Meteor mark 4B

Andy, re trousers, it's called wardrobe shrinkage! That's what RN son in law calls it anyway.

Saw one yesterday at a show, un-restored, but in RAF blue, and with RAF roundel. Solid tyres. Was used in WW2 at RAF St Eval in Cornwall. Neat little thing. Didn't have my camera unfortunately. Presumably these items were quite common, but I've never seen one before. Any info?

http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/main_battle_tanks. Montie, have a look here, you'll be spoilt for choice! Second thoughts , you won't, the link doesn't work!!

Only one tank has the right presence and looks, and that tank is the Conqueror, big tank, big gun, never drove one, unfortunately the enemy would hear it coming 15 miles away, but it sounded like a tank should, as did the Chieftain, (if you overlooked the smoke). Next came the Cent, but it sounded rubbish if the driver was over-revving, ie bringing the governors into operation, all that popping and banging and backfiring. As the Merkava was initially based on the Cent I'll allow that in, but I don't know a lot about CR1 and 2. (After my time). Good looking tanks though. Anything else? Not interested! From a Chieftain and Centurion driver. (and very pro British)

I'm sure only Albion was meant to pick up passengers at Santander. Two other ships were mentioned as possibles, but not used, and there were no destroyers. Excellent coverage on the news, rather a lot more than if the ship had just returned from deployment I would suggest. I am assured the whole episode (picking up passengers) was great, a real buzz on the ship, and good PR.

http://www.modoracle.com/news/Tanks-A-1m_20540.html?category=all

Cent and Conq, Romulus and Remus, but I don't know which is which! There's also a Conq on the I of W called William.

There should be a plate in the drivers compartment, probably painted over in silver, but with registration details on it. I have records of Centurions from a survey I did some years ago, if you pass on the VRNs (registration numbers) of the others you have there I might be able to help.

There is, or was, a very early 432 at the Cobbaton Combat Collection in Devon.

I know of a K5 here in Cornwall. I'll have a look asap.

Yes, a good effort indeed.

Had a lot of experience of these in my working days, useful item when they worked OK. I suspect they might have come on a bit in the last ten years, they were never very "sharp" in image, and we never relied on them too much.

Quite right too. I'm sure somewhere it is logged how many tons of nappies go to landfill every year. How did we get here?

Nah, it was used on a landfill site somewhere.........

Nice pictures. Not like the good old days with a Cent and canvas penthouse on the back decks!

....but it was a long time ago when the film was made!

Just noted that this subject has already been discussed!

...when all the "Shermans" weren't Shermans and all the "Tigers" were definitely not Tigers! Just caught a bit of the film earlier on.

I've just learnt that the Taliban are a bit smarter than the Iraqis in 91, their IEDs have extremely little metal content.

Ahah! Found it. MIMIC Magnetic Impulse Mine Induction Coil, fitted to Gulf War Centurion AVREs on the upper glacis plate, this was a mine exploding device. I wonder why it couldn't be developed to explode mines from further away? Chieftain AVREs had these also.

One Land Rover was spotted pictured at a show, the other a Defender 90 C reg seen locally. Possibly both were painted white in error?

In the first Gulf War, Centurion AVREs were fitted with what was termed a MIMIC Coil, an attachment which detected mines, I think. I did know what MIMIC stood for, can't remember now! I wondered why these devices aren't used more nowadays, or are they?

Err.....FRONT diffs painted white, never heard of that before.

I know B Vehicles had white painted rear diffs for convoy purposes. I've seen a couple of pics, and today an ex Army Land Rover, with the front diffs painted white. Why? No retreating Army jokes please!

There is a picture somewhere which shops a BARV stuck in the mud in San Carlos. Rumour has it that it was pulled out into deep water and left, and then recovered later. Can't remember the publication at this point. I learnt a bit from a guy who was on HMS Fearless, and there was an HMS Fearless Association, not sure if it is still going. I think the SAMA82 Association is still functioning. I spent a day up at Instow some time ago, those Cent BARVs were really well looked after, had to be because of the salt water immersion.