Rover Geo Posted 15 April , 2014 Share Posted 15 April , 2014 Hi, My Grandad Jack - Pte John Leo Swallow was also in the 17th AC in France and was also in the group that first went into Cologne. I am interested in any information and photos, which might include my Grandad, including when Grandad transferred from G Battalion to the 17th AC. Thanks, George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Eggs Posted 29 April , 2014 Share Posted 29 April , 2014 Hello George Re. the photo of the 17th AC Battalion after arrival in Calogne December 1918 , all of the men in the group are men of the battalion, I will let you have more details. Crimson Rambler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rover Geo Posted 30 April , 2014 Share Posted 30 April , 2014 Hi Crimson Rambler, Thanks for the very interesting photo. I hadn't appreciated how large the 17th Battalion were until I saw this photo. I've just found this interesting information on armoured cars:- http://dixon.intco.biz/genes/dixon/gtdixon/george-thomas-dixon-1-tank-corps.htm This article includes a comment on the 17th Austin Armoured Cars:- ' Even when damaged, many were repaired in the field by the Battalion's Peerless lorries equipped as mobile workshops.' I think my Grandad was probably involved with maintenance of the AC and might be on one of the lorries shown in your photo. Thanks, George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rover Geo Posted 8 May , 2014 Share Posted 8 May , 2014 I've just obtained an electronic copy of following document from the Bovington Tank Museum at a reasonable cost, which is very interesting for anybody looking for information on the 17 th Battalion Tank Corps:- War Diary of 17th Tank (Armoured Car) Battalion Tank Corps April 1918 to December 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tonyjburke Posted 16 July , 2014 Share Posted 16 July , 2014 Hi All, My grandfather driver Thomas Francis Burke was seconded to the 17th Battalion, and fought up until his posting to Ireland. Being Irish he refused to fight in Ireland and was demobbed. There is a really interesting book entitled "Operations of the 17th(Armoured Car) Tank Battalion during the Battle of 1918. The book was obviously produced shortly after the War, and in short it advocates the use of armoured cars as a substitute for cavalry. The book is available on lend from Aldershot Public Library in the UK. I believe there are only a few copies available. I think I may have a scanned copy. It contains a copy of that famous 1919 Photo of the Batallion. but unfortunately it is small and impossible to pick out faces. I would really appreciate a hi resolution scan of that photo, or any other info or photos relating to the 17th. There is also a nice picture of a two cars from the 17th going through the Holenzollern bridge in Cologne in Dec 1918 in David Fletchers Book Tanks and Trenches, I can scan it if anyone is interested. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdoyle Posted 17 July , 2014 Share Posted 17 July , 2014 a nice write up of Lt Rollings (partly from a 1940 newspaper article) http://www.powell76.talktalk.net/Rollings.htm 2nd MC http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1068674--39-.PDF No mention of Rollings in the chapter re the 17th AC in the following ebook : http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924027835168/cu31924027835168_djvu.txt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SJLK Posted 22 November , 2014 Share Posted 22 November , 2014 I've just picked up this thread. My grandfather ended his military career as either Lt or acting Captain (the records are not entirely clear as his military record show gazette Lt 5.7.20 but a piece of plate given to him as he leaves Ireland is inscribed to Capt and Mrs Harris) Cecil George Harris in 17th Bn Tank Corps. He missed the trip to Calogne as he was then with No.2 TC Supply Company, hospitalised with flu from the first week in November 1918 and not back on active service till 27 January 1919 when he appears to have joined 17th Bn Tank Corps. We know that he was based in Ennis, eventually being demobbed March 1920, but we have no photographs or information about this period of his career other than a couple of anecdotes he told my father, and we know where he and his wife rented quarters in Ennis as they were too young for married quarters. So do any of you kind people have anything that mentions him or any photos? He was an Old Contemptible as he was with Northamptonshire Yeomanry as a machine gunner from 1911 to 1917, when he transferred to MGC then Heavy Branch then TC, being commissioned in the process. He saw action at Amiens and Havrincourt with the tanks according to his war record. I'm just editing his WWI memoirs, but they are largely confined to his time with NY, having just one chapter on training at Harrowby and one on Pirbright, so there's a bit of a black hole after this that I'd like to flesh out a little. Thank you in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks3 Posted 18 August , 2015 Share Posted 18 August , 2015 Hello all I know this is a long shot but I have reason to believe that WOI H G Rowland was the RSM of the 17th Battalion during it's time in France and Flanders and before moving to Ireland. Can any forumite throw any light on this and confirm it to be so or otherwise? Thanks Tanks3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 9 September , 2018 Share Posted 9 September , 2018 On 05/08/2012 at 17:06, tanks3 said: Hello Patrick I have just come across this post and see your interest in the 17th ACC in Ireland in 1919 onwards. I too have an interst in this battalion for this period. I have been researching 309328 Sgt. F. Nichols MM who was with the 17th at the same time as your Father. You mention that you have some photos and I wondered if you have any that may name my chap. All I have, apart from my research, is Nichols civilian driving licence issued to him in Ireland. It appears Nichols would have needed this civilian licence in order that he may legally drive his armoured cars about the Irish roads and byways! If you can PM me I have wriiten Nichols history and could send a copy to you if interested Thanks Tanks3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks3 Posted 21 September , 2018 Share Posted 21 September , 2018 Just caught up with this post. Is there a family connection her Nichols? Tanks3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 14 November , 2018 Share Posted 14 November , 2018 Just stumbled upon this very interesting post. My granddad was also in the 17th AC Battalion, being posted in September 1918. He was a gunner. The photo of the whole battalion is great and hopefully he's on it. Does the photo have names on the back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James A Pratt III Posted 16 November , 2018 Share Posted 16 November , 2018 There is a book "Warcars" that deals with British armored cars in WW I and does have some info on this unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 16 November , 2018 Share Posted 16 November , 2018 8 hours ago, James A Pratt III said: There is a book "Warcars" that deals with British armored cars in WW I and does have some info on this unit. Thanks James. I'll look for that online now. Do you know the author's name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Eggs Posted 21 February , 2019 Share Posted 21 February , 2019 Hello all , pleased to see still interest in the 17th AC, I have been out of action for some ,if I come across any info I will post it. Crimson Rambler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjwmacro Posted 21 February , 2019 Share Posted 21 February , 2019 On 16/11/2018 at 11:57, duvalslass said: Thanks James. I'll look for that online now. Do you know the author's name? That would be War Cars by David Fletcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike papa Posted 10 September , 2019 Share Posted 10 September , 2019 Hi all interested in A.Coy 17th tank battalions stay in limerick in 1919 any photos or written text would be greatly recieved regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Gillions Posted 9 September , 2022 Share Posted 9 September , 2022 Hello Everyone, I have only just joined and so am very late to this thread. I've found everything here very interesting - thank you. I'm researching my grandfather's involvement with the 17th in Ireland. He was posted to the the 17th in April 1919 and demobbed in late october 1919. Does anyone know what they were doing during that time. I'm a novice in military history so any help would be much appreciated. I'm not sure whether or not the publications mentioned above would include Ireland. Were there separate Companies within the 17th Battalion? Is so how many? Thanks for any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Gillions Posted 10 September , 2022 Share Posted 10 September , 2022 Here's an account of the 17th in France, pages 8-18. It includes a list of 10 soldiers in two armoured cars and their roles. https://www.south-wales.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/south-wales/heritage-centre/heritage-projects/world-war-i/ernest-rollings-booklet-final.pdf More details of the Austin Armoured Car: https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/gb/Austin_Armoured_Car.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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