Richard Farrant

Camouflage colours for British vehicles

Is it an Observation point mounted on the roof of a Saracen, over the rear roof hatch?

Rick, I think you will find that Bodger Baz is restoring the Bedford OXC at the bottom. Richard

That looks like a wire cutter to the left, so think this is the top of a patrol vehicle in NI. Most Land Rovers that I clad had hinged lids in the roof, but I think some vehicles had a roof over, to stop things being thrown inside and keep rain out.

Yes Clive, I have noticed you launch new ones when you think I am working ;-) Is it an OP on a tower as used in N. Ireland?

oh well, I will have to have another think about this, then

Don't remember him driving a Ruby in the TV series, it was always a postwar Triumph Roadster. Or do you mean he personally has a Ruby?

Who used it? Officers What was it for? Sitting on It looks like a padded or upholstered chair, upside down and as for the part number, when you return VOAS Section K to the Library, I will look it up :whistle: Richard

Ok getting warm, what about Stool, classroom and also used by RAF Do not have Section K, think you may have borrowed it from the library and not brought it back :whistle:

The advert is for an agricultural machine, but obviously what the armoured vehicle was based on. The fact that it was refered to as a Killen-Strait shows it to originate from them. The text is difficult to read, but it would not be difficult to have tracks both sides if need be. It is obviously configured that way for ploughing. I believe the advert was from a magazine dated 1916, so later than the armoured tractor trials. Anyhow, my purpose for posting the ad was to show where the name came from. ;-) Richard

Table, small, barrack room, for use of sorry, do not have VAOS for furniture :dunno: Richard

Ah, that explains it Clive, ;-) We did not have EMER Animals, Hoofed in the Library, as only inanimate objects were dealt with. :whistle:

:-D :-D :-D :-D :whistle:

Inflating a tyre in its safety cage :tup: Richard

Rick, The Killen - Strait was an agricultural tractor built in the USA. The references in several histories of tanks makes reference to Hornsbys building it, but I am sceptical about this, unless they were building the tractor under licence for farm work. It is more probable that they under took the conversion to a war machine. Here is an advert from 1916, for the Killen-Strait agricultural tractor;

That would be Chris Pearce's Humber radio truck then? I do not have many photos actually at Portsmouth, it looks like I was saving film for when we got to Normandy, I have a lot from there. Here is my Bedford at Portsmouth show in 1989. Richard

Radek, Going by the Census number and the fact that the trailer is a Mark 2, I would say early 1944, but that is only my guess. Richard

Chris, Vehicles made after about 1935 (ish), require a stop light by law, also the old WD tail light does not have enough area of lens to be legal. The way I got around this was to retain the original WD tail light, there were no number plates on military motorcycles after about 1940, just census numbers on the tank. A tac sign was painted on the rear mudguard below the lamp, about 3" square. I then made a plate up, to carry a modern number plate and Stop / tail light, which has a reflector combined (1950/60 Triumph, BSA, etc type are good one). This plate hooked over the rear of the carrier and was secured by the big wing nuts on pannier frame. A small plug on the cable from the lamp, pushed in to a socket under the pillion seat. Then when on shows or displays, the rear number plate can be removed to reveal original lamp. Richard

A TK would definitely have LH wheel nuts on the nearside (LH side). Most vehicles heavier than a car, with taper or cone ended nuts, were LH thread for LH side. This is to stop the nut coming loose. Now with the advent of nuts with face fit collars, they are universally RH thread all around. LH nuts are often identified by some sort of mark, sometimes it is a notch in the side of the flat or "L" stamped on them. Another probable cause of the wheel coming loose would have been whether the wheels in touch with the road (fronts), were actually running dead straight, not easy to check, when lashing the steering wheel. If not, then there would have been a slight side load on the wheel rim causing it to flex at its centre and with the possibility of causing the nuts to loosen.

Radek, A good looking trailer. If the Census number painted on the side is correct, then here are details of the Contract; X6210181 to 6225182 Contract No. S8055 SS Cars Ltd. Trailer, 10 cwt., Lightweight GS No.1 Mk.2 SS Cars were the makers of Jaguar cars before the war. Richard

Abn, Did you come over from the US with a group of others? I recollect going out for a meal at an Indian resteraunt in Southsea with a few friends and a group of US enthusiasts over for the Tour........could you have been with us? And who did you travel with on the Tour? That was the year that the first week was based down south at Bagnoles le Orne, a great place, then we moved up to Bayeaux for the second week. Richard

Mark, This was the annual MVT show which was generally held around the D-day date. In 1984 it took place at Southsea Common, Portsmouth for the first time, and run by the Solent Branch of MVT, I went to every one held there up until 1996, then it went to Popham Airfield for a year, then Denmead and finally Horndean. The "split" came after the last time I went to Horndean in 2004, for the start of the Normandy tour. Richard

Abn, That brings back memories, some of those vehicles I know, and their owners. The Chevrolet C60 behind the Land Rover Shorland, belongs to a friend. My vehicle should be there somewhere. It would be good to see a few more, I might even add a few of mine from the same event. Richard

:-D :-D :-D :-D no doubt ! Actually it would not have survived moving. While I was at REME in Ashford, it was surveyed for the council, who wanted to move it. It was found that it would have broken up without having some sort of framework built and fixed inside. All due to its convertion to the sub-station. On inspecting it inside recently,there are stress cracks in the hull, brought on by rust between the plates. It is now an historic monument, hence why it has finally been given some shelter and attention. Richard

Mark, I must be showing my age then, because I would still have been at work at that time! Richard