coys, each -
Coy HQ; Universal carrier, LMG
Inf Pl - four Secs, each with a Thompson and an LMG, plus an atk rifle at Pl HQ.
Three Scout Pls, each - Pl HQ with Universal carrier, LMG and atk rifle; Armd Recce Car Sec with five LRCs, each with LMG; and two Carrier Secs, each with three Universal carriers (each Universal carrier mounted an LMG, the No.1 carrier also had an atk rifle and the No.2 carrier a 2-inch mortar).
Total of 45 LRCs, 67 Universal carriers, 126 LMGs, 4 twin AA LMGs, 48 atk rifles, 18 x 2-in mortars and 2 x 3 in-mortars
This would be the WE that 18th and 50th Recce Bns were on, both of which sadly marched into oblivion. I could never confirm their LRC type, but the Morris seems most likely.
Reconnaissance Regiment, 1942 War Establishment
Regt HQ; 3 LRCS, 3 LMGs, 2 atk rifles
Headquarter Squadron -
AA Tp; 4 twin Bren LMGs, each on 15-cwt, and four atk rifles
Signals Tp
Mortar Tp; six 3-inch mortars and 3 atk rifles
Anti-tank Tp; six 2-pr anti-tank guns (on Portees), each with LMG, also Pl HQ with LRC, LMG and atk rifle
Admin Tp; atk rifle
Three Recce Sqns, each -
Sqn HQ; LRC and LMG
Assault Tp - four Secs, each with a Thompson and an LMG, plus an atk rifle at Pl HQ.
Three Scout Tps, each - Tp HQ with Universal carrier and LMG; Recce Sec with five LRCs, each with LMG, four also with atk rifle; and two Carrier Secs, each with three Universal carriers (each Universal carrier mounted an LMG, the No.1 carrier also had an atk rifle and the No.2 carrier a 2-inch mortar).
Total of 52 LRCs, 63 Universal carriers, 7 carriers fitted for mortar, 133 LMGs, 4 twin AA LMGs, 68 atk rifles, 18 x 2-in mortars, 6 x 3 in-mortars and six 2-pr atk guns.
This would again appear to be the WE used by 44th and 51st Recce Regts, who arrived in North Africa in summer of 1942. The LRCs proved to be unsuitable for desert warfare. I don't know whether the LRCs deployed were still Morris types, or the newer Humber, which did allow for an atk rifle to be mounted. 51st Recce was re-jigged into an Inf Coy (I assume the three Assault Tps) and a Carrier Coy (again presumably the Carrier Secs); this was an adhoc approach and no WE was issued that I'm aware of. 44th might have stayed whole, and is listed as attached to 7th Armd Div for second Alamein.
Gary
Battalion HQ; Universal carrier, 2 LMGs
Headquarter Company - (LMG for Coy HQ)
AA Pl; 4 twin Bren LMGs, each on 15-cwt, and four atk rifles
Signals Pl
Mortar Pl; two 3-inch mortars (slated to be increased to six 'in due course') and atk rifle
Anti-tank Pl; twelve anti-tank rifles
Admin Pl; atk rifle
Three Recce Coys, each -
Coy HQ; Universal carrier, LMG
Inf Pl - four Secs, each with a Thompson and an LMG, plus an atk rifle at Pl HQ.
Three Scout Pls, each - Pl HQ with Universal carrier, LMG and atk rifle; Armd Recce Car Sec with five LRCs, each with LMG; and two Carrier Secs, each with three Universal carriers (each Universal carrier mounted an LMG, the No.1 carrier also had an atk rifle and the No.2 carrier a 2-inch mortar).
Total of 45 LRCs, 67 Universal carriers, 126 LMGs, 4 twin AA LMGs, 48 atk rifles, 18 x 2-in mortars and 2 x 3 in-mortars
This would be the WE that 18th and 50th Recce Bns were on, both of which sadly marched into oblivion. I could never confirm their LRC type, but the Morris seems most likely.
Reconnaissance Regiment, 1942 War Establishment
Regt HQ; 3 LRCS, 3 LMGs, 2 atk rifles
Headquarter Squadron -
AA Tp; 4 twin Bren LMGs, each on 15-cwt, and four atk rifles
Signals Tp
Mortar Tp; six 3-inch mortars and 3 atk rifles
Anti-tank Tp; six 2-pr anti-tank guns (on Portees), each with LMG, also Pl HQ with LRC, LMG and atk rifle
Admin Tp; atk rifle
Three Recce Sqns, each -
Sqn HQ; LRC and LMG
Assault Tp - four Secs, each with a Thompson and an LMG, plus an atk rifle at Pl HQ.
Three Scout Tps, each - Tp HQ with Universal carrier and LMG; Recce Sec with five LRCs, each with LMG, four also with atk rifle; and two Carrier Secs, each with three Universal carriers (each Universal carrier mounted an LMG, the No.1 carrier also had an atk rifle and the No.2 carrier a 2-inch mortar).
Total of 52 LRCs, 63 Universal carriers, 7 carriers fitted for mortar, 133 LMGs, 4 twin AA LMGs, 68 atk rifles, 18 x 2-in mortars, 6 x 3 in-mortars and six 2-pr atk guns.
This would again appear to be the WE used by 44th and 51st Recce Regts, who arrived in North Africa in summer of 1942. The LRCs proved to be unsuitable for desert warfare. I don't know whether the LRCs deployed were still Morris types, or the newer Humber, which did allow for an atk rifle to be mounted. 51st Recce was re-jigged into an Inf Coy (I assume the three Assault Tps) and a Carrier Coy (again presumably the Carrier Secs); this was an adhoc approach and no WE was issued that I'm aware of. 44th might have stayed whole, and is listed as attached to 7th Armd Div for second Alamein.
Gary
Re: 44th Recce Regiment
Superb. Thanks.