17tankman Posted 16 August , 2010 Share Posted 16 August , 2010 the armoured cars on rails were all converted armoured lancias over 50 of these conversion were carried out in 1922/23 by the irish national army only two had turrets like the left photo in post #43 the rest were like the right photo in post #43.... http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=19719 Val I believe the army only bought the Lancia chassis not the whole thing. 17tankman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaelgoir Posted 13 March , 2011 Share Posted 13 March , 2011 This is an uncropped version of the photo of the tank in action in Ireland. It comes from Dublin's fighting story published about1935. It accompanies an article on the Fernside raid in which two British agents and the houseowner were killed. The article does not specifically connect the photo to the raid. The wall on the left of the photo gives additional information and may help identify the location. I have checked the Drumcondra road at Fernside and the wall and trees to the right might indeed be St Patricks training college, adjoining Professor carolan's house, Fernside. However the left side does not fit the location. You will see that the photo is poor quality but it is just possible to see the houses on teh left. I will investigate further Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaelgoir Posted 14 March , 2011 Share Posted 14 March , 2011 During eth 1916 Insurrection in Dublin teh Sherwood Forresters suffered serious casualties storming Clanwilliam house. this building blocked their route from Dun Laoghaire where they had landed from a ship to the centre of the city. three armoured vehuicles were improvised on the chassis of Guinness trucks with a railway engine smokebox as the armoured compartment. These were used later in the week to storm buildings occupies by the Volunteers. It is likely that a few tanks were assigned to Ireland during the conscription crisis for the same purpose in case there was a further insurrection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 14 March , 2011 Share Posted 14 March , 2011 During eth 1916 Insurrection in Dublin teh Sherwood Forresters suffered serious casualties storming Clanwilliam house. this building blocked their route from Dun Laoghaire where they had landed from a ship to the centre of the city. three armoured vehuicles were improvised on the chassis of Guinness trucks with a railway engine smokebox as the armoured compartment. These were used later in the week to storm buildings occupies by the Volunteers. It is likely that a few tanks were assigned to Ireland during the conscription crisis for the same purpose in case there was a further insurrection. Not quite correct only two of the Daimler trucks used smoke box components (four sections per truck, welded together. The third truck had a rectangular box (eight smoke box sections had exhausted the stock of spares at the railway works at Inchicore [today part of CIE then the Southern Irish Railway] and other materials were used). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaelgoir Posted 27 March , 2011 Share Posted 27 March , 2011 Spotted this murky shot of a Mk V* in Mountjoy Square in 1921 http://www.adams.ie/...s/7025/A346.jpg One confusing factor is that armoured cars with turrets became known as Whippets in Ireland so a statement that says for example that Whippets were deployed in xx needs to be treated with care. This Mountjoy square photo likely can be dated tot eh following. Irish times Monday February 21 1921 The Mountjoy area siege, a day and a half's blockade The investment of the Mountjoy area by forces of the crown ended about 3 on Saturday last......During the night there was considerable activity on the part of the military, armoured cars, tanks, and lorries being much in evidence while searchlights swept continuously. There is no doubt that the author distinguishes between armoured cars and tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaelgoir Posted 30 March , 2011 Share Posted 30 March , 2011 Interesting comment, i have seen the Guinness records of the vehicles supplied for conversion and others supplied for transport. There are two or three photos but they appear to have cylindrical compartments. Perhaps the third was last and may not have seen much service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 30 March , 2011 Share Posted 30 March , 2011 Interesting comment, i have seen the Guinness records of the vehicles supplied for conversion and others supplied for transport. There are two or three photos but they appear to have cylindrical compartments. Perhaps the third was last and may not have seen much service. There are photos of it - will look them out tomorrow. It was a square boiler plate structure with a door at the rear for a machine gun. A ram was fitted to the rear and the machine would back up to a house so that the ram pushed in the front door whereapon the Vickers MG would open up. I did some work at Inchicore in the 1970s and they had records