2691H

Please remember if using Linseed Oil for restoration to take care as any cloths used in the restoration

will SELF IGNITE if left together in a pile.

Remove or place the cloths in a fire proof container after used.

I am following this line up. The picture was taken on 3.9.1944 in Fleurbaix, France during the Liberation of Northwest France just outside Lille. On the 75th we drove her fully bombed from Sussex to Ghent and back on the route the 8th Army took, we passed within half a mile from the picture location. The picture is still a great peace of history and thank you for your reply. Mick

May I ask for help from member better skilled than I in recovering vehicle markings from old pictures. I have just received this from the Dingo registry.

The down loads shows the Dingo as owned by the two careful owner since February 1942,  1/ 1944  2/ 70 odd year later. Dingo F475451 is the vehicle, but the last two digits in the 1944 picture are hard to see.

Thanks Mick

Good Morning Richard

A quick question whilst my hands are greasy. Dingo oil dip stick, is the oil level taken with it screwed down or resting on the top of the dip stick tube.  Have a good Christmas, Cheers Michael

if you go to Electrothermal for a price on BV's, you will need to be seated when you read the quote.

I past my army test on a 1953 3 ton Commer Q4 with crash box. Would always pick her to drive instead of the RL's with heaters she was great to drive. Once you have cracked it you can make her sing like a bird. Go out on a quite road and practice, you must get the speed off and match the engine speed or she will play you up. Mick

 The one I fitted in my MJ did not have the spare wire yours does, same switch and lamp which came on with the switch, going out on the boil.

On 432' the BV's were placed in the rear doors, may be it is a remote warning light.

If you read the Mail or Sun newspapers today you will see a report of the fastest Police arrests in history. Five welders from English came over in a UK registered van, had permission to land in the Isle of Man to do two days urgent repair work. Landing conditions stated they were only allowed to travel directly to the hotel on landing and then hotel to work ONLY.

So what do they do, go to Tesco's to buy breakfast dressed in working kit plus face masks looking like they has just landed from the moon, in a community that has no restrictions. Waiting at the hotel on arrival were the police who arrested them all within one hour of landing, all are now doing 14 days inside.

If any one wants a 14 day free holiday just follow their example.

 Have you got the vehicle to BV supply lead? I have many leads and two BV's, if that helps. Mick

61 on a light green square is the company marking within the infantry brigade, ie green square is infantry, 61 is the company, but you need the army group insignia to go with it.

Example. 61 light green square with the dessert rat insignia would read as follows. Dessert rats put it in the 21st army group, which is attached to the 8th army. light green square makes it infantry therefore 131 infantry brigade which is the infantry attached to 8th army,

61 makes it the senior rifle battalion of the 1/6th Queen's. now you need the bridge sign and platoon markings if used.

Easy to follow these signs on British kit, all you need to do to  understand them in seconds is to sit in a slit trench with live rounds coming in, you will soon learn to recognise British kit. You will also find the issue tiolet paper does have it uses.

Hope this helps and by the way before D.Day and after D day may be different as units reformed.

The Goons met during WW2 whilst enlisted and performing in army unit shows, including Michael Bentine. First time Spike met Harry was when he lost his artillery gun. Books on these characters are well worth reading.

Richard

I though Spike Milligan was Eccles and his artillery gun which was not dug in correctly, went down the side of a hill passing Ned Seagoon (Harry Secombe). on its way.

I can not remember the exact words said, it was something like "has anyone seen my gun"

Mick

I spent three hours collating  all the data and entering it only for it to wipe the screen clear, telling me it had timed out. It seems that it will only except five vehicle and  assumes no sane person would collect more.

Bring in the men with the white straight jacket and take me away. See you in the nut house, I will let you know the visiting hours.

Cheers Mick

All the MK/MJ Bedford's smoked from new until warmed up and will make a large smoke cloud. The air brakes snatch when cold, all part of the character of the vehicle you own.

You are spending money trying to correct a fault that is not there.

Mick

Larry

you will need the correct grease, split pin, locking washers, paper hand towel, couple cans beer that may come in the kit. Get the bearing kit, see what is inside and then talk to you mate to see if he needs anything else.

