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BlueBelle

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Everything posted by BlueBelle

  1. Well spotted! Though why bother painting them bits a dark colour when, in the closed position, the outers are sand-coloured againt the 'stark dark green' of the canvas? Camouflaged, not.
  2. The photo file name is (I think) 13BK82. The photo shows that VRN too. What does 'ERM' mean? Looking from the outside, Clive, how does one determine who made the vehicle? The photo 'blows up' quite nicely (how this time, I know not) to reveal quite a lot of detail, including what I've since determined is something sticky all along the bottom edge of the photo which seems to look like mud or scuffing on the APC in our photo on here! :red: Some photo cleaning required, before submitting for any Photoshop touch-ups prior to use in publications. Looks good though!
  3. Why though, not a sand-coloured canvas, rather than the stark, dark green? I'm right too, about the dark green canvas on Tripolitania trucks et al, as my colour photos bear out and, that there was a sand-coloured canvas tilt in use too, again, I have the proof and as not too far back, asked my dear viewer to take note of 'tilt colours' for ..... discussion, perhaps. Of course, other colours were available too, erm, brownish/olive coloured ones! So much for the concept of camouflage 'on the move' in the desert, unless you stopped and cammed-up under your special desert cam-nets and scrim etc. (those sausage roll things draped over the tops of armour, trucks et al). Oh, and that's where the round fish-frying basket apparatus came into its own, you know the thing, hooked onto the side of tank and armoured car turrets (only of use too, if you had some poles, no, not for fishing!).
  4. Nice photo of the trailer side frame! Would that be a FV3621(A) Trailer 20 ton Low Loading? If so, it has a different side frame structure to the FV3621(A) Trailer 20 ton Low Loading shown in the Libya-Tripolitania thread, say page 6. Maybe there are more differences too, depending on the manufacturer?
  5. Well, let's have a 'Clive Truck' photo and a bit of history. I hope you like this. First though, I am indebted to Peter Goddard 2RTR for presenting me with the loan of his Libya photo albums and tranparency collection. Thank you Peter. I have much to scan (several hundred) and learn from what I see but let's start here with this wonderful shot of a Humber 1T APC belonging to a great regiment, the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers who were based in Medenine Barracks, Tripoli Aug 1958 to Oct 1961. Faugh-a-Ballagh. This vehicle and others like it were used as firing crew shelters during the Malkara heat trials of Jun-Jul 1961 in the Libyan desert some distance south of Tripoli. 2RTR also supplied logistical support from Homs, including a Saladin, but more of that another time. The Hornets fired off six missiles at two hard targets, a Dingo and a Halftrack from the 'dump' at 595 Ord Depot, Kassala Barracks, Tajoura. I have photos of these too. Something about the photo aspect, the shadows too, make me think Peter took this photo from atop his Saladin. Note the Infantry (HQ) Arm of Service flash, the white 87 on a green rectangle and the rather crudely painted/stencilled/non-conformative sticky sticker for the Formation flash .... far to much blue sea under the hull of the Barbary Dhow! Why did these Humbers have canvas stretched over the body roof and sides? Can you see someone peeping out? 'WO 341/61 Malkara Weapon System - Hot Climatic Trials in Tripoli June-July 1961' is an illuminating document indeed. Photo by Peter Goddard 2RTR
  6. I like you, Scott :-) Thank you. Stay tuned for more lovely sand-coloured stuff.
  7. Now there's food for thought, Armoured Farmer. Larkspur! Would Larkspur have been installed in 'ancient' Mk1 ARVs, vehicles which had already been superceded by the ARV Mk2? Maybe. I know the Signals Officer 6RTR who 'put up' that antenna so I shall ask lots of questions of him in due course, hoping to get clarification. You really must try harder to find your H .... it was perhaps 'glossed over' :laugh: I think we've mentioned your Light Stone K9 before, I hope you finish it in the same!
  8. I'll ask him! :laugh::laugh::laugh: I've had my orders though and, I have to wait until after he's finished his preparations for the Cambrai celebrations and the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Tank Regiment before I'm allowed to 'mine him for information, recollections and photos! I can hardly wait!
  9. Thank you, Tarland. I'd not seen that link before. Yes, 'buffed up' ARV coming soon though I think an infanteer's Humber will appear before the Centurion. :laugh: I still need information, accurate information on ARV Mk1 hulls (I'm sure they were all built on redundant Centurion Mk1 and 2 Gun tanks with top-opening trackguard bin lids, and that the same type of bins were on early Mk3s with the newer side-opening trackguard bin lids only on later production models of Mk3s onwards). So why the later Mk3 type bins on these ARVs? Anyone?
