Picked up a copy of #RogueHeroes Dudley Clarkes' book re the XIth Hussars #RougeHeroes following a conversation at #WeHaveWays re armoured cars in the inter war period 🤓 Cherrypicking here 🙂 but the part re 2 MGs in 1914 vs 40 when the XIth went to Egypt in 1934 caught the eye 🙂

#whwf25 picked up a better copy of the Abyssinian Campaigns publication. Will keep as the good copy and use the tattier version for delving in. #SudanDefenceForce #Mission101SOE #WilfredThesiger

#whwf25 Meant to pop back and ask more about the Light Car Patrol motor but forgot. One for next year, hopefully.

#WeHaveWays #whwf25 tanks and Scalextric - fantastic 🙂

A trip to Reading and a stop to see the Maiwand Lion. Very nice piece of public art.

Yesterday's delivery. Prompted by a photo of 1920 pattern Rolls-Royces with Shanghai "Top Hats" and a camouflage pattern used by the 11th Hussars in 1934, as per the Bovington RR pic : tankmuseum.org/wp-content/u...

Our students from last and this year have returned to help catalogue more items in the VMGCRA collections. They came across these items from an RAF Regiment Leading Aircraftsman (pictured in the top middle photo) who undertook parachute training in India and fought in Burma. #VJDay

Pratt was CO of No 5 Armoured Car Company (ACC) in Dublin during the Irish WoI, with Pope as 2IC. Pope later in charge of armoured cars in Cork. Pope became CO of No 3 ACC in Egypt for much of 1923 (20th March to 15th December). No 3 and no 5 ACCs would later merge to become 6 RTR.

A trip to the Tank Museum archive yesterday. It would appear that the 3rd Armoured Car Company took on the Duke of Westminsters 1914 pattern Rolls-Royce armoured cars. Some were taken to the Sudan in 1924 and 2 stayed. www.melik.org.uk/discover/sol...

Not 100% but the Rolls-Royce with the Hotchkiss MG mount may be "Danny Boy", based on a newspaper item re fighting in Bruree in 1922. No reg number I can see on a seprate pic of "Danny Boy" from the front view or in the film clip of fighting in the area. ifiarchiveplayer.ie/irish-nation...

An 88mm flak gun at Fort Nelson - didn't realise how large this gun really is

OTD 1919 Victory Parade in Dublin with elements of 17th (Armoured Car) Bn, Tank Corps passing College Green johnny-doyle.blogspot.com/2013/01/vict...

Medals etc of Douglas Henry Pratt, Commanding Officer of No 5 Armoured Car Company during the Irish War of Independence. One of many involved in the mechanization of the British Army before WW2. www.noonans.co.uk/auctions/arc...

The diary of the North Irish Horse mentions they sent 2 armoured cars to the funeral of Lord Craigavon in 1940. Moveitone footage shows one of their Rolls-Royces (F 220?) with a "Top Hat" on the turret, as used by No 5 Armoured Car Co in Shanghai www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4xu...

Document re the #EasterRising murder of unarmed civilians by troops from South Staffs Regiment. Most were cold blooded murders after overnight imprisonment.

The capture of Denis (aka Sonny) O'Neill in January 1918 at a listening post comes to mind.

OTD 1919 - Knocklong Rescue

OTD 1916, civilian members of the Irish Association of Volunteer Training Corps (IAVTC), aka The Gorgeous Wrecks, were stood down as Special Constables. Enrolled just after the #EasterRising and issued DMP Duty Bands and RIC Carbines.

Died OTD 1945, Frank Bourne, the Adjutant at the Dollymount Musketry School during the #EasterRising. Better known as Colour Sgt Bourne in the film Zulu.

Sort of #EasterRising related medal group up for auction. The Howth Mausers landed from the Asgard in 1914 with the help of Captain Gordon Strachy Shephard would be used in the Rising. Later Brigadier General, Royal Flying Corps. www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auctio...

OTD 1916, German Navy Zeppelins and ships get ready to head towards England in an operation set to coincide with the #EasterRising in Ireland. johnny-doyle.blogspot.com/2014/03/germ... Picture in tweet below shows National Army troops at a barricade at the start of the Irish Civil War.

Excellent.

#EasterRising Howth Mauser...... er, not on your nelly

There's a good Deal of Duff info around re re the #EasterRising and HMY Helga. In this case, it's about Ernest Duff from Deal (though he wasn't on the Helga during the Rising) www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auctio...

