alan turner (RIP)

no Mike its a different uniot numbered 20 whereas the one withWynns was no12 there is 16mm film of 20 in the film stock at RAWHS complete with barrel as shown as going to dover, the sled for the one outside the rotunda is a different style, and that has gone down to Larkhill, MOD wouldn't find the monies to send it down to Firepower but found a training excercise to get it to Wiltshire

Woolwich Arsenal had over 120 miles of mixed gauge railways standard and 18" from the mid 1800's. 2 survive at Waltham Abbey and I believe one runs the steam line on the Isle of Wight. The Arsenal also made some Steam trains post WW1 then provided a kit of parts to allow Ashford, Down near Richard Farrant's place, to produce quite a lot more more images

Amongst the items catalogued at RAWHS was a single strip of 35mm film containing single views of some interwar vehicles heres a couple to start off with

Now as everybody knows GKN Sankey of Wellington Shropshire developed and built all the FV432's. Like F*** they did, as Geoff Fletcher said in his recent CMV first article in a series on the subject "7 were built at ROF Woolwich" but he didnt have any photos to back his statement up. However I can show the Wooden mockup in paternmakers shop Woolwich, rollout of first prototype between building 19&22 with the proud crew in attendance, plus the first properFV432 with side mounted exhaust and air con on sides and a local sidcup civil registration which predates most Sankey products by 12 to 18 months. Once Sankey got contract Woolwich ceased any manufacturing and the fate of the running prototypes was the gas mans torch along with all construction jigs, sounds like TSR2 over again. From then on Woolwich town fell apart.

I have acces to a handbook for the ACV 6x6 with drawings but less page 18 from the RAWHS collection which I can copy to disc if requd.

Geoff fletcher is doing a series on FV432 over next few months and I have been in contact with himover collection I wont show all held but these cover 439. And a teaser at the end, yes there are a set of photos for it.

It is possible that they used yards of defunct wire cable of which there would have been tons on site as I seem to see screw eyes in different places. As for the fate of all these I have no idea, some might have gone to a museum, Bovvi,IWM. The rest probably met their end with a scrappers torch. Any time travellers out there?

I think it was a catchweight contest between the bike wheeled trolley, which lay hidden in the long grass in a derelict part of Arsenal East and the Beaver which came along rolled over it and lost on a TKO, possible the driver said some words starting with the letters from number plate

OK more staff cars for you to drool over

Chevpol and Andy Glad you like the images, I have already talked with snapper about avaiabilty and agreed in principal to assist, however I must admit that I have been compiling a book of picturs of both vehicles and Arsenal buildings which were used as backdrops, basically it runs from 1945 to 1994 although there are a few from WW1 days and am currently up to 1984 but have stalled over the last couple of years (a) because of family comitments and bereavments and (b) the lack of interest from the RAWHS itself. The current President of the society is talking about writing one himself so that will take precedence over mine, he served his time in there and I did mine with Nat West.There is still a web site at qq22.net 2nd page, started 8 or 9 years ago by a friend called Paul Brooke, he was verbally warned that he had no right to produce such a site although he was working with/for the current society historian.

these have only gone as far as Bedfords, some more under Leyland Hippos, Staff cars cover Fords Morris and Vauxhall, which seem not to have themes, one of Woolwich's last titles was RAF Movements (London).

yes there are a lot of CMP Triple POlsten SP AA guns in background that area is by the river and you can see the old Becton gas works in some of the shots, a view i used to get every morning when I opened my bedroom curtains at my parents house in McLeod Rd Abbey Wood. Maple leaf site confirmed type from short strip I did for them. There are quite a number of Dorchesters around even the photo platform, and a good number of dingos but no one has spotted the Bren Carrier yet, again its believed to be charkie Ellis's work on what was known as 10 acre field the selling ground. One log book with about 200 entires confirms dates. £500 could probably have bought the lot with change for a fish & chip supper after a night out at one of Woolwichs theatres or cinemas, noine of which now exist.

are these the ones talked about?

results of Beaver tested at Woolwich

Way back in 1952 they found enough funds to build a tank testing track in Woolwich Arsenal, these images are taken over a 2 month period, dont just look at the picture look to the sides and backgrounds as well and see what was sitting there.It Also explains how the photographer was able to look down over the site.

here's an AC in Woolwich and outside Showrooms. there is another shot of one somewhere in the collection in the vehicle strip down shop with the odd tank,I shall try and find it

Would anyone be interested in these from my usual source?

heres some from the RAWHS collection . not too good quality on some but enough to see what the vehicle is

there are those that say that the panels were supplied by Sankey's but that I doubt as ROF(W) easily had the ability to produce its own, but on the up armour period was too involved in producing the prototype FV432's. Lets throw a few more in that Clive has already got through several boxes of tissues once seen. Please remember that the photographer believed to be a mr Charles Elliot had climbed up to the crane runway not with a little SLR but with a large wooden, leather bellows glass plate camera, Tripod and a large box of plates to useand cape. Still around aged 91 living in the Sevenoaks area

if memory serves there was a Dick Powell playhouse that featured the lady be good story many moons ago

oh you mean like this taken in the vehicle park at Woolwich

Ted the collection has numerous job numbers allocated and one particular set of half plates is all from one shoot allocated job 12252 and its all RAF vehicles.

thought Iwould see what I can show From RAWHS Collection

Thought I'd dig out som from the RAWHS Collection. colour shots are coverted to B/W due to state of colour hues from negs

Thanks all for clarifying details of the fire units, the mamoth major may have been taken at Lyneham and used on VC10's tail, there are aero shots from there showing Beverley and Argosy, also a range under a single number 12252 of RAF Vehicles