Nice picture just shows how much kit they had to take with them all the time

Any thoughts on when it was taken and why they would have all this kit and parked outside 10 Downing Street.

The body language says to me that the bobby is telling them where they can go!
Richard

I thought the policeman was pointing at the camera and telling them the map co-ordinates they had been given for Salisbury Plain were a leg-pull!?

Looks like a typical propaganda photo to me, "Our Brave Lads Leave No10 For For The Front" type of thing.

It's dated 4th September 1939...no blackout masks yet and the policeman doesn't even look to have a respirator. There must have been a lot of comings and goings with troops, including DRs being moved up close to the seat of Government.

Gosh, just a day after Chamberlains fateful speech which declared war on Germany.

Are we certain that the image was taken in Downing Street ? If so, it should be noted that there were a large number of Regular and particularly Territorial Army depots in the London area......regarding the latter, many of the TA units had been reformed since WW1 with Yeomanry formations having swapped their horses during mechanisation to take on new roles, particularly in Signals and Artillery taskings.......16H's were certainly issued pre-war to many such units.......

Downing Street is straight into Whitehall. The one in the photo has what looks like a bend in it just behind the policeman

Downing Street. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

It's looking in to Downing Street.

Its so long since one was able to walk along Downing Street something I think I did in the 50s that I thought that it was straight. Shows how you cannot rely on memory.

It also says that a public highway is now closed to you, the pubic!
Richard

Oh yes! It's all gated and police protected now. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com