Two RAF’s Transport Command Avro York C Mark I of No. 246 Squadron during a stop at Luqa Airport, Malta, before the departure to India, likely 1945. The No 246 employed this transport aircraft, built by Avro using wings, engines and undercarriage of the Lancaster bomber with a new square section fuselage of much greater capacity, from December 1944 until October 1946 for liaison from Great Britain to India and retour with many stops along the way as Malta. In this photo the plane in background, registration MW165, code “BP”, loading freight. Victor Sierra

Stop at Malta

Malta, Luqa Airfield, June 1943: the Commander of No 23 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Wing Commander John B Selby, DSO, DFC, already on flight dress, and his observer looking at their de Havilland Mosquito II aircraft “P-Peter” while other members of the Squadron watch from atop the blast wall at the Dispersal Point. The four 20mm cannon are corked to prevent dirt damaging them. Victor Sierra

Wing Commander and his Mosquito

Royal Ordnance Quick Fire (QF) 2-Pounder antitank gun, early war.  The 2-Pounder was the standard AT gun of the British forces at the beginning of the war, and the standard gun mounted on British tanks of the period.  However, the antitank capacity of the weapon was quickly found to be inadequate in the 1940 campaign in the West.  Moreover, the small calibre of the weapon meant that it was incapable of firing useful high explosive rounds; HE rounds were produced but, apparently, were never issued to fighting units.  The 2-Pounder was phased out as early as possible in favour of the more capable Royal Ordnance QF 6-Pounder (itself not a great option, but better).  The redundant 2-Pounders found themselves in many cases reassigned to the Home Guard.  Even the Home Guard did not do too well out of the process - large numbers of 2-Pounders were lost in the May-June, 1940 Battle of France so that, inadequate as they were for their purpose, they were actually in short supply in Britain in the latter part of 1940.  Best regards, JR.