skiprat

Hi looking for a little help identifying the smaller round badge (with the outline of Africa) many thanks

old cast iron boiler.

After 10+ years of working at the War and Peace show as helping hand on a trade stall, this year the boss decided not to put his stall out this year. The organisers have put the prices up and are asking even more if you were allocated a corner pitch (with the size of the central walkway this year more stall holders would have found themselves with a corner pitch!), We have never seen/met the new owner, Rex was often seen walking the trade stands meeting the traders ,taking an interest. Last year we noticed a rise in the number of kids on quads, and motor bikes driving through the trade stalls, and a return to people driving to the beer tents drinking around their vehicles and driving back to the camping fields, Its a hard (and now expensive) show to work that seems to have lost the fun. If you can stall at two small weekend shows its a better time than the War and Peace show I visited as a member of the public this year the lack of traders was noticeable as with the sparse re-enactors field, and even at 0905am on the first day the toilets were in a very poor state....(after driving 4 hours when you got to go...) looking at the website before setting off it did say that the £20 entry also included over night camping a bit of a deal for those traveling, but the website did also say camping was £30 a night, So a "bargain" if you turn up on the day but not if you book early, it was a similar story with the trade stalls "book early to guarantee the same pitch (at a cheaper price) " but they kept moving the deadline, and looking at this years layout I don't think many pitches were in the same place as last year, I'm looking forward to the Military Odyssey show a much friendlier show, not as many vehicles but there's more every year, and they have pirates!

Many of the same traders do Stoneleigh and Malvern, Malvern is slightly smaller, and colder If you need cheap 40mm ammo cans I'm taking a car full!

Hi Rob I am interested in a large Qty I have tried to message you but your inbox reports as full!! Andy

Try " Ds Solutions " based in Kent. They had one at the Odessey show.

I think PROBABLY!!!!! Many of the traders sell deactivated weapons or accessories for deactivated weapons, As the proposed new law is (at this time) very vague will these traders chance their luck selling or buying prohibited items? Will they be buying in new stock now that could be worthless by the time of the show? The police will be scouring all the stalls for prohibited items, even if they don't know themselves what IS illegal!!!! I believe the police force presence will be strong at the 2016 W&P will anyone want to try their luck in law?

The Para's ( both regiments ) used the American M40 recoilless rifle. The airborne assault mounted on Willy's Jeeps and the later seaborne assault mounted them on Austin Champs. The RM also used the M40 mounted on turret less Stuart tanks. These recoilless rifles were "borrowed" from the French as the US did not wish to be involved in the action!.

it is for 2 earth spikes and a 14 lb !! sledge hammer.

just to put a bit of mud in the water....... the British Army reloaded these ........with 21mm sub caliber adapters (could be used many times) and the British Army Drill launchers had their firing pins and trigger mech. drilled to prevent re-use A deact cert could be alot cheeper than (posibly at best) been proved right in court how would a person (without a section 5 RFD) present a section 5 weapon to the proof house?

After working for a few years at the War and Peace show with a trader that supply to many re-enactors. We have had to put up with people asking for advice (what accessories they need for this weapon or that gun) only to be told that we are ”wrong and that would never be issued” ……then why ask!!!!Once we were asked to “equip” an “armourer” that was re enacting the cold war (L1A1 and SA80…) only to be told that we did not know what we were talking about and he then went on to educate us….about what armourers did in BAOR…Both myself and the stall holder served in BAOR as ARMOURERS just before the wall came down. Just keep smiling and take the money!!!!!I tried to use this "criticism" when researching how the Para’s fitted the recoilless rifle to the back of the champ. There was no information anywhere.So I built it and took it to the shows, waiting for the “they didn’t do it like that…” but to date nobody has been able to put me right…..

British Army INERT launcher tubes 66 and 94mm law were made from fired (live) weapons... then made INERT by the unit armourer (66mm.... the 94mm were made inert at the factory but they did not deactivate the 9mm spotting rifle) launcher tubes I would not touch without a Deact. cert......

was it marked with a proof house stamp.......or ....... was it marked "INERT" by the army? "INERT" is NOT deactivated to proof standards, but how may Judges/police/people know the difference?we used to reload the 66 tube quite often...... with the sub calibre 21mm rocket. it dose have a firing pin. there are many 66 tubes (and 94mm LAWs ) out there stamped INERT but advertised as deactivated. I would have thought a proof house stamp (and certificate) would be a good defence.

I joined the Army as a REME Armourer in 1985, and I'm STILL doing the same job.....(slight change in terms and conditions) just think of the range wrecks I have helped ............WRECK

ds solutions . co. uk they have more than listed on the web site just ask for what you need (they have alot of enfield stuff) .. they also do some good repo. stuff.but not an RFD so no licensed parts...

