Bren at War

[Peter Laidler]

For all you British viewers, photo 1 above. Is that a DLI cap badge or does it look to you like a Green Howards cap badge? OLooks like the Green Howards to me

[tankhunter]

For all you British viewers, photo 1 above. Is that a DLI cap badge or does it look to you like a Green Howards cap badge? OLooks like the Green Howards to me

Yes Peter, It certainly looks like one of 'The (Green Howards) Falling Plates' cap badge's to Me.

[Luis Bren]

bject description
Infantry of the King's Own Scottish Borderers engage the Germans with rifle and Bren gun fire in a street in Bremen, 25 April 1945.



Object description
A British Bren gun crew keep watch in a trench at Anzio. Italy, 13 March 1944.



Object description
A Bren gunner of the 1st Gordon Highlanders in action near Nieuwkuik, 6 November 1944.

[Peter Laidler]

Picture 1 above is interesting because in May '45 the 51st Highland Division were settled in Bremen and on the 17th, held a victory parade there when the whole 51st Highland Division, including its armour, and massed (and I mean massed....) pipes and drums played, marched and drove through the city. They decreed that the whole populace, without exception should/would line the streets and before that, would sweep and clean them first. (see youtube. 51st Highland Division, Bremen). That's what I call a classic case of rubbing ones nose in it!

The spartan building in the background looks like one of the huge concrete flak towers that still exist in large numbers in and around the cities. Dusseldorf/Neuss has a few as does Koln and Hamm they're virtually impossible to knock down

[Brit plumber]

The middle photo at Anzio shows a AA drum bracket fitted.

[Vincent]

Infantry of the King's Own Scottish Borderers engage the Germans with rifle and Bren gun fire in a street in Bremen, 25 April 1945.

As a crowd of spectators look on. Nobody running for cover. Maybe some kind of demonstration?


I have watched the YouTube video of the 51st Highland Division’s victory parade in Bremen several times. There are several pictures of it in one of my father’s albums.

It was around the same time he came across an abandoned German tank near Tarmstedt,, not far from Bremen. He wanted to “make it safe” and packed the gun with an explosive charge. Half measures was not something he believed in and the blast destroyed the tank and blew all the all windows out of a nearby farmhouse.
A very angry Fräulein came to one of the upstairs windows shaking her fist at him and telling him off in broken English.
That’s how my father and mother met.

[Luis Bren]

Object description


A soldier cleaning his Bren gun, June 1944




Object description


A Bren gun team in action at Ywathitgyi, February 1945




Object description


Bren gun team in action at 45th Division battle school, 14 August 1942.

[Luis Bren]

The last pic is repeat...

Change with this..



Object description:THE BRITISH ARMY IN ITALY 1943

A Bren gun team from the 2nd Cameronians, 5th Division, take up a position high up in the mountains, 21 November 1943.

[Peter Laidler]

And there they are..... a pair of the trusty old and still-in-service No2 binoculars. No crappy plasticised lenses or prisms there!

[Luis Bren]

One of the things I'll have to find for my WWII British Militaria Collection ... binoculars!