then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaelgoir Posted 27 April , 2011 Share Posted 27 April , 2011 Carey's book on Mountjoy shows the photo of the tank and soldiers and the caption says troops on duty outside mountjoy during the hunger strike (c March 1921) This is supported by an observation of the back wall of the Mater hospital which has the distinctive stepped design to this day. The photo is definitely at North circular road Dublin with Mountjoy to the right an dteh hospital to the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaelgoir Posted 23 May , 2011 Share Posted 23 May , 2011 [Not quite correct only two of the Daimler trucks used smoke box components (four sections per truck, welded together. The third truck had a rectangular box (eight smoke box sections had exhausted the stock of spares at the railway works at Inchicore [today part of CIE then the Southern Irish Railway] and other materials were used). I would appreciate a photo of that truck with the rectangular box - i have never seen it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaelgoir Posted 25 May , 2011 Share Posted 25 May , 2011 I checked the Irish Times account of the Victory parade when i believe the above photo was taken at the reviewing stand outside trinity College> Two useful things emerge: 1. Names of two tanks which may help someone trace their locations and time of arrival in Ireland. 2. Comment that it was the first time Dublin saw these monsters. Irish times 19 July 1919 - account of the Victory day parade in Dublin. The march of veterans followed by troops and cavalry was followed by motorised vehicles including the tanks. “It was the first time that Dublin had seen these monsters. They consisted of all varieties from the Whippet to the Elephant as they thundered by one had to laugh at the nicknames. They included MINDYERNUT and GOLIKELL” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 3 June , 2011 Share Posted 3 June , 2011 MINDYERNUT was a Mark V*. GOLIKELL was a Medium A. Will have more details at home but have no broadband at home at present (3 weeks now!) so am having to rely on public library computers and my memory. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaelgoir Posted 9 June , 2011 Share Posted 9 June , 2011 A newly published book AFVs in Irish service since 1922 by Ralph A Riccio published by MMPBooks.biz has information on armoured cars used in ireland along with many illustrations. It has a photo of the square APC on Guinness Daimler chassis used in 1916 as well as a railway boiler type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 18 June , 2011 Share Posted 18 June , 2011 See Pathe newsreel 611-04 for film of Mindyernut. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Mc Posted 21 December , 2011 Share Posted 21 December , 2011 I've come across a number of photos, supposedly taken in Ireland circa November 1919. Am i correct in thinking these are a Peerless and two Whippets? Would the markings and soldiers indicate Tank Corps and from the insignia on the vehicles can that be narrowed down any further? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 22 December , 2011 Share Posted 22 December , 2011 I've come across a number of photos, supposedly taken in Ireland circa November 1919. Am i correct in thinking these are a Peerless and two Whippets? Would the markings and soldiers indicate Tank Corps and from the insignia on the vehicles can that be narrowed down any further? Thanks The second picture's been reversed at some point, it should go the other way: http://postimage.org/image/vy7hrkz73/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 22 December , 2011 Share Posted 22 December , 2011 The Landship site confirms the first Whippet was in Ireland from early 1919 https://sites.google.com/site/landships/home/lists/whippets/whippetlist300-399 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 22 December , 2011 Share Posted 22 December , 2011 Not a Peerless armoured car, that's an Austin 3rd Series as used at Amiens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks3 Posted 22 December , 2011 Share Posted 22 December , 2011 Peter MC The 17th (AC) Battalion landed in Dublin in January 1919 and had (amongst other things) whippet tanks (4 I think named Fanny Adams, Fanny Adams Sister, Golikehell and Gofaster) and Austin Armoured Cars. The photos you have posted show these (although I can't recall which of the 4 whippets number A340 was. I will look this up when I get home later). All the whippets were built locally to me in Lincoln and I am trying to find out where all 200 ended up. If you have any other photos of the whippets, I would be pleased to see them. Could you post them or (if I pm'd you) would you be able to let me have copies? Thanks Tanks3 Seems I was just pipped with the identification of the AC's! PS. Having now returned home and having consulted my notes I see the A340 was none of the above named Whippets so there were obviously more than 4. Also I appear not to have any photos of this whippet so would be grateful for a copy and any others