ArtistsRifles

Oh B*gg*r - so much for spell checkers!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris,

Funnily enough - Beltinge is likely the only place it would ever go on a motorway - the M25 - long enough to cross the river. Then the A roads from the Kent side on.

I'm told by those who already own the beasties that a windy A road is much better for them than the dead straight (comparatively) motorways.

As I live in Dagenham and the vehicle will be stored somwhere nearby places like Coalhouse Fort or the Powder Mills (or anything else North) of the river and East of London can be reached via A roads too. Anywhere further afield would be on the back of a low-loader. Again Beltinge would be the furthest I would drive (at 2 mpg it's not cost effective beyond this...)

Hmmm.... Can't see either the traffic police or the new mob (VOSA??) being happy about a goodly few pints of gear oil mixed with graphite additive being spilt on the hard shoulder of a motorway or any other cariageway......

This why I'm trying to find out if they recover on a low loader rather than a suspended tow. Taking those sun gears out - and putting them back in after - is, apparently, not an easy job on a Stalwart!

Thanks Richard. I tried using the contact form on their web site to ask this question directly - but thus far have had no response. Been nearly a week now - so maybe thats not a good sign either :?

Going back tot he original theme for a mo' - does anyone know if this lot - http://www.h-c-r.co.uk - do a flatbed recovery service or is it just a suspended or fixed tow??

If they don't - anyone know a firm who does??

Reason for asking is the Alvis 6 wheelers - esp. the Stalwart - aren't meant to be towed more than 2 or 3 miles max as damage is done to the hubs, BB's etc due to lack of lubrication!!! They need to have the engine running and the gearbox/transfer box engaged to get the oil going through them.

Using the cunning power of the internet you could also have a look here:

http://www.fleetdata.co.uk/registrations.html

These start for the original allocations in 1903 up to the present system!

Shouldn't do - I've had to fit new speedo's to other vehicles and the worst I've had from the MOT station was being asked to see the invoice for the new unit. Insurance-wise I just wrote to the insurance company advising them that a new head had been fitted and why, specifying the recorded mileage on the old unit at time of change.

Purely as a personal view - no offense intended to anyone here - I will not contact any ad that either has no price or says POA. I've done this a few times in the past hunting down spares for two-stroke Saab's and 100% of the time the seller has had no real idea of what he's got condition-wise but because it's for a 1950's/60's vehicle thinks its worth 2 or 3 times the market value. Once went to look at a Sport engine block (direct oil injection rather than mixed in the tank) and it was cracked down the oil feed line and a chunk of cylinder web was missing. Seller had advertised it it as "Reconditioned to As new condition - POA" I leave my parting comments to your imaginations......

Mick,

Biggest worry from what you say is the rust on the outer hull sides. This can be plated and repaired - at a cost though as the welds will need to be 100% water tight.

Water into the hull via the air inlet and outlet grilles may not be an issue as, like all military machines they tend to disperse oil all over the insides of the lower hull. Other biggy is going to be the seals on those drop sides. Almost impossible to source new now so if you wanted it to be a swimmer that would be worth looking at.

The exhaust shoudl come up in the water tight box vertically ans make a 90 deg exit to the rear under a wire cage cover - if it's sliced off at an angle then that is human intervention :cry: Maybe the current owner wanted a "sporty" look ????? God knows why but.......

Can't be long before the local council start taking an interest in the jumk heap (hint there..)? If so - maybe you could do a deal with their scrap man to take it away?????

Hi mate i,ve never actually dealt with them but if you don,t like the idea of spraying such a big vehicle give us a shout i,d be willing to do as i quite fancy one of those beasties myself

Idea's nice - but the distance from home (Dagenham, Essex) to Oswestry could make it a very expensive proposition!!

Much obliged all!!!

Ashley - this one comes from the MilWeb site as well

RR services have a Mk 1 - but having sat in the cab of both types I found the Mk 2 more comfortable and user friendly. The Other Mk 2 was a REME one with crane and I e-mailed the owner to ask the price. That Ad was placed last November though......

Anyone ever dealt with British Military Vehicles up in Lancashire???

Bob's got a Stalwart up for sale right now - asking £3,800 but the photo's of it show it a weird looking state of finish and like as not needing a full respray - not cheap on one of these beasties.

why you don't stand behind a MOBAT/WOMBAT..four-fiths of the propellant gasses are vented to the rear.

Much the same reason you don't stand behind a Charlie-G or a 66mm LAW!!

There is anecdotal evidence of members of a certain Regt serving in a certain Middle Easter country finding they only had practice rounds for a Charlie-G so promptly turned the weapon around and used the blast as a (very effective) short range weapon.

Lee,

 

Is that a picture of your fox at the 2005 show, very nice.

Yep that's my Fox, Rob has booked us to do the live fire display at the Mills this year with the Fox, Saladin & 120mm Mobat, anyone on this list going to the Mills?

Yes - I might well be there!!

Ref. the circle - this may be the answer:

These tactical markings utilised the WW2 system of various geomtric shapes and their application varied from Unit to Unit. But they basically followed the undermentioned pattern for squadrons/companies/batteries:

 

A - Triangle

B - Square

C - Circle

D - Semi circle

Support - Semi circle [infantry]

Command - Semi circle [RAC Regiments replaced by HQ Sqn]

Command and Support - Diamond [RAC Armored Regiments replaced by Command Sqn]

HQ - Diamond

 

Callsign numbers would vary but as a guide they were usually a numeric sequence followed by a letter ie 12A

 

The general numbering system was as follows:

First number - 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 = Squadron/Company/Battery

First number - 0 = Regimental HQ/Battalion HQ

Second Number - 1, 2, 3, 4 , 5 , 6, = Sabre Troop/Platoon/Gun Section

Second Number - 0, 9 = Squadron HQ/Company HQ/Battery HQ

No Letter - Troop/Platoon Leaders Vehicle http://

 

Maybe the painted over lettering might have been a call-sign???

Ah well - can't have everything

Looks like there's a vacancy on the web for a similar site dedicated to the Mk 2 - he says dropping unsubtle hints.....

Just spent an time googling around (waiting for a wrecked server to be recommissioned) and turned up this site:

http://www.fv432.com

Quite informative!!!!!

SFOR was the NATO-led Stabilsation Force in Bosnia, was similar to KFOR in Kossovo.

Seem to recall reading somewhere that the 432 can be driven onto it's tracks when work on them is required - is this true or another myth??

Thats the place!!!! Would love to be able to go there one day and have a good look around

There's a museum in Russia - forget where right now - that has the only complete collection of all the tiger variants for the Tiger 1 up to the Tiger (P) Elefant and Shturm Tiger. Very impressive!!!

Thanks Chris - interesting as to why that should have been on the side of a Spartan!!! Think I'll ask a question of the Assoc. to see if they can shed any light on the whys and wherefors

Some interesting photos there Chris.

One caught my eye going through the Whitham Tender folder - image #237 (http://www.sirhc.co.uk/gallery/album/Withams%20Tender/Withams-2004-4.JPG)##Probably asking a lot - but can you recall what vehicle the Regiments alternate crest was on? In my day none of our vehicles carried any markings other than the reg plates amd maintenance stencils....

Out of curiosity - and following a lead from Clive as to keeping the missus quiet - how often do the ambulance versions of the 432 come up for sale???