Dougiebarder

I was thinking along the lines of either a big capacitor, or a big starter, for a big lamp?

I've got a copy of the Army Code No. 13954 Radio Repair handbook, and my trailer matches, but is missing a few bits and pieces, 1 set of drawers, a TUAM box and an aerial side arm-but they'll be easy to get(the test kit might take a little longer). (I'll look out for the other handbook's). The illustration's are tantalising, but lack detail in some areas.( battery clamp's etc) The other thing I'm wondering (read hoping) is if it might have been used as a triffid relay trailer in the 80's. I'll try to get a history search done for the registration, but I found a form for a "unit feeding strength state" marked september 1988 in the sand pocket of the tent, and a label for 36 Sig reg (a TA unit) with triffid stamped on it, in one of the lockers( as well as a couple of sand bags from a .22 firing range :?). I know a lot of these trailors have been released after they were transfered to the RAF for battle damage repair etc, but mine seem's to have stuck with the army, well into the clansman era. I think that half the fun of this hobby is the research, and finding those elusive bits and pieces, so this should keep me happy for quiet a while. Cheers for the info. Matt :-)

Stab in the dark time-was it used on riot control vehicles? :? :? :?

Hello all! I've just got a comms trailer(not converted to battle damage repair), in fairly original condition, and was wondering if anybody had any information or photo's of them (I've got a copy of the manual,but it doesn't have any good internal pictures). Particularly the inside, I would like to know what the bracket's for the batteries and charging set look like (It's got the main frame, but no clamps etc). Also were these ever used for triffid/ptarmigan installation's during the 80's? I know I'm asking a LOT, but you don't ask, you never find out. Cheers. Matt. :?

Don't open all the can's of worm's at once, They'll go stale :-D

Do you know what it's technical designation was? I've got a few technical handbook's for image intensified scope's (unfortunatly, on fiche so I can't provide images), but if I can help with any information, feel free to ask. (L3A1, L4A1, L5A1, L6A1, L7A1, L8A1) Matt

I still don't see the point of wasting all this money. Whatever the present government say, they can't change the fact that these men were shot. Leave it in the past and move on. You'd be better bringing up the memory of those who earn medal's (who deserve to be remembered) and leave those with a less heroic past to sink in the depths of time. This might seem a bit harsh, but I bet a lot of people will think the same way!

To be honest, unless the families are doing it for the cash, I think it would be better to have let sleeping dog's lie. In my mind (addled as it is) it would seem better to me to spend all the legal fees that must have gone on this case on something else. I'm sure there are still servicemen living, who could have use the money for something a damn site more important than giving people 2 or 3 generation's down the line the chance to claim that their grand fathers (or great grandfathers) weren't cowards. I'll never say we should forget the past (it's vitally important we don't), but the living should take precedent!

On the other hand, why should they have been pardoned-they were found guilty under the law's then, not now. What does this say about all the other soldiers who suffered the same condition's, but didn't desert? It seem's pretty stupid to be even considering this topic so far after the time, as was mentioned on another forum, are we going to try and get a pardon for a roman solider who was executed after falling asleep on guard on Hadrian's wall. :evil: To paraphrase another opinion, the government are using this to get cheap brownie point's, there is no talk about better pension's for the real solders who stuck to their post's, and obeyed orders.

Well it's a much smaller battery :-D

Don't know how much you want to do yourself, but I was speaking to somebody who imported a load of classic car's himself. He bought/hired a container, drove all the car's to the dock's and put them in the container himself (got a load of timber in HOME DEPOT and put them all in place-two cars high along the container). He also managed to sort all the paperwork out himself as well-said it wasn't too bad, and he got a bit of a holiday in as well. The only negative side was working in an unventilated container in the middle of a Florida heat wave :-P So do you fancy a challenge? :?

It would seem better to me, to display uniform on a tailors dummy(rather than an overweight 30-40 year old with a funny accent). The public can get a better look at the uniform that way, and there is no ego wanting to only be an American special forces-He man, or SS moron. Just think how good it would look at a place like Beltring, to have a marquee with every type of uniform on display. (and we can send those who still want to dress up and play war to the local army training camp to act as opposition for real soldiers) :evil:

Yep-take your own if you can-the NAAFI is stupidly overpriced (seeing as there's a waitrose, and all the shop's of paddock wood within an easy drive). Even if you don't take a stove, if you're sociable and chat to enough people, you'll probable get invited to a Bar-B-Q every night :evil:

How about a cheap jerry can, with the side cut out :?

