Jump to content

simon king

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    642

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    3

 Content Type 

Posts posted by simon king

    Paint and markings for an M3A1 Stuart‏

    in Blogs of MV restorations

    Posted

    Hello,

     

    a French well-known association is currently restoring an M3A1 Stuart, which is a former Brazilian tank :

     

    http://www.asphm.com/projets/projet_m3a1_stuart_2/projet_m3a1_stuart.html

     

    The owner would like to paint the Stuart in sand with green camouflage and to put correct and accurate markings, and he would like that the tank looks like it was used by British troops in North Africa. Do you have any period photo or drawing that we can use to correctly paint the tank please? I'm not even sure that the Brits used M3A1s with a welded (not riveted) hull in North Africa.

     

    thanks for any help

     

    Pierre-Olivier

     

    This might help as well

     

    http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/bellmanwm_1.htm

     

    sk

    British Airborne 75mm Pack Howitzer - modifications

    in Artillery & Anti-Tank Weapons

    Posted

    thanks for all this useful information - it has a purpose -as will be revealed in due course. In the meantime, what battery/troop/gun markings did the towing jeeps carry in both 1st and 6th Airborne divisions. This would be in addition to the Div Sign and AoS square (red/blue)/ unit number (42)

     

    Was it standard Royal Artillery practice of blue square/red quadrant (with the position of the quadrant indicating battery) with troop letter/gun number superimposed - or was it something different?

     

    Thanks again

     

    Simon King

    British WW2 10 cwt GS Trailer

    in Trailers, plant and equipment

    Posted · Edited by simon king

    Finally got the rest of the metalwork to enable us to rebuild the neck of the trailer. Still wondering where to put the T plate though - on the rear boards or in the original position on strips welded to the RH rear rave.

     

    Can anyone tell me the position of the holes in the two support legs on the GS trailer. I'm looking for the dimensions from the floor, as well as confirmation of the length - it seems around 30-31".

     

    Also can anyone post a photo of the pin that secures the leg in the up or down position. I'm assuming it's just a piece of rod with holes drilled in it for the attaching chain, but does it have a split pin at the other end to stop it from coming adrift once in position and is this split pin also secured by a piece of bog chain or the like

     

    Thanks

     

    PS

     

    Just come accross this picture of a Mortar trailer being used as an ammo trailer for a bedford MWG w/ Polsten

     

    http://www.militaryimages.net/photopost/british-softskins-ii/p49003-british-softskins.html

     

    sk

    Vehicle paint and markings

    in British Vehicles

    Posted

    For vehicle colours, the self-published books by Mike Starmer will give you everything you need - and include accurate colour chips.

     

    http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/books/pb/starmer_bacdc.html

     

    For vehicle markings you have two options - one easy to find - the other not so nowadays

     

    The easy option is the recent four volume Warpaint series by Dick Taylor - published by Mushroom Model Publications (MMP) and still available from the major specialised booksellers

     

    The harder option - but worth the search - is the Cannon Publications reprint (with significant additions) of the classic Almark Book on British Military markings 1939-45. Go for the cannon reprint rather than the Almark original - there is so much more in it.

     

    http://www.abebooks.co.uk/British-Military-Markings-1939-1945-Peter-Hodges/3551130813/bd

    RFC Tender Trailer

    in Pre WW2 vehicles

    Posted

    Markings

     

    Can anyone please explain the round white circle on the Leyland rear and the trailer mudguard:

     

     

     

    Given that some black and white film appears to show different colours than you expect, could it actually be a red/blue roundel? The RFC/RAF used such roundels on some aircraft during the war

    British Airborne 75mm Pack Howitzer - modifications

    in Artillery & Anti-Tank Weapons

    Posted

    What is the wisdom about when the British Airborne formations started modifying the 75mm pack howitzers with the travel lock, beefed up axle fittings and fittings on the trail for gun accessories? The few pictures I have seen of these guns in use at Arnhem do not seem to show these fittings.

