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WWII brake van


Tony Cane
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The image below comes from an online video from  the IWM. My apologies for the poor quality ( you should see how bad the original was)

The van is in in front of a heavy railway gun probably Boche Buster, as the description say 14 inch. Though it names it Pooh which is not correct.

 

This looks to me to be a SECR dance hall brake van painted in camouflage colours.

I have a record that a van of this type, No 55482 was used on a railway gun train so this checks out.

Am I imagining things, or does anyone else concur with my identification?

 

The video is at

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060009501

 

Th last third is of the railway gun.

brake van.JPG

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Definitely a dance-hall, the roof shape is very distinctive, and probably a popular choice with the gun crew as they were spacious inside (hence the nick-name) and the stove was adequate when required (often a failing with large vans), they rode quite well too.

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25 minutes ago, Tony Cane said:

Radar towers in the back ground, so definitely Martin Mill.

Here is a dramatic screen capture from the video.

Radar towers are Martin Mill ........ but the screen capture has captured a proper signal - which probably isn't Martin Mill ! ........ so there are probably bits of Elham Valley too.

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28 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

Radar towers are Martin Mill ........ but the screen capture has captured a proper signal - which probably isn't Martin Mill ! ........ so there are probably bits of Elham Valley too.

The hills in the background of some shots seem a bit high for anything around Guston.

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Definitely both Defiants, judging by the underwing roundels and Sky undersides, the film was probably taken sometime between mid August and end November 1940. By the end of August, Defiants were being withdrawn from day fighter use after the mauling both squadrons (264 and 141) had received that had demonstrated their vulnerability in fighter versus fighter combat. The whole clip was most interesting and thanks for posting. 

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On 16/03/2021 at 12:00, Welchester said:

It rather looks as though firing the gun damaged the signal arm.

And the telegraph pole on the opposite side of the track too. Muzzle blast from main armament on battleships was quite severe, leading in some cases to disruption of the deck planking if fired too near the axis of the ship. 

 

The gun being loaded appears to be the 18" howitzer on carriage 'Boche Buster', it has a right handed breech mechanism like the existing barrel L1 in the Royal Armouries collection. Winnie and Pooh were 14" guns of the same type mounted in the KGV battleships and were emplaced, not on railway mountings. Clem and Jane, 15",  ex naval guns, likely with handed breech mechanisms were also emplaced. Three ex naval 13.5" guns were deployed on railway mountings. Being a howitzer rather than a naval gun it had shorter range and was later withdrawn to Salisbury Plain to test projectiles for attacking concrete fortifications. As well as the 18" on 'Boche Buster', two 12" guns were also deployed on the Elham Valley line.

 

Plenty of information on the Disused Stations website, and a film of Boche Buster being deployed and fired here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGboiB8J_dc

Note that when fired the gun carriage runs back under the recoil forces - not seen in the film linked above - were they firing blank charges for effect (and muzzle flash)?

 

That signal looks a bit unusual to me - a tapered arm and tubular post, did the Southern or its constituents use such signals?

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8 hours ago, Artless Bodger said:

Re the signal - Disused Stations Lyminge page has a photo with signals visible - tapered arms and square wooden posts, so the signal fits with Elham Valley line.

I suspect that signal could have been visible from where I'm sitting, a couple of hundred yards from Lyminge station. The background hills, which I commented on, are probably those between here and Paddlesworth.

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The gun was generally kept in Bishopsbourne Tunnel - a few miles to the north of you - and the firing spur was just south of the tunnel ( though not used in this instance ) .............. my guess is that it's the distant signal for Bridge, north of the tunnel .............................. I've no idea how different the hills look from that angle ! ( I've long wanted to explore the remains of the Elham Valley line - it's on my post pandemic bucket list.)

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