discussion Odd Things You Find Out

[Guest]

I had one of those 'err what!' moments today. While looking for reference on how the Bren Gun spare barrel case was carried, I came across the picture below on Wikipedia and I was immediately intrigued by it.


The caption is "Ronnie, the Bren Gun Girl" posing with a finished Bren gun". Ronnie or Veronica worked in a munitions factory in Canada and became a bit of a propoganda star through the war.


Two things intrigued me. One was the amazing quality of the picture, the other was the slightly weird pose.


This would make an amazing vignette for a talented figure maker/painter.


View attachment 242951



Picture and caption copied from Wikipedia.

 

[takeslousyphotos]

I had one of those 'err what!' moments today. While looking for reference on how the Bren Gun spare barrel case was carried, I came across the picture below on Wikipedia and I was immediately intrigued by it.
The caption is "Ronnie, the Bren Gun Girl" posing with a finished Bren gun". Ronnie or Veronica worked in a munitions factory in Canada and became a bit of a propoganda star through the war.


Two things intrigued me. One was the amazing quality of the picture, the other was the slightly weird pose.


This would make an amazing vignette for a talented figure maker/painter.


View attachment 142628


Picture and caption copied from Wikipedia.

I agree particularly if it was done in monochrome........ I'd like to see someone pull that off

 

[Guest]

Thinking about machine guns, why was it during the First WW that advancing British troops were mown down by German machine guns, while I have never heard of advancing German troops being mown down by British machine guns?

 

[Guest]

Thinking about machine guns, why was it during the First WW that advancing British troops were mown down by German machine guns, while I have never heard of advancing German troops being mown down by British machine guns?

Maybe the German commanders had more respect for their infantry, but I doubt it.

 

[Guest]

Nice find Graham.


I would love to paint something like that.

 

[Guest]

Thinking about machine guns, why was it during the First WW that advancing British troops were mown down by German machine guns, while I have never heard of advancing German troops being mown down by British machine guns?

Perhaps it was because the majority of attacks were carried out by Allied forces trying to win back French & Belgian territory?


The only major German attack (other than Verdun) I can recall was during the spring of 1918 when they were desperately trying to split the Allied forces before the war was lost.

 

[monica]

I do like that pic alot,as you said a bit of a strange pose on her,almost as if she is scared of it,but backing away having a smoke,


and the almost look of what have I,made or done,


for the time its meant to be a very ,very good pic,almost say its been presaged in modern times,


would be nice to try and copy the whole look of it,


very nice find Graham,

 

[takeslousyphotos]

I do like that pic alot,as you said a bit of a strange pose on her,almost as if she is scared of it,but backing away having a smoke,
and the almost look of what have I,made or done,


for the time its meant to be a very ,very good pic,almost say its been presaged in modern times,


would be nice to try and copy the whole look of it,


very nice find Graham,

Go on Monica.... give it a go. But you must do it in monochrome...... Now there's a challenge girl.

 

[Guest]

I do like that pic alot,as you said a bit of a strange pose on her,almost as if she is scared of it,but backing away having a smoke,
and the almost look of what have I,made or done,


for the time its meant to be a very ,very good pic,almost say its been presaged in modern times,


would be nice to try and copy the whole look of it,


very nice find Graham,

Go on Moni you like a challenge little dio girl bench bren and no you can't have a cat in it


Roger

 

[Guest]

I do like that pic alot,as you said a bit of a strange pose on her,almost as if she is scared of it,but backing away having a smoke,
and the almost look of what have I,made or done,


for the time its meant to be a very ,very good pic,almost say its been presaged in modern times,


would be nice to try and copy the whole look of it,


very nice find Graham,

I am pretty sure this is much as per the original. As a propaganda picture it would have been shot using studio lighting and at least a 5"x4" or even a 10"x8" plate camera. You can see from her face that a studio light was placed to her right to light the smoke. In fact, the whole thing is beautifully lit all round. I love photography, especially Hollywood style black & white.

 

[Guest]

Now that's a good question Steve However, I do know that when the BEF were first sent into battle, they were able to shoot over 30 bullets per minute (because of their excellent training). After many battles German commanders stated in their reports that the British had been using machine guns, while it was only a group of riflemen shooting at them


Blair

 

[monica]

Go on Monica.... give it a go. But you must do it in monochrome...... Now there's a challenge girl.

I would like to have a go at it,


but 1st to find a bren,would have to be above 1.35,maybe 1/8 or 1/6 as they sell soldiers in that scale,


then to find a female figure to alter as well,hmmmmmmmmmm, would it be worth the headache,of finding,I do think yes,

Go on Moni you like a challenge little dio girl bench bren and no you can't have a cat in it
Roger

oh lol,


a dio with out a pussa in it,don't think so,


could sneak one in some were lol,


I would like to try that ,..........................thinking,thinking my head hurts lol,

 

[monica]

I am pretty sure this is much as per the original. As a propaganda picture it would have been shot using studio lighting and at least a 5"x4" or even a 10"x8" plate camera. You can see from her face that a studio light was placed to her right to light the smoke. In fact, the whole thing is beautifully lit all round. I love photography, especially Hollywood style black & white.

looking at it again I would say your right ,with the lighting and all,and maybe its off


the original neg and just been reprinted,


do agree its a beautifully lit pic,and that's what makes it so good,

 

[stona]

Every German battalion had a machine gun company with 6 heavy machine guns, a total of 18 per regiment. I believe that this increased through the war but don't have figures to hand.


Initially a British battalion only had 2 heavy Vickers machine guns but this was soon doubled. By early 1915 16 machine guns were often collected into a brigade group, giving firepower similar to a German regiment. Shortly thereafter they, and their crews, were transferred to the new Machine Gun Corps. When they lost control of the Vickers guns in this move, the infantry battalions received 4 Lewis light machine guns. By the opening of the 1916 Somme offensive this had been increased to 16 guns per battalion, and early in 1918 this was increased again to 36 guns.


British infantry had plenty of machine guns and mowed down plenty of attackers. The tactics used by the German infantry in their late war assaults were very different from those used in the Allied debacles of 1916. They more closely resembled infantry tactics of the second war. This may explain the perception that German infantry were not mowed down in the way so awfully etched into the collective memories of Britain and other allied nations.


Cheers


Steve