Paddy

Whatever colour it is, it'll still be a Militant. Best of luck with the restoration and hope to see it on the show scene before too long.

I'd echo that. Looks fantastic. Many thanks for pics.

I'd have to agree with the lack of a full gallery on the NI conflict at the National Army Museum. When you think of the casualties and the sheer length of time The Troubles went on. An estimated 250,499 blokes served there -along with me. There were so many innovations involved with kit, weapons, technology etc, it deserves the full treatment. But I imagine politics would get in the way of giving more than a nodding glance to that conflict.

Best museum for me is Muckleburgh. A bit out of the way but I was on holiday over there recently and got my chance. It's got the lot and four hours just slipped by.

All the Ordnance Corps bread I ever had in the army seemed to have been in preservation for a long time.

Sorry, this is part 2 of that film. The Antar is halfway in.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75430

Pioneer tank recovery team hard at work in North Africa.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=52020

I found these three films on the British Pathe Newsreel site. First one shows an Antar on test in 1950; the second features the 1950 Motor Show at Earls Court and the third features the RASC at work in 1957 and the vehicles they used, including the Antar and others.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=46970

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=34396

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75429

Rob, that's a fantastic rebuild and you've done an incredible job. I shudder to think what that new gear cutting cost. Is the demilling of artillery governed by an an international body or is it just a British requirement?

Thanks Tony and Les. I'd never heard of the Sterling, just been looking at some 1940s pictures of them on the Ken Goudy site. You'd swear it was A Diamond T from a distance. The Kenworth and trailer looks a pretty useful beast. What date would that be from?

My 64 combat jacket is Large/Fat Git but it's pretty faded and tatty so I won't be booking a cruise on the strength of it.

The smock is just a plain green, a bit like the old style combat suit colour and made of incredibly tight woven material. I wore it going to work on my motorbike and it really kept the wind out. I found this site today after a long search and there's repro one here. It's almost identical but looks to be made of much lighter material .

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.solomonadler.com/zbozi/51_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.solomonadler.com/uniforms.htm&usg=__hJoIhPWcj8Nntz_Ty5hiSN9No5I=&h=600&w=632&sz=103&hl=en&start=6&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=BeSciBivgyoD6M:&tbnh=130&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwindproof%2Bsmock%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26tbs%3Disch:1

I still have the old green combat jacket I was issued with in 1964. I don't want to sell it but was wondering if it might be worth anything? I've looked on Ebay once or twice but never seen one and wonder if they're pretty rare now. I remember surplus ones going for thirty shillings (£1.50) years ago and most blokes seemed to wear them for work then.

I also have an over-your-head smock, not the parachute type, just plain green dated 1944. I found it in the cab of a Bedford I once drove. I've never seen anyone wearing one and just one picture of soldiers wearing them during the Cyprus Emergency. What were they issued for? Wonder if it might be worth a few bob to top up my pension?

We had a few knocking round our mob in the 60s, 7.62 conversions. Fantastic to fire, really comfortable gun. My neighbour's lad was in the Falklands in 1990 and he carried one there, so the Army got their money's worth.

Here's a video featuring the Sgt Major from Full Metal Jacket comparing the Bren with the BAR. Guess what wins?

Apologies if this link has been posted before. Some nice Matador pictures. Extraordinary site this, lots of WW2 military stuff.

http://anonymous-generaltopics.blogspot.com/search/label/Matador

Handy translator I've found invaluable for foreign vehicle manuals:

http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt

Thanks for the video. Some memorable trucks. I was laughing at the haste of the salesman to get that bird to see how comfy an Ergo cab was. Wonder what the H&S brigade would have to say about the Mini Moke today?

After you'd stopped cursing for a week, what happened to the Martian?

Fantastic job Alan, when you look at what you started with.

Just sent you a PM which might be of some help.

Fascinated by that bridge Marty. What sort of date is it and what are the pontoons made of?

Thanks Les, what a stunning model. Wonder where it finished up?

Spotted this on Ebay. Not sure if I'm in the right place.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARMY-TRACTOR-GS-16-TON-HAA-6X6-A-E-C-0860-TRUCK-MANUAL_W0QQitemZ350217287868QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Books_NonFictionBooks_NonFictionBooks_SM?hash=item518a93b8bc&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1683%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

A real beauty. Many thanks Tony.

Ref the Mersey Tunnel question. No, various modern wreckers have been in use now since the 70s, not sure what they had before that. I've been using the Tunnel for work about four times a day for thirty odd years and I've never seen a Ward or a T there. Merseyside Museums have a big collection of vehicles ( with no home for them now) and have a few ex-Tunnel trucks in that but, again, nothing like a Ward.

Another Antar item on Ebay. Users hand book. Now this I could afford.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Thornycroft-Antar-User-handbook_W0QQitemZ380117440733QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarParts_Vehicles_Manuals_Litterature_ET?hash=item380117440733&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

There's a cracker on Ebay at the moment. Mk1 from the earliest batch.