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Humber Pig possible extra roof hatch question?????


Big Dan

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Hi guys,

I finnished what nature had started today by removing the roof up-armour. If you check my previous thread the top plate was no longer attached as 3 corners had snapped and the last remaining weld had cracked - so off it came.

 

Underneath was quite interesting....

 

 

 

 

 

 

This appears to be a hatch in the middle of the roof section - it is exactly the same shape and size as the front hatches. At some point when this was a mark 1 it would seem to have had this extra hatch fitted, then removed and welded up before the up-armour was fitted.

 

Anyone know why/what this for? There are numerous weld/cut marks adjacent to the hatch but I`m not sure what for. In the past few months I have trawled through hundreds of Pig pics on google and have never come accross anything like this - any ideas?

 

Cheers, Dan.

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Ah, so it would have been access to some sort of polycarbonate viewing thing? What was the idea and any idea why it was done as a mk 1?

 

Thanks, Dan.

 

PS - Clive, did I read your pig is an ex RUC? I`ve just picked up a book on RUC armourmed vehicles with a few RUC pigs pictured and in action - I guess you already have this?

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Ah, so it would have been access to some sort of polycarbonate viewing thing? What was the idea and any idea why it was done as a mk 1?

 

The polycarbonate was produced by Beyers under the trade name Makrolon. Maj Reg Pearce 2ICREME developed a range of protective shields, screens, visors etc this included Pigs & Ferrets. This all started in 1969 several years before the Mk 2.

 

Makrolon seems to be such a widely misused term in that it gets confused with the GRP panels on Vehicle Protection Kits developed in 1971 that merely used Makrolon over the windows.

 

A large number of innovations were instigated by Maj Pearce who appreciated the extreme urgency of saving the lives of troops. He was clearly frustrated & at times infuriated by the slowness, lack of interest & formalities of organisations like MVEE, SCRDE, RARDE. This why many of the manufactured items & modifications don't have the documentation that is normally produced eg EMERs etc.

 

Clive, did I read your pig is an ex RUC?
It is indeed

 

I`ve just picked up a book on RUC armourmed vehicles with a few RUC pigs pictured and in action - I guess you already have this?
Yes have a look at the acknowledgements, there are some of my pictures in there & three of my vehicles.
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Would the fitting of a Makrolon been common? I`d never heard of a Holly Pig before now. I`m also guessing this would have been fitted in or for Northern Ireland - suggesting my Pig was there quite early on.

 

What is the reg of your Pig Clive? I`m guessing its not the one thats being firebombed?

 

Thanks, Dan.

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Would the fitting of a Makrolon been common? I`d never heard of a Holly Pig before now.

Up to 23 April 1972 a total of 4,755 vehicle protection kits were fitted to up to 25 types of vehicle. But these kits are not all what has come to be known as VPK in the accepted sense meaning GRP + Makralon. Some of the kits for non Rovers could just be Makralon or mesh protectors. At that time 292 kits had been fitted to Pigs of 316 ordered. That's not to say there were that many Holy Pigs!

 

I`m also guessing this would have been fitted in or for Northern Ireland - suggesting my Pig was there quite early on.
Yup

 

What is the reg of your Pig Clive?
2996OI

 

I`m guessing its not the one thats being firebombed?
No that is 3071EZ which actually was a standard Mk 1 FV1611 modified to RUC requirements. Unlike the other 9 Pigs which were FV1609. It is not known what happened to 3071EZ. A couple of years ago a Pig bearing that registration appeared on ebay which was a hoax, as not only was it a Mk 2 but I have tracked the ownership of that particular Pig for 25 years. Edited by fv1609
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Wow, just checked out Clives Pig in the RUC Armour book - now thats nowing the history of your vehicle.

 

I`m guessing we are not allowed to scan those in and put them on here?

 

Also, have you ever been tempted to take it back to the origional roofless configeration? Appreciate the current spec is unique but it must have crossed your mind.....

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Dan you mustn't reproduce pictures from the book. However a number of pictures in the book are my copyright including these:

 

http://www.warwheels.net/HumberPig_Elliott.html

 

You are welcome to copy & post those as you wish as long as you acknowledge the source. You will notice these are a better green than in the book which has produced a strong bottle green. This adds to people's criticism that I have got the 'wrong' colour.

 

I don't really feel that is in the right section in the book under FV1611 as it is a FV1609. However it was something of a 'stop press' to get them inserted in time, so I'm grateful enough to get them included.

 

I had considered putting it into its original soft top configuration. That would certainly make it stand out as being different. The trouble is I have seen a cut down Pig fitted with a lot of stuff to the owner's fancy on the basis that "it looked the business" & the "public liked it" & I'm afraid I wanted to distance myself from that sort of thing.

 

I accept being mistaken for a normal Pig & that adds to the satisfaction when someone (not necessarily with great technical knowledge) comes up & realises that some things are different from normal, although they might not know quite what.

 

On any vehicle I own I don't like soft tops from a security & weather protection point of view. I originally painted it Light Admiralty Grey as in 1961-2. But with any vehicle you need to decide on an era you want to depict & try to stick to it with whatever accessories you display with it.

 

I know of two other ex-RUC Humbers which were subsequently up-armoured under Op Bracelet. Like me the excess armour had to be removed. They have been painstakingly rebuilt with considerable skill, but for reasons I don't understand they have been built to represent a standard Mk 1 FV1611 a vehicle which it never was. Seems an opportunity missed, but each to own I suppose. So far I have identified 57 differences between a RUC FV1609 & standard Mk 1 Pig FV1611.

 

So the colour & the hard top allows me to depict 1962-69, this fits in with my Shorland that is restored for the period 1966-69.

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Its clear you gave the restoration of your RUC Pig a lot of thought before you embarked on it - It is a bit weird working on old armour that was in service for a prolonged period and was "chopped" around to suit the need at that time and, especially in the case of your Pig, has two rare and unique build options, both very different - not an easy choice!

 

I notice the interior is white rather than silver - I guess an RUC thing rather than production Pig?

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I notice the interior is white rather than silver - I guess an RUC thing rather than production Pig?

 

Yes I'm often told that that is wrong as "the Army always painted them silver" (well aluminium actually) If they read the info board they would have seen the answer.

 

Well I have a modeller to thank for that. You can often spot a modeller around your vehicle, they will not be content to take just a photo of the front of the vehicle they will take shots from all directions & will have a notebook.

 

Fortunately for me an enthusiast did just that in Aug 1969. Not only did he take photos in the workshops from various angles, he also wrote in his notebook "interior white". Indeed he gave me copies of many pictures that subsequently appeared with others he took in that excellent book.

 

As regards the other two Pigs, I can't help but feel opportunities have been missed. Although I feel that enhances the historical status of mine as the only RUC one to survive in its original role & as it happens is marginally older than the other two. Making it the oldest surviving Pig in the world being made in 1956.

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Just a quick question - how hard is it to track down further history of a Pig? I`ve seen the post that was put on by Clive for Adam, the previous owner, detailing the in/out dates but is there a way of tracking down which regiment, when and where - not just NI?

 

Any ideas?

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