Richard Farrant

Hi, I once met a guy from Mt. Isa in Queensland who had found one of these WOT1 airfield crash tenders, reckoned it had been left behind on a wartime airfield up that way. There is another which is restored with a flat tray body near Sydney and it was for sale, open cab same as yours. Regards Richard

Hi Martin, Part number for complete Dingo pump is 1524242. Remember I showed you the number cast on the arm to confirm it is the correct one? The arm number should read 1524151 cheers Richard

That is not a Morris, it is a Ford

According to the DVLA it was first registered in 1936, here is a photo of another 1936 van with running boards and bumper, back end of body looks identical shape. Click on space below and picture will appear:

More likely a farmer's conversion, giving the rear body a little more width to carry workers out to the fields or take produce to market. Those Model Y's could hardly pull the skin off a rice pudding, let alone a fire pump!

A video of the whole ceremony at Ashford yesterday, by Forces Radio: http://www.forces.net/radio/battle-cambrai-centenary-commemorated-ashford Apologies for the back of my head appearing in it half way through.

Both myself and Tim Hewitt attended the service in front of Ashford's MkIV Tank this morning. It was very well attended and glad that I was able to be there. The Royal Tank Regiment were involved and a new plaque has been placed on the plinth, unveiled by a Challenger tank crew member. A replica WW1 tank was brought down from Cambridge by a living history group and parked in the street close by.

Hi Nic, Your Pig would have been based at Lydd then. I would have seen it when it came up to the workshops no doubt. One Pig down there had a Shorland turret mounted on it, think it was an idea they were trialing at the time.

Hi Tim, I am planning to be there, so might catch up with you. regards, Richard

Terry, The 4 seems an odd addition, all I can say is 6MT3 is the Vocab section for Vehicle lamps and a 6MT number means it is a generally used part not for a specific vehicle

My lorry was registered in 1987 with a JSU number in Maidstone. They used these numbers countrywide. Reason being not so many vehicles were registered in the country areas of Scotland and when the reg numbers were changed to the suffix letter in mid Sixties, there were a lot of unused numbers available to use at a later date when age-related came into being.

Tony, Is the second photo of the inside of the hub cap? Looks like it might have Armstrong Siddeley car wheels and hubs on it.

Is it an AC lift pump? If so, don't frig about, just get a repair kit. I get kits for Land Rover 2a or 3 and they are suitable for most AC pumps on postwar British engines. Make sure it is not an old stock kit, best ones have a red diaphragm material.

Hi John, I am sure the Scorpion turrets were just dropped on to the turretless Fox as a means of disposing of them at the sales. There would never have been an official fitment of this turret to a Fox, no point. The Profile on Ferret and Fox is good, but a bit more insight in George Forty's book. regards, Richard

Hi Chas, I worked on the CVR(W) Fox vehicles from when they came into service in the 1970's until they were withdrawn, as well as some privately owned ones since. At the Command Workshops we had the Royal Yeomanry ones coming through in large numbers and later on a number of other regular units with them. A delight to drive but not to work on. They were not good for spares, having to wait a long time, and I can see that there was never going to be the amount of parts stock as was with Ferrets and Saracens, etc. Engines and gearboxes were regular problems, and don't ask about changing the complete steering assembly!! The Scorpion turret, from memory I think this is the story. Some Foxes were selected for conversion and sales for Mexico, as I recall, some of Royal Yeo vehicles. I believe a different turret was going to be used. I think the deal fell through as there were some turret-less Foxes sold at Ludgershall, with Scorpion turrets sat on top of them, the original Fox turret going on to the Scorpion to create Sabre, using an adaptor ring. There is a book on the CVR(T) written by the former curator of the Tank Museum, Col. George Forty. It has a chapter on Fox in it. The Scorpion Family by George Forty published by Ian Allan ISBN 0 7110 1175 3 regards, Richard

John, There are two in Australia, that I know of. One I saw there around 1996 came out of one of the Ludgershall sales with a Scorpion turret on it. The other went over there much later to Tasmania (it was from Surrey), this I believe is now in Western Australia. I do not have note of the numbers. regards, Richard

Hi Mike, The owner told me he has both of them, captured in North Africa, brought to Australia then they went to New Guinea. I think he said one was used as a recovery vehicle in NG. Fascinating history.

Some photos of the FIAT SPA seen running in Australia

That date is the set up weekend for War & Peace show

Keith There is one of those plates on the passenger seat base of my QL, the air cleaner is under the seat.

A FIAT SPA gun tractor? I saw a running one at an event in Australia this year. It was captured in North Africa.

Ian, I have sent you an email as it seems I have a mailbox that is now over 700% full, the limit must have changed on the update, something else not mentioned. I emailed you just now, less hassle. cheers Richard

The axle is from a Bedford lorry

Sorry, I had a brain fart, it was the RL tippers that had dual rears, MK and MJ tippers had singles. Yes the Hands England drilling rig was definitely on duals, I have worked on them.

Hi Ian, Thanks, I am getting frustrated with all this, it wastes too much time, not as quick as it was before, too much clutter. Not an improvement. Just found out my mailbox is full, wait one and I will do a bit of culling. cheers Richard