Richard Farrant

Andy, Shoulder flashes are head to left and head to right, so he is always facing forward on the battledress blouse, but I think on the vehicles the head is always to the left, but stand to be corrected. Richard

A strong guess is that they are observation posts to observe and film the impact of the shell on its target. The green one has windows in the side with gantries out of the side for cameras. This range is probably for testing ammunition, rather can a normal gunnery range. Richard

I say 1970's Richard

Andy, RASC units within 11th Armd Div, from '44 onwards, consisted of; Divisional RASC figure 80 over the red/green diagonal tac sign 29th Armoured Brigade Company figure 81....... 159th Infantry Brigade Company figure 82......... Divisional Transport Company figure 83........ On your Bedford, the above unit tac signs go on drivers side, front and rear. The 11th Armd Div sign goes on passenger side, front and rear. Sizes, from memory, unit sign is 8.5 inches high, 9.5 inches wide and numerals are 6 inches high. Formation sign (Division, Brigade, etc) should not exceed 8.5 ins high and 9.5 ins wide. When I painted the 11th armd Div bull on my motorcycle, I used a shoulder flash and drew up an enlarged copy, then hand painted. Richard

Rolf, The numbers I gave you were for full engine assemblies, that one in your picture is not complete, so what we would call a "short engine". The number you quoted, is probably the part number, as it starts with P, as the ones I listed. 63-149 Gearbox, I think you will find that this is G3-149 "Gearbox casing with studs for front cover, bushes and greasers for clutch operating shaft, thrust washers and pad for laygear."...........for an Austin 10 Utility ! All the other numbers, LV7/MM, are Morris Motors, so are likely to be Morris 10 Utility or car. As I do not have a parts list for Morris cars, I cannot identify them. Richard

Clive, I seem to think the Dunlop trade name is Thixofix, that is what we were supplied with to stick padding and Trackmark. I have seen it in Woolies catalogue, they are a company that supples trimming materials for car restoration, etc. Richard

It is not surprising that parts lists, etc, survived because they who survive the service life of the vehicle and if notification was not recieved, they would not be destroyed. We actually had a workshop manual for a 1920 Dennis truck in the library, until someone rescued it for posterity. These DME circulars were really a temporary notice, that once they were implimented then notice would be given for them to be destroyed, much the same as Mod. Instructions and Technical Instructions in EMER's, where early ones would be destroyed once all vehicles had been actioned, or amendments had been made to EMER. If oyu did not thin out this paperwork, you would be knee deep in irrelevant material. It is only now that we realise the importance, but in those days, who would have thought people would be resurecting these old machines? DME's may have survived in another form, just remembered this example; EMER Power S009 Misc. Inst. No.1 dated 12th Feb. 1947 Petrol Engines Note; THIS IS NOT A NEW INSTRUCTION This instruction was originally published as War Office (DME) Technical Instruction (Heavy Engineering) Serial No, H46, dated 19th May 1945, and is now published as an EMER for record purposes only. It related to the emergency use of MT80 petrol in place of MT72, in small engines, used in Charging sets, generators, outboards and similar. Richard

Clive, Looking forward to the Spring when Rob gets the 'Doll out again.....he did have the Harvard out recently. Richard

Rolf, I was also thinking armoured vehicle, but just realised what they are (at least, I think I know!). The Morris Commercial CS8 / C4 / C8 air compressor trucks had an Air Pump compressor with vertical filters like this, can't find a photo of one as yet though. I was involved, restoring one many years ago, and they do seem familiar. Richard

Rolf, Definitely a Hillman 10hp engine, checked it out against a picture in the workshop manual. Here are a few army part numbers of rebuilt engines: LV7/HL/P47566 LV7/HL/P47594 LV7/HL/P47647 LV7/HL/P47734 LV7/HL/P47754

