ferretfixer

I think that Photo must have been taken a few years ago! Last time I saw it, a wing was virtualy hanging by a slither of metal. It had rotted through like the stowage bin lids, sadly!

Would like to see them when you get them Jim, I had a Saladin Once. I always thought they were a Handsome looking vehiicle, though impracticable for our purposes. Buy hey, when has 'Imparacticable' ever meant anything sensible to us Military Vehicle owners!

I remember this company VERY well! I used to deal with them when i came home on leave. They were pioneering in the field of marketing replica weapons in the seventies. They went bust, & arose again as the Pheonix Armoury. That too went under some years later.I knew some of the family well but lost touch when I left Eastbourne. I belive the founder Richard Marriot-Smith is well retired now. And the last I heard a few years back, he played at small time trading by buying pocket watches at Boot fairs!

ORIGINALLY for the Sten gun in 1944 Pattern Webbing. Continued design in the slightly darker 1958 Pattern. Then utilised for the Sterling SMG. There was a thread on these a few weeks back. A VERY Rare item of personal issue equipment!

Your probably well rid Mate, How can she be so selfish!.........................:-D

I would be most interested to be kept updated as to the fate of the vehicle section of the museum. As far as I know, ONLY Roger Jones is at S.E.M.E looking after the veh collection. The main Corps Museum is staying at arborfield AFAIK, they have recently had a large grant & extended the building & displays. I doubt this will move, it's on the site of the Corps Old basic training Depot. I have 'Fond' ?? Memroies of doing my Basic there befor being posted to S.E.M.E Bordon for Trade Training. Happy days!...............

Yes, he will probably be sent on a nice Holiday abroad because he had his Sweeties taken off him when he was young. And the whole 'sordid mess' played havoc with his life. Poor Geezer was traumatized by former life expiriences Etc Etc. Justice, Whats that!

Not sure about the true ownership of the R.E.M.E Vehicle collection at S.E.M.E Bordon. I know that Vosper thornycroft now own this training establishment. When I worked in the Defense Manufacturing sector. My then Boss was on the phone one morning to someone from a company (I forget which one) who ORIGINALY bid & won on S.E.M.E. One of the points that he mentioned to me at that time was a qoute from the guy in question. 'Yes we put a bid in & won, & we got a Museum thrown in the deal'! (Refering to the vehicle collection held in 'B' Sheds) Without talking to Roger Jones the collections Curator there. I cannot confirm what will be this collections future? I know the Corps Museum at Arborfield originally owned the collection & has access to it. But I cannot confirm what the current future holds for this magnificent gathering of Corps Collated Vehicles.

Do you know if it's a full retoration, or simply cosmetic? I used to live in Eastbourne & Know of this tank & the Museum well. It was originaly driven under it's own power by the Regiment that donated it to the museum. It stood for many years outside in the Seaside weather will all the associated sea air corrosion that contributed to it,s deterioration. I am suprised (But pleased!) that it is undergoing restoration. Because this particular museum always had almost no funding to spend. I myself did some work & donated some of the spares I had to restore some of the exhibits in the museum. Because I couldnt bear to see some of the items on disply looking shabby with bits missing & Hanging off! There was also a Ferret MK2/3 inside the fort on the ramparts. That too was RAPIDLY deteriorating through sea salt spray corrosion. One wing was virtualy hanging off & just about every bin & hatch was seized & rotted out through the same problem. Shame though, because it still had it's smoke dischargers & the uncommon internal central mounted fire extinguisher system inside. I would imagine after 11 years later from knowing these vehicles that the poor old ferret would be in a very sorry state now! I commented at the time to the head curator who was in place then. about the fact that at that moment in time. The Ferret COULD have been prevented from getting worse with a bit of help & a small amount of parts. I was willing to do the work myself for free. He wasnt interested! Whate a waste! I believe there has been a change of curator since then? It;s such a shame when external exhibits suffer like this, but I do understand the finacial difficulties faced by Museums these days. However, I believe a lot more COULD be done to prevent major deterioration without incuring major expense by preventitive action inistially! :-(

Yes, this is something that If left unchecked. Could pose a REALLY serious problem! The strain on the whole assembly if the bracket fails, could lead to a major catastrophy & Major expense to rectify!................:cool2:

Yes, a Right mess of things!............

