Richard Farrant

Trevor, I can explain that one, we had a cast RL come into the Workshops and told to think up as many battlefield repairs as possible, I think holes were drilled and punched through in various places for effect, some in the fuel tank with wooden pegs to seal them. I do remember the chargehand splicing a rope to use as a fan belt. Think it was to train soldiers in ways to improvise. Your approx. date fits this.

hi Andrew, Here is the webpage for Banisters, http://www.milweb.net/go/banister/ They are in East Sussex. regards, Richard

Yes, that is what I use for oiling, inside it takes a grease tin, I use it with gear oil and with or without a nipple fitting on the end depending if I am using for topping up or oiling nipples.

Tony, I picked up a card off a stand at Beaulieu autojumble, for a man who specialises in white metaling, line boring, etc. He is in Croydon. John Kirkby, phone no is 020 8668 2127

Hi Scoot, By the way, the cast in number on the block below the bore and stroke, is not the engine serial number, that will be normally stamped in on distributor side of the engine along the side of the block below top edge.

Hi Skip, Just seen the card for Ferret 01EA43 and an entry dated 1981, saying that it was on charge to Hunting Hi-volt Ltd in Sussex. I am sure it was being used to test fit the mountings for Ptarmigan communications as they had a selection of vehicles there inc Chieftain and FV432 at that time.

The 85 x 120mm engine has a capacity of 4085cc

Hi Duncan, The chassis number would be prefixed 38A I think? In the army parts lists, which were produced by Commer, they list every chassis number in that particular contract, so I would imagine the books covering the Home Office contract would be the same, with the date of the publication it should be proof enough.

For WW2 uniforms, it was first named colour to the front, REME being Blue-Yellow-Red, so blue to the front.

A Ferret has a fluid coupling so no issues with the gear train are going to effect it, but good thought on the water pump or generator, it is worth slackening the drive belt right off just in case. Another thought is if there is water present in the bores and the engine has hydrauliced. I saw this on a CVR J60 engine once whether the water stopped the valves from opening and the camshafts broke off where the sprockets fit on and chain tensioner smashed. Even with all these remedies being mentioned, if any moderate force is required still to get it rotating, there is a possibility of breaking piston rings.

Oh ! so it was you :-D also attended same college as apprentice

Hi Sean, I thought Clive might have got there before me!

Hi Sean, it is for a Clayton Dewandre servo and first application for that part number is a Thornycroft WOF/DC4/2. Could be other vehicles

I recollect it was 20 carriers at Corowa Swim-In "Year of the Carrier" in 2005.

The Marcus modification to the carb was to overcome a flat spot which had been a problem from the start with the Fox, causing a lot of gearbox problems. Various parts were changed over a period when different Mod Instructions were released. The Marcus mod was a different baseplate, reduced stroke of accelerator pumps to reduce the bore wash as I recall. You could try Richard Banister as he know this modification and will know if it is available. You might find a complete modified carb also.

A similar one fitted to the early war Bedfords, but they had an elbow in place of the straight outlet on the Carrier filter. I have come across quite a few Carrier ones in Australia.

You could try Gosnay's at Romford, that is not too far, they do white metalling. http://www.gosnays.co.uk/acatalog/Services.html Not used them personally though.

Is that in the 1954 RAF book? I think it would have been more widely used in the army. Never come across it in any manuals though.

A parade took place this weekend in Parramatta, near Sydney, NSW, Australia to honour the 1st Light Horse brigade who were formed 100 years ago. The local regiment based in Parramatta is the 1st/15th Royal NSW Lancers, descendants of the 1st Light Horse and who paraded with some of the vehicles from their museum collection as well as modern ones. The video shows the parade, two friends were crewing the Centurion, one driving it.

Clive, The F stands for Flexible Lamps Ltd, later known as Rubbolite.

Has anyone come across a rubber axle flood lamp (or convoy lamp) as in this picture, or know what they fitted? The picture is from a 1943 British army Vocab.

Green Archer mortar locating radar set. We cosmetically restored one for the Royal Artillery museum some years ago.

Dave, I have not had to do it as always found the correct bevel box I needed but the gears are same in all and it is just a question of turning the bevel gear and carrier around so it drives on other side of the pinion.

Standing up to drive one does not give you full control, in the case of an emergency stop, I doubt he could make a controlled one. Those having driven 432's and the like will understand this.

Matt, If you think fitting the steering was bad, then you should do it on a Fox.