Having finally got round to painting up the WW2 British Engineers, I am puzzled as to what they are supposed to be doing. One is nicely sculpted with a mine detector. The second one has a round thing on his back which might be a flame thrower but might also be an anti tank mine. The ambiguity is good enough to group him with the mine detector as someone has to move the mines away that have been detected. But the third one appears to he running with no weapon and something slightly cylindrical in his hand. Is it a mug for his tea, or a compass, or his loo roll? (Which might explain why he is running). It corresponds to no sapper activity that I can think of. Help please.
One is carrying the flame thrower.
The other I think is just a generic moving around figure.
Maybe a bobbin of wire for a telephone?
Flamethrower
Polish mine detector
Reel / drum of tape (usually white) for marking the cleared path thru the mines?
Sounds like a good song...with a tow row row row row row, // To the British engineers.
But in the British army the flamethrowers were operated by the infantry.
Many thanks for the ideas. I think it is supposed to be a small flamethrower but as has been pointed out, they were not standard sapper kit. The white tape is a good thought but the tape came on a rucksack frame and stuck out at 90 degrees from the back of the carrier.
Linking with the running chap with no weapon and a loo roll, it may well be the toilet seat of course.
Perhaps time to remodel the group? The mine detector man usually held the detector with one hand and kept his other hand thrown back to balance himself. A good accompaniment would then be a man with the tape reel and another prodding, which would make up a normal mine detecting group in that period. A spare Gunner with binoculars or compass from the 25pdr crew goes well as the commander.
What does Pendraken Main HQ think?
Quote from: holdfast on 11 February 2020, 05:36:21 PM
Many thanks for the ideas. I think it is supposed to be a small flamethrower but as has been pointed out, they were not standard sapper kit. The white tape is a good thought but the tape came on a rucksack frame and stuck out at 90 degrees from the back of the carrier.
Linking with the running chap with no weapon and a loo roll, it may well be the toilet seat of course.
Perhaps time to remodel the group? The mine detector man usually held the detector with one hand and kept his other hand thrown back to balance himself. A good accompaniment would then be a man with the tape reel and another prodding, which would make up a normal mine detecting group in that period. A spare Gunner with binoculars or compass from the 25pdr crew goes well as the commander.
What does Pendraken Main HQ think?
If you want some British Engineers laying or prodding for mines what about these chaps from the Falklands range??
https://pendraken.co.uk/_img/products/3087/FLB33.jpg
FLB33 Engineers, helmet
or
https://pendraken.co.uk/_img/products/3070/FLB16.jpg
FLB16 Engineers, beret
OK they are (presumably) in '58 pattern rather than '37 pattern webbing but can you really tell the difference in 10mm given the poses that they are in?
Just an idea :)
Good thought. Thank you.
Is the round bit of kit the Flamethrower (Portable) No. 2.
Usually known as Lifebuoy.
(https://www.militaryimages.net/media/chindit-flamethrower.98359/full?d=1521515332)
(https://preview.free3d.com/img/2018/12/2174897917519725653/tniggejr-900.jpg) (https://assets.catawiki.nl/assets/2018/4/26/b/2/d/b2df9f93-efc1-40b9-8998-65612baa6588.jpg) (https://www.ww2incolor.com/d/542169-4/xanten_flame)
I painted mine as a swim rings ... (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Teddy-in-swim-ring.JPG/1200px-Teddy-in-swim-ring.JPG)
Models of the universe ...(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Bryan_Brandenburg_Big_Bang_Big_Bagel_Theory_Howard_Boom.jpg)
Or hemorrhoid pillows ... (https://gd.image-gmkt.com/INFLATABLE-RUBBER-RING-ROUND-SEAT-CUSHION-MEDICAL-HEMORRHOID/li/736/785/1143785736.g_400-w_g.jpg)
Oh ... and the other guy I assumed was carrying a mine or demolition charge under his left arm.
But we were taught not to run when carrying this sort of stuff as it made everyone justifiably nervous
I'm not sure that rule still applies when the enemy is shooting at you, unless you are a British officer ;)
Precisely.
Were flamethrower units widely/routinely issued in the British army in NWE? What about the BEF in 1940?
In NWE, yes. I've just flicked through Bouchery 'The British Soldier' but can't see the numbers of man-portable Ack Pack flamethrowers issued, but I'm pretty sure they were at battalion level. A lot of use was made of vehicle mounted flame throwers on carriers (Wasp) and on Churchill tanks (Crocodile). Wasps were in the carrier platoons of infantry battalions so readily available, Crocodiles were part of 79th Armoured Divison, but were parcelled out to various different units to support operations.
1940, I don't know, but I've seen little if any reference to their use.
I think there were some issued to RE companies, but not used much.
Never came across any reference to them in 35 years in the Sappers so doubt that they were issued. British sappers were considerably less well equipped with heavier weapons than their German equivalents.