Lt. Brown sat in the centre, commander of ‘Lillingstone’, number ‘55’ a Sherman I from 4 Troop, C Squadron, 1 Northamptonshire Yeomanry. Photographed #OTD 7th August 1944 by Sgt Wilkes. Lillingstone was lost at St. Aignan, Lt. Brown and gunner, Tp. Monkman, both wounded. IWM B8793 #1NY #33Armd

Lt. Brown sat in the centre, commander of ‘Lillingstone’, number ‘55’ a Sherman I from 4 Troop, C Squadron, 1 Northamptonshire Yeomanry. Photographed #OTD 7th August 1944 by Sgt Wilkes. Lillingstone was lost at St. Aignan, Lt. Brown and gunner, Tp. Monkman, both wounded. IWM B8793 #1NY #33Armd

Has to be Sgt Bourne’s again #OTD

Has to be Sgt Bourne’s again #OTD

Horsepower! Around 600 or so… A Cromwell IV ‘T187687’ from HQ 22nd Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Division, photographed #OTD 30th July 1944, by Sgt Bert Hardy. Note out the combined formation badge ‘Stag’ with the Arm of Service ‘50’. #BritishTankMarkings IWM B8183 #22Armd #7ArmdDivision #SWW

Horsepower! Around 600 or so… A Cromwell IV ‘T187687’ from HQ 22nd Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Division, photographed #OTD 30th July 1944, by Sgt Bert Hardy. Note out the combined formation badge ‘Stag’ with the Arm of Service ‘50’. #BritishTankMarkings IWM B8183 #22Armd #7ArmdDivision #SWW

A Churchill IV in the ruins of Maltot, photographed #OTD 26th July 1945, by Lt. Peter Handford, who is probably better known for his sound work. The Churchill has German track links welded to the lower hull. IWM B8051 #SWW #History

Weekend reading is sorted

A Churchill IV in the ruins of Maltot, photographed #OTD 26th July 1945, by Lt. Peter Handford, who is probably better known for his sound work. The Churchill has German track links welded to the lower hull. IWM B8051 #SWW #History

North Irish Horse Churchill IV on the road to Florence, photographed by Sgt. Lambert #OTD 22nd July 1944. IWM NA 17144 #SWW #History #WW2 #NIH

Stalking the Night Raider, by Roy Nockolds (1911-79), 1941. IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 1150) www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

North Irish Horse Churchill IV on the road to Florence, photographed by Sgt. Lambert #OTD 22nd July 1944. IWM NA 17144 #SWW #History #WW2 #NIH

A Sherman V ARV Mk I, from 8th Infantry Brigade’s REME Workshop, 3rd Division, pulls a captured Pz IV near Cagny. Sgt Laing photographed the action #OTD 19 July 1944. IWM B 7762 #SWW #History #WW2 #ARV

A Sherman V ARV Mk I, from 8th Infantry Brigade’s REME Workshop, 3rd Division, pulls a captured Pz IV near Cagny. Sgt Laing photographed the action #OTD 19 July 1944. IWM B 7762 #SWW #History #WW2 #ARV

Back with 27th Armd Bde today, this is ‘Belvedere’ a Sherman Vc from B Sqn Staffordshire Yeomanry, taken by Sgt Laing #OTD 18th July 44. The name is barely visible in this image, but it’s lightly marked on the hull side in 12inch high letters! #BritishTankMarkings IWM B7513 #27Armd #SWW #History

‘Belvedere’ was clearly a popular subject, as also #OTD 18th July 1944, Sgt Christie took this dynamic shot. In this image, the contrast is a little clearer and we can make out the lightly marked name. #BritishTankMarkings IWM B7557 #27Armd #StaffYeo #SWW #History #Firefly

Back with 27th Armd Bde today, this is ‘Belvedere’ a Sherman Vc from B Sqn Staffordshire Yeomanry, taken by Sgt Laing #OTD 18th July 44. The name is barely visible in this image, but it’s lightly marked on the hull side in 12inch high letters! #BritishTankMarkings IWM B7513 #27Armd #SWW #History

Designed in New Zealand by Tpr. W. J. Robertson at the AFV School, WW2. This unditching gear required a small pit dug behing a stuck AFV and a hooked shackle attached to the track. Reversing the vehicle pulled itself back out. (Composited image) 1/2

A classic by Sgt. Bert Hardy, and the cover star of David Fletcher’s ‘Mr Churchill’s Tank’. #OTD 17 July 1944, 34th Tank Brigade. Proving you didn’t need speed to kick up dust in Normandy. IWM B7641 #SWW #History #WW2

Cyril Coles. Probably the world’s first tank fatality in combat. #FWW #WW1 #Tanks #gwg

A classic by Sgt. Bert Hardy, and the cover star of David Fletcher’s ‘Mr Churchill’s Tank’. #OTD 17 July 1944, 34th Tank Brigade. Proving you didn’t need speed to kick up dust in Normandy. IWM B7641 #SWW #History #WW2

Sherman tanks advance across a dusty landscape in the area around Brettevillette in Normandy, 17 July 1944. A70 83-6, Sgt Parkinson, AFPU www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

Probably a bit early, but cheers!🍻 #OTD 14 July 1944, beers from the NAAFI with Corporal Webb and Corporal Avery, I bet that tasted good. Sgt Johnson with the camera. IWM B 7271 #SWW #History #WW2

Any excuse to post Jimmy Mapham’s work… ‘Cymru-am-Byth’ 13/18 Hussars, ARV, Sherman III, great composition, bloody brilliant! IWM H38971 #27Armd

Christie photographing Mapham photographing a no photography sign! #OTD 13 July 1944. No secret that I’m a big fan of Jimmy Mapham’s work, his 13/18 Hussar pics started off the whole markings obsession, so here’s to you Jim! IWM B 7058 #SWW #History #WW2

