steveo578

Unfortunately the Oxford is almost totally forgotten, I found this blog site sometime ago (it took awhile to rediscover it). sites.google.com/site/djkl157/1dclimemorabilia with an appalling photo quality a pic of an Oxford is shown with the caption French bren gun carrier at Hamunder, Ruhr next photo is of a 3inch mortar and crew which might be a clue that the vehicle is an Oxford 3inch carrier. The name appears to be Corunna and the Reg. is a ZU number 11ZU15 perhaps. The Oxford served in Korea as well as home service and BAOR the Oxford T352713 was captured by the Chinese. there is a film clip of another Oxford T352791 shown some years ago in a documentary on the Korean War and use in an infantry Batalion was implied -the type had taken the place of Loyd TT and to an extent 3inch mortar carriers. most Oxford were supossed to be scrapped from reserve stocks in late 1950s early 1960s, but no-one has said whether they were scrapped or hard targeted.

The Armoured Dragon's story appears in Mechanised Force by DavidFletcher. page 99-100. The RAF commisioned a pair of Medium Dragons with modifications from the outset, in that they were built with an armoured drivers cab (which is shown in the photo) and an open tray where the gun crew and equipment was normally carried. There seem to have been a specific intention from the outset to load the fighting compartment and turret of a 1921 R/R armoured car as a straight lift into the load tray as is shown in the photo. As a type they lasted into the 1930s and one became a dedicated APC complete with firing ports.

I've never seen Tank Girl but it wouldn't surprise me, the same thing happened in the finalle of the long running U.S. series M*A*S*H when a M24 turned into a Sherman.

Its probably a SdKfz 8 -12ton probably the DB10, an example of this type was used in the 1960s movie "The Dirty Dozen" and I would think that this movie prop and that shown in video No 8 are the same. There are also some interesting shots of Pound Yard including the Sexton GPO.

Eddy!! obviously you were never an officer and a gentleman:blush:, with regard to pics I am sure some-one could PM you a site or two:cheesy:. With regard to books the walk around series of Armor in Action have reasonable interiors as do the innevitable Hunnicutt series on US vehicles. There are reasons for a lack of interior photos, one is technical, in 35x 16mm flim days a good interior shot required a 17mm (or less) none fisheye lens (on the standard SLR) which was quite expensive, which was OK for me as I needed a very wide angle lens to photograph property interiors. Today digital cameras require even wider value lens again at great cost, a 20mm digital is equivelent to a 35mm in Film format, so a pricey 10 or 12mm is necessary on a DSLR for interiors. However some digitals can take a convertor lens on the filter ring, but they can distort unless you are again willing to pay out lots of money. Other reasons for lack of interiors is restrictions, many museums don't allow it, the Military may also prevent it- in the U.S. and on U.S. bases abroad permits may be necessary to photograph and may restrict the photographer to "exterior views only" and on one fairly well know occasion a photographer was given his marching orders for snapping the engine of a M151 through the grill- hence an interior, whilst having an "exterior only" chit. Steve

Actually I used the term plastic- as opposed to the "real thing". I'm showing my age here Airfix plastic kits in the 1960s had the slogan "just like the real thing" I did not intend my comment to be taken literally. there would be a certain amount of GRP in the construction of the mock up especially around the "castings" like the turret etc. but most of the tank is plywood. I would have no doubt that the mock up cannot be driven on the public road. As to moving them around there was a story in Wheels and Tracks that a truck driver was "pulled over" by the plod on a motorway after a disgruntled car driver reported the trucker for overtaking him with two Sherman Tanks on a very undersize tractor-trailer unit. The constable demanded to see his paperwork as he considered the two Shermans as an "over" and where were the firearms cert for the weapons? Evidently he was dumbfounded when the driver hopped up on the trailer and proceeded to rock the "30ton" Sherman with his hands. There was one in the Chobeton Collection in Devon in th early 1990s but it may be the same one as turned up at Bovington for a while about 1993-4. It is pretty remarkable that something built in 1976 out of plywood has lasted so long ,despite obvious neglect. There were some interesting movie mock ups, Two T34 were converted to Tiger 1 for Saving private Ryan, similarly several T44s were converted to Tiger 1 for a Soviet epic in 1969. Other T34s-Tiger 1s were coverted in Yugoslavia for the 1970 Movie Kellys Heros. T54s was coverted to KV 1 for another Russian war movie. M4A1 Grizzlies were converted to Panzer 3 for failed Hollywood epic. It could make an interesting separate thread if further information/photos are forcoming.

