raf753

Interesting . The vehicle in your reference is a different one again . Did Hollywood have an army in WW2 ? Mike

Hanno , That looks remarkably similar . Without looking at the film again (aarrrrrrgh!!!!!!) I could not be certain . However , my recollection , and that of my son (who is the smart ass who really spotted it) is of a perfect knock off of the M2 gear with a quite high superstructure built on . The superstructure was reminiscent of the M5 tank , especially at the back . It did have a fixed 'turret' though ,with evil japanese commmanderoo rooking out of hatch . Anyway , thanks Hanno , we may have to wait to see if there was more than one built . Interesting , the one in your photo . I wonder what films that was in ? Mike ps ----we watched the film to see the WW2 vehicles in it , particularly a rather nice Ford similar to the German pattern that my son happens to be making a model of .That's my excuse anyway .

Erm , how dey steer it den ? I'm not a dense old fart .

I watched (for the umpteenth time) 'Sea Bees' on the box .Yes , I am a sad old fart . But , I don't know if any of you have ever spotted in the film that the Japanese 'tank' that gets bulldozed off a cliff has the running gear of an M2 Half Track , making it probably the only full track half track ever done . Now this got me to thinking (had to lie down afterwards) , how the heck did they get the drive to work ? In some shots , it is obviously running under its own steam . Did they have an engine in the facsimile armoured body ? Were the evil japanese crew pedalling like stink on a cunning bike adaption ? Was it towed by an invisible cable ? Were a lot of extras pushing it ? Did John Wayne's hot air blow it along ? We gots ta know !! Mike

Fascinating pictures . At RAF Kinloss , we had an ex Kriegsmarine electrician , and when he saw my model 88's and half tracks , he told me that from 1945-47 as a pow , he was a crew member on a British LST , whose job it was to ferry ex German Army stuff out into the Baltic and push or drive them off the front . The stuff shoved off included artillery , tanks and tractors (in the broadest sense) . The reason given at the time was to stop the tractor stuff in particular being used for agriculture/forestry so that the post war industries had a market . Anyone ready to jump in and have a look ? Also had a mate who was in Palestine doing a similar trick before they pulled out of there , but it seems they dumped more ammo than hardware . Pollution ? What pollution ?

I don't know if this is the place for this tale of long ago----but I'm telling it . Long , long ago , when Britain had a narmy and a nempire , I was posted to Hong Kong to be wiv me bruvver . I was in the Raf and he was a pongo . Er , an army chap , a Sapper to be precise . I was stationed at Sek Kong , and he was at Tai Lam Chung . Sapper Morgan (Bill) had a pedigree pet called a Hippo . He slept with it , cherished it and would let no-one else touch it . He used to give me rides in it with the blessing of his CO who was a marvellous chap . In the New Territories , HK , there are two towns (Tsun Wan and Sek Kong) joined by a military road over the highest mountain there (Tai Mo Shan) . The road was known as the TWSK , or twist by the lads , because it was bends and sharper bends all the way up and down . So bad that our supply tankers were forbidden to use it , except once a year to see if it could be done No health and safety there , then . Bill's nemesis was a particularly nasty rsm , he even tried rollocking me once , but that's another story . Bill's Hippo was fitted with an engine limiter --supposedly to limit its top speed but not helpful when double de clutching .The limiter could be disconnected from in the cab . Bill had to take part in a convoy over TWSK and the RSM picked Bill's Hippo as his steed . Bill said that he was supposed to kill the limiter on such a road , but clever rsm overruled him . So Bill let the thing loose going downhill , and as the speed built up , rsm kept tapping speedometer with his pace stick , looking more and more alarmed . Which is just what Bill wanted ..He told the idiot that he couldn't get enough revs to change down because of the limiter . By this time , rsm is panicky enough to tell Bill to do what he had to . You can guess the rest . The sequel to this was that Bill got into trouble with rsm , only saved by CO . I took the trouble a couple of days later to beat up the camp in a Vampire , coincidentally the rsm had his head under some truck rollocking someone and he banged his head as he shot up in fright . Needless to say , I never had to buy another drink at Bill's camp . Nice truck , the Hippo , it leads to adventures galore .

Good idea about the buggy , but it is colour matched with the Grand Cherokee . The buggy is not however matched as far as the drive is concerned , having only two wheel drive . Nor does it have a climate control , electric seats , or a steering wheel . I was a bit worried about the latter at first , but found that handy bumps can throw it in the general direction needed . Mike xraf

Yes , it was a T26 , but I still can't find the pics , and unfortunately can't seem to raise the address you gave . I shall keep looking . Mike xraf

Funny , that . It happens quite often . The making sick bit Mike xraf

When I was in Spain at Puerto Santa Maria near Cadiz , I drove into the area of Los Pueblos (the white villages ). There I came upon an abandoned military camp with the gate guardian still in place , albeit rusty . It looked like a Vickers light tank , but was almost certainly ex Russian . Anybody know of it ? I'm still trying to find the photos I took . The local police let me off with a caution over a cervesa--don't ask !!!!!!! Mike xraf

It looks very like one--the problem is , they weren't all the same Mike xraf

My name is Mike , and I have the misfortune to live in London . I am ex RAF , wherein I was what was (is ?) known as a Fairy . Please ask if you do not understand . I am a wrinkly , and live with my son---who drives for and instructs the military---whose redeeming features include owning a Camel Discovery , genuine issue by Landrover . He got it part exchange for a Defender . I make models of MV's , and have done for about 3000 years by the feel of things . So I joined your site with a view to learning-------------we are never too old to learn . Too cocky maybe , but never too old . Thus I shall be unable to make many contributions . I also make model trains and follow them around the garden . I am disabled , so own two vehicles ,a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a buggy to save trying to walk . Nice to meet you all . Mike