I know I'm an old fart before my time, But the old method was much better. If it's been a busy day, I can miss more than 10 post's before I get back from work. Any chance of getting a system like the old forum please. (also the new colour seem's better for an RAF forum)

I may be blind and a bit stupid, But I can't find the button to display all the post's since my last visit. Will somebody tell me where it is please. Cheers :?

The new system's; a joke-I've got a series 3 land rover-not exactly a rare MV, but it didn't show up on the system (no honestly it's not a defender) and it took about 15-20 mins to decide what should go into the computer. I'd hate to think what would happen if a really rare vehicle went in :roll:

On the subject of scrapyard vehicles, does anybody here live in the farnworth/bolton area, cos I've wondered what the vehicle at the back of the yard on Bent street, off bolton road is? I spotted it when I was parked there months ago. Bit of a long shot I know, but I thought I'd ask

Ask yourself, 1:- How much can you afford. 2: How much space have you got. 3:-What do you want to use if for. My ideal vehicle would be a FV432 (radio relay format), but I havn't got anywhere to store it (preferably under cover), and I'd could only afford to have it taken to 1 show a year if I was lucky. A sugga might be a nice vehicle to start with-somebody here will be able to advise you on spares avaliability etc. Obviously, whatever you get, show us the photo's.

Just to stick my oar in again. I think there's a difference between restoring a rusted hulk using avaliable part's, and converting a perfectly sound vehicle to be something else. I'm sure it would be possible to get a real (if rusty WW11 jeep and restore that, and leave the hotckiss to be restored as it came off the production line (or as near as possible) Rather than leaving the WW11 model to rust to nothing, and permanently change the newer one (ok, I know it isn't really permanent, but redrilling holes, and adding removed bracket's can be a real pain). I'm not such a stickler for origionality (my landrover has the wrong carb, and way more kit than it ever had in service), I think the thing that really get's to me is that somebody would remove an origional feature they already had, to make the vehicle less origional. :!: Oh and on the topic of the CMV article's, I thought they were very good (in fact as somebody who has just let their subscription lapse-I wish there were more articles like it in the magazine!!)

To reply to Karoshi's post, I'm very glad to say I havn't been ripped off in such a way. I just find this process of making one vehicle look like another a bit silly. It seem's a bit too close to kids putting body kit's and go faster stripes on their Vauxhalls. In fact I wouldn't be suprised if there was a legal aspect to this. You definitly couldn't put a new set of data plates on a modern car, if they had different details from the origional on. ( Any idea's anybody?) It's not like having the wrong tyres on a vehicle, they can be changed at any time and are what came with the vehicle.( I get the feeling that if a set came up for the right price, people would be tempted to swap?) I think it's all very well saying I'll do the right thing when I sell it, but it's tough luck after that. I might be a bit blunt at times, but I hope I'd do the right thing in such an occasion, I wouldn't want to leave a cowboy dealer open to claim he didn't know any better.

In my mind it's like altering a series landrover to look like another different series landrover. It might be ok for a farmer to swap part's between vehicles to improve one, but from a collector's view you might as well just buy/restore the one you want, and learn to live with it. Jeep or landrover, each one has good and bad aspects. If you want a jeep that's "better" mechanically than the WW11 jeep and keep upgrading, you'll end up with a "cherokee" painted in olive drab. Actually, haven't there been a few articles in CMV recently, to teach hotchkiss owners to embrace their French side, and not be embarassed? :oops: The jeep's in the article still looked pretty good.

Bold type for my replies

Wouldn't it be better to do stamp "This is a fake" on it? At least that way in a few year's a new collector won't get ripped off in a big way? :evil:

I don't think he'll read the forums, but he seem's a pretty decent chap anyway. I'm not sure if there would have been any FV1600 one's in there. Most of the revision dates seem'd to be between 1946 and 49 (that I saw) they looked like genuine origional blue prints to me, or at least contemporary copies (with a few tracing paper type copies as well) . Apparently the chap was buying the filing cabinet's(big A1 size), and when he arrived to pick them up, they were burning the papers :cry:, so he grabbed as many as he could fit in the car.