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BHC 009038 1st Borders

Believed to be taken on Thursday 21 September this is one of a series of famous photos showing a mortar team from the 1st Border Regiment. The men are Corporal Jim McDowell (at the rear of the picture) and Private Ron 'Ginger' Tierney (with his back to us) both of NO 23 Mortar Platoon, Support Company, 1st Border Regiment dug in close to the edge of the woodland to the south of Van Lennepweg. The upright angle of the mortar tube shows that the men were firing at very short ranges, they are also firing without secondary charges so that the bombs woudl not travel too high and land too far away. The No 4 rifle on the front edge of the trench is McDowell's although he had originally carried a Sten Mark V he exchanged this for a Lee Enfield early on.