you may have. Tanks3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Mc Posted 22 December , 2011 Share Posted 22 December , 2011 Thanks (tanks?!) to all who've corrected my mistakes and added extra information. I'm trying to find the location of the 'bridge' scene in Clare where these were taken, but for completeness and as requested I've added the other photos below. The owners of the photos are the National Library of France (who asked me to investigate the location and gave me permission to post) so treat as for private use only. I particularly like the shots of the jaunting car, and the donkey in the field, juxtaposed with the armoured vay-hic-els as the locals might have called them. Can someone tell me the difference between a Peerless and an Austin a/c? Anyone recognise the officers in the photo? Tanks3 - I've seen a photo of Golikehell somewhere, can't recall where though. Was it later supplied to the Irish National Army? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks3 Posted 23 December , 2011 Share Posted 23 December , 2011 Peter Mc, Thanks for posting the additional photos which are wonderful. sadly I am not adept at taking copies for my records and wondered, if i PM'd you with my email address, could you email copies to me? As for the whippet Golikehell, I don't have a photo of this machine either but know it to be A378. Not sure if it remained in Ireland after the TC left. All I know is that the 17th (AC) Battalion became the 5th ACC in early 1922 Tanks3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 23 December , 2011 Share Posted 23 December , 2011 The Landship site confirms the first Whippet was in Ireland from early 1919 https://sites.google.com/site/landships/home/lists/whippets/whippetlist300-399 I'm afraid that far from confirming anything this website only speculates that this is the case, though it speculates correctly. In fact the photo posted here is the first evidence we've had that A340 found its way to Ireland. The speculation arises because there is an intriguing entry in the 6th Battalion Tank Corps War Diary for 18 January 1919 when it states that eight Medium As (commonly known as Whippets) were "entrained at Erin for special duty". It doesn't state what the "special duty" was. The eight were A230, A351, A378, A308, A289, A340, A242 and A317. Now of these, A230 became "Gofasta", A289 became "Fanny's Sister", A351 became "Fanny Adams" and A378 became "Golikell" of 17th Battalion based in Dublin. So now we also know that A340 definitely found its way to Ireland the suspicion must be that all eight were sent there. There were in fact sixteen Medium As in Ireland, all in B Company 17th Battalion (which became No. 5 Armoured Car Company on 29 May 1920). At the end of 1921 all the tanks in Ireland, excepting two in Dublin (type unknown) were scrapped. The Tank Corps left Dublin in December 1922. I do not know what became of the two remaining tanks. Thank you for posting these remarkable photos. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Mc Posted 23 December , 2011 Share Posted 23 December , 2011 Amazing detail Gwyn. The Whippet 'Golikell' is actually the second from right in the photos taken in Dublin at Post #29 - although I know I've seen a clearer and closer picture of it elsewhere. While I'm at it can anyone add to the story of (click link) Major Harry Kemp-Robinson MC MM? What I do know is this - Lt Harry Kemp-Robinson Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Special Reserve; MC London Gazette 26 July 1918 - "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He was in command of a section of tanks, which were instrumental in checking the eneny and causing many casualties. In spite of heavy shell and machine gun fire, he moved about on foot between his tanks directing them and pointing out targets. He showed a splendid example of determination and courage." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks3 Posted 24 December , 2011 Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Gwyn, Thanks for correcting my typo for the date 17th Battalion became 5th ACC. I can also add that A230 was in August 1918 on the strength of C (3rd) Battalion so must have moved from the 3rd to the 6th battalion between August 1918 and January 1919 Tanks3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks3 Posted 26 December , 2011 Share Posted 26 December , 2011 Gwyn, Somewhere (I am not even sure it was in this thread) you mention that one whippet was used to "collect money". I am assuming this is part of the National War Savings scheme and the "tank weeks". Can you enlighten further as I was unaware that a whippet undertook this duty. Thanks and all the very best for 2012 Tanks3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Mc Posted 27 December , 2011 Share Posted 27 December , 2011 I can now confirm that the Austin car shown above near a 'bridge' was in fact taken outside the RIC barracks at Ennis, County Clare. 'Then' and 'Now' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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