Fyll

Hello all,

I recently stumbled onto this thread and I can shed some light on the above. In Cyprus there was one Valentine that was modified and used during the Greek Turkish troubles in the early 1960s.

This was a turretless hull used in a quarry which was given a new superstructure and the number EF-19. It has been preserved by the Cyprus National Guard with a view to be displayed in a museum they are planning. It is the same vehicle that was shown in David Fletcher's article about the Valentine Bishop and Churchill Gun Carriers in CMV Sep 2010.

I would very much like to see the photo showing the Valentine in a parade in Nicosia and the designation EF-3 or at least to know where this photo appeared ad when, so that I can try to track it down.

This is the Valentine in its current state:

The following two period photos are from a National Guard hisorical publication and an article by Petros Savides

Any information or more photos would be greatly appreciated.

Fyll

Hello all,

Sorry for the delay in replying, I was away on a two-week holiday and I was offline for the whole time.

It's hard to tell with absolute 100% certainty as now markings of any sort are visible but the cammo scheme could well be Greek. The shades look a bit dark but then again I have seen so many shades used that as I said it could be Greek :undecided:. For a couple of pictures of Greek Jeeps in cammo download this file http://www.lmdecals.gr/images/stories/pdf_files/LM35006%20Jeep%20Dodge%20EN.pdf

As for Saracen pics, I'm sorry I don't have any.:-(

Fyll

For years I've had this pic in my files.

Sorry about the quality, it's from a photocopy which is marked "FBS Overseas news, Summer '91, page 64". Although the caption's identification is wrong the rest of the information ties in with the above. The Fire Service in Greece used Federal pumpers, which miraculously survived the war and German occupation and served on post war. In some cases they survived into the early 1960s. These vehicles were all normal control with a longer bonnet and a front mounted pump.

I'd love to see more photos of the Army Fire Service vehicles.

Fyll

Hello all,

Thanks for the input. I hadn't noticed the bell crank position. I suppose the chain and sprocket theory is the most probable one.

Fyll

Hello all,

This rather interesting picture shows two Jeeps parading in Cyprus in 1964. They belong to the Cypriot National Guard Military Police. What caught my eye was that they are right hand drive. Where did these Jeeps come from?

Most National Guard vehicles at the time came from surplus British stocks. Was the British army responsible for this conversion to rhd?

Also the Jeep on the left has a cut down bumper like the airborne version.

Can anybody shed any light on this mystery?

Fyll

Anyone know what the 'bren carrier with high sides' thing is is 4th picture 535937 ?

Looks like an APC ,something we didn't have in France 1940?

The tracks don't look anything like a Bren Carrier's. To me it looks as if it is a Burford Kegresse half track, like the one in these photos.

Fyll

Thank you both very much for putting me on the right track.

I think you are quite right.

Cheers

:-)

Fyll

This makeshift armoured car was built in Cyprus during the early 1960s and was used during the inter-communal fighting there. It seems to have been built on a British chassis, but can anybody identify the make from the engine and what little is visible of the underside. Could it be a Fordson product? The carburettor is a Solex and the fuel tank is located at the rear.

Any help would be appreciated

Fyll

Ian, I sent you a PM with my email.

Ted, I'm very sorry but in those days I was not so wise :red: and I was still using film, which I used more sparingly than I do memory card capacity these days!

Fyll :banghead:

Ted you just dropped a spanner in the works!

The internal narrowing at the wheel arches is visible in the photos I posted.

Ian do you have the measurements for the width from the museum exhibit? I would really appreciate a full set of measurements as I am about to start on the model.:bow:

Thank you both

Fyll

Many thanks for that confirmation Ian!

It's just what I had been looking for!

Cheers

Fyll

That's a great model Ian. I plan to do mine in small scale.

Thanks for reiterating my plea for the AP 2782A, page entry concerning the "Tasker 5 Ton, Long Low Loading Semi-Trailer", that or somebody taking a tape measure to one of the museum exhibits would definitively settle the length issue.

Ted, I'd be interested in that plan you mentioned too.

Fyll

Hi Ted,

Thanks for the info on the hand-brake.

Yes both trailers I found had the tapered rear end lattice-work, however I had reached the conclusion that this was feature of all 5-ton trailers. Have I got that wrong?

The way I sorted things, the 3-ton model has lighter looking lattice-work with fewer diagonal braces, no taper on the rear, the front face of the side lattices is exposed, there are fewer segments to each side and the tyres are 10.50-20.

The 5-ton model has heavier looking lattice-work with more diagonal braces, and a greater number of segment to each side, the rear is tapered, the front face of the side lattices is covered by the tapering front sheet metal, and according to BH Vanderveen the tyres are 13.50-20.

