David I

Does anyone know the fate of the CX22 used by Chalmers McQueen, galashiels until well into the eighties. It was painted bright orange (along with a Land Rover which it towered over. Although converted to breakdown. it still had its artillery body, and the truck was in good nick. In the mid/late Eighties it disappeared. A Mack NO chassis/cab appeared very briefly, and then a civilian Atkinson 6x6 ex snowplough took up residence,with the Albions rear body grafted onto it(it actually looked good, like some prototype from the sixties) This survived until the mid nineties. The Albion probably didnt go into preservation otherwise the body would have gone with it, but it seems a shame if these were already fairly rare and people were beginning to collect them.That,said there was still a lot of WW2 trucks in the Borders in the eighties, and most have since been scrapped. Dave.

hi steve they are listed as having a M4A4 Dozer tank. By the picture, the gun has been removed and faired over. Doesnt say its a runner. Dave.

Hi All, I remember reading in an early issue of Military Machines International of another Multi bank engined M4A4 in running order in the UK. It was with C&C Services(?) iirc. Whatever happened to it? I see that Adrians is stated as being the only runner in the UK? Dave.

Is there any further news on LCT 7074. Is there still hope of it being saved, or is it lost? Dave.

Hi All, I think that the Poles did get the reputation of being fairly careless, but perhaps unfairly. There is a small memorial to a Polish crew at Roxburgh Castle, Kelso (the original ruin, not Floors) where they were killed when there vehicle went off the road . Haining Loch is not big. local anglers use it, but im not sure of depth. Going back to my my earlier posting about the tank near Carnwath, my friend does not know the name of the range, but the control bunker is on a hill called Crane Law?. Apparently, it was used by the RAF for ground attack from early in WW2. Thanks for the info on Trent. Most interesting.

Hi All, Didnt know that there were trials with Churchills around Hawick. Learn something new every day. It did remind me of a late friend of my Fathers, who had a small "sawmill conveyer?" if thats the best way to describe it, made of Churchill running gear. Basically all of the wheels(?) from one side made into a conveyor which he put logs on for sawing. Not sure what powered it, or whether he still used track links for the conveyor. This was in the sixties and I was just a kid, but my father showed me it at the time. Its all gone now. There are also various stories of sunken Bren carriers in the Borders, having been boggrd down and abandoned by Poles training in the Lanmmermuirs. I think that this is urbab myth, but one might have credibility, is a carrier at the bottom of Haining Loch, Selkirk. Certainly, 3rd Infantry Division did experiment with waterproofing and attempting to make carriers float here. Doubt that they would just abandon one though. Dave.

Hi Eddy, I was speaking to a mate last night whos into aviation archeology, so digging up tanks isnt really his thing. However, there is apparently an ex range tank buired near where he stays. I dont have much information. He lives at Carnwath, Lanarkshire. There was a firing range near there. Type of tank unknown, but it was apparently partially dug up at one point so that Cuthbertsons of Biggar could study/ remove parts of the suspension. Then it was re buried. Does this ring any bells with anyone? Dave.

Just a passing thought. The Classic Car part of our show features a different Marque every year. this year, it's Jaguar. Initially, this is for the fiftieth anniversary of the E Type, but we are planning a large display of all Jaguars. Does anyone locally have either a Fox or a member of the CVR(T) family as they are Jaguar powered? Unlikely, I suppose, but they would certainly stand out amongst the XJs etc. And weren't WW2 Airborne trailers made by Jaguar, or something? Dave.

Hi Gary. Good to hear from you, and look forward to seeing you there. I will drop you an e mail over the weekend. Or feel free to contact me if you need further information. Dave.

Hi Croc. Guess it would be a fair trek, although it's the first time someone has said we're too far south! Looks like you have an intersting fleet. Did you have some of it at Scone? You would be we welcome to attend if you change you mind. All the best. Dave.

