ferretfixer

Thank you for posting that. If these stories arent passed down, they disapear when these gentlemen of the Period pass away. As many accounts of thier expiriences should be published in book form. to preserve thier expieriences for posterity. I can confirm that REME Personell did indeed be utilised on some occassions. To make up numbers in units on certain tasks. I had been 'Supplied' on numerous occassions at various unit during my own service time! Mostly, we were asked to Voluenteer. But if no one came forward, you were usualy 'Voluentered' on your behalf!...... When I was attached to 3 Para, I did a LOT of infanteer soldering on Excercises, as well as performing my trade in the Field! When I became a Senior NCO, That all stopped! (Thank Christ!)..................

OMG! My Own 'Bag' went up inside when I watched this!..... All in a days work to these guys I guess? Hats off to them! This also begs a question to my mind. How on earth did all that gear get up so far & be bolted into place in the first instance? Sections of the mast & mountings are clearly far too heavy to be carried up by manpower alone? You never really think about any of this until you watch a video like we have witnessed!.......

THE Pivoting bracket that is bearing against the Master cyl operating rod. & is moved by the lunette eye when it pushes rearwards to operate the whole system.

Ah, then you MIGHT just be lucky enough to have the system in working condition! Top up master cylinder with brake fluid. open bleeding nipples on slave cylinders one at a time. & pump the 'spoon' that operates the rod going to the master cyl operating rod! If seals are in good condition, your brakes SHOULD operate ok!......................Good luck!

Great Pics & another Interesting story with them! Thanks for taking the time to share them with us all!

Hello Chris, you are correct in your assumptions! The A1 & A2 had the trigger bars chopped & rewelded to shorter converted section of of steel to opperate the ineternal actions. The A3 & A4 were identical open bolt conversions, but made a LOT simpler by the replacment of the actual trigger bars by the more squarer versions. The reason for the intoduction of the 'squared' Pattern, was because the guns were MOSTLY fitted into coax or Armoured vehicle mountings. To that end, the bearing portions of the mounting linkages. that came up into contact with the trigger end, were a better surface area of contact putting less strain on the internal workings of the gun. Not as comfortable to fire in the hand as the original profile round ended varaints. But it was no big deal either!

Obviously NOT as hard up for cash, as they are always Bleating then?.....................

I WAS going to obtain this ferret myself, a couple of years back. But knowing it VERY well at it's location. & having had the privellidge of seeing inside it before it was almost inaccessable. I decided against it! You are a VERY brave man for taking this one on! Agreed! Seaside SALTY air does NOTHING to help any metal object sitting outside for a prolonged length of time! It does have an interesting Military History though, & also the smoke dischargers are present. Unlike a lot of Ferrets released later on! Well done that Man!.......... Also, the Centurion got saved & is under restoration now, & has been for a while!

Juddy, as Andy has mentioned on the Drum brake version. It basically works the same. IE: When you brake the towing vehicle, the weight of the trailer moves forward & the towing lunette eye rod. Pushes BACK against a rod connected to a Brake fluid Master Cylinder. (The same as ANY hydraulic barke system on a vehicle) This then pushes the piston back inside the master cylinder to push fluid to the slave cylinders on each brake disc. Thus operation the system, EASY, you may say! HOWEVER, as your tarilers master cyl fulid reseviour appears empty. It is entriely possible that the rubber seals are shot on either the master cyinder pistion. Or in one or both slave cylinders. Stripping & replacing the seals for rebuild is a GOOD move! take your seals to a brake specialist suppliers & get equivelent spares if you cant source original parts. SOME parts ARE available on Ebay UK, you could try there, but they are not cheap! Thi is one of the reason i dont have this variant of trailer. i have the earlier version of drum brakes. NOTHING to leak or pipes to get ripped off! MUCH simpler to adjust & repair! Either variant are brilliant trailers & tow VERY well & stable.