Last week at the Ring of Brodgar I matched the famous photo of Bren Carriers of the 9th Gordons from 18 June 1941. Taken by Lt Taylor, 'in collaboration with Major Eric Linklater', I suspect it was a one-off staged for the photo op. www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

You’ll have probably seen this one, Robert, but here’s Mapham mucking around with US Signal Corps photographers at 37 seconds. www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

Any excuse to post Jimmy Mapham’s work… ‘Cymru-am-Byth’ 13/18 Hussars, ARV, Sherman III, great composition, bloody brilliant! IWM H38971 #27Armd

Christie photographing Mapham photographing a no photography sign! #OTD 13 July 1944. No secret that I’m a big fan of Jimmy Mapham’s work, his 13/18 Hussar pics started off the whole markings obsession, so here’s to you Jim! IWM B 7058 #SWW #History #WW2

Men of the Royal Tank Regiment take advantage of a captured petrol station to refuel their Daimler Dingo, photographed #OTD 12 July 1943 by Sgt. Bowman, 2AFPU. Sicily. IWM NA 4555 #RTR #SWW #History #WW2

LCT at Courseulles: unloading beer, by Stephen Bone (1904-58), 1944. IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 4383) www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

‘The milk problem is solved’ Sgt Laing photographed the scene with help from the Westminster Dragoons #OTD 11 July 1944 And a lovely turret number on the Sherman flail… #BritishTankMarkings IWM B 6982 #30Armd #SWW #History #WW2

Operation Jupiter, the assault on Hill 112 started 81 years ago today. Audio: Rifleman Douglas Rosewarn, 5th Bn Somerset Light Infantry. IWM 17500 Film: 129 and 130 Brigade going in on the attack on Hill 112, Eterville and Maltot. IWM A70 76-6

Probably no surprise there’s a connection between Edward Payne and Independent Armoured Brigades… 'A Tank of 'C' Squadron, 4/7 Royal Dragoon Guards: Burnt out at La Folliot Farm, 20th June 1944' #4/7RDG #8Armd IWM ART LD 5454

Normandy: July 1944, by Edward Payne (1906-91), July 1944. www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

Removing the deep wading stacks from their Sherman III, men from 3rd County of London Yeomanry after landing in Sicily. Fantastic details of the stacks internal construction. From the albums of Jimmy Sale. NAM 1975-03-63-13-133 #TheSharpshooters #4Armd #3CLY #WW2 #History #SWW

RAM tank of 3rd Canadian Division, Studland Bay, UK, October 1943, during Operation 'Pirate'. Although on a landing craft, the tank has not been prepped for wading and is instead testing smoke-producing equipment fitted to cover its approach. 1/2

Removing the deep wading stacks from their Sherman III, men from 3rd County of London Yeomanry after landing in Sicily. Fantastic details of the stacks internal construction. From the albums of Jimmy Sale. NAM 1975-03-63-13-133 #TheSharpshooters #4Armd #3CLY #WW2 #History #SWW

‘Churchill’, a Sherman III with a deep wading stack fitted, from the SHQ of C Squadron 3rd County of London Yeomanry arrives in Sicily. Sgt Leonard Chetwyn photographed the scene #OTD 10th July 1943. IWM (NA4262) #3CLY #4Armd #WW2 #History #Sharpshooters #SWW

A Stuart III from 144 RAC, 33rd Armoured Brigade, photographed #OTD 9th July 1944, by Sgt Christie. You can just make out the ‘174’ Arm of Service identifying the regiment. IWM B 6748 #33Armd #144RAC

Fantastic picture by Sgt. Christie #OTD 9 July 1944, ‘all out towards Lebisey’. Listed incorrectly as from 27th Armoured Brigade, this Sherman Vc is from 33rd Armoured as indicated by the Diablo formation markings. IWM B 6751 #33Armd #SWW #History #WW2

Sgt. Christie photographed 144 RAC on a number of occasions, including this Sherman I in Saint-Contest #OTD 9 July 1944. In the original photo you can just make out the ‘174’ AoS indicating the regiment of the lead Sherman. IWM B 6739 #33Armd #144RAC #SWW #History #WW2

Fantastic picture by Sgt. Christie #OTD 9 July 1944, ‘all out towards Lebisey’. Listed incorrectly as from 27th Armoured Brigade, this Sherman Vc is from 33rd Armoured as indicated by the Diablo formation markings. IWM B 6751 #33Armd #SWW #History #WW2

Sherman I ‘13’ pictured by Sgt Collins #OTD 8 July 1944, is from 4 Troop, A Sqn, 1st Northants Yeomanry, 33rd Armd Brigade, during Charnwood. ‘13’ was damaged a month later at St. Aignan when a shell through the mantlet killed the commander Lt. J Smith. IWM B6635 #33Armd #1NY #SWW #History #WW2

Sherman I Hybrid ‘68’ from B Squadron, 144 RAC, 33rd Armoured Brigade during Charnwood. Photographed by Sgt Christie, #OTD 8th July 1944. IWM B6649 #33Armd #144RAC #SWW #History

Sherman I ‘13’ pictured by Sgt Collins #OTD 8 July 1944, is from 4 Troop, A Sqn, 1st Northants Yeomanry, 33rd Armd Brigade, during Charnwood. ‘13’ was damaged a month later at St. Aignan when a shell through the mantlet killed the commander Lt. J Smith. IWM B6635 #33Armd #1NY #SWW #History #WW2

Sherman I Hybrid ‘68’ from B Squadron, 144 RAC, 33rd Armoured Brigade during Charnwood. Photographed by Sgt Christie, #OTD 8th July 1944. IWM B6649 #33Armd #144RAC #SWW #History