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Evening all,

 

I seem to remember reading somewhere that in a foreign country (i seem to remember S/Africa) they got hold of a load of goddess', took all the fire equipment off, removed most of the body leaving the crew cab, fitted a truck body and then they towed either a 25 pounder or bofors, basically a improvised arty tractor.

 

Please tell me I am not going totally bursur :nut:

 

Mark

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It was the Greek Cypriot National guard in 1972, the prototypes appear to have been a product of VASS of Amptill. I saw the locally produced examples being converted at the world famous scrap yard near Larnaca, about a year later I saw a couple towing guns through Limassol; then saw several in anger during the civil war in 1974. After service they ended up in the same scrap yard as they were converted -see attached.

TED

HALFGG.jpg

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It was the Greek Cypriot National guard in 1972, the prototypes appear to have been a product of VASS of Amptill. I saw the locally produced examples being converted at the world famous scrap yard near Larnaca, about a year later I saw a couple towing guns through Limassol; then saw several in anger during the civil war in 1974. After service they ended up in the same scrap yard as they were converted -see attached.

 

Ted,

 

Thanks for this interesting information, and Mark for bringing up the question! As a small boy I lived in (on?) Cyprus and this is really where my interest in HMV´s started, hence my interest in all vehicles used on Cyprus. I do recall the Land Rovers, Stalwarts etc, but not these Bedfords.

 

Were the cargo bodies locally built by the or were they taken off other vehicles?

 

Hanno

Edited by mcspool
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Hanno The scrapyard was filled with hundreds of vehicles , From Bedford QL radio trucks to RLs, Lots of AEC 0853 ex RAF bowsers the list is endless. I went there to photograph all the old WW2 stuff, The GGs were lined up at the furthest point in the yard actually it was a sprawling overgrown piece of scrubland After cutting the unwanted part of the GG bodies, they were being lifted off using an Austin K6 breakdown gantry with its beam set to the max height. I believe the new bodies were recycled from other vehicles. Once the guy taking me around saw I was interested in the GGs it was no longer convenient for me to be there.

 

It was may 1972 my wife still reminds me of the date I had forgotten she was in the car 8 months pregnant Mnn the trouble our hobbies get us into !

 

I lived on the northern outskirts of Limassol, a road leading to the main Greek National guard base in that area passed the end of our cul de sac so their vehicles were a common site to us; These gun tractors were rarely seen, but I did see more of them on TV during the civil war.

The photo I posted was taken after their disposal in the same scrapyard as they were constructed !

Some were in light stone but others were in a disruptive pattern. i may have some more piccies I will dig.

TED

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Ted,

 

Thanks for the story. Seems in your search for wartime vehicles you "discovered" the yard was your converting "top secret" gun tractors. All that while your pregnant wife was waiting outside, some cover you had there Mr. Bond :D

 

I used to live in Larnaca as a small boy, military vehicles were all over the place, patrolling and convoying Greeks through Turkish towns or the other way around. Wartime vehicles I remember were a GMC truck set up as some sort of drilling rig, plus of course the Willys jeep which was standing derelict in the street where one of my friends lived! Man, the hours we spent behind the wheel "driving" that Jeep.

 

If you come across any more pictures of those GG Bedford gun tractors, please post them here.

 

Thanks!

Hanno

Edited by mcspool
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Ted,

 

Excellent, thanks! Your two pictures show there was a variation in both body types and colours.

 

Would you say that green-brown-sand camouflage scheme was typical for Greek Cypriot National guard vehicles? Or was sand the prevalent colour?

 

Regards,

Hanno

Edited by mcspool
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