mcspool

Never knew the Crusader was sectioned, but then again I never saw it in the metal. Why was it cut away? Was it once a tank used for instruction? H.

At least in a Ferret you have some protection when pulling over trees like this:

Monty, these are WW2 South African built Reconaissance Cars, more commonly know as "Marmon Herrington Armoured Cars". The Mk's I, II, III and IV used Ford automotive components plus a Marmon-Herrington All Wheel Drive conversion (driven front axle plus transfer box). From the Mark IVF onwards the automotive components were supplied by Ford Canada. The armoured hulls were desigend and manufactured in South Africa. Definitely worthy of saving! HTH, Hanno

That is very interesting! I always thought brown canvas was a pre/early war colour.

Totally agree, if there is one guy who can rebuild the Schwimmer lost in the Amsterdam fire, it is Mark!

MODERATOR - ACTION REQUIRED: could you please remove the picture from my posting above? A forum member has asked me to delete it from here as he recently bought that picture of the Morris PU 8-cwt, but I do not know how to do that myself. I did find it on another internet forum (which I have pointed out to him), but I do not want to start quarrelling over copyright. Thanks in advance! Hanno

Tim, Help yourself, it is not mine, came across it on the web somewhere. As for your second question, let's see if this works: Achtung - Deutsch Pilot zur Seite bewegen! Hanno

Mike, Being vehicles used in the early stages of war, it seems quite a number were captured. Of course, the 8-cwt class was no longer of real use from halfway during the war. The first ones must have been sold off during the war, and basically were used till they fell apart. Also, being of less sturdy construction, I think the chances of an 8-cwt surviving the rigours of war and civilian life afterwards were decidedly smaller than the sturdier 15-cwt truck class and up? AFAIK, there are no M-C 8-cwts in Holland, but I would like to be proven otherwise. Quite a number of 8-cwt CMPs, though. Hanno

Hi John, Just had a close look, no labels or markings other than some numbers in crayon, probably to aid stitching. Hanno

John, Interesting subject! Here is what I can add: Canadian Military Pattern trucks were built to British war Office specs and followed British colour schemes. According to Canadian sources, quoted in Bill Gregg's 'Blueprint for Victory' (p.118, 1981), "Canvas came in sand, khaki and brown, depending on the colour of the truck." Ford parts books describe different canvas colours of Matte Green and Light Stone for the door tops, weathershields and tarpaulins, but not for the seats canvas. I have a set of NOS seat canvas in what must be Matte Green. HTH, Hanno

Correct, Dodge Power Wagon to be precise. H.

I have heard of Ford Canada owners doing such a swap. As far as I know the French V8 is a post-war update of the wartime V8, so it should be a (fairly) straight swop. But we really need to hear from someone who can talk from first-hand experience. H.

Robban, See for a short clip. Regards, Hanno

Eddy, Great project you have going there, make sure to connect to the Carrier guys on Maple Leaf Up! Steve, Just read about the T16s in Italian service, interesting. First time I heard about it. Do you have any more info or pictures? The only (major) sources of surviving T16s I know of are ex-British ones from Pounds Yard and ex-Swiss Army ones, mostly after they were sold to SECO in the US. Hanno

Erm, that would be http://www.mapleleafup.org

Well, in that case they should be prosecuted for falsification of history. Indeed, in the 1950s the pre-WW2 fortifications were enhanced by digging in Firefly tanks. These were gutted Fireflies, but still fitted with tracks, pushed into a hole in the ground and covered up with sand/soil up to the top of the hull. They differed from the well-known IJssellinie pillboxes, as those were empty hulls cast into concrete, with their main guns stripped and machine guns fitted in the turrets. Somewhere in the late 1950s/early 1960s there was a fatal training incident. A 17-pdr round went off before the breech had fully closed. It turned out the ammunition was no longer reliable and this incident meant the end of the 17-pounder gun in the Netherlands Army. In the 1970s the Fireflies were removed from their positions at Kornwerderzand, luckily one was preserved by the Army. Some 15(?) years ago the museum was looking for a Firefly to dug in again, they could not find one so they scrounged a 105-mm howitzer turret and put it on a slab of concrete. A totally incorrect exhibit in my eyes, as we can see it confuses the public, and then some. One time a volunteer at the museum told me it was "an orginal 17-pounder atomic gun" . . . HTH, Hanno PS: Rippo, thanks for the pics!

Brilliant pics Gary, thanks for sharing! The VW Beetles are the so-called Type 51. These were assembled shortly after the war when the VW factory could scrounge the parts for Type 82 Kübelwagen chassis, onto which they fitted Beetle bodies. They had to do this as the supply of Kübelwagen bodies had dried up because the manufacturer was located in the Russian occupaton zone. After a short while the VW factory reverted to the standard Beetle chassis making it sit lower as was originally intended.

Here´s one of my favourite RAF vehicles: the Commer Q2 Truck, 15-cwt, 4x2, Van. Here's what I found in Vanderveen's books (text) and the internet (pictures): 6-cyl. 66-bhp engine (own 20.9 hp 3180-cc sv) driving rear wheels via 4-speed gearbox. Hydraulic brakes. Leaf-spring suspension. Tyre size 10.50-16. Wheelbase 120 in. Overall dimensions 189x78x90 in. Weight 5375 lb. Composite construction integral bodywork by Mulliners of Birmingham for RAF, production starting July 1940. Later production had 80-hp 4-litre engine. Several other body styles. Hanno

See http://www.bouwmachinesvantoen.nl/bedrijvenpagina/Nieuwenhuijse%20de%20Braal/Nieuwenhuijse%20de%20Braal.htm for three pictures of a Vickers Shervick in use in the Netherlands back in the 1950s - much to my surprise! Also of interest are the ex-military vehicles in use for earthmoving, including some dozers which were used to fill gaps in the Scheldt dikes made by Allied bombing in 1945! Enjoy, Hanno

Robert, thanks! Meanwhile I found the second camouflage pattern is the German Zelt Tarnmuster (Tent camouflage pattern) - see http://camo.henrikc.dk/details.asp?autono=272. Your hint about the French 1950s camouflage led me to http://camo.henrikc.dk/details.asp?autono=278: the French lizard pattern quartershelter. Riddle solved! Regards, Hanno

Second one has green tone camouflage on one side, brown tone camouflage on the other side. This is a regular two-man pup tent.

Please see attached pics of camouflaged tents. I do not know the origin of these tents and would like to know more, please. First one has camouflaged outer, sand inner. Triangular in shape.

Mark, Sehr gut! Really looks the part, I am sure if you show it it will fool many, many people. Please do get in with muddy boots and splash it in the nearest pond, their yaws will drop. Hanno

David, You had a Champ?!? My, you are full of surprises after all those years! Hanno

David, Good to see you here in cyberspace, too! Hanno