Vehicle's of the Falklands War

[Rover8FFR]

unless my memory is going didnt the local islanders all supply their landrovers and tractors to get items moved around the falklands as there wasnt a lot of kit down there

 

Don't wee on my bonfire yet! You are probably right though......

 

If the Army card comes back stating 'Theatre' on key dates and we know 29 Cdo RA were there, what should I assume????????

 

At my age I am not able to get excited these days, so for now I am hanging onto this possibility.

 

Joking aside if a vehicle can be reasonably proved that it may have been there what would it add to provenance or historic value????? Just a question as I don't know. All hearsay at the mo and just a pipe dream!

[Desert Rat]

As posted earlier, a lot of pics of vehicles are in the weeks after the war itself.

Pics of the 202's, scorpions etc plus tractors and civvy land rovers are the most prolific pics during the conflict.

There is also a report in one of the books written a few years ago that gives a number for gun hops as high as something like 20 in a day by 2 helicopters.

The Argies left a large amount of amphibious vehicles and kit but i ahve no idea whether we utilised any of it ?

[Runflat]

Some pics taken in 1989 of Argie kit at Bluff Cove - by this time in civvy hands - and field cookers still on Mt Tumbledown.

[antarmike]

if you do a web search, nothing comes up showing stuff there during the war, the Raipers however must have been pulled by something...

Or lifted by helicopter.....

[antarmike]

wasn't there only the one Chinook at falklands the others having gone down with the overloaded atlantic conveyor and spare harriers. Claimed record sinlge lift of 80+standing room only.

There was only one until four more Chinooks arrived aboard the "Contender Bezant" on 10th June .

 

In total these Chinooks moved forward 1530 British troops, 600 Tons of stores and evacuated 650 Argentinean POW's. By far the most significant troop and equipment movements were by Helicopter, and even the Westland Scouts were used to ferry troops.

 

The Lone Chinook moved up 105mm guns three at a time, one underslung, and two inside the fuselage.

 

However most troops moved forward by foot.

[Stormin]

.

 

In total these Chinooks moved forward 1530 British troops, 600 Tons of stores and evacuated 650 Argentinean POW's. By far the most significant troop and equipment movements were by Helicopter, and even the Westland Scouts were used to ferry troops.

 

 

 

Off topic I know but just wondering how the POW's were dealt with after the war? Not like they could just walk home 300 miles off shore was it? Don't remember hearing much about it after the war ended but I was only young at the time.

[Richard Farrant]

Still waiting for a reply from Deepcut but my winterised Lightweight FFR is ex 29 Cdo RA and I know that they were at the Falklands with 3 Cdo according to info I have read, researched.

 

Is it reasonable to assume that as the parent unit was there that they would have take their MT fleet with them, taking into account that the largest indent of MT's went down with the Conveyor I am hoping that not everything was sunk as some vehicles did get on the island:undecided:????

 

Wayne,

 

It is a long time ago now, but I have distinct memory of helping to fit a winterised kit to a Lightweight L/Rover. We had to get it completed that night in order for it to be put on board QE2, if my memory serves me correct. Not sure from what unit it came , but feel sure it was RM.

[cosrec]

Dont know exactl numbers but at least 3000 were repatriated to Montivadio by a converted car ferry Owned by North Sea Ferries called MV Norland

[Rover8FFR]

Wayne,

 

It is a long time ago now, but I have distinct memory of helping to fit a winterised kit to a Lightweight L/Rover. We had to get it completed that night in order for it to be put on board QE2, if my memory serves me correct. Not sure from what unit it came , but feel sure it was RM.

 

Thanks Richard.....Fingers crossed as it would be nice to know I guess. This LTWT used to be in Dale Prior's collection and it would be a nice tribute to him if it had special provenance I guess!

[ruxy]

Well - in answer to your query , provenance. IMHO - if you had such as Lightweight 54 GF 10 (does the plate say "Regimental Police" ? - then you would have a historically important Lightweight , how much extra worth - some £ , but hard to say.

 

Bit of a compilation with it seems a few sec. of Stanley at the end, I may be wrong but the bulk with the POW's , dropped rifles & helmets , burial of the dead - is that Goose Green, Darwin - the start of fighting by the para's ?

 

 

[ruxy]

And here it is - what seems to be very good film documentary evidence that there were at least 3 qty. Land Rovers , 1 Lightweight "Regimental Police" it seems (was this Para. MP's ?) and two 109" S3 Safari , AJ plates - RAF (probably used by medical staff) ?

 

This indicates that Land Rovers went ashore via. landing craft or heli-lift from the very start of the conflict :-

 

Click pre-view Clip 8 of 12

 

================

 

Clip was 8 of 12 (This appears to be dated 14/06/1982)

http://www.itnsource.com/compilations/faithhistoryandpolitics/events/?lr=S07020702

 

Quote:

ITN/BBC POOL- inseparable TX 14.6.1982 FALKLAND ISLANDS: First pictures of the aftermath of the battle for Goose Green / Soldiers carrying injured on stretchers / Injured man with badly burned face and hand receiving treatment / Other patients receiving treatment / Commander Rick Jolly interview SOT / Civilian children waving from inside building / Dead bodies of soldiers killed covered in tarpaulin lay in grave / Soldiers carrying dead body on stretcher covered in Union Jack / Also pictures of the burial of Col H. Jones

[juddy]

Heres some scanned pics of vehicles used in the war..

 

This pic was taken at Ajax Bay, can anyone identify the loader in the water??

