British WW2 'Cover Tank and Bivouac'

[43rdrecce]

Hello all,

 

Does anyone have any detail on this item which is shown in the stowage listing for the Daimler armoured car? I assume it was a generic item as it uses the term 'Tank' It seems to been issued for a variety of armoured vehicles as it is also shown in the stowage listing for the Humber MkIV armoured car.

 

I am asking on the tracked vehicles section of the forum in the hope that someone might have more information from a tank handbook, or wonder of wonders, might actually have a captive example of this item.

 

The full nomenclature shown is;

 

Cover, Tank and Bivouac CIM(T) 650

and

Poles, Bivouac CIM(T) 653 (these are given as 3' long in another document)

 

These bivis usually look like a jumble of canvas alongside the vehicles in period photos and it is difficult to see what is going on. Did this item continue in service after WW2, if so does anyone have a post war green version of it?

 

All contributions gratefully received from you armour boys!

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Adrian Barrell]

Paul,

 

it is indeed a generic item, though judging by the numbers, there were different models to suit different vehicles. It still exists in concept and you can find them for sale to suit CVRT and others. The modern ones have zips and sewn in rubberised lower edge flaps.

 

I have been looking for some time but have never seen an earlier style.

[43rdrecce]

Adrian,

 

Thanks for that. I thought you might contribute! Amazing how hard these things are to find especially as they were one per vehicle it seems.

What date is the illustration you've attached? It's the clearest image I've seen of one yet. It would seem most crews didn't bother to use the poles judging from the wartime photos I've seen, with the canvas draped to the ground at one side.

 

I wonder how many different sizes there were? Seems the armoured cars had CIM (T) 650 and the Churchill 652. Anyone got any others listed?

 

Were they issued with the CES for Saladin for example, it would be similar to the Daimler sized one I would imagine? Can anyone provide key dimensions so I can have one made up.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Edited September 7, 2011 by 43rdrecce

[Adrian Barrell]

Paul,

 

that image is from 'Recovery apparatus, general' dated 1946. I don't think the 652 was Churchill specific, more likely just the tank version, they just used a Churchill in the pic. Of course by 1946, Churchill ARV was the main ARV in service so you never know!

 

If you get one or some made, I'd be interested. I wonder if they were green or brown?

[43rdrecce]

Adrian,

 

Ahhh The $64,000 question....Most WW2 tentage was brown, or shades thereof, and that's what I would go with. That said the training film for the Daimler shows the turret cover and engine cover being used and in a light shade, probably that 'orrible pea green colour ('Willesden' copper based rot proofing I'm told) like the canvas water buckets and most of the BESA muzzle covers. I also have a set of the case catchers for the BESA and 2pdr which are mid green. (but no breech cover if anyone has got one!!)

 

To be honest I'm deliberately painting items in varying shades of green and brown to give more realistic appearance and a more 'in service' look. The Jerricans will be slightly different shades, water cans SCC2 Brown with white bits of course, with different odd batch nos etc stencilled on them as per period photos for instance.

 

The final choice of colour would be driven by the fact that I would be using a damaged 160lb tent to make this up. It's 1944 dated and brown! Case closed.

 

Cheers

 

Paul