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les freathy

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Posts posted by les freathy

  1. Can anyone tell me something about this, i took the photo on a visit to Watford during the month the Commander was entering service and after a tour of the works went a little way down the road to a storage holding area and saw this S26. It was summer time and trees and bushes were at there best but not much use to me whilst trying to take photos from out side,from what i can remember the truck is a S26 drops without the multilift equipment fitted and a large GS body bolted to the chassis. It is the only time i have seen this set up and guess it was a trial vehicle although i seen no test or trial photos of the same it appears to have had a small fire in the rear of the body

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  2. To add to Adams input here are a few more, the first i believe was taken in Berlin the second is a early model with the canvas tilt and towing i think a Green Archer morter locating radar third a very early trials model still with un painted wheels and last a photo from the mid 1970s of one just demobbed and purchased by a enthusiast near Ashford in Kent

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  3. A few years back whilst at work i was informed that a tracked vehiclehad broken down in Shornecliffe road in Folkestone so at lunch break i shot down to get some pics and arrived at the same time as the REME recovery unit from ashford with there Explorer and 18 ton trailer. I knew these vehicles, a rareity in our area were around as they had thundered past my door the night before, two convoys of them what a racket. I am not sure if this Explorer was part of the REME workshops or the REME TA based at the same location, Richard Farrent will i am sure recognise the vehicle and can give us the answer

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  4. Hi Andy (got it right this time) No connection at all with Scammell i only paid one visit to the factory in the month the first Commanders were ready for delivery so i can say i saw them come and now of course ive seen them go Jordon i believe for £1.00 each. My collection has amassed form nearly 40 years of collecting material mainly on wheeled vehicles and having a habit of leaving no stone unturned ie i hound any one i find has served in the forces to borrow snapshots, chasing manufacturers though not much left in the UK to follow up and countless establishment visits and of course rallies. There is plenty more to come including other nations heavies now thats a point i observe the Britsh items are split in to type threads is it best do this with other nations or say German, Dutch, Swedish HETS and group that country under one thread to save space on the site

    cheers

    :Les

  5. Back in the early 1970s the army began to issue contracts for vehicle servicing to civilian concerns, for the life of me i cannot remember who ran this commercial set up at Cobbs Wood in Ashford at the time but think it was Caffyns. it is now operated by Channel Commercials, i,ll bet Richard knows who it was, this construtor was in for repair and also it seems some bodywork

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  6. Thanks for that Richard, those first two i was aware are coles chassis and crane but its interesting you mentioned the 0854 chasiss i think this model was introduced in the mid 1950s for army and RAF use and to give its full description crane 7 ton fully slewing bridging 6x6 FV11003 AEC/Coles L96404-7 is it possible that new old stock parts were used. Meantime back to the Explorers heres one used by one of our local recovery garages in the 1960/70 period last i knew it was heading to the Thanet area for restoration

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