Border Country: When Ireland was Divided

[tzf60]

This programme was shown on BBC NI on Wednesday night last, 27th March. A collection of video clips set around the border region between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland since partition. In the midst of it was some clear footage of an armoured Lancia, perhaps a Triota, that I hadn't seen before. If you have access to the BBC iPlayer (I don't  ), take a look.
 
Tim

[frankxhv773t]

The British armed forces used Lancia Triotas in a variety of applications during and after WWI. There were RNAS mobile anti aircraft guns in the Lord Mayor's parade in 1915 and armoured personnel carriers in Ireland during the war of independence. There were versions of the latter on railway wheels as rail defence vehicles, also some as gun tractors for field guns and others with a pitched roof of anti grenade mesh over the rear passenger compartment.

[willoroe]

Just came across this interesting image and links in the comments:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/5736907701/in/photostream/
"Members of the Railway Protection Repair and Maintenance Corps at Inchicore Works, Dublin, converting Lancia Armoured Cars for use on railways. This work was carried on between 1921 and 1923. Over 50 original open top Lancia Armoured Cars were converted at Inchicore, but only seven were converted to rail cars. The road or highway version of the Lancias converted at Inchicore were used by the Irish army until the Second World War, and were known as the ''Hooded Terrors''. No Lancia rail cars survive, although one was kept in a siding at Inchicore until the 1950s."
This was during the Civil War in Ireland where Railway infrastructure was often attacked.
Willo