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chrisgrove

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Posts posted by chrisgrove

  1. OK guys, Relax.  Just found a pic (in Classic Military Vehicle No 196) of a Quad with an overslung axle.  Its not a Mk 1 to judge by the windows, but it does have the right axle, and indeed the track rod does go between the spring and the chassis - and in front of the axle.  Now, how to replicate that given the not entirely correct shape of the spring which was the best match I could find!!  Thanks anyway.

    Chris

    • Like 1
  2. Hi guys

    Help!  I'm only a modeller, but I think you  experts  may have the answer to my problem.  I am trying a make a model of a Morris Quad Mk 1 - the one with the front springs below the axle (I always forget whether this is underslung or overslung).  I have quite a number of pics of Quads. but most are the later ones with the axle below the springs.  My problem lies with the track rod which in my (later) pics appears to be on a level with and in front of the axle, but this does not seem possible with the springs the way they are on the Mk 1.  Does the track rod go between the spring and the chassis?  Or perhaps even behind the axle rather than in front?  Written answer very welcome, but  a pic would solve it!

    Chris

  3. The UIN indicates a unit, but does not indicate where that unit is.  RAF  stations tend to stay put, so if you can identify the unit, you may find that it's title tells you the location.  But with an Army unit, it simply takes its UIN with it, wherever it goes.

    Chris

  4. Hi Citroman

    I would guess that if there is now a US military depot at Schinnen, that was where, as (then) a NATO camp, the AFCENT vehicles were based.  I cannot place your Citroen pic location as there were several vehicle entrances to the AFCENT HQ when I was there.  Certainly I do not remember any mine terrain opposite the entrance I used, which opened onto (or close to)  the main road that (further North) became the International Highway.  I never came across the Maastricht barracks, though I had frequent occasion to visit the caves.  If they were AFCENT or NORTHAG vehicles they would have had RC plates or NORTHAG ones (I cannot remember them though I think they involved Y like the Bundeswehr, though they were not the same as Bundeswehr plates).  NORTHAG had a lot of DAF1600s like AFCENT.

    Chris

  5. Hi Citroman

    Thanks for the info about modern Citroen U23s.  I only found 55s with that cab!

    The RC cars used to roam further than South Limburg.  On several occasions on official NATO business, I used one to go well into Germany.  While the RC trucks (DAF 1600 4x4s in my time) were olive green matt (possibly even gelboliv) , the RC cars were, I think, dark blue.  I seem to remember that most of the vehicles were based a few miles west of Brunnsum - Schinnen perhaps - but over in that direction.  The trucks were used if the HQ had to take to the field, but this very seldom happened!

    Chris

  6. Not entirely so.  The civilian vehicles belonging to Afcent personnel (in the Netherlands) were issued with AFC numbers.  The military vehicles of the HQ wore RC numbers (relic of Afcent's time in France - Region Centrale).  The fact that it carries an RC plate indicates that it was a NATO owned vehicle, not a British Army one.

    And that pic, as far as I can make out, shows a Citroen 55; U23 was a much older and smaller vehicle

    Chris

  7. The aluminium model shown above is a model (to be honest, not a very good one), of the Mk 2 Terrapin which had a single cargo hold and the driver more or less at the front.  Very very few of these were made and to the best of my knowledge, none were used in action.  The Mk 1 Terrapin, which was indeed used in small numbers and can be seen in the pics above, had the driver more or less in the middle of the vehicle with two cargo holds, one ahead of, and one behind the driver. 

    Chris

  8. Most of the Morris trucks shown in this thread are indeed 15 cwt CS8s.  There are some larger trucks, probably 30 cwt, with longer bonnets.  But the general speaking from the back of a truck with the tailboard down is using an 8cwt PU as his rostrum.  Probably a Morris as well, but difficult to tell from the back as the bodies on these were much the same for all makes (I can think of at least four makes). 

    Chris

  9. These cookers were the primary means of cooking in the field during my time in the army.  On frequent occasions we had to transport them by air, using that well known  airline Crab Air (RAF to be polite).  They were not keen on transporting anything that smelt of petrol (vehicles excepted), but our cookers were so old that nothing would get rid of the smell.  Solution?  Any aerosol that had a stronger smell than petrol, to be utilised as late as possible before the loadie sniffed.  But actually cleaning the tank?  No idea.

