1/72 scale (20mm) Loyd Carrier & 6-pdr Anti-Tank Gun (The Plastic Soldier Company)

 

The Loyd Carrier, designed by Captain Vivian G. Loyd (1894-1972), was one of several types of small-tracked vehicles used by Britain and the Commonwealth to transport equipment and soldiers across the battlefield.  As part of the Rapid Development program, the Loyd Carrier adapted parts from existing vehicles: the engine, gear box and transmission were adapted from the 15 cwt 4x2 Fordson 7V truck; the tracks and drive sprockets were adapted from the Universal Carrier; and the suspension was adapted from the Horstmann tracked suspension system.  The production of the Loyd Carrier started 1939; by the end of production run in 1944, some 26,000 Loyd Carriers were built.

 

The Plastic Soldier Company produces a 1/72 scale British 6-pounder Anti-Tank Gun and Loyd Carrier Tow set, containing the components for two Loyd Carriers and two 6-Pounder Anti-Tank Guns.

 

 

 

 

I painted the Loyd Carriers and 6-Pounder Gun with the markings of The Lake Superior Regiment (Motor), one of the regiments of the 4^th Canadian Armoured Division.  The 4^th Canadian Armoured Division trained for two years in Britain prior to making the crossing into Normandy on July 24, 1944, taking part in the final stages of the Battle of Normandy in August (Battle of the Falaise Pocket).  The division later traveled to Belgium and the Netherlands to participate in the Battle of the Scheldt (Oct 2 – Nov 8, 1944) and Operation Pheasant (Oct 20 – Nov 4, 1944).  The division spent the winter in the Netherlands and was part of the final advance into northern Germany in 1945.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a novice model builder, I ran into some challenges while building the first 6-pounder gun and broke a some of the parts in the process (please note, this has nothing to do with the quality of the kit; rather, it reflects my skills as a model builder).  Thus, I was only able to build one of the two 6-pounder anti-tank guns.

 

 

 

 

The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, known simply as the 6-pounder, was a British 57 mm gun that served as the primary anti-tank gun for Britain, the Commonwealth and the United States Army (named the 57 mm M1 Gun in the United States) during the war.  The 6-pounder first entered service in the North African Campaign in April 1942, where it replaced the under-powered Ordnance QF 2-pounder anti-tank gun.

 

 

 

Citizen Soldiers: A 1/72 scale World War 2 Model Site is devoted to the hobby of painting and collecting World War 2 models/miniatures.  It is my hope, through creating this website, to honour the men and women who served in the Second World War, whose sacrifices and courage have given us the freedom and quality of life we have today.