I also would like to find some of these circulars.....not only for the motorcycles, though. What REME Museum says is quite true, I was in REME workshops from 1974 and the library was very interesting at the time, with a lot of wartime publications still held, but I know there were no DME Circulars for the BSA WM20, only thing of interest was the Inspection Standards for it, which gave a heap more info than was in the Workshop manual. It may sound crazy now, but all these publications would have been destroyed, ie burnt, once the equipment was deemed obsolete, also, regarding modifications, etc., once a period had passed and these mods. had been embodied in the fleet, then there was no point in keeping the paperwork. They were classified as "restricted". I have to say that it is all these obscure pieces of literature are now becoming of great interest to those of us dedicated to keeping the equipment going. Richard

Rolf, Re. the photo; LV7/ML/ C8297 + .040" Piston Assy ......these are for the 4 cyl engine, ie C4, C8. Richard

It will be goat curry then :-D

Clive, So it is obviously not "Janie" then. I thought perhaps it was going through a major overhaul seeing the wings were not on. There is another Mustang owner, Rob, who lives near me, and Maurice is often down here during the summer with his, it is a joy to see them flying. Richard

Jack, Stay strong..........don't let them get to you, we WW2 vehicle owners must stick together. ;-)

Tyler, In case your cyl. head has been exchanged in the past, it is best to check the head itself. On the top face in the centre on one side there will be either a 7 or 8 stamped in, a quite large numeral. Richard

:-D :-D :-D :-D that may be so, but you do find human beings cr*pping all over the place, you want to train them to do it all in one place, will save a lot of work clearing up........then more time to work on the Humbers ;-)

Clive, Do you think your wife ( or maybe the horse ), is trying to tell you something ? Richard

The same one.......I think there are only three existing in this country.

Kev, If you saw the Auster aircraft at the Rotunda, then there were vehicles there at that time, amongst them, I can think of Bedford MK, Bedford RL drone launcher, Volvo Bv202, Morris Commercial C9B Bofors, International M series Honest John launcher and another M series missile supply truck, Centurion, Sexton SP gun, M40 SP gun, M44 SP gun, Abbot, Tracked Rapier, M548 supply vehicle, Russian 2S1 SP gun, prototype 155mm SP gun mounted on Leopard running gear, Lance missile launcher and Lance supply vehicle.............and of course the Stalwart. I worked on most of them at some point during the 1990's, either at REME wksps or on site. Richard

Lee, Back in the early 90's, the Stalwart came down to the REME workshops at Ashford for a make over, leaving with a gleaming Deep Bronze Green paint job. It was used around The Rotunda moving cannon barrels, etc., then they had a clutch problem, I went up there and renewed the clutch, see photograph attached. Although it was a RA limber vehicle, I think priority was given to artillery and SP guns inside as space is still limited. Richard

Neil, I would give Richard Banister a call, if he does not have one, then go to a Motor Factor who specialises in commercials as these parts tend to be commonly used. From memory it is a Clayton Dewandre manufacture. As it is at the end of an air line, again from memory, there is no through flow of air, so I would not be surprised if there was a load of rust or crud in the pipe causing your problems. Richard

Kev, If you had been to the Rotunda museum before the Firepower was opened, you would have found a whole yard full of vehicles and artillery. Many of them are now in the Firepower museum. Some of the older and smaller armament exhibits are still in the Rotunda due to lack of space in Firepower. I used to do a lot of work on the vehicles at Rotunda, working on a Sexton, Morris Commercial Bofors, Honest John launcher, Stalwart, BV202, jungle 25 pdr field gun etc. They are now all in the Firepower museum. Richard

Hi Andy, I am from further East, in Kent and to do Horndean (last there in 2004 for Normandy Tour), is about 4 hours in a QL, plus the fuel to think of. My friend has several vehicles so am picking up his jeep for the weekend. Not been to Beaulieu museum for nearly 40 years, so should be a few changes :-) Richard

Andy, I hope to be there, not with my own lorry as it is a fair distance, but taking a friend's vehicle as he lives close by. Richard