Yep, your quite correct! When I lived in EASTBOUNE about 11 years ago. I used to collect right in the centre outside the Arndale centre. We used to wear correct uniform & raised thousands over approx 4 years. One time I took my Ferret down & roped it off. Before doing this in prepparation, I contacted the local council. They passed it to the borough highways engineer who was only concered about weight & was it tracked? I got a good letter back with the go ahead. I now live in Kent & to do similar a couple of years back. I had to do a risk assessment, Was now not allowed to play a military band CD as I then required a broadcasting licence. A HUGE Questionaire, obtain & pay for town partnership insurance for the day (1 Million pound cover!) & draw a precise plan of where the vehicle was to be placed & what the display would be. (A table in front of the Ferret!) Many emails, phone calls Etc, etc. Needless to say it's getting harder, & I now no longer do displays in the Town centre! However, I do spend every day for two hours 4-6pm for two weeks leading upto armistace day collecting door to door on a few housing estates to try to make some money for the British Legion. sadly, it's more like hundereds now rather than the thousands of yesteryear! Good Old Health & safety & all the associated Beaurocracy! :-(

These sort of scum need throwing in the smelting pot themselves!...........

I hope that works out OK for you Rob. My Dad had a similar idea when he ran his own Gunshop. He had accumulated a HUGE amount of the very BEST condition handguns for his pension fund. Then the Lovely Government in it's Ill thought out wisdom, decided to Ban all handguns. He duly applied for a Sec.5 Dealers cert. got down to a week before the ban came into effect & no Sec5 yet. Booked a WHOLE day at a local Police station to hand it all in for 'Compensation' (SIC) HUNDEREDS of rare items, Long barrlled Artillery Lugers, Mausers Broom handles with matching stocks Etc, Etc. 3 days later sec5 licence arrives. Asks Police if he can legally get back all his items. NO way says Police! result: He lost over 35 Thousand quid in the value of thier true worth. With todays value of the stuff, even as Deacts. In runs into much more! Needless to say, he thinks VERY highly of our Governments! (Along with a LOT of other handgun affectionardos) And the impact on so called Armed crime has been virtually NIL!!!!!:-(

Now, now, Tony. I have just proof read your post & can conform that it's AUTHORS & COLLABORATORS. See me after school please.....................:-D

Yes, just like Newspapers. What they print is ALWAYS the truth! isnt it?.................:shocked:

MMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm....:-\

Judging from the lack of knowledge/information on most of the products offered on this site. I would want conformation as to what model Sterling this stock is for! £75 seems steep for an Unknown! You may buy it & find it is for the earlier model & NOT fit yours!

Great stuff Alien! TYPICAL of the times! Dave must have been really scared though, & forgotten that you NEVER salute in the field - No matter what rank they are! Nice discription & well recalled. Take a N.A.F.F.I Break Corporal.............:cool2:

Take the next left, & pull into McDonalds Please.....................

VERY usefull with the Hiab on the back!

Beware though! Ther are a few floating about on the Militaria Circuit, brand new in thier brown cardboard boxes! they are for the EARLIER Mk L2A2 & NOT for the normally encountered L2A3. THEY ARE SHORTER & WILL NOT FIT! You need to have your Deact Sterling with you when you go to a fair so you can try fit the stock assembly for length. :nut:

Robin, That looks like an Ex Batus MKI Petrol 432, is it? It actually is in quite good condition from those pictures you posted. If it is still like that, it looks perfectly possible to get it running again if caught before any more deterioration sets in! It does not help NOT having the persicopes fitted into the turret. that WILL let rain Etc inside to run into places & begin rusting there also. I worked a on a lot of BATUS MkI's when I was on a Battlegroup attachment over in Canada. They took a hell of a beating over a year, being handed over every three months to a new incomming group flown in. They were rebuilt each year at around christmas time & into feb as they really did need overhauls from the battering they recieved over the rough terrain on the Training Area! These vehicle need to move around to keep the lubricants in bearings Etc run around to prevent seizing. A B80 Petrol engine variant would be a LOT easier to restore & get running than the later MK2 K60 Multi fuel variant. There are a lot less parts needed & the K60 is More complex! That would be a good investment for Public 'Rides' around the museum & generate more funding to keep it on the go. & also the possibility of providing more funding to restore other vehicles. they too could then earn thier keep & generate even more funding... worth approaching them with that idea? They DO like the thought of MONEY comming in!!.....:cool2:

PUUUUURRRRRRRRRRFECT Position!...............

Do you want a Gay Moustache trim Sir?.........................