  10. Most valued comment, thank you Gordon. :-) 6RTR I guess, were trying 'anything' to get through, either on morse or voice. I wonder where the rear link was? Maybe that was it, but it was not 'in the rear'! 2RTR used a 52 set as a rear link in a Saracen on some forays 'deep down south' and, I am assured they always got through using their 19 sets and, on one occasion from near Toummo, were talking to a chap in Canada! I believe timing, frequencies, atmospherics, and what disturbances nuclear test detonations (? - not sure I believe that nuclear thing) may have had on the ionosphere were to be taken into consideration. Antenna type and length? Who knows? I do know a man who does know and ..... see my next post on radio!
  11. Now look what's happened! :laugh: More to come, and, yes, a Humber or two, though no CTs:-(
  12. Information is everything! Thank you Wally. Yes, 3RHA departed the sandy shores of Homs, Tripolitania in May 1957 for the dank downs of Salisbury Plain, Bulford to be more precise, swapping their Sextons for 5.5" howitzers.
  13. Here it is, in all its fuzzy glory, an Austin Champ, 63BE71 of J Batt 3RHA based in Homs photoed in Tripolitania 1956. Despite the poor quality image, the content/subject matter is superb especially as we can see the markings/lettering. Can you see the H markings on the nose, bonnet and roof? What about the white Gothic letter J on a black rectangle and the battle honour 'Sidi Rezegh' in white on a black background on the side on the bonnet, which was repeated on the other side too? (Colours noted from colour photos of other 3RHA vehicles in my collection). Nothing on the Bridging Plate. Displayed is the regimental badge, the 10 Armd Div white rhino (standing), the RA flash with a white 74 to indicate senior artillery regiment in the formation, and there's a white J2 to the top left of that flash on a black background which may indicate 2i/c J Battery. Of course, whilst prepared for Operation Musketeer, this regiment and all other Libya-based units 'were not allowed to go'. Photo by Dudley Carter 3RHA
  14. The lovely colour photo of the Centurion ARV Mk1 and it’s ‘unusual’ circumstances produced zero remarks, and no ‘value added’ comments, questions or a hunger for more information. I had mistakenly expected the Centurion, REME and Signals ‘experts’ (others too) to at least have inputted ‘something’ which may or may not have added value to the post. Perhaps I should just keep the ‘really good stuff’ in reserve for the book(s) and treat the dear viewer to more fuzzy B&W photos of Landrovers and Champs which seem to ‘float boats’! Oh, and a K9 now and then. :laugh: Did you know that the ARV Aux Generator had a ‘removable’ external exhaust pipe? No, I didn’t until I saw my other photos of the same ARV on here and, one other from another 6RTR squadron buffed up and on parade in a drivepass. No Aux gen exhausts! Or obvious blanked-off port either. Was it 'normal' to remove them, and where were they stowed? The towropes had changed colour too, from light-stone to ...... silver and the superstructure front timbers a nice shiny black with the smaller side timber blocks a shiny light-stone. Shiny? Hang on, was Light Stone a full gloss, a semi-gloss or a matt paint? Maybe available as all three, or more paint finish variants? What’s on the ARV I've shown? I know from photos that of the two Mk1 ARVs in Homs, one had the earlier Mk2 Centurion catwalk bins with the top opening lids, the other had the late Mk3 Centurion side opening catwalk bin lids. In fact, you can see this on the two (different) ARV photos I’ve posted here. Hmmm, and I had thought they were all on Mk2 hulls with top opening bin lids. Something perhaps, ‘Centurion ARV experts everywhere’, could have to say about that, and about ARV hull lengths and perhaps too, a nod to most ARV Mk1s, if not all (unless sold to foreign armies) being converted to ARV Mk2s. Me? Not an expert! Standby for that (another) Austin Champ!
  15. I bet there's a Malkara involved, somewhere!
  16. Thank you 07BE16. I've now Googled your very helpful reply and seen more! Fancy me thinking it was off an Arab!
  17. Have you noticed the colour of the ARV's towropes and roadwheel hubs?:cheesy: The towropes with a 'splash' of exhaust muck from those 900 fishtails!
  18. Time for a TANK! A Centurion ARV Mk1 with 6RTR some 300 miles south of Homs on TA 24. There was a need to contact RHQ at home by morse so with the assistance of the regimental Signals officer, the ARV became, it seems, a command post, of sorts. There has very recently been some blagging on the forum about antenna size so this photo is a counter to those proceedings Just look at the ARV's antenna! A 'standard' method or a 'Heath Robinson' job? I'd be interested to understand how the mast was fixed to the superstructure top, thinking that the mast base may have been a ground spike. Anyway, if I've linked up correctly with what The Tank says for this time and occasion with the photo timing, it didn't work then. No contact. I believe the set was a No19. Communications were also a hit or miss affair in those parts at that time (probably before then too), whether by morse or voice (I've yet to confirm what set was used for long range voice). Will this photo expand or not, who knows? I hope you enjoy seeing it nevertheless. Photo by Ronald Gill REME
  19. Nice photo Richard, expandable too, unlike mine when I want them to be and where those I don't care to be expandable, turn out to be so, and all despite following exactly the same uploading procedure from the same source (my laptop) each time. The length of file title has nothing to do with it, the file path neither (short and simple) and all irrespective of the same medium-to-small file size. I also wouldn't mind knowing how to remove an 'inappropriate' photo and duplicate thumbnail that has been dumped on 'my' thread, spoiling in my view, the view!
