Landships II

As many know, the 11th Hussars was equipped with both 1920 and 1924 Pattern Rolls Royce Armoured Cars, from the mid-1930's to the early desert war period. During the course of their career, the cars were modified with the 1939-ish replacement of the circular turret with the open topped turrret, armed with a the Boys ATR, Bren and smoke discharger, with which the Regiment went to war.

There's a couple good photos of the 1924 Pattern cars with the late turret. However, I've never seen any good photos of the 1920 Pattern cars with the open turret. Also, Dave Fletcher's book states that the turret was fixed - is this the case?

Did the Regiment hold onto their 1920 Pattern cars for wartime service, modifying them with the revised open turret or did they replace them when they received the Morris cars for troop leaders; keeping the 1924 Pattern cars?

As a note, the RAF Armoured Car Companies both used 1920 Pattern cars, with No.1 Company keeping theirs until 1942 or so. The photo of Rommel taking a look at a burning 1920 Pattern car is from No.1 Company. No.2 Company put the armoured bodies on lefthand drive Fordson truck chassis in 1940, until those cars were replaced with Otter Armoured Cars.

Thanks, Kerry

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