What is confusing is that the warning sign carried on the rear of the 5-ton trailer states the overall length as 60 feet as opposed to the 50 feet of the 3-tonner even when the same type of tractor is used! This ten foot difference is the reason I am seeking the Data book entry on the 5-tonner in order to clear things up. The trailer thread only contained data for the 3-tonner.

Is 6x6 reading this?

Fyll

Hello All

In post #34 of this thread http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?10371-Trailers/page4, 6x6 posted a page form the "Data book of RAF vehicles" concerning the 3ton "Queen Mary".

I'm trying to ort details and dimensions for modelling purposes. Dos anybody have the relevant page for the 5ton model? I want to sort out the length issue. Was the 5-toner indeed longer and where there any other dimensional differences?

Years ago I found one in a field in Limassol in Cyprus, and some years later another one in scrap yard near Larnaca. The latter is probably still there hiding in the tall grass! By the way what's the purpose of the device in the n/s forward side with the wheel and the coil spring? It looks like a tensioner of some kind.

Thanks in advance

Fyll

Not to sure where the first photo was taken possibly France or Belgium, the second is one of the four brought in to the UK by the Cadman Bros and is shown on the week they arrived parked up under the old advertising boards at Richbourgh in Kent

I sent you that first one Les. It was taken near Salonika in northern Greece almost twenty years ago! The MERDC style cammo shows that it was still in service in the late '70s.

Cheers

Fyll

Can anybody provide more pics of this mine cabbed RL water bowser? It was used as fire vehicle by UN forces in Cyprus. I need more and if possible cleared pics, as I would like to build a model and I've only been able to find these two, which are what got me started in the first place.:-D

The vehicle is no longer in Cyprus and I've been told that it has returned to the UK and has been restored.

Thanks in Advance

Fyll

I recently found this cutting. Obviously this M8 has been renumbered post-war but I have not been able to identify the badge on the turret which in turn might lead to a guess about the formation sign which is hidden by the towing ring. I thought it might be East Africa Command, but could somebody more knowledgeable help please?

Thanks in advance

Fyll

Interesting pics Les. Thanks for sharing.

The last one must be Trucial Oman scouts judging by the uniforms and the roundel on the bonnet which should be red-white. Where are the first two from?

Fyll

This Giraffe was snapped on HMS Illustrious in October 1983. So it seems the RN had the right-hand drive model.

Fyll

Hello all and apologies for disappearing from this thread,:red:

Sharky if they're still any use for you after all this time, you can find some pics of a streched M8 preserved at the Kalamata war museum here: http://www.modelclub.gr/forums/index.php/topic,12653.0/highlight,m8.html

Just scroll through the thread, it's in Greek, and you'll see the clickable thumbnails.

Also here are some pics I found on this thread:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=53823

if I remeber correctly

Also here are some pics of a M170 found in scrap yard near Athens

Hope these help

Fyll

I was going to kick off an aden picture thread and remembered this one from before the crash, here are a couple of Odd saracens, one has a radiator blind or something at the front, the other one has VERY large sand tyres!

Does anybody have any idea what size these tires are? I've wanted to build a scale model of this particular one for some time.

TIA

Fyll

Hello all,

While browsing through this thread I came upon this pic:

and three more O854's " somewhere on Malta"

It's not in Malta. I's on Cyprus very close to Larnaca. IIt is the Lanitis Bros scrap yard right next to an oil refinery. There are tons and tons of goodies in there.

Fyll

Airfield construction Nicosia-Limasol En Route to El Aden Libya.

Hello all.

Could these vehicles be on their way to Limassol for the construction of Akrotiri? :idea: About the colour, the photo seems a bit faded. Could they not be finished in sand like many other vehicles used on Cyprus?

Fyll

Hello all,

I haven't had time to scan anything yet but here are some vehicles I've photographed over the years:

This Dodge ambulance was still in service in the 1980's.

This brilliant Mack LMSW has long since disappeared form the scrap yard it was in.

The Hellenic Air Force used a number of these Dodge Power Wagon based bomb handling trucks.

The army used the M606 counterpart and added various designs of closed cabs to some.

The M38 remained in service well into the 1980's.

Our army also kept quite a few M3A1s well into the 1980's

Hope these are of some interest to somebody

Fyll

Ted,

That's a fascinating collection of models.

I've been interested in RAF vehicles for a long time.

I'm guessing they are 1/76 scale. Is the Austin K2 in the foreground the one by CMSC? I'd be very interested in seeing more photos of your models.

Fyll