  20. 'Whiskey' The K9's name was 'Whiskey'. Obvious really. I found out after a deluge of Tank Journals fell on me this morning when I opened the ''so strange' outdoor remote mailbox that these Canadian fellows make us have. Yes, everything covering 6RTR and then, 2RTR 1956-1962 inclusive and, in a 6RTR one there was 'Whiskey goes on scheme' with B Sqn. From Ron Gill REME, who took the photo, though he couldn't tell me the K9s name, did tell me that it belonged to a Major Barker (now, settle down and paws a while) who was the OC B Sqn at that time.
  21. Having made the sweeping statement that all black-painted jerrycans were for water, drinking and engines 'for the use of' and assuming they'd not be marked in anyway other than by the white paint infills to the side pressings, take a look at THIS black jerrycan! Whilst you're doing that, do notice the lovely Centurion ARV Mk 1 belonging to one of the squadron LADs attached to 6RTR from Homs whilst deep down in the desert on Training Area 24 (battle group size) in 1959. In doing that, you'll notice a man in a rather snazzy jump suit affair, a suit that you may wish to comment on as I've not seen anyone in the desert dressed in such an outfit. Is it a BAOR item? Standard issue? 'Borrowed' from a Libyan Army soldier? No matter what, the most important aspect of the photo is the man himself for he is no other than Sgt Ronald Gill REME through whose generousity we are able to see some of his suberb 6RTR Tripolitania Libya photos. Thanks Ron. Photo by Ronald Gill REME
  22. That's two of us that agree, AEC Mk1 Militant :-D The photo though was sent to me with 'Hippo' in the title written on the back (oh, no it wasn't, I was writing about another similar photo; the one we see here was sent as a jpg). I know of only one other photo of a Militant in Tripolitania and that is in the online RASC journal archive of the RLC Museum where sadly, as is the norm for all their low-grade scans of the periodicals, most photos are virtually indistinguishable though I could make out that what I saw was indeed, a sand-coloured Militant cab with a Barbary dhow flash!
  23. Swiftly moving on and sticking to the spirit of the thread title, let's 'do' more jerrycans, some even 'dug in' out in the desert. We're at a 'not long arrived in Libya' 1 Royal Scots exercise fuel dump far south in the Tripolitanian desert late 1961 where support was provided by 38 Coy RASC and 219 (Tripolitania) Sigs Sqn RS. Oh, REME too, from 61 Station Wksp at Gurgi. The Royal Scots took over at Medenine Barracks from the Royal Irish Fusiliers. Seen is an Austin K9 Radio shack and the rear of a Leyland Hippo ..... or is it an AEC 10 T, which were in theatre then? X body panels are a clue! I could tell you but I thought I'd let you, dear viewer decide what that lorry (I like that word, 'lorry', rather than 'truck' even though I'm not sure if a lorry is the same as a truck ) really is. 1/4 T trailers and tents! Photo by John Davey REME
  24. Stanag 2027 is a most useful reference document. Thanks Clive. I bet the painting of 'unofficial' names on vehicles is not covered :-D Look at this Champ 62BE61 from the same unit, 6 Fd Pk Sqn RE, same year as the sand-coloured one previously posted, this one with Spr Frank Hallsworth at the wheel in Prinn Barracks. 'TIGER' with what seem to be, little paw prints underneath each letter. Hmm, Arabic VRN too and what about that blank bridging plate! No bumperettes or white front diffs either :-D Tented accommodation at Prinn too. Both Champs display the 'soon to be removed', white rhino of 10 Armd Div. In this thread, Hansard was mentioned in relation to jerrycan quantities; again Hansard quotes a 1957 Parliament debate where it was noted 10 Armd Div had been disbanded in July 1957 yet, according to other sources, regimental journals and photos included, the Division in name only 'hung on' until November 1957. Thereafter, many Generals and their subordinates were 'hung out to dry', surplus to requirements just as large quantities of vehicles were sent to disposal parks as regiments were subjected to amalgamations and cap badge disappearances. Not the best quality photo but just an as important one nevertheless as is the previous Champ photo. Photo by Frank Hallsworth RE
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