This was a standard proceedure when the guns went through a Main workshop for overhaul/re-parkerising. They can, as seen in the two respective photographs. Be marked in either positions on the reciever. The Round ended oval variant, is simply an area of the ORIGINAL wartime markings being milled out to remove all the nomencleture. & the re-engraved with the British Markings. The one marked along the reciever near the cocking handle slot. is done to leave the original wartime markings in place. The original markings can still be read, but they have two lines engraved through the writing. To 'Bar' them out. It was down to the practice of whichever workshop favoured either method really. I have handled a few of these In Deact Form. & inspected & repaired many HUNDEREDS of them in Service! One of my all time favourite Smallarms. EXTREMELY reliable & dependable is use! The only things that broke on them occassionably, were the firing pin tips. they used to snap off as the metal cyrstallised through constantly dry firing when easing springs after clearing the guns. (Work hardening the metal) The Brits did a conversion later on ALL of the browning .30" Cal Mgs. They then fired from the open bolt method. As opposed to the closed bolt method, originaly designed. This Prevented 'cook off's through overheating of the barrel. Due to prolonged burts of firing. By 'users' with an 'Excess of Zeal'!.......It DID work! The ONLY difference between the A2 & the A3 was: They BOTH fired from the Open Bolt. The A2 was left in original issue form except for the open bolt mod. & the A3 had a buffer plate WITHOUT a pistol grip. & the foresight block was removed from the reciever. As SOME guns would not fit into the turret mount of SOME Saracens & Ferret Scout cars. The foresight block assembly was only screwed onto the front of the reciever anyway. So a spare was kept in the Tools & spare parts box. For use as a dismounted MG on the tripod when desired.

Small but significant point. Have you noticed, it's got a V neck. Rather than the USUAL issue CREW NECK?...

Make sure he dosent' test it in the bath afterwards Tony!.........

It is called a Vent Tube. they were used to fire the 120mm Main Gun in the chieftain Battle Tank. held in a magazine on the breech mech in use. they are ELECTRICALLY fired, NOT percussion. Projectile = Bag Charge = Initiator (Vent Tube) BANG!..... I cannot comment if Challenger uses the same system, as I have not been inside a Chally to date!

Made by remploy in 1952. Standard issue in all postwar tanks & afv's. They were for the ranging/coax mg's. & also main armament mg's like the .30" cal browing used on ferret,s, saracens ect. I have sold many of these in the past. They are hard to source these days! Used to stow maintainance tools & weapon spare parts & cleaning rod sets for the mg used on board respective afv's in british service.

Well, at this time of year, you should all be Charitable. If any members would be gracious enough to forward UK Bank Cheques, or UK Postal Orders to me. You would be supporting a VERY worthwhile Cause. It is the 'Swell Mike's Vehicle Collection' Cause. This would enable me to expand my collection & storage facilites, & also benifit members of the public & other Exhibitors at Vehicle shows. They would thus be enabled to wonder & Marvel at the amount of Lovely Green Machines I would be able to show & educate them all with. I can assure you, that this is a VERY Worthwhile cause! (Well, I thinks it is very worthy, anyway!....)

Andy, You mean he's got ANOTHER Hobby as well?.........:0

Rambo, Does this mean you will also be taking your Own Toilet with you to shows as well?........

Make's a change from Rambo as an Independant Sanitary Inspector!........LOL

John, Only SOME units have them. That was due to someone having the foresite to see how usefull they are. & Refusing to backload them as 'Obsolete Equipment' for disposal! I know of a TA Unit no too far from Me, that has two of them. The particular 'Tiffy' involved with them, has a mindset like me. 'These are excellent for use in the field, & I am NOT going to let them go from my sticky fingers!' 'If nessacary, I will write them off as scrapped as B.E.Rd (Beyond ecconomical repair) but keep them hidden away each year from any unit inspections from outside teams! And bring 'em out on exercise each time in the truck, for use when required'............End of! It DOES go on, believe me! We used to have a large Bench Vice bolted permanantly to the front Bumper of the Recovery Wagon. Common practice in most units also! 434 Recovery Tracked Vehilces had a drop down 'Table' on chains at the rear. This also had a vice bolted to it, another usefull work surface! But these twe methods were generally for Vehicle Mechanics. The Armourer needed his own workbench really. & that is where these tables came in, for Service usage in the Field. They WERE, as you know. Also used by Vm's & Electricians as well. Back in the day!........