 

 

This is HQ staff of 3 commando, on the BARV

 

 

Blues and Royals, before the breakout from san carlos

 

 

 

Ajax Bay, Bridgehead.

 

 

 

POW Camp, Ajax Bay Note Land Rovers!!!

 

Field Hospital at Ajax, assorted Army loaders?????

 

 

 

Eager Beaver, at teal Inlet ( commando Logistics )

 

 

Kit on its way down, unsure of ship......

 

[Desert Rat]

The loader in the water could be a Michigan.

[ruxy]

Sir Lancelot & Sir Tristram

 

http://rfaaplymouth.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=713

[antarmike]

http://rfaaplymouth.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3038

http://rfaaplymouth.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3059

http://rfaaplymouth.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2950

http://rfaaplymouth.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3197

http://rfaaplymouth.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2841

Edited August 14, 2010 by antarmike

[Mk3iain]

I was with 33 sqdn (RAF) a Puma squadron at Odiham and we were initialy gearing up to deploy until the navy found some more Wessex. The result was loads of wax underseal (barrels of it) as we used it on the Pumas and MT (Loads of MT).

 

After the conflict all units were asked to supply details of any items sent on the Atlantic Conveyor as the MOD were making up a list of write offs! No imagination required.

 

It is reconed by some that at least three ship loads went down with the unfortunate vessel and many an inventory was brought up to date.

 

So dont rely on official figures after the event, the load out on the Atlantic Conveyor may seem unfeasably large! :cool2:

[antarmike]

From RAF Regiment webpage

 

http://www.rafregiment.net/63%20Sqn%20RAF%20Regt.htm

 

 

A quote from 63 Squadron, RAF Regiment:

 

"When 63 Squadron came ashore at San Carlos, there were obvious difficulties in locating, and unloading, their Rapier equipment and vehicles from the Atlantic Causeway while the squadron personnel, who had transhipped from the

 

QEII in South Georgia to the Canberra and the Norland, did not land as a formed unit. These were not unlike the problems with which Regiment LAA flights and squadrons had encountered in Operations Torch and Husky almost forty years earlier It took over 12 hours to land 59 Land Rovers and 57 trailers - including the Rapier equipment - by Mexefloats from the Atlantic

Causeway and another 24 hours before the last of the squadron personnel was ashore from the passenger vessels.

Edited October 2, 2010 by antarmike

[antarmike]

http://www.hqrafregiment.net/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=38

 

Quotefrom a member of 63 Sdrn

"The convoy stretched for two miles along the road from the first to the last vehicle. We were escorted by the police from Gutersloh and then again in the UK to our first stop at RAF Odiham where we were to consolidate, take on further equipment and receive more detailed intelligence and orders (in theory anyway). We spent two nights at Odiham during which time our Rapier fire units, missiles and vehicles were moved to Davenport Docks and embarked on the Atlantic Causeway, sister ship of the ill-fated Atlantic Conveyer which was sunk by Exocet missiles on 25 May. Five of the Squadron’s technicians were tasked with accompanying this valuable cargo."

[robin craig]

The book you mention has been revised to sort out ommisions and errors, such as the FCDT1 & 3 that were overlooked, so anything is possible about other things missed.

 

 

R

[robin craig]

I feel it is important to pick up on the date of the images taken for the conflict.

 

Don't forget that there were vehicles already on the Falklands that were over run by the Argies that had been the kit belonging to the captured NP8901 made up mostly of Royal Marines, see the Bedford pictures below that are clearly in the company of the invaders, infact it may be the same truck from a different angle.

 

There is an image on the Corbis Images website gallery that was shot on the 13th Aug 1982 that clearly shows a Snowtrac registration 18 RN 24 towing a Sankey trailer in down town Stanley.

 

R

[ferretfixer]

2 Scorpions, 2 Scimitars, 1 Samson

 

Plus a number of other CVRTs reportedly went down with Atlantic Conveyor - must have been a big ship that one !!

 

If I remember rightly one of the Scorps was disabled by anti personnel mines, no crew injuries..

 

Cheers

 

The Scorp in Question had a wheel blown off when it entered a Minfield. It was recoverd by the REME Samson & the wheel staion was repaired quickly & back in action in two hours! A Very Good Mate of mine was a crew member on that very sampson.

 

When the Atlantic conveyor went down, it was the answer to many QM's Prayers! The amount of kit difficincies that were made up by writing stuff off charge as 'Sunk on the Atlantic Conveyor'. Was imense! When totalled up, IF the amount of Kit claimed as lost on this vessel was true. It would have sunk in the Harbour in the UK before it even pulled away from the keyside!! :cool2:

[robin craig]

And here is another Land Rover quite likely a GJ registration with a board across the front possible saying "Military Police"?

 

 

What do you think?

 

R

[Meteor mark 4B]

I did hear that a Centurion BARV became stuck in the mud, and later it was pulled out into deep water to conceal it. After the conflict it was recovered. There is a poor picture published somewhere showing the stuck vehicle.

[robin craig]

The Bedford in the above picture has been confirmed as 57 RN 09.

 

Here are a few more pictures, I hope you enjoy them

 

Robin

[Peter4456]

Superb photos, but, as usual, NO registrations showing on any of the CVRTs!!

 

The Falklands Scorpions and Scimitars have always interested me, mostly because they're probably still out there somewhere - the Scorps having been converted to Sabres and then sold by Withams.

 

I suppose the only way to find out which ones went to the Falklands is to trawl through every Scorpion record and hope for the best.

 

If lived nearer Bovvy, I'd been down there a shot!