Packhow75

More parts - 3 x 2in smoke bomb boxes (1 goes on the turret wall, and 2 on the floor of the turret basket) Excellent reproductions made by Adrian Barrell - if anyone needs any, please contact Adrian directly. Tim

Rupert Thanks - I think wise I go with the 2nd type. Cheers Tim

What date is that publication please? My feeling is this is the version I should have for the 1944/45 period. The wire version feels post war to me (not just because of the colour and label).

Rupert Do you have a ww2 dated manual or any form of period documentation which shows the 3rd pattern in use during the ww2 period? I have a pile of NOS 3rd pattern holders, but have assumed them to be post ww2 as there is no evidence (that I am aware of) to suggest they are WW2 vintage. I do not want to use the wrong type on my restoration. My ces listing simply describes the part as "Wesco Clip" and there is no drawing that I have found yet. Thanks Tim

The Wesco oil cans appear in the CES listing for the Sherman Firefly in May 1944.

Following from above. 2nd Type, Slightly broken (2H 3885) and below it 3rd type (Label identifies as LV6/MT1 27026) Am I correct to believe the 3rd type was introduced in the post ww2 period? Tim

Adrian Armour and Embarkation event in Dorset in the summer. Tim

an / and... my error in the requote, but it does not change the meaning of the sentence in my opinion... "as positive an attitude as one can muster" still implies to me that it's a bit of an effort to have to deal with a customer who's having trouble making a purchase. Anyways, he has said that no malice was intended, so I am happy to accept that and move on. Tim

"we will work through these with as positive and attitude as one can muster"... seriously? Not a particularly customer friendly message imo. For whatever reason whenever I try to order on your website, your website gives an error message, or no response... it is the only place in cyberspace I get' this issue... amazon and other main-stream retailers I have no issues. It may be I am the only one, but it doesnt mean you have the right to be rude. I have sent you my email address (as you suggested) for you to send me an invoice there... assuming of course you can muster enough positive attitude to support this approach. Regards Tim Bell

Tried ordering - website response "unable to process your order at this time"... hopefully I will remember another time.

Geoffrey I have sent you a PM with respect the AFV first aid tins. Many thanks Tim

I know nothing about the Chieftain, however if this was the Sherman tank, you would have to disengage the turret lock before you can move the turret on the traverse... so perhaps there is a turret lock you havent yet released?

According to Someone's law, this was of course inevitable. Having spent years trying to find the Emergency Stop box, and then resorting to making reproductions once I found a pattern to borrow, a 1942 dated original new old stock one turns up. Not a total waste of time and effort as a number of other restoration projects have benefitted... but for mine, it will be the original part now... and I have the right switch too. Tim

It is all in the detail... Having tried for quite some time to acquire a "Commander's Engine Emergency Stop Box"... I concluded the answer would be to make one. This is a British Modification applied to Shermans in British service (and those supplied to the Commonwealth), to allow the turret crew a means of shutting down the engine in the event the driver was unable to. After securing the loan of a pattern, this is the end result - repro left, original right. NB - Quite a few British AFV mods (especially on the Firefly), have been borrowed from other equipment of the 30s/40s and repurposed. I have some extra parts made due to MQ requirements with the manufacturer which are for sale. If anyone needs one, please PM me. Tim

I have one similar except mine isn't filled with concrete, it is in the main made of concrete with the only metal pieces being the central bit and the carry handle. IIRC I paid £50 for it about 7 years ago, which I thought fair for a nice door stop. Regards Tim

312 GBP - Post Extra Reproduction British/Commonwealth WW2 Sherman Tank Emergency Stop Button Box (Dark Grey in images is original) I have made a very small quantity of Emergency Stop Button boxes The reproduction part comprises box rear, front, reversible data plate (to allow box to be installed upside down, as per original), and screws, as per attached images. Sherman V installation: Sherman 1 installation If you want one, please send me a PM. I do not plan to get any more made. Tim

Wish this was around as a pattern 10yr ago. Not sure I can justify the expense of a 2nd canvas for my WSC.

Thanks - I will endeavour to pop an update here a bit more frequently. Tim

As of now, I lose track of the number of hours of research carried out to determine what parts are, when they were produced, how and where to get them copied, what the vehicle history is, finding manuals and associated documentation etc... I suspect though considering I have around 9,000 photos and 100gb of material on just the Firefly now, the number must be in the thousands. For anyone who has tackled these types of projects, often it appears there is very little progress, the hull/chassis sits seemingly abandoned with apparently nothing going on. Far from the truth though. Over the years we have acquired patterns and drawings to remanufacture all the tin-work inside the vehicle, and the parts have been test-fitted. In addition to repair of manufacture, we've tracked down a huge amount of original firefly parts, including a serviceable turret basket and complete 17pdr mk VII... and even (thanks Adrian B... I think) got a stack of A57 multibank parts, sufficient to consider having the correct engine one day, though this will be after the tank is finished (using the GAA engine) Of course there are still some pieces to find, fortunately the list is tiny compared to where we started. Key to ideally find (though they can of course be made if required): Gunner's telescope mount Rear engine deck barrel clamp Commander's lower seat bracket Turret roof lining/head crash pads Stowage for top of battery box Any A57 multibank parts, including radiator and accessories. Current progress... we are on track to having the vehicle driving at the 30 Corps event in the Netherlands in September. My thanks to Willy and Celine Rouhalde, The "Ghost Mechanic" team for putting up with my OCD and all their hard work to date to deliver the restoration so far. Tim

Long overdue an update... i stick most stuff on facebook here - www.facebook.com/t289477. I was recently fortunate to obtain some photos of the vehicle on the firing range from Michel Van Loon, here fyi which give a better idea of the condition of the vehicle and parts at the start. Lots of patterns, but few serviceable items.

Yes - just had some reproduction legs made.

How many hours of time do you think it took?

Very nice... it would be a shame to load anything on the back and scratch the paint.

I use these people for all my reproduction data plates... so far they have been excellent and i have had no complaints. They do small bespoke production runs of pretty much anything you want. https://www.ruddmacnamara.com/ Tim

Welcome to the forum Tim. Hope all is well. Tim