    Chris

  10. Hi 67 burwood

    There is a certain amount of dodgy information above!  78 Infantry Division never carried desert rat insignia, neither was it ever in 21 Army Group.  It operated in Tunisia and thereafter in Sicily, Italy and Austria.  The Divisional sign was the battleaxe as you appear to be aware, yellow axe on black disc or square.  78 Division always contained three Infantry Brigades (basically there were no Armoured Infantry brigades during WW2).  All three brigades would have carried the divisional emblem on their vehicles.   The senior brigade was indicated  by its AoS number being on a red square, the second brigade on a green square and the third brigade (38 Irish) on a brown square, so your green background would mean 36 Infantry Brigade.  The numbers for 36 brigade should have been 60 (5 Buffs), 61 (6 RWK), and 62 (8 Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders).  For 38 Brigade the numbers  should have been 67 (2 or 6 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers depending on time), 68 (2 London Irish Rifles) and 69 (1 Royal Irish Fusiliers).  I say 'should' as the normal order of precdence may have been amended to show the difference between regular and territorial units.  I have no knowledge of the exact shade of green or brown used, but the green appears to be just about what you would expect from 'green', not dark, not light, but green.  The brown is also about what you would expect from a paint called 'brown', not dark, not light, but obviously brown.

    Infantry Brigades were generally not provided with enough transport to carry all their personnel, though some were designated as Lorried Infantry or Motor Brigades.  As far as I know, 78 Division's brigades were ordinary infantry brigades and relied on Divisional Transport Companies (RASC) to transport them when necessary.

    HTH Chris

     

    • Like 4
  11. Your 4x4 Ant was indeed a 6 pounder tractor (or FAT).  The give-away is the winch fairlead on the front bumper which the GS versions lacked as they did not have a winch.  I can find only one pic of a GS 4x4 Ant with a Z number (Z5520430 - printed in a number of books) which looks as if it was a wartime picture (and explains why I thought it was even rarer than the 4x2 GS).  I found one other with a Z number but as the pic was clearly post war and restored, I discounted it.  The FAT and 6 pounder tractor versions certainly all seem to have carried H numbers.  I doubt that, apart from at least the remains of the winch kit, you would be able to tell whether a truck was a 4x4 GS or a tractor as the load bed was much the same.  There were seats in the back for the gun crew, and the tilt was higher and provided with 'windows' for the tractor, but none of that, I guess, remains on that truck.

    I have seen one or two 4x2 Ants and at least one FAT, but never a 4x4 Ant GS or tractor!  I do, however, have a pic of a 4x2 Ant still in service in Austria in 1945, so someone must have been fond of it enough to keep it going!

    Chris

    • Like 1
  12. I feel I should point out that this (both pics) would appear to be a Quad Ant - the four wheel drive version, which, I would guess, is even rarer than the ordinary 4x2 Ant.  With an H registration it was probably the 6 pounder gun tractor version originally, possibly even the FAT version.

    Chris

  13. I have to say I have never seen a Queens Own badge or picture saying RWK.  They all say ROYAL WEST KENT.  But I have no knowledge of what sign their vehicles carried in 1946 (nor whether they had any regimental sign at all).  2RWK moved to Germany in Feb 1946, to an area some 100 miles south of Brunswick, but in June  they moved north to Brunswick where they stayed until Nov 1947, give or take three months in Berlin and various training periods at Soltau.   Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of the signs painted on the vehicles, though the description of 5 Infantry Division sign as a white Y on a yellow square surprises me; I thought it was on a black square. I would have expected them to carry an AoS square (on the opposite side to the Divisional sign) which would be red, green or brown with a 2 figure number  in the 50s or 60s range, but I cannot be more specific, without knowing the order of battle of 5 Div at the time.  By 1948 2RWK were back in UK at Ross Barracks, Shorncliffe where they became the Home Counties Training Battalion..

    Chris

  14. Had issued, and used, both OG and KD trousers with the crossover, buttoned buckle fastening.  No complaints.  But the kit I really liked best I acquired in Canada (cost me some duty free cigarettes) were the Canadian green nylon puttees.  I later picked up a third one after surprising some Canadian 'enemy'.  Not perfect - (they used to stretch amazingly when wet) - but much more pleasing than brown UK pattern ones.

    Chris

  15. What, no Geordies on this thread?  As Safety Officer on the very first Battle Group through BATUS, I was hitching a lift with a Platoon HQ of the Infantry (Green Howards) Company at lunchtime.  Platoon Sergeant suggests 'Jam and cheese sandwiches, lads?'. Compo cheese went down well (though I seldom got jam and cheese on bread since wartime in Newcastle, mores the pity.  My Southern regiment would have laughed me to scorn had I suggested it),

    And, to add to the Squaddies Stew post, it was a standing joke in BAOR on the 70s that Mojo Stew consisted of ALL the components of compo stewed together (including the soap).

    Chris

  16. Thanks Pete.  Funnily enough I have another pic of that truck, probably also from WP, but I hadn't thought (or remembered) it was from there.  Good to know one still exists.  Now to make a model of it!

    Chris

  17. I could add a few vehicles to this 'extinct' list.  Karrier Spider FAT, Morris CDSW FAT, Indian Pattern Wheeled Carrier (any Mark, even NZ LPOP),  Dodge D8 T212, Maudslay Militant 6ton 4x2, Dennis Max 6 ton (either Mark),   Foden DG  4 or 6, Leyland Hippo Mk 1, Guy Lizard ACV, ....  I could go on!  I'd love to see any of them in the flesh.

    Chris

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