Today's delivery - "Trailblazers of Black British Theatre" by Stephen Bourne. . Complete with a chapter on Ida Shepley, so an essential add to my small collection re Ida.

Loving the song 👏👏👏

Today's delivery 🤓

Booked for Bristol show.

Origami planes : in creased flying time?

The arms brought to Ireland in 1914 with the aid of serving/future British Army officers on board the Asgard, Kelpie, and Chotah Asgard crewman Shephard later a Brigadier General with the Royal Flying Corps and the most senior airman to die in WW1. www.westernfrontassociation.com/on-this-day/...

The soldiers wounded/died in the attack on the Magazine Fort at the outbreak of the #EasterRising. johnny-doyle.blogspot.com/2022/05/maga...

George Warren Richards is one of the WW1 Machine Gun Corps (MGC) members recorded in the growing MGC Database developed by Graham Sacker Ref no : SKR/DAT/IP/25616 vickersmg.blog/about/resear... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...

OTD 1916, the rescue of the crew of Holyhead-Dublin ferry TSS Hibernia/HMS Tara (and the crew of HMS Moorina) from captivity in Bir Hakeim, Libya. Over 100 miles of desert from Sollum to Bir Hakeim in Rolls-Royce armoured cars plus ancillary transport. www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/west...

The Gt Gt Grandfather joined the HEIC 2nd Bombay Regiment of European Infantry in 1854. Always on the lookout for more info about his time in India/Pakistan (and later service in the American Civil War Union Navy) fibis.ourarchives.online/bin/aps_deta...

Otto Steinbrinck commanded UB-18 during the German raid on the east coast of England (a raid in support of the #EasterRising), sinking the British sub HMS E-22. johnny-doyle.blogspot.com/2014/03/subm... Convicted for his part in the Nazi regime, he died in prison. uboat.net/wwi/men/comm...

Today's deliveries. One with #EasterRising photos; both with Rolls-Royce armoured cars 🙂

Looking forward to reading this. Familiar with the murder of ex-soldiers (eg Walsh and Halfpenny) by loyalists and the reputation of Nixon. This should dive in deeper.

Nice photo of a Rolls-Royce armoured car and a Lancia armoured lorry with anti-grenade cage hosted by National Museum of Ireland. Sadly no further data re the photo. "1099 CK" would become "The Big Fella" in the Irish National Army. www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collec...

UCC Sigerson Cup winners 1911. William O'Brien, bottom right, died in Dublin Nov 1916 just after release from Fron Goch camp. Arrested in Cork following the #EasterRising.

A good trip to Oxford 🙂 Very well staged show. Returned home to snow and slippy roads 🥶

First book read for 2025. Lots of great info, photos, and illustrations. Shiny paper used by the publishers is a bit hard to read with light reflecting.

Last 2 books to flick through in 2024 🙂 Surprised to find images of Roll-Royce and Lanchester armoured cars being referenced 🤓

Nowhere near as elegant,colourful or detailed as the model depicted, my little Romfell desk ornament/pen tray. Picked up from an auction where it was described as a WW1 British Daimler armoured car.

Good to see Lanchester armoured cars getting some attention 😍

Yesterdays arrival. No #WW1Truce in the air with 2nd Lt Montagu Chidson (SOE in WW2) and Cpl David Martin chasing a German seaplane raider over the English coast on 25th December 1914 www.iancastlezeppelin.co.uk/24-dec-1914

OTD 1914. German naval raid on the north east coast of England, bombarding Whitby, Scarborough, and The Hartlepools

Back up on the Ridgeway. 6 deer, 2 kites, 1 Spitfire, 2 microlights

Finished reading about one South American conflict. On to another - German General, White Russians, modern weapons (tanks, aircraft, machine guns), and a lack of water.

At the funeral of her step father, John Henry Elvin Shepley, Ida was plain Mrs Smith. Her step sisters : Mrs Kathleen McCullen Oliver, Mrs Jane Maria Clarke, and Mrs Nancy Cooke.

The only photo I have of Ida's brother, Cyril (far left) and his wife, Alice (far right). April 1945 wedding of Frank Boote and Muriel Reay. Cyril in the RAF during #WW2. Jeweller/antique dealer pre war. Multiple businesses post war. "Bullion dealer" on the 1939 register.