Was told when I copied this original photo that it was the blokes grandfathers (photo that is, not sure about the tank) from the war.

Sooo, think it is a Kiwi Sherman tank (New Zealand). The photo will have been taken by a Kiwi soldier at any rate, and through our talk I came to think it was a Kiwi tank.

The bloke was not a regular customer though, so is long gone, and all that is left is the copy of the photo!

ANyway, what's that tub thing on the back, and are those batteries by the back too??

Definately a Kiwi Sherman - A Sqdn, 20th Armd Regt. (See P.219 of The Battles for Monte Cassino: Then and Now ). The tub thing is a ... tub!

The 'dozer in rear is a South African engineer unit's, and the shot was in the very centre of Cassino, on Route 6.

...and those things next to the right-hand rear corner of the tank are ammo boxes. UK & Commonwealth forces often added surplus metal ammo boxes to their vehicles to hold all manner of kit that couldn't be found a home inside the tank.

Tom

the "tub" looks like a cut down 50 gallon drum and the " batteries" are ammunition boxes which wre used to hold all manner of kit and were sometimes welded in place on the hull-not here though

outstanding pic Jason
It would be great doing a dio using that pic as reference

I have not even noticed the bulldozer!

so the tub is, a tub!!

thanks for the posts.

so the photo has been published, it was an original photo that I copied?

Maybe, maybe not. If taken by the official photographer (George Kaye was the NZ Div's) they were often sold to the soldiers during and after the war so many copies were floating around. I believe this one was a private photographer, or perhaps a semi-official unit photographer, but may still be considered an 'original' if several copies where made, eg for crew members or friends.

What was the story behind you getting the copy?

we do copying at my business and a bloke bought it in to copy - his fathers or grandfathers or something - a family history thing, we get lots of work in like that. Anyway, I asked if he'd mind if I took a copy too for myself.

I should have been a bit more proactive and got as much info off him as I could too, but think I was a little busy at the time unfortunately, otherwise I would have.