I wonder if any Forum members would be interested in attending our event,the 39th Scottish Borders Historic motoring Extravaganza, on Sunday,5th June 2011 at Thirlestane Castle, Lauder. First, here is a little information about the show. Itis principally a car show, which is organized by the Borders Vintage AutomobileClub, of which I am a Committee Member. This years show will be our 39th,and sixth at Thirlestane Castle. Previously ourevent was held at Mellerstain House. The show has grown from around twenty exhibitors in theearly years, to over a thousand entries in 2009 when we hosted theScottish Vintage Vehicle Federation's Champion of Champions. However, althoughwe have no problem in getting classic cars to attend, many other vehicle classes were dropping away. One of those was Military Vehicles, to the extent that in 2006 we only had one Austin Champ at the show. As I am a Military vehicle enthusiast, and do a bit of WW2 re-enactment, I volunteered to see if I could increase the number ofvehicles attending our event. I was quite lucky in that the owner of the Champis Alistair Smith, who is an Area Liaison Officer for the Scottish MilitaryVehicle Group, and who lives within a couple of miles of the show. BetweenAlistair and I we have been able to increase numbers with 22 vehicles attending last year. One thing from the outset was that we did not just want arow of vehicles as in the car classes, so the Military display area has vehicles parked as if they might have set up camp for the night, with tents,nets etc. Our club have been very pleased with the results so far, and are quite happy to further extend the display. My thoughts are that I would like to see a Military show in its own right within the main show. Situated as we arein the Borders, it would be a great place for clubs from Scotland and NorthernEngland to meet up. So far members of Scottish Military VehicleGroup who last year brought their club shop, and collected for BLESMA, Berwick& Borders Military Vehicle Club, and the Ex Military Land Rover Association also attended. For 2010, we added a Re-enactment/Living Historydisplay and 4th Indians Living History group attended (collecting for Ghurka Welfare Trust), as did Kampfgruppe Schottland, and I am speaking to one or two other groups for 2011. We have plenty of space, and the Committee is fully behindthe idea, although sadly, there is not a budget to specifically develop thispart of the show. Having said that, ourshow does not have any entry fee so it will not cost you to attend our show(apart from the cost of fuel!) I hope that this event will grow. It is still fairly small,but the few who have attended seem to have liked it, and we are always lookingfor ways to improve it. Although it is part of a car show, I would like to seeit develop in its own right. Thirlestane castle is situated by Lauder, and is sandwiched between the A68 and A697, so is easily accessible from SouthernScotland and Northern England. The show is open to the public on the Sunday, but there is a road run on the Saturday(I must admit that the Military Vehicles tend to skip this. Access is available from the Friday with camping available on your pitch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights (military tentage) or if you prefer modern tents you can pitch them nearby for a small fee. Facilities are basic, with portaloos and a standpipe for water. Alternatively, there is a fully serviced caravan and camping site adjacent to the show field, but this is run as a business, so you would have to pay their rates for that. We are having entertainment in the marquee on Saturday nightand a barbeque (food and bar are not free). If you don't fancy that, we arenext to the village of Lauder with its hostelries, and a Fish & Chip shop. For your interest, Thirlestane castle is owned by the Maitland family, who have a strong military background. One, Field Marshall SirHenry Maitland-Wilson originally coined the phrase "Any damn fool can be uncomfortable". Sadly, one of the family, Viscount Ivor Colin Maitland, died during the North Africa Campaign while serving with theLothian and Borders Horse Yeomanry. The castle itself was used as aMilitary hospital for British and Commonwealth troops during World War 1. I hope that this might be of interest and that some of youmight want to attend. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me David Irvine Borders Vintage Automobile Club evelyn@birth.plus.com www.bvac.org.uk

Hi Gazzaw, Sorry its taken a while to reply, but my computer at home is down, and Ive been off work with the snow. It is on again, 5th june, at Thirlestane Castle, lauder. You would be very welcome to bring your group/vehicles. Our club website is www.bvac.org.uk If you look that up it will give you an idea about the main show, but the arrangements are a bit different for military (free camping on your pitch etc. PM me if you would like more details, but it could taske me a few days to get back to you. Dave.

Hi All, A lot of the work is perseverance. I help to organise a classic car show in the Scottish Borders. Whereas we can easily draw in 1000 cars, military vehicles was a class in our show that was down. In 2006, one Austin Champ was at our event. Luckily for me it was owned by an Area liaison officer for SMVG. This year, by canvassing and putting word about, we had twenty two vehicles and two living history groups. Our event is in a perfect location for Northern English, and Scottish enthusiasts meeting, and is a sort of a show within a show. certainly we are no threat to War and Peace, but it can be done. Dave.

