Cherie's Place » The Museum of HorsePower

Lieutenant General Sir Charles Gairdner

CherryPie — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 21:10:09 +0000

GBE KCMG KCVO CB

He commanded the 10th Hussars from 1937 to 1940, and was Colonel of the Regiment from 1949 to 1952. After the Second World War he was head of the United Kingdom Liaison Mission to Japan, and Prime Minister’s personal representative. Between 1951 and 1968 he was Governor of Western Australia and then Tasmania. He died in 1983, aged 85.*

*From information next to the painting

Some Things Never Change…

CherryPie — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 22:01:12 +0000

Daimler “Dingo” Scout Car 1942

CherryPie — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 20:31:22 +0000

The Daimler “Dingo”, introduced in 1939, was used by both 10th and 11th Hussars. It was one of the best reconnaissance vehicles and remained in service long after the war.

The Dingo had 5 forward gears and 5 reverse gears for a fast withdrawal. It was armed with a .303 Bren light machine gun and had a crew of two. The driver’s seat was turned sideways so he could see over his shoulder when driving backwards.

In the Dessert War the Dingo was the Crew’s home. They kept ammunition inside the vehicle and their kit was carried outside.

The 11th Hussars wore an un-badged brown beret with a crimson band, unique in the British Army. They adopted steel helmets only after D-Day.*

*From an information board next to the Daimler “Dingo”