For what it's worth here's my Nutshell Take on it! A change was needed I feel, as do a lot of other attendees. W&P is/was always a good show, but was getting stale. People are naturally opposed to change in a lot of respects, & that is understandable. But, Now Rex has the freedom to layout the show the way he wants to. After gaining MANY years expirience, & listening & noting comments from attendees. Both positive, & negative comments can be collated to hopefully produce a better show. Geared up more to the MV exhibitor & Living History sectors. I am SURE he has gotten fed up with complaints & grousing over the years! BUT, no matter WHAT you do, we are all aware of the old. 'Your dammed if you do, your dammed if you dont' Syndrome! I have observed some of the comments from some of our collegues here on the forum. Who live great distances from the new venue, & state that they will not attend next year. Well, my two penneies worth is, OK, I understand your feelings on that totaly. You have the right to not attend if that is what you wish. I feel, that there will then be more room for vehicle movement & the choosing of good space for those that do attend. When those that are not attending then later hear how good the show was. & how there will be plans to better it even further the following year. they MAY, well regret not supporting W&P Revival..............And then book in for the next years show! We have all seen how W&P has grown to immense Proportions over the years. A victim os it's own success (Within limitations!) you might say? The new show Should indeed do similar, grow bigger & better. As expierince gained from the new show brings up the shortfalls & Bugs inherent with any new venture. Bottom Line: There is NO show WORLDWIDE, that draws as much attention & attendance in the MV Field as W&P! Why else, do some exhibitors travel all the way accross Europe to attend?................ NOTE: These views are my own, & expressed as Positively Contributed Information. They are NOT intended to invoke insults or negative comments towards our Northern Cousins! (I have a lot of Friends up North! )

Excellent thread John! I am following this very keenly! Thank you for the bench plans by the way. Can you tell me, what type of wood did you use for the top working surface? I remember using these benches myself in Service during the eighties. And also with one unit later, when I was attached to the TA. I belive they are still used today When available. They usually stay on a units charge, as there are none left in the system to indent for if they are written off! If you damage/smash one beyond repair. You cannot indent for a replacement, they dont exist!.....

I Guess it will be Officially confirmed, when Rex sends out his Christmas card. With Registration/Entry forms for the show next year?... If this is so, I feel it will be the end of an Era. However, on the plus side for me personaly. It's right on my doorstep, so i will save a bit on Fuel! Getting established, is always a little difficult. But Rex is very expirienced in what is required to set up a show of this magnitude. We have all seen W&P grow bigger over the years. To the point that at times, the showground struggles to cope with the amount of vehicles/Tents/People Etc at the venue. I am NOT running down any of our Fellow members/Attendees from up North/Further afield & the like. BUT, If less people do attend the new potential venue. Then there will be more room to move about & choose where you wish to camp/display Etc. As it gains Popularity again, it WILL grow naturaly I feel. After all, W&P was the Largest MV Event ever established WORLDWIDE! Confirmed by the amount of visiting oversea's contributors/MV Vehicle enthusiasts attending it. I have heard/seen/ observed MANY gripes with regards to W&P at the Hopfarm.Perhaps Rex has had enough of getting the blame for just about everything that has gone wrong in the past? (Just a thought!) & feels that a show that is TOTALY organised by him. Should then not be accountable to 'Other Managment' potential 'Interference'. To that end, it could leave the new show/venue open to huge improvement & gain the Popularity it once enjoyed a number of years back. NOTE: These are Purely MY thoughts on the topic, & I have no stake/Interest/Connection to W&P & Rex Cadman. Other than like MANY of us. A displaying Attendee, & many W&P events on an annual basis! Dont shoot Me, Im ONLY a Contributing 'Messinger'!.........

I knew George for many years. He was one of the Nicest People I had the pleasure of bumping into. When I first got into the MV scene during the eighties. I was stationed in Warminster, & used to drive down to the Monthly MVCG Meetings held in a former pub used by wartime Fighter pilots. Great days & great times. He & his sidekick Eddy Spink were always full of interesting Info, & always ready to help. All the Dorset Area Crowd were nice people & always very friendly. A great Man, & a great loss to the Movement, Like the Late Chris Davis. My thoughts go out to His Family. Im convinced he will be driving 'Big 'G' around amongst the clouds, in a US Staff Car!... R.I.P George.

<br><br>Guns were NOT converted in British Service. Canadian & Israeli Guns Were. Indeed, Israel even manufactured a lot of 7.62mm Brownings themselves from new. Quite a few of these have turned upon the Market as Deacts.<br>Usually, the Israeli made guns were devoid of any Nomencleture markings on the R/H side, such as: Gun, .30"Cal Browning 1919A4. Etc. They ARE stamped on the L/H sideplate & on the top of the Bolt when you open the top cover. 7.62<br>

Guns were NOT converted in British Service. Canadian & Israeli Guns Were. Indeed, Israel even manufactured a lot of 7.62mm Brownings themselves from new. Quite a few of these have turned upon the Market as Deacts. Usually, the Israeli made guns were devoid of any Nomencleture markings on the R/H side, such as: Gun, .30"Cal Browning 1919A4. Etc. They ARE stamped on the L/H sideplate & on the top of the Bolt when you open the top cover. 7.62