Hi All, There are a couple of pictures of a restored one in this months Military Machines International. I strongly suspect that it might be a replica though. Dave.

Thanks for the advice guys. I will see if I can find anymore about it. If Im not interested, I will post contact details for the seller. Save.

Hi Mike, Thanks for the promp replies. Sounds like it might not be such a bargain if its not practical to use when its finished. You say that the winch would not be a standard fit? Would that mean that this is something added once the vehicle came out of service, or that it might have been limited issue e g REME? Thanks for your help. Dave.

Hi All, I was offered a Land Rover the other night for a reasonable price(I think), but dont know much about the series 1. It has been sitting in a barn for the last six years, and the chassis is in need of welding(as with all Land Rover, I think). What I know about it is that it was a 1952 model, ex Military, full canvas tilt, and that it is fitted with an "engine driven" (PTO?) winch. It has traces of desert paint on it. I have not seen it, and have no numbers. So to my questions: I take it that it would be an 80 inch model, and would have a small engine? How practical are these vehicles for modern ownership? Are spares available in the same way as later models? Is the fitment of a winch unusual, and what would a winch equipped vehicle have been used for? Any thoughts welcome. Dave.

I,m 99% certain that there is a 105mm Pack Howitzer on display at Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum, outside their Airborne display building. It has been repainted, but not actually restored. Dave.

Hi All, The Clark did see service with the British airborne Divisions. There is one on display at the Hartenstein Museum at Oosterbeek. Dave.

Thanks for the replies Gents. Its quite amazing how they evolved. Until the other day, I would never have guessed that they had ever been the same version. Looking closely, I see that it has the late i piece transmission housing, and were the later suspension units a straight bolt on, or require lots of enginering. Steve, thanks for the photos, including the interior shots. You were obviously lucky enough to gain access to this interesting machine. I would love to see it restored as a British machine, perhaps 4/7 Royal Dragoons given its location, but it will have been an M50 for much longer than it was an M4A4. I would just like to see more British Shermans around. Did Adrian say that one had been reverse engineered, and if so is he allowed to give details? Thanks again, Dave.

Hi All. I have been reading the varoius restoration threads on Shermans. Living in Scotland, a Sherman is a rare sight to me, the M50 at Eden Camp in Yorkshire being the only example I have seen in the UK. While looking at Shermans on various websites tonight, one in the States mentioned that their Sherman M50 had actually started life as an M4A4 and had served with the British Army. So could the example in Eden Camp also be ex British, and how different is it from original? I notice that the suspention is the easy eight (?) type and that the gun is different. Anyone know about them? Dave.

Regarding Robin Hood -i'm fairly sure the Sherwood Rangers didn't have cast hull Shermans during the September 1944 period -they had welded hull tanks probably Sherman III (for example with cenus No. T14****) I would think that the use of Sherman II tanks is due to some-one locating a photo of tanks serving in the North African campaign. I remember reading about this elsewhere a few years ago. The Grizzly in the Land Warfare Hall at Duxford (Akilla) is also in Sherwood Rangers markings, but is not actually represntitive of the type used by 8th Armoured Brigade. Dave.

Hi All, sounds like it might get saved after all. i was hoping to help from this end, but the logistics of getting it to Scotland on a budget are against us. And we still have not sorted out the Taskmaster. The main thing is that someone saves it. Items like this tend to be overlooked because there are still others about, but for how much longer will these finds come up? Dave.

Well, I'm trying to save a David Brown Taskmaster for a museum at the moment, so the two together would make some exhibit. I'll ask them if they are interested. If it still can be saved, its worth a try. What part of the country is it in, given that I'm in southern Scotland. Would a big vehicle be needed to shift it, bigger than a transit car transporter? I ask, as one of my mates has one. Could you find out if its still there please? Cant promise anything, but they might be interested. Thanks. Dave.

I am guessing that Lloyd carriers are very rare, so if someone could save the remains from scrap in the first place, they could become a project for someone with the necessary skills in the future? Noticed that there is a mortar trailer on milweb as well. Dave.