I spent many years trying to find out how these things went together... There is nothing in the EMER’s so I think it was a very limited modification. (less than 24 vehicles) These were put together in a hurry for the Suez campaign in 1956, the M40 may have been leased from the Americans, but this time the Americans did not want any involvement in Suez ,so they could have been supplied by France. The parachute regiment first saw these weapons been fired by the French in Cyprus while joint training prior to the invasion 3 Para that parachuted on to Gamil airfield fitted their recoilless rifles to WW2 era Willys jeeps . 1 Para had theirs fitted to champs for the later beach landings. I did have a look through the photo archive in the Airborne forces museum. The only thing I did find of any use was a close up photo of the barrel clamp. As far as I can work out there are two ways the rifles were fitted to the champs 1 for use in Suez (painted light stone) 2 for use in Europe (painted bronze green) As far as I have figured out the main differences are...... Light stone (Suez) Bonnet has reinforcing bar and sheet material fitted to the windscreen supports. Spare wheel fitted to the driver’s side Spade fitted down the front mud guard Non folding barrel clamp Rifle clamped directly on to the rear of the side body panel Bronze green (Europe) No bonnet reinforcement Spare wheel fitted on bonnet Rifle clamped to extended (high) side body panels Both types have the rear body panel removed. I did at first, have the front wheel of the recoilless rifle resting on the rear seat base (folded forward) this worked well and did place the wheel at the right height and was simple I now have the wheel fitted into a mount made from a couple of pieces of angle iron running from the top of the transition tunnel to the back of the seat/battery box. This way is also simple and gives the advantage of been able to use the rear foot wells for storage. With the lack of information on how these were put together I decided to go ahead with the little information I had and wait for people to tell me what I had done wrong!!!!

I "THINK" the sights fitted to the mount were used so the gunner did not have to put his head and body too far out of the hatch, these sights are at the bottom of the mount, quite a bit lower than the sights on the gun. so the gun was fired with your hand above your head with just the top of your head out of the vehicle, these sights were very very basic a short length of welding rod with a square plate on the end with a large hole in (both front and rear)for use when the "stuff" really hit the fan .a bit like the auxiliary firing handle on the .30 browning for the ferret

I think we should look at by who and when / why these memorials were set in place. Chances are it was by people a lot closer to events than we ever will be. Should we not respect the thoughts and reasons of these people? I would be happy to see a tank return to the earth it came from, if it is Contemporary with its surroundings. Even a pile of rust can tell a story. The other option is a lucky (rich) few get to have a new play thing or worse get to make money out of these “memorials”. There has been much said in the press about metal theft from war memorials. Ok its not brass/bronze from a cenotaph, but it could be financial gain from what someone wanted to be left as a lasting memorial.

I had a good year ..... IWS (in need of a bit of TLC) £250Mk 1 bren magazine , with drill rounds and free cigar!!! £8Magazine for the .22 HK convertion kit for the British L1A1 SLR £6 (from a well known smallarms dealer and on Sunday)

SORRY THAT WAS NO ARMOURER....:mad: all the serial numbers ALWAYS, ALWAYS matched.. even if the Armourer that was rebuilding the rifle had to re engrave the correct numbers,,, (the master number was on the upper reciver) somtimes the lower trigger mech. housing was fitted from another rifle and would be re-numbed ... but it WOULD be re-numberd to match the reciver,,,,, In theory an Australian trigger mech could be fitted to a BSA reciver but it would be re-numberd......:mad: her endeth a proper LESSON...:angel:

nice hythe sight tho..... (£70-£100)sorry to say I think the suit sight mount is a reproduction.... I am sure the mounts were spot welded AND silver solderd to the top cover. Even these repro mounts are £100 + as you need one to fit the suit sight (and there are more sights than mounts!!!!) Its worth what you payed for it (If you payed the price chances are somone else would) they will not make any more... one sold at a local auction 3 years ago for £600 (same type of mix and match mutt)

the SMG pull through was point less...... that is it was the same as the enfield rifle, the later SLR pull through weights had a point on them that could be used as a scraper to remove the carbon off the gas parts..

[ATTACH=CONFIG]60994[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]60997[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]60996[/ATTACH] As some have asked ... photos of my Champ as it was intended to be used as a combat truck (CT) the replica rifle and vehicle mounts have been made from the few photos available. I have seen photos of two methods of mounting the rifle on the back of the champ, One type made in Cyprus for the Suez crisis (painted light stone) and another type photographed in the UK and painted green, the Light stone ones had a non folding type barrel clamp, bracing across the bonnet, spare wheel mounted on the side of the body. The green ones had a folding type barrel clamp and the vehicle body was raised to mount the rifle. Finding the info on these vehicles has been very difficult. The airborne museum had a few photos but no information on their use. I believe there was only about 20-24 recoilless rifles fitted to champs across the Parachute regiment and the Royal Marines

as requested......

Hi Im an Ex REME Armourer having served 25 years (no boy service... always an adult!!!!!!!) Retired to North Yorks to look after a 1953 Austin Champ fitted with a replica m40 recoilless rifle as used by 1 Para in Suez 1956 Regards Andy