Peter4456 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Have any of the CVR(T)s used by the Blue & Royals in the Falklands War survived into preservation? There were apparently two B Sqn Armoured Recce troops - a total of 4 Scorpions, 4 Scimitars & 1 Samson. With so few vehicles, it should be easy to locate them but I can't recall seeing reg numbers in any Falklands photos and the regiment's role in the war is, I feel, somewhat neglected! It would be amazing if one of the ex Withams Sabres turned out to be an ex Blues & Royals Scorpion with a real combat history! Over to you guys, Peter Ferret 2/3, 03 CC 42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfixer Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 The only way you would really know this is with the vehicle history cards. As you are aware, a lot of scorpions were later converted into Sabre configuration. I know for a fact, one of the Scorps had a wheel staion blown off and track broken when it went through a minefield. Crew unhurt. It was recovered by the sampson & very quickly repaired & put back into action. There is a well known photograph of a R.E.M.E soldier standing on the engine deck of the sampson on the Falklands. This was taken in Stanley right at the end of the conflict. They guy in question was a personal friend of mine when I knew him from a previous unit we both served with at the same time. A Corporal then, & when I encountered him a few years later a Sergeant when I was at the School of Infantry in Warminster. He regailed me of REAL stories of how it all REALLY was for him in that conflict! There was also a scorpion at S.E.M.E in the BDR wing (Battle Damage Repair) with a large hole blown in the front Armour & also a damaged Rad grill. This was from the first Gulf war. The damage was from (Again!) friendly fire! a 30mm A/T round went through the front lower hull, hit the trans/ steering unit. Broke it, & ricoceted up through the radiator & exited. Crew unhurt! They simply replaced the trans/ steering unit & put the damaged one on a pallet in front of the vehicle for show. The hull damage was also left. I doubt it is still there, but you never know. I havent been back for 8 years! Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Mike, They are Samsons not Sampsons! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agripper Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Did anyone have a list of the number of these vehicles? There must be a list some place that has the number of all land vehicles used as well as those lost on the Atlantic conveyor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Looking through the Falklands books I have here, none of the British vehicles show their registration numbers be they CVR(T)s or land rovers. On one pictue of a CVR(T) you can see the number has been painted over. Irritating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfixer Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Mike, They are Samsons not Sampsons! Chris OOPS! Cheers Chris, Typo!!! I crewed enough of them to know how to spell it's damm name! The winch was not a great sucess in Service, & we used to remove it & use the vehicle basicaly as a prime mover for towing casualties back for repair. This left a bit more usefull space a bit like a Sparten to carry our personal gear. Still, it was still a CVR(T) range toy & great fun to drive. Mike. :thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxmanguy Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Been a while since anyone posted to this thread, as a newbie, thought I would see if there is still any interest, I was the REME VM, with the detachment, I have some pics that might help, and if I can find my old notebooks, I have all reg numbers written down, one Scorpion drove over a landmine, this was recovered back to the UK but was cast, and the Samson, which was only about 6 months old, was also cast on the return due to a twisted chassis, all the rest were Ok and underwent the optronic ignition upgrade in 83, no idea what happened to them after 84 as thats when I left the blues and royals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Dear Saxmanguy, (oh I how I would prefer to call you by your real name) Thank you for posting in here. It is true this thread has not been updated. There has been some talk over on the dreaded Facebook about this. There is a gent who posted over the CVR(T) group who was with the vehicles so I assume you will recall him. He identified one of the gun variants. It is brilliant that you are here offering us your input and knowledge from the time. Please don't hold back, every detail has value and it is a reason I prefer this forum as things as easier to search. It will take me a few coffees and my right fingerprint to find it. The fact that you have identified that vehicles were CAST takes a large element of wondering out of the equation. Be back soon Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 So, I don't know who he is but a Mr Phil Henney states that Call sign 23B which was a Scimitar was VRM 06 FD 06 I don't know if he was there but he is the one who stated that. Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guykay Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Sorry to show my ignorance, but what's CAST? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_bish Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Sorry to show my ignorance, but what's CAST? If I recall removed from service as being beyond viable repair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxmanguy Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 So, I don't know who he is but a Mr Phil Henney states that Call sign 23B which was a Scimitar was VRM 06 FD 06 I don't know if he was there but he is the one who stated that. Robin Hi Robin, the name Phil Henney does not ring any bells, but it was over thirty years ago, so dont read anything into that, will go up into the loft later and dig out my photo album and get some pictures up, pretty sure one photo is of all 9 vehicles lined up at Southampton waiting loading onto the MV ELK Regards Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxmanguy Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 If I recall removed from service as being beyond viable repair Correct Paul, I assume these would have been disposed of through normal channels, but would I assume, have never been allowed back on the road Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 If I recall removed from service as being beyond viable repair Hi Paul, The term the army use is Beyond Economical Repair (BER), there is also BLR which is Beyond Local Repair, this is used then work required is too great for workshops and the item has to go back for Base Repair. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Hi Paul,The term the army use is Beyond Economical Repair (BER), there is also BLR which is Beyond Local Repair, this is used then work required is too great for workshops and the item has to go back for Base Repair. Squaddies usual term was six letters............begins with F ends in D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Degsy is that word FOULED? R:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxmanguy Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Blues & Royals CVRT's lined up at Southampton waiting to be loaded onto the MV ELK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxmanguy Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Scorpion, on board HMS Fearless, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxmanguy Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Samson, playing in the sand, Ascencion Island Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 All I can say is that I am stunned. You have quite an eye for making a photograph, you really full frame the vehicle. At your end does the dockside picture enlarge to a point you can read the VRMs for them? It makes being an insomniac worth the while. Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxmanguy Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 All I can say is that I am stunned. You have quite an eye for making a photograph, you really full frame the vehicle. At your end does the dockside picture enlarge to a point you can read the VRMs for them? It makes being an insomniac worth the while. Robin Sorry Robin, did try, but these were taken on a little pocket camera, and quality is not the best, have put them on a stick to pass on to my youngest who is quite the wiz with photoshop, hopefully he can enhance them to being readable, failing that, its back to searching the attic where my notebooks are, got everything written down there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxmanguy Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Repatriation of the dead vehicle back to southampton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxmanguy Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 In the words of a famous reporter embeded with the task force at the time, I counted them out, and I counted them back, vehicles returning to southampton from HMS Fearless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m109a3uk Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Great photos and thanks for sharing them! Hopefully there are loads more waiting to be up loaded:cheesy: anything green will do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Dear Saxmanguy, I don't think you quite realise how significant it is to see these pictures and actually put numbers to vehicles. I know for one that I am going to load up the UK MOD FOI inbox tonight, will post the results as soon as I get them Off to plow snow! Robin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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