RecyMech

Clearly it's not 'his' collection.......but whoever does own it all has good taste. H

Looks like the buildings have changed a bit from 1974 (tin sheds & portacabins !!):cool2: I never quite realised just how thin the turret top armour was on a Chiefy until now...one of the pics in the other thread shows it nicely. Memories flooding back of a months worth of recovering busted & bogged Chieftains on the plains. The dawn ambush scenario in the bowl, RA guns firing star shells over head, the Wombat demo, (the dust, the goffers & the mozzies), pinching a gearbox out of a target Cent to keep my ARV running......& so much more....Happy Days. Great pics, keep them coming if there are more. H

Something over Stickney at 11.30 this morning. Flight path suggested it was coming from Conningsby direction & was headed for east coast. Single seat, single engine, mono, square wing tips, tear drop canopy. Too high & too far away to see any markings, but in level flight it was REALLY getting a move on & sounded VERY sweet. Not growly like the other local Merlins, had a definate whine to it though.....'looked' like a P51 maybe ? H

Cheers for that last bit Nick......certainly sounds like it left the factory with a green interior. Cheers again. H

Thanks Nick, Does your record plate mention an overhaul at all ? Cheers...H

Thanks for that last one....if your Mat was given a post war base overhaul that would explain the duck egg over whatever was underneath. That part of the puzzle is being supported at least. Many thanks for confirming there was black below the duck egg though. Thats interesting, & helps lead me to believe;- I reckon the green first coat probably was a primer coat just used to give the factory finish black a key. I say that because I can't see the logic in painting a green engine black because of service need.:nut: Cheers.....H

Thanks for your input, but I'm looking for accurate historic detail regarding a wartime Matador as built. As opposed to advice on a restoration. In other words, how they left the factory regarding the engine colour & cab interior colour in 1939-45. I believe that duck egg was not introduced for engines until post war & that the AEC engine would be black on the assembly line during the war. Just hoped someone could confirm that. H

Gents, Could anyone offer any info on wartime AEC Matador engine & cab interior colours please. Just a general idea please no need for BS shades or numbers really (unless they're handy of course:D) I've got a picture of a Matador engine in duck egg....but I'm guessings its because its a post war build ? Another older picture suggests they were black ? Likewise the cab interior......mid grey? or am I way off. Any info or clues much appreciated Cheers.......Howard

Marmite is correct.....the L6 Wombat is a very different animal. Having a relatively tiny carriage & no trails, made lightweight so burly Marines can hump it in & out of Landrovers:cool2: L1/L2 BAT (full armoured shield, no spotting rifle, 2 gunners handwheels) L4 Mobat (no shield, left side mounted Bren as spotting rifle, 1 handwheel) L7 Conbat (no shield, top mounted .50 spotting rifle) Think I've got it covered anyway? (that page in the link is wrong, whilst the picture shows a Wombat, the list of 'nicknames' is inaccurate) H

"there is a big wheeled ferret there now that gets less and less as time go,s by" Thats nothing to do with me, honest guv'na. Anyway, cannibalising one vehicle to keep another running is in the tradition of both REME & MV collectors alike, is it not? & as a tax payer I felt I already owned the few Ferret bits that I rescued. :whistle: H

GOOD PIC !! Takes me back to patrolling the Ormeau Road & Ravenhill Road from Sunnyside Street barracks (73).:drive: As an aside to Clives technical view of the vehicles......the pigeon on the far right appears to be in a vertical dive.......shrapnel ? :nut: H

I again second the above, the 'in service' pictures are worth their weight in gold. Please keep them coming. No one getting bored here. In fact any pictures from Ireland 70-80 not just where Pigs are concerned! Clive....you forgot to mention the Boot, DMS, size 8, correctly laced :-D Seriously, I love to go over Clives comments on the pictures......he spots so much more than the obvious. What Clive does not know about Pigs is just not worth knowing. (proper gem) H

I second that, great pics......keep them coming if you have more...please ! H

The Muckleburgh Collection has an ex Falklands Argentine 106, restore by by two REME bods I believe. Might be worth enquiring to see what they know about it or if they can put you in touch with said bods.....who may in turn know about the spotting rifle.........:nut: Regards......Howard @ KFS

Bazz, So, while chatting to the old boys from the 5&9s, did anyone mention any reason why the hush puppies suddenly appeared & then disappeared again until virtually the end of the Cents life. My theory......& it is only a theory.... is that 15/19 were chosen to trial & evaluate them. Possibly they did not give enough of a favourable report to justify MOD changing over from all steel track wholesale. (Maybe they were kinder to the German tarmac but did not perform so well cross country ?) So...MOD only bought the hush puppies after our own steel track was all used up.?????? Curious H

And I spent some time in there in 1972 when it was just an MT shed (where we parked up overnight while doing driver training) (TK & Mk3 Militant wrecker for me).....there was also a Ferret standing in there bound for the Slab as a recovery job casualty.....which I carefully lifted bits off over a period of several days.....anything that looked like it might fit a Champ in fact....my Champ.:cool2: H

