Two Triumph 3Sws from the August 1940 RASC contract C7162 for 6000 machines but apparently curtailed at 3458 due to the bombing of Coventry in November 1940.



They display the "597" arm of service serial of No.21 Reserve Motor Transport Company, R.A.S.C.

I should perhaps have mentioned that the background colour would have been standard RASC red / green diagonal and that the white bar underneath duriing the early war period was used to indicate GHQ troops and command troops.

Most of the Home Forces Reserve M.T. Companies were allocated at command level, unfortortunately the National Archives indexing system gives no detail, so it would mean digging out the War Diary to have an idea where the location might have been.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C791096

The background of the picture appears to show a War Memorial which would have been WW1 and or Boer War?

My thoughts too, Mark. I asked on forum with a War Memorial sub section if anyone recognised it, but no response so far...no luck blagging a copy of 21 Reserve MT's war diary either, as that may give a clue.

Looks a bit like Minehead Somerset War Memorial?

Rob

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.2109866,-3.4769173,3a,75y,209.48h,80.42t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0nrqai2EeszidpoUK0g-5A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu

Incredible call, Rob...I reckon that you got it in one !

Yes, I believe this is the War memorial in Minehead. The 2 houses behind them and 1 in the distance are still there. Some changes have been made to other buildings and vegetation is very different now. I grew up in Minehead, and attended Remembrance Day services there. I also rode past it every day on my paper route.

I would love to find out more about the picture, and if there are others. I have a website about Minehead during the war. This stretch of road was used by crews heading up to the Minehead AVR. This piece of road is on a hairpin, so concrete had to be poured to prevent the tanks ripping up the tarmac. Check out more on my website. https://mineheadwwii.wordpress.com

email (option): matcurtis@yahoo.com

Hi Mathew, thats an interesting site you have, I live in East Devon but regularly walk on North Hill.

I was reading a book about the reminiscences of a chap who was a child in Minehead during the war, I have misplaced it at the moment, too many books and we had the builders in recently, but I remember he mentioned a despatch rider being decapitated in an accident there and I had wondered if he was in Minehead cemetery? There are a few possibles.

Rob

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/search-results/?CemeteryExact=true&Cemetery=MINEHEAD+CEMETERY&Page=2

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Thanks Rob. If you remember what the book is, please let me know as I would love to read it. I will take a look to see if I can find more on the decapitation story. North Hill is a great place to walk. Not sure if know much about the tank range there, if not, you will have to use the info on my site, and the images, to locate the actual ranges.

email (option): matcurtis@yahoo.com

Mathew, although I started this thread, I don't know where the photo came from and all I was able to do was identify the unit. It was posted by the admin here as a new forum photo and I tend to copy them and post them in a thread as otherwise they disappear over time

This is the book

Rob

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353126485203

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Thanks Rik

email (option): matcurtis@yahoo.com

Thanks Rob, I will have to order it and have a good read.

email (option): matcurtis@yahoo.com

Yesterday I took Dad for a day out, would you believe we couldn't find a chip shop open in Minehead, had to make do with a very disappointing MacDonalds, but I met a very interesting gardner in the cemetery who helped me find a grave. And I had a go at a then and now picture, but I think I needed to be further back.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

I do love those then and now pictures Rob.
My youngest sister used to live in Minehead.

Mark

email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com

Great job with the now and then photograph.I think you are pretty much on the right spot with it, you even have the start of the pavement lined up correctly. The biggest problems with older pictures is the focal length of the lens being very different than the one probably used today. You just need some volunteers from this page to go back with you in uniform on their Triumphs.

I'm sorry you couldn't find a chippy open. I did notice one of the ones we used to go to as a kid is currently getting planning permission to be turned into flats. Alcombe has some good ones.

Hi Mat, it would be nice to get a couple of appropriate machines there for a proper reconstruction, there is probably enough to do on Exmoor for a week long gathering, maybe something for the future when there is a quiet year?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk