marvinthemartian

Start and end points?

Simon

I've had this can for around 11 years just chucked round the back of the shed, I'm having a bit of a garden clear up to regravel. It's got a good coating of tar over some of it, and rust, but can't find any obvious pin/rust holes so seems to be fairly intact.

Done a quick search on internet and it appears to be a mystery can most probably used by the USMC. There are no markings on it. Anyone else ever had/got one like it? As you can see the stiffening cross is different to normal cans, the handle has small differences and the cap is the usual type. I've also got an Ameri can too, screw top, but the bottom has rusted out of that, date unknown as yet.

Simon

Them and us? Friend or foe?

Simon

Artillery control marking?

Simon

NBC warning signs, blue safe, red danger?

Simon

Convoy markers?

Simon

That's true. Maybe the panel light switch has shorted, and the lamp is on constantly.

The top middle switch is for the panel light, it's a rheostat, so different positions dim the panel light, or off pointing straight up. The other sounds like a duff flasher unit.

Simon

This will explain things.

Simon

After reading previous posts and the earlier mystery, it could be a birds eye view of an Officers toilet with water in the bowl.:nut:

Honestly, some sort of division/tac signage.

Simon

Good luck with the resto, keep us informed with progress by posting lots of pics.

Simon

Andy, PM on way with much more details.

Robin, I have a stash somewhere in the shed which I bought quite cheaply a while ago.

Rob, wedding went very smoothly, all that work and preparation, the whole day went by too quickly. It's a bu99er when ones computer goes down, now have a backup hard drive, just like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted....

Simon

Much the same with early Leyland Martians, they had a bag type accumulator fitted which required the use of OX-8. Later ones having piston type accumulators using OM-13. These too having a brass plate atop the hydraulic tank proclaiming to use OM-13 only.

Simon

Since my last post on here, not a lot has been done to the truck as I have been gearing up to get married, so money and time been diverted somewhat. Also in that time I've had my hard drive crash drastically so all previous restoration pictures and holiday photos and all other useful/useless info on it gone, I'm hoping to send it away to a specialist data recovery company but it'll cost quite a lot to do, and also really hope they can save all my pictures.:embarrassed::embarrassed::embarrassed:

Anyway back to the truck, all I've really got to show so far is a switchboard that I've stripped for refurbishing.

Front cover not too bad, some corrosion but have seen worse.

The rear not too bad, the paint came off quite well, using wet & dry and a drill and a fibre wire wheel.

Another shot of the back.

With the cover removed, one can see the discolouration of the wiring, new wiring looms made up.

Front cover sanded down and sprayed with etching primer during a brief warm spell.

Back cover cleaned up ready for painting.

Several views of the rewiring, used new terminals, and kept the old ones just in case I run short. also reused the ident tags, they're simply removed with a cup of hot water, dip the wire in, leave for a mo, slide the tag off, and slide onto new cable, though will need rewarming again. Same for the terminal boots too, they slide on better when warmed up.

If you search online and find anything you want copies of, if you have a catalogue number for the picture, then I think either email or phone them. You could spend hours trawling through pictures and not find anything, or you could be lucky, lots of photos, not really referenced by vehicle type, more likely theatre of war, year sometimes location. Hope this makes sense.

I had a couple of hours there last Wednesday, looking for Martian photos, they have a lot of stuff catalogued online, and all pictures have a reference number, if you require copies of the photos they start at £9 for a 7x5". I didn't get as many as I'd liked to have.

Simon

You can't beat a nice pair of knockers.:-D:-D:-D:-D

Not pictures, but very good dvd of a TA battery recollection in the 50's & 60's. shows a good range of trucks Militant, Scammell, Austin etc...

http://www.ptvideo.com/videos/Archive/takepost.html

Well worth viewing.

As promised, the next installment of pictures.

Welcome to the club. I think pictures are in order when you can, along with serial number, and army vrn if known, as I am sure our Clive will be here soon wanting to know more.

I think I took pictures of all the wrecks I saw along the footpath, but it's possible I missed it or it's been moved.

I had a quick peek at your diff after I left you.

Indeed a sad loss. With his passing, I wonder if the Dambusters film will still be made.

It wasn't quite that bad on the Wednesday. Ground conditions certainly better than last year.

During my weeks hol in Dorset, it sort of turned into a history trail. Visited the abandoned village of Tyneham, walking through the Lulworth range to Worbarrow Bay. A few photos that might be of interest to you.

This is what greets you at Tyneham, a lot more to be found when you wander through the trees. Requisitioned by the War Office in December 1943, for the training of troops for the D Day landings.

Some of the range targets visible from the lane, seem mostly Saracens and 432's, and an odd turret?

Not sure what this is, some type of AA defence turret.

Anti tank obstacles still in situ.

These two could be seen from the walk back along the cliff top.

Simon