Thanks for the upload of photos they are 1). Light Dragon Mk2c 2). Medium Dragon Mk3c 3). Light Dragon Mk2 4). Medium Dragon Mk4 possibly configured for different gun type or load than that shown in 6. 5). Light Dragon Mk3 6). Medium Dragon Mk4 configured for 60pdr 7). Light Dragon Mk2 8). Light Dragon Mk2c 9). Light Dragon Mk2c

Eddy Didin't they use metres when you were "in":-D Yep it's going to be some parade!:undecided: U.S. signals and T.D. command routines with British SPG, but extremely interesting all the same.:-) Steve

They had a long history in the British Army starting in the early 1920s the Mk1 was developed to tow 18pdr and limber. It was based on the Vickers medium tank suspension. As it was a bit of a waste towing 18pdrs by 1925 the Mk3 had developed for towing 60pdr and 6in howitzers and continued its development until 1932 with the Mk3b. In 1935 the Mk 4 a new design based on components of the Vickers 6ton tank was developed, it had an AEC diesel engine.- very similar to later 7Tp Polish prime movers. The mk4 was the end of a rather lack lustre series of designs. In 1928-1930 a cheaper more practical design Light Dragon Mk1 was developed and had suspension looking similar to the much later T16 Universal carrier but with the sprocket drive at the front and with horizontal springs. By 1933 it had further developed Mk2c and Mk2d with suspension units that was almost identical to the later T16. In 1934 the most important development, developed from a Vickers design VA D50 which was built as the basis for both a machine gun carier (to replace the Vicker Carden Loyd Mk6 M.G. carrier) and as a prime mover the design was again revised and took on the appearance of an unarmoured Universal carrier without the Bren pulpit, the suspension with the sprocket at the rear was almost identical to the yet undesigned Bren carrier, although due to a policy change requiring light field guns be towed by wheeled vehicles only 69 Mk3 Light Dragons were built within a year plans were made which developed the Light Dragon into the Bren carrier and then the Universal carrier. While the Medium Dragons were all but dead ends, the later light dragon Mk3 went to war with the BEF towing various guns such as 18pdr, 18/25pdr and 4.5in how. The term Dragon is supposed to be a distortion of Drag gun or Drag on.

One other type seen during the Ardennes was the Hetzer with praga 6cylinder gasoline engine, Sturmtigers were P45 Maybach the automotives didn't change. In addition the Panther and variants in particular and therefore the Tiger 2 as it had a similar engine layout had a design problem with stall fires burning out the tank. Many later German tanks had ammunition stowage in the panniers similar to the Sherman 75, often photos of wrecked panthers and Tigers show blown out sponson floors. Some German AFVs even had a fuel tank in the fighting compartment -Jagdpanzer 4 springs to mind. Although later Sherman 75 and Churchills had internal ammunition boxes and doors fitted around the ammunition stowage, recommended after tests were carried out with captured Panzer 3s in North Africa, it did not make much difference, there was still alot of things to go bang in the crew compartment of a fully loaded tank, ready rounds, fuel of aux generators, 2inch mortar rounds, crew weapons, oil in the transmission in Shermans and German tanks, even stowage of cleaning materials and personal kit. Steve

I found this interesting photo at an "site under construction" http://militarytrucks.ca/ the Photo shows a Willys-overland tracked jeep. but I am fairly certain the photo is at one of the official Canadian museums (possibly Vimy house) rather than a private museum -the T34 in the background looks familiar. Anyway proof of the existance of a Mk1? tracked jeep. Steve

Just another badly informed seller. As you say the auxiliary motor and generator was not connected mechanically to the engine only the coolant system was in common which would help to warm up the main engine for those cold north german early morning starts. The auxiliary motor or "charging set engine" was a Morris 4 cylinder side valve from a small motor car. Steve

There is one on hartziel de. in Munster Nord section and a M48 turret on a M48 Bridgelayer in Munster Sud pt1, wonder why they were separated from the original hulls? Steve