What is lockdown, not a word used in this free island.

Mick

Hi Larry

May I respectfully suggest that you find a friendly garage or friend so you can watch your first bearing being replaced and most importantly correctly adjusted. The adjustment is most important for two reasons, to loose it could cause the wheel to come off, to tight will cause bearing damage. The internet shows mechanics changing a L/R bearing removing the old bearing Race/Cup with a drift, that's ok but I would not use a drift to replace the new item due to possible damage. Line up the new race lightly tapping into place with a copper hammer, then place the old race up side down lip to lip on top of the new race and tap evenly/gently into place until the sound changed to indicate it is fully home. The old race will follow the new into the casting, to remove place bolt in the old race cup from behind without damaging the new and gently tap it out.

The adjustment is easy after you have done several bearings, please take hands on advise as it is a safety factor if you get it wrong. After road testing I always jack up and test for any settlement play, adjust if necessary.

Good luck  Mick

For the film Charlotte Gray the K2 that I drove in RAF kit was in fact in army markings taped over for the film. Also the M20 I rode as D/R the day before in BD's was not in the correct London Army Unit markings and can not be used as a tac sign reference point.

Mick

No brakes failed

Hi Alfie

Welcome to this site, very nice to see a 19 year old interested and owning old military vehicles. You will find years of experience here if you require help also loads of interest in what you are doing, pictures  always go down well.

Regards Mick

Thanks Richard. I was the last person and vehicle to enter the island. 26 hours on my feet now recovering with some brown milk in my coffee. Mick

The Virus affect on normal life

Thursday  23.3.20 phone call at 0800hrs to inform me that the Isle of Man was closing it boarders on Friday the 27.3.20 and the last ferry was at 0215hrs for Heysham, just 13 hours time.

I was in the East Sussex  360 miles away from Heysham to take my Dingo home to Laxey the following week.

This is when former MTO training steps in even if we have been discarded by the MOD for having survived for to many years. Four hours later on way to Heysham arriving a few hours before sailing time, arriving in Douglas with NBC kit and full gas mask at 0600hrs and a full police reception committee waiting.

Could have sold the gas mask several times, but got home to a 14day isolation period to a safe and sunny island.

Stay safe everyone, none of use are exempt from the virus, our vehicles need us. Mick

My only input on this subject is the same mirror head for a 110 purchased from a Sherpa dealership, is much less expensive than from a Landrover dealership..

Hi Paul

Moving a Dingo by trailer puts you on the edge of the 3 ton limit for non air brake trailers. I moved mine on a three axel low centre of gravity IW trailer for short distances, but not on major roads as you stand a chance of being stopped and directed to a weigh bridge, then invited to the local magistrates court.

Spares are around, david beales engineering 01132171643, d.beales@ntlworld.com + e-bay shop.

Richard Banister 01797253211 or here on the forum, our in house expert Richard Farrant for advise.

Cheers Mick

Hi Eddy

I have both the 1942 and later reprint of the Dingo manual. In the late manual it shows EP90 gear oil for the bevel boxes which may cause damage.

if it helps I have listed the vintage oils I use.

engine + gearbox SAE 30.  transferbox SAE50, bevel boxes + tractus hubs SAE140

brakes + shocks Dot 4 brake fluid,  fluid flywheel ISO 10 hydrauic oil

Cheers Mick

Hard copy registration files for the London area were kept in large offices across the city in the early 70's before computors came in. The Croydon section took from zero to about 25% of the total files and when details of a registered owner was urgently needed out of office hours a police officer was called off the streets to open up the office to gain the information required. This was a slow and time consuming operation and I was glad to see it go.

When the new system was started, owners were  requested to apply to have there vehicle details copied to film and saved at the DVLA. All other unclaimed vehicle information was then distroyed. I have known of a vehicle registration number being returned once after this date as an MOT cerificate was found with all the data required by the DVLA.

Good luck, you may need pain killers, it is a very hard wall you are going to bang your head against.

Cheers Mick