     

    Were they used in Varsity or are they even later modifications

     

    Any help and advice would be gratefully received

     

    Thanks

    British WW2 Trailer Electrical Connections. Plugs and sockets

    in Trailers, plant and equipment

    Posted

    Has anyone got any diagrams of a wiring loom for the 10cwt trailers - there was no sign of any wiring/lights on my trailer yet the manual says that there should be certain items fitted.

     

    Were lights included in the "as built" state - as the formal record shots I have don't seem to show any - just the T-plate. Although I have seen wartime pictures of the lightweight trailers with axle plate, "fag end" light and associated switch and junction box - were they actually fitted to the GS and Mortar trailers when first built?

     

    Certainly seems as if my example was subsequently fitted with lights etc as it looks as if a "standard" size of flat rectangular metal panel (with neatly angled corners) with room for switch and junction box was bolted to the centre of the first cross member in from the back. To allow this, the centre one of those three brackets of indeterminate use had been roughly chopped off.

     

    It also had one of the teardrop shaped connectors (but of the type with a bulb type connector at one end only and a hole/grommet for the wire at the other end) had been screwed to the RHS of the neck. This had been modified by bending through 90 degrees.

     

    If subsequently fitted during wartime, am I right in thinking there would just be the one tail light on the O/S/R?

     

    sk

    British WW2 10 cwt GS Trailer

    in Trailers, plant and equipment

    Posted

    On mine there was a rubber piece between the mudguards, but there were manny layers of canvas in the rubber to reduce the amount of rubber used .

     

    Maurice - thanks for that

     

    Might see if I can buy some cheap cutting mats off a market stall or the like to cut down and use as a substitute. Seems more manageable than a cut down inner tube

    British WW2 10 cwt GS Trailer

    in Trailers, plant and equipment

    Posted

    When I got some replacement mudguards for my GS trailer, they came with the remains of the brackets to which they were attached. Between the curved plate attached to the brackets and the top surface of the mudguard there appeared to be a packing much like hardboard.

     

    Was this common on all the trailers with curved mudguards - and is there a modern substitute which will not act as a moisture trap and start the rusting process all over again?

     

    Thanks

    another 10 CWT trailer

    in Trailers, plant and equipment

    Posted

    That must be pretty much a unique survivor. Presumably it was towed by a radio or office bodied MW or Guy Ant.

     

    Wish my frame was as good as that!

     

    Has anybody ever categorically determined what the three tabs hanging down from the second cross - girder are for? The centre one had been chopped off on mine to allow for a standard plate with axle flood switch and junction box so they clearly served no useful purpose whilst in service

    British WW2 10 cwt GS Trailer

    in Trailers, plant and equipment

    Posted

    if needed you can also get replacement clevis pins and yokes for the brake rods from Paul Beck - I went for the UNF version (although BSF LH & RH threads also available) as I was starting from scratch. - as well as the brake adjuster

     

    I had replacement axle u-bolts made at the place where I had the springs refurbished:

     

    http://www.midlandmotorsprings.co.uk/

     

    Just left a severely corroded example with them as a pattern. Wasn't cross drilled for a castellated nut but i will use a pal nut instead. Shouldn't think the place has changed since the 1930's - so imperial measurements are not a problem.....

    British WW2 10 cwt GS Trailer

    in Trailers, plant and equipment

    Posted · Edited by simon king

    For me Plus Gas eventually worked where WD40 wouldn't touch it. I think mine had been in a hedge bottom for about 40 years.

     

    Interesting to see the bare frame of a Mortar trailer - it seems that the base frames of both the Mortar trailer and the GS trailer are the same standard design with the vertical raves added later according to purpose. That explains the curious extra front frame on the GS trailer.

     

    That would make sense if the GS trailers and Mortar trailers were built in the same contract - the manufacturer could just churn out a standard base frame without the need to take account of the numbers of different trailers within the contract

     

    Another variation in the design of the bracket for the folding grab handle as well- on mine, the top and bottom are made from 2 pieces of angle iron joined at the front by a piece of plate and the rear edges are nicely radiused rather than being cut straight - that must differ from manufacturer to manufacturer

×
×
  • Create New...