There are a number of Flickr style sites showing the T34s on Panderborne, note the two wrecks with M48 turrets, T34 and M42 Spag. possibly the T34 may still offer up some wheels and track plates, The turreted t34 photographed is probably ex czech or polish post war manufacture. Steve

Any photos of the other side (the hot side), this M7B2 is a target at Hannover-bothfeld training area. Steve

Possibly indicates use in hot climates. Normally the indicator for explosive content mix for hot climates was red XXX on buff yellow but the red marks would be indistinct on black bodied shrapnel shell. steve

Hi Hanno I think the MH one is shown in the Bart VanderVeen observers fighting Vehicles Directories, there is also a photo of the Mk2 in Hunnicutts Bradley Book which looked like a better vehicle, but they all look so fragile- they make a M28/M29 look positively robust. Steve

The last pic in your post #7 is a Colt Browning 37mm M1A2 on a M3A2 carriage not a Bofors. Steve

I 've looked at web photos of polish/czech manufactured T34/85s the hinges on the rear of these are similar to Zavod Nr.183

Very rare only two of the Willy-overland mk1, as pictured were built. 6 of the modified mk1 with motor at the front were built and 5 Mk2. I really hope it's well looked after. steve

Regarding wheels, when I mentioned "wartime manufacture solid and Spider wheels" that was a "shorthand" no doubt the same design was manufactured post War and would have been held for replacements. What I should have said is that solid or Spider wheels are consistant with a tank of wartime manufacture. If the tank was used for film work the solid or spider wheels are correct for WW2 or Hungarian uprising etc, the T54 style wheels are consistant for film work such as 1967 Mid East wars Vietnam etc, but earlier wheels would be correct. Steve

Cladder Thanks for posting detail photos, very helpful and shows how difficult it is to make identification, in my post #14 I said your tank was Nr. 174 rather than Nr.183 as I first thought, I am now think my first guess was correct, it is Nr183, - the turret has the cast section between roof plate and the bolt on mantlet access plate- if this is correct the mantlet should be the narrow type at 730mm wide. The tank also has Nr183 type hinges on the rear. Odd thing is it has a later model 1945 single piece hatch cupola, but that could be a retro-fit. If, as John thinks that this tank was made in Poland rather than at Nr.183 in the Urals then perhaps the components used or tooling in Poland/Czechoslovakia were shipped from the Ural plant. -shades of M4A1 Grizzly production at Montreal Canada. If anyone has detail photos of either Polish or Czech Post war manufactured tanks for comparison it might be of value to tank enthusiasts. steve

I think it is a Canadian tracked Jeep (1st version by Willys overland) but it is difficult to see the suspension to be certain, there is a view of it next to the Universal carrier earlier in the 2nd clip. Steve

IMO there is no information presented other than “stories” media generated reporting and reports are not facts. While the PN154.pdf document is somewhat out of date it supports what I said in my previous post. Neither of the other 2 documents “echo news” gives any factual information. How did they reveal? do they have a credable witness, does the Southend Echo have Mosad style spy network capabilities and while I am very sceptical about Government of any colour and the MOD I am also very sceptical when academics give testimony to select committees and the reporting media (in this case the Southend Echo) fail to support their summation with verifiable evidence, further fails to report for whom the academic speaks (The retired prof. in question is a spokesman and adviser to the Gulf war Veterans association- which I don’t have a problem with, but that should always be reported) . I don’t know if any DU was fired on Foulness however hard targets placed there in the past will have leaked trace amounts of isotopes in the environment (the common one is Thorium) along with huge amounts of other toxic materials of lesser controversy. It is also perfectly possible that DU rounds were fired into the sea from Foulness, however what would be value as this work was at the time already being done at Easkmeals. It is also known that as the navy had 20mm DU rounds until 2004 these must have been expended on some range but again it was probably into the sea. The DERA facility at West Freugh possibly took over from the Dera facility at Kirkcudbright closed and while there is a good possibility that DU ammunition could be fired from their facility there is no hard evidence in the post (nor anything in the Web media) that they have done so –there is a firing point ranging into Luce bay that is easily viewed by the public or anti nuclear protesters and is in very close proximity to a caravan park. In the past DERA West Freugh has a bad press for dropping Cluster Bombs into Luce Bay and failing to adequately clean up and is therefore likely to be on various watch lists of weapons protestors. Steve

It certainly is a major find. great photos too. regards Steve