Shamouti Ben Yafo

Very interesting thread. They also saw service with the Police in Merthyr Tydfil as a means to chase motorcyclists who had left the road. This was in the 1960s, obviously, before dirt bikes with a decent power output were popular (available, even?)

Someone mentioned earlier about the mass of surplus authentic gear available in the USofA; apologies if I missed someone else mentioning the following, but I read somewhere that 'modern' films with more authentic gear were being made in Europe not only because of the location but also the fact that most materiel made in America during the war was sent there and failed to make it home. Slightly off tangent here; my wife looked at 'Das Boot' for her MA (and I still have nightmares about that - sometimes German brings me out in a cold sweat); turns out the original author based it on two patrols he did with a U-Boot, which he conflated to cut down the long periods of waiting around. Meanwhile, above the waves, the author of The Cruel Sea was doing much the same. From the point of view of pure historical documentation, perhaps dubious. But they were once among my favourite war films, especially viewed closely together. But not since that farkakteh thesis...

Assuming date is of no object, may I nominate 300?

The Hippo; thank you. The QL is of particular interest; were they all QLR? Any proof of QLD, QLT or QLC (artic)?

Ah! Which one(s)?

And indeed they did. But - from the film alone - from whom would you infer that they wanted peace?

No such language as 'African' any more than 'American' - Daktari is Swahili. I really don't know what to make of that film - the commentary was quite low-key, but the editing made it look somewhat like propaganda...

I have been trying to get some idea of the vehicles in service with the British Armed Forces in 1969. I already have plenty of reference material on AFVs, artillery, and the 'soft skin' transport likely to be seen on 'front line' duties - but nothing on vehicles used in the support roles. Of interest to me are vehicles which were last survivors of WWII. These in use by the Army I know about, some from this very site (and thank you all for that): DUKW, Diamond T 980/981, Bedford QLR, Matador. I would be grateful if anyone has a confirmed sighting of the Bedford QLT, QLD, and the articulated GS QLC at that late date, Also missing are the various 'consumer' types in use - staff cars, off-the-shelf vans and the like. Cheers, all.

Why not just tell them it's in the authentic condition for a vehicle from the Seventh Battle of Upper Cwmtwrch - which never happened in this version of history - and that you have to bring it here to run since internal combustion vehicles are banned by the High Council of Gallifrey? Pleading insanity big time!

I'm not sure if they did so directly, but the idea was a non starter since the available load space was filled with the 'hover-gubbins'. I heard something about a Stalwart ACV which had the same problems. Expensive way to make an all terrain runabout!

Interesting indeed. Perhaps, apart from the heads up from the politicos about NI, there was also concern about Wales in case of a more widespread protest at our having you-know-who imposed upon us in 1969? (There was some but not spectacular - and our terrorists stopped when civilians were injured). Either way - do install it as an historical artefact; just don't run it. I'm pretty sure that it would constitute an offensive weapon under current legislation. I wonder if you'd consider running it at a low current and connecting it to a string of LEDs crocodile clipped to the hull as a demonstration?

I've read in one book that these lasted - in small numbers - at least into 1969, but other sources mention only the QLR which was retired in the early 70s. Does anyone happen to know if any examples of QLD or QLT survived into 69, whether with the Regulars or TA?

All this talk of dams in Iraq reminds me of some friends who went on holiday to Yugoslavia. The natives were great fans of the Rambo films - but the action in one (the second?) was transposed in translation (dubbed) to the Pacific Theatre in WWII to spare Soviet sensibilities... Worst war film I ever saw; hmm... Does Independence Day count?

Well if they haven't even finished the runway, Heaven only knows what the hotel's going to be like...

It is a good Welsh name, in a way - try translating it! I think Google can do this...

Gun - Ah; I see!

Loading gauge - the figure you quote is the rail gauge; loading gauge takes into account all the infrastructure - bridge dimensions, platforms, distance between roads/tracks. This is why each company had its own, even though the rail gauge was standard throughout by the late 19th Century.

But yes, no excuse - lack of imagination, apathy, laziness; who knows?

Impressive as the German heavies were, though, could they get them to perform with the necessary reliability?

The answer to that is one reason why we don't have to say "Vorsprung durch Technik"!

But did you know that the Opel Blitz was imported here before the war? Civilian use only and I don't know if any survived.

VW Kuebels were produced for a while as vans for the German Post Office; I think they were the type with beetle bodies and a square box on the back. Some of these were used during the war as ambulances.

I think I may well invest in Frituur Zorro (what a magnificent name!) II.

Those pictures, Pzkpfw-e, sound fascinating - but they're not displaying on my PC.

I am interested in old MVs in civilian hands.

We all know about the Allied surplus stock which ended up in all sorts of applications (like the DUKW used by an English resort's lifeguards, BR's and others' Amazon/Coles cranes, etc.) but what about the Axis stuff on the continent? Surely, some of it must have seen use, for so much to have survived? What of post-war production = I think I read somewhere that the Lancia 3RO was produced for a few years, while in Germany the NSU Kettenkrad was popular in farming and forestry.

What say you, esteemed comrades?

Yes, we do. But it doesn't mean we can't enjoy a good moan about it!

All very true; but a boxy hull to fit the Broad Gauge would, of course, still have had a wider turret ring...

The T shaped hull would have indeed been the correct solution, though, since there was no hope of widening the loading gauge. Which were (plural!) narrower than German (continental) gauge, except on the ex-Great Central.

Side-loading breeches - didn't the Hetzer have one?

From South Wales!

Thanks, all. Good to be aboard.

The size difference in tanks - yes, this was due to the Loading Gauge on the railways. Each company had its own; the Great Central, for example, was to Continental standards. The Gauge was calculated from actual rail gauge (standard from the late 19th Century 4' 8.5"), platform dimensions (even if a train isn't going to stop, it may pass them) and, yes, tunnels - also cuttings. This limited the turret ring diameter, the critical measurement for gun size. But imagine what might have been if Brunel had won over Stephenson and the standard rail gauge was 7' 0.25" - maybe the Churchill Mk III or IV would have been a widened model with a turret mounted 90mm gun... Or an enlarged Valentine with a 17 pdr.

In answer to the original question: nostalgia may play its part. Do human beings have an innate distrust of change? Remember that until agriculture and metalworking the same patterns of tool (stone, wood, bone etc.) were in use for millennia.

This isn't a modern phenomenon:

"Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?'

For it is not wise to ask such questions" - Ecclesiastes 6:10, NIV

Who knows, maybe the author (Solomon?) heard some Israelite charioteers complaining...

Hi all!

The Czech produced equipment wouldn't have been regarded as untermensch at all; it would have been regarded as German, since the Sudetenland (German speaking area) then the rest of Czech territory was annexed (as opposed to occupied) as part of Greater Germany. Accuracy was never a consideration in Nazi racial politics.

Hi, all.

Not a vehicle owner - nor aspiring, since I don't drive. Just a long-standing interest in historic transport and AFVs.