The burly fella at the front is no spring chicken is he ?......one of Ceasars own I reckon. (bless him) H

Not sure that link worked as expected so I copied & pasted......... 15/19 The Kings Royal Hussars On May 18 this officer was with a squadron of his Regiment which was returning to cross the River DENDRE near ALOST in Belgium. Enemy Anti-tank guns opened fire on the column and knocked out the leading tank at close range. Capt. Taylor was ordered to lead the column to another bridge. This he was in the act of doing when he met three enemy armoured cars. Capt. Taylor immediately opened fire, operating the machine guns himself, and forced the enemy to retire. He at once took up the pursuit, keeping up a heavy fire while the enemy dropped smoke generators in their efforts to escape. On rounding a corner the steering mechanism of Capt Taylor's tank failed, causing the vehicle to run off the road, breaking a track. He signalled the following vehicles to continue the pursuit. Unknown to Capt. Taylor the greater part of the column had received orders to halt a few minutes earlier. On account of this he was not picked up and was subsequently captured by the enemy. During this action Capt Taylor exhibited first class leadership, initiative and courage and, by his immediate and successful action, facilitated the retirement of the rest of the column. Capt Taylor was a prisoner for eight days and escaped from his guards a few miles East of ST. TROND on May 26. He made his way on foot through Belgium and was recaptured near ELLEZELLES on May 30. He escaped again the same day. This officer continued his march and crossed the frontier with France at TOUFFLERS the same day. He reached LILLE, where fighting was in progress, and proceeded via LA BASSEE-BETHUNE-ST. POL- and AUX LE CHATEAU to ABBEVILLE. He attempted to cross the R. SOMME where fighting was going on but was again taken prisoner on June 2nd. Capt Taylor escaped for the third time on June 4. Making for the coast he reached LE TOUQUET on June 5. Here he spent one day preparing a boat in which to cross the Channel. He set sail at midnight on June 6 and was picked up by sailors of H.M. Navy off the coast of France that night. Captain Taylor took twelve days to effect his escape during which time he had little food or sleep and walked up to 45 miles a day, covering a distance of 220 miles from point to point. He displayed the highest qualities of nerve and resource. His performance is a magnificent example of what can be done through physical fitness and an unflinching determination to win through under circumstances fraught with constant danger. Captain Taylor brought back highly important information and has rendered a full account of his escape to M.I.7.B. at the War Office. [recommended for] D.S.O. M.C. [awarded]

diver99.....Col Taylor.....wonder if this is the same chappie. Officer of the same name & Regt..???? Have a read. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/1940/24067-captain-anthony-donnithorne-taylor-m-c-15-19-kings-royal.htm H

"It can't be batus there's to many trees in the picture" :-) You beat me to it there....BATUS....750 square miles of bugger all but, salt lakes, ant hills & goffers. All I can say about the new picture is 'the plot thickens' I don't doubt the date or the validity of the photo at all. I'm just really curious why a (or several or even all) 5&9s Cents were fitted with hush puppies in the 60s & yet it would seem no other Cents used them until into the 80s. That is a very good pic by the way. Best regs.....H

While I was looking for any pics of 15/19 Cents I found they had amalgatated with the 13/18, to form the Light Dragoons. But you're right it still does not answer the question why that Cent is on hush puppies. Queer one this. If no one has a definitive answer then I'm leaning towards a trials & evaluation thing. Would like to know though eh ? Cheers.....H Wikipedia says;- As part of the post-Cold War defence reforms, the 15th/19th amalgamated with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) on 1 December 1992 to form the Light Dragoons.

Glad its not just me then. Bit of a cunundrum that piccy. I think I saw somewhere the Danes had hush puppies on their fleet as well. (If only I could find where I saw it again) Maybe its a joint exercise somewhere outside BAOR using tanks on loan (i.e its not a 'British' Cent) ? Or maybe a trials & evaluation session of some sort trying hush puppies out ? Been through all my pics & books & only found very late British Cent ARVs, plus a couple of post 1980 pics of AVRE & ploughs wearing them....but even the ARVs sent to Gulf War 1 were on steel. We may never know. H

Is it me or does something not ring quite right for this being in the 60s ? I always thought the hush puppy track for Cent did`nt come in until the very late 70s even early 80s by which time it would have been fitted on ARVs, AVLBs & AVREs....& maybe any remaining RA armoured OPs. I even re-tracked my ARV in 75 with brand new good old fashioned steel track. At which time all 4 of our ARVs were on same. Certainly its the first picture I've seen of a British gun tank with those fitted, that early....if thats what it is. What do the people who know, know ? H PS...I'd say 15/19th Hussars by the cap badge ?

Ahhh....thanks Clive.....PM incoming. H

Thanks for that Ruxy..... Starting to get a grip on it now. H