A fine desert shot on an Allied forward landing air field in the Hamraiet area about 30 miles south-west of the enemy held Sirte zone, all within German fighter range of Tripoli.These German fighter-bombers were only minutes flying time from the Maoris postion here and were constantly vulnerable to air attack, so being close to shallow slit trenches was a must.
This photo is of Captain Ted Hayward's Maori battalion platoon carrier mounted with the Polish designed anti-aircraft gun known as the "Polston Gun" Designed by Polish engineer armourers as a more cost effective and simpler (less moving parts) anti-aircraft weapon compared to the more common and widely known 20mm Norwegian designed "Oerlikon" The Polston gun had a fully automatic fire rate of 450 rounds per minute with its 60 round box magazine and an effective fire range in excess of 1000 metres.
His platoon was positioned to "beefup" other air defences over the airfield while the American Kittyhawks provided cover for the advancing 8th Army as it neared Tripoli. The carrier platoon saw plenty of aircraft assaults on the airfield while the Allied Desert Air Force Kittyhawks were based there, and had plenty of opportunity to use these guns in anger. Three German planes were brought down, one by a Kittyhawk and two by anti-aircraft fire..such was life in the Battalion.
The mobilty of these light weight petrol V8 powered armoured track vehicles must have been a supreme asset to its crew in a number of ways..Here Capt. Hayward's crew appear relaxed but naturally remain very close to it and nearby slit trench as the attacking aircraft, in particular the ME 109G arrived at only feet above the deck and at maybe 450 plus kilometres per hour..
Photo taken by Capt.E.V. Hayward around early December 1942 in western Triplotania, Libya.
Hayward family Rotorua. Denis Clough archive.
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