Ivor Ramsden

Hi Gareth, I'm nearly wetting myself with excitement! The chassis number is 2115 820. I think you'll be able to email me through my profile page. Click on my name where it's underlined. Otherwise replace the % with a @ in this: iramsden%talk21.com I've had to do that to avoid automatic spam harvesting programs.

A couple more photos taken at Jacksons around 1980.

That's what makes forums like this one so worthwhile.

Keep looking, Gareth. It's such a relief to hear the the cards exist. All I got from the Tank Museum was a copy of the contract card, which was very interesting but they said they didn't have anything else. Our museum is doing a big "launch" of the Morris on 2nd April and it would be nice to have it marked with a proper census number before then.

Somebody's already had the light lenses!

I remember it well. I've been in that building but I'm sure it wasn't in there at the time it wasn't locked up then. After it was locked I've stood for hours with an eye glued to the gap in the boards. The Carrier was very rough. Somebody there told me that it had been stored outside for a long time in the crate and it had filled with water so the steering gear and whatever other magic bits are in the bottom were rotten. He told me they'd had two but I can't remember what he said they'd done with the other one. Probably set it on fire to get rid of the crate, then weighed it in. I've got no idea what happened to this one. Have you any more photographs of Jackson's? I've got a lot showing Land-Rovers and a few other things - K2, Dorchester etc.

I've just come across this website: http://www.redcap70.net/ There are hundreds of photos on it including Land Rovers, Jeeps and Bedford MWs in Military Police markings. I hope this is new to you - I can't find any reference to it using the forum search facility.

Yes to both. I'm not aware of any export restrictions on stuff like this but they do have some very strange laws out there so it could be true.

Aye, CW's right. A lot of the old stuff has disappeared in the recent past. Even the Mk1 Escorts are getting thin on the ground. I can't imagine why the old motors are disappearing in such numbers because the cost of importing a car is frightening. It must be well worth spending a few quid/lire/europs (no euros for me, boy) keeping the old stuff roadworthy. I'm doing my bit by supplying Land Rover bits to a couple of mates out there. There was an auction of a collection of MVs in Naxxar, Malta, just before Christmas. Here are the prices raised, as sent to me by my mate: Tilly at €750 (Austin) Bedford not sold at €500 but afterwards had 3 offers so it was sold later Willys jeep €2300 Willys jeep body shell + parts €800 Bedford 15cwt €5500 Norton 16H €4800 Matchless G3L €2800 BSA M20 €1800 These prices are europs, remember, and the exchange rate wasn't as bad then as it is now. The bikes and the MW were restored. The Jeep was a bit ropey but appeared to be fairly complete. The shell was new. A couple of Fordsons didn't sell; they were a 15cwt and a 3 tonner, I think. Both were rough.

Put by somewhere I have the No2 Key card that will have the displosal date and depot for your vehicleif you havn't got it already. Hi Gareth, I've been wondering what happened to your C9/B. It was indeed the mysterious-sounding TF who restored it. I'd very much appreciate a copy of the key card. I've got an enquiry at the RLC Museum at present - is that where you got yours, or the Museum of Army Transport, which held the records previously? To answer Jack's question, I can only find four of these in existence - ours, yours, the one at Firepower and Preston Isaac's machine. Do you know of any others, or indeed any bits of C9/Bs? I could do with a few fittings. Ivor

I might get my legs slapped by a moderator for posting this as it's from the Imperial War Museum site and they own the copyright. Electronic or hard copies are available from them. I've got a copy and it's a cracking photo. Its reference number is BF 374. Your mate should be pleased because the caption says it's 11th (Sphinx) Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (Royal Artillery) firing at Chinese positions on Hill 327.

Another gem of a photo. It shows the crew's weather protection quite well - that's the rolled-up canvas on top of the bonnet. When unrolled it covered the cab area to shoulder level; it covered the body up to the neck but left the head exposed. They knew how to look after their boys in those days ... Has anybody got any photos or drawings showing the layout of the canvas because I'd like to fit one?

Nice picture. C9/Bs don't seem to be well covered by photos. Any more, anybody?

Only the barrel and breech are replicas, and they are very good. Most of the fittings are genuine. We will replace the replica parts one day but our first aim is to get the vehicle operational and finished to display standard.

Hi Graham. It certainly is the one. With a bit of luck it won't be a replica gun for long. There's a nice IWM photo showing a C9/B in Korea. The caption says it belonged to 11 LAA Battery. Was your mate with them?

The master cylinder has been modified by the addition of a remote fluid reservoir in the engine bay which makes topping up the system very easy. The original filler was accessed through a tiny trapdoor in the floor under the pedals so the remote reservoir was a good idea. However in the interests of originality and as a result of a deep-rooted masochistic streak I'll be returning the system to its original design. At least the silicone fluid won't damage the paint if I spill it. This morning these delightful cruddy objects were drained of fluid, parcelled up and despatched to Past Parts Ltd.

Much of the stowage has been removed and this week I started to strip the brakes, which were stuck solid. A phone call to Past Parts Ltd (a company whose name I got from this forum) was answered by a very helpful guy who assured me they could fix everything. The plan is to use silicone brake fluid in the rebuild because the truck will not be doing a lot of mileage and I don't want to have to rebuild the brakes again. The Morris is fitted with four jacks which were originally intended to provide a stable firing platform for the gun by raising the truck off its suspension. They also come in useful for getting all four wheels off the ground, although they don't quite have enough lift; I had to use a jack to raise the back axle a fraction. The black furry object in one of the photos is not a misplaced hairpiece, but Dog, my trusty helper.

We didn't have anywhere at the museum big enough to store it but we did have a pile of curved corrugated iron sheets which had been rescued from the Electric Tram Sheds at Laxey. The addition of a few bits of 3 by 2 resulted in a splendid erection ... It keeps the wind and rain off even though it won't win any awards for architectural merit. The floor is lined with damp-course membrane to stop the damp. A couple of fluorescent lights help to penetrate the gloom.

The Morris was bought from an ad on the Milweb website and is to be put on display at the Manx Aviation & Military Museum which incorporates the Museum of the Manx Regiment, the 15th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. The regiment used these SP Bofors guns from D-Day onwards. It is currently painted in 11th Armoured Division markings but will soon be given authentic 7th Armd Div marks. The truck was restored over 10 years ago but hasn't moved for about 7 years. Its arrival on the Isle of Man in September 2008 coincided with me having an operation on a dodgy disc in my back so I've done little other than drool over it for the last 3 months. However, the time has come for work to start. The Morris was delivered on my mate's 7.5 tonne transporter. We didn't realise just how heavy it was! Here it's being collected from near Wellingborough.

Jack, I've got a Morris-Commercial 4x4 manual which I can send to you on disc. It covers the C8 Quad Artillery Tractor Mks II and III, A.T. Portee Mks II and III and C9/B Bofors SP. It's too big to email but I'll gladly post it if you pm me your address.

All is well, the gap's supposed to be there. The exhaust seals onto the inner bit.

Thanks for your suggestions, guys. Richard has got the correct thing in mind. They aren't flimsies. I should have posted these photos earlier because they show just what I'm referring to. Both are on the front of Shermans in Europe. Many photos taken in Italy show similar tins festooning vehicles there.

The tins I'm thinking of aren't like this, they are square but with a circular hole on the top with a close-fitting lid.

Thanks, Tony. All the period photos that I've seen show a plain finish but I couldn't tell whether it was paint or bare metal. They seem to have been re-used for loads of different purposes either complete or cut down but I can't remember seeing one hung on a restored vehicle. Do you know if they are the same dimensions as a Crawford's tin?