Tootles

Well, I have a feeling it was something like 'South Yorkshire Aviation Museum'.......They had just opened, and were short of exhibits. A friend of mine at the time had given them my number, and frankly, I was so under pressure with work, the MVT and family, that I just said 'come and pick it up'. At the time I owned a Ferret Mk2, a Fordson ET6 ex RAF ambulance, A Humber 1 ton, and an MRA1........... I'm sure we have all been there. It was only after the passage of time, when the bomb seemed to have 'disappeared', as had the bulk of my other commitments, that my thoughts turned to it. It was only with joining this forum, and finding memories going back a bit, that it came back to me.

Some twenty years ago, when thinking of moving, I agreed to lend my British 1000lb HE common iron bomb, (empty of coarse), complete with fins, to an aviation museum in Yorkshire, somewhere near to Sheffield, if my memory serves me correctly. I had found and purchased said bomb from a scrap yard in Bury, Lancs, refurbished it, and had it on display in my garden. Anyway, the museum in question duly arrived, picked up the 'parcel', left me with some paperwork, now lost, I regret to say, and left with a promise to return the bomb after five years......... Never heard from them again. Now, does this sad story strike a memory chord with any members?? The bomb was painted black, complete with HE marking rings, tail painted silver. It was built mid fused, the fuse hole itself covered with a stainless steel plate. Silly fool me could have sold it to a film company at the time, they were pushing hard, but thinking to do the correct thing, this museum got it instead. Any ideas??? Dave.

Tell you what its about Bob, something to do with fitting a solid bit of my past to my present. I know it seems stupid, but somehow it means a lot. Many years ago, I had a Morris MRA1, used to show it with Tony Hayter and the North West MVT. One day, an old chap came up, looked over the truck, and burst into tears. It had been 'his' when it was a Murex Welder, drove it all over BAOR with REME. He later sent me a picture of him standing next to it. Something of that stuck inside me. I just want a 'now' photo of me stood by the front wing of that bl**dy tank!!:red:

Yes, and here's the piccy to prove it! Taken at handover, (our Centurions had just been dry-clad).

No, but in April I am going to be re-united with the very first Chieftain I signed for!! 04EB68. Its on Otterburn Range. Its odd really. Just dug out my old troop notebook. We only knew them by their last two numbers, and so, my very first Ferret was '' '' 64. The others were '' '' 16, '' '' 10, and '' '' 83. No idea now what the other letters were, but perhaps someone more in tune can illuminate?? :kiss::kiss:

No, it was never adopted........The idea came from a couple of Republican guys, who had adapted a Moggy Minor van to take a catapult. They fired nail bombs with it. And so, the wizards of the MOD had a bulb light up in their heads......a repo Lanny would make a very interesting show stopper!!

Ha Ha!! well, it never really 'took off'......................... The guy in the back looks a bit apprehensive.

couple more for you: Sorry about the condition of them, they haven't travelled well over the years.

15BK45 was, at the time, on the strength of 156 Inkerman Battery, 94 Locating Regiment, RA. The photo was taken on the morning of the first 'official' British Army Fatality in Northern Ireland, when Gunner Curtis was shot and fatally wounded.

Just as a footnote to the Chieftain photos, this is 04EB68 in service, BAOR, 1969. Just issued!!:cheesy:

Lastly, our 'home' for many tours of Belfast, Flax Street Mill, just off the Crumlin Road, now being converted to flats. I can only remember all those killed in this location, and wonder now if it was really worth the sacrifice.:-(:-( Hope you vehicle and uniform buffs find some interest in the pictures. Dave.

More at Gosford.

Regimental Command Saracen, Gosford Castle, 1971

Gosford Castle, South Armagh, summer 1971. This is the way we dried our kit! Hand throttle wound up, combat legs tied, and the hot air does the rest!

Next, Raglan Street, Belfast, (now long gone, thank God), during a bad riot February 1971. Thats me hanging out of the turret, getting info from some Gunner types!

This photo is of 2nd Troop again, taken at the junction of Crumlin Road/Woodvale December 1970, during a riot.

Hope I get this right!! Matt was going to post these for me, but I know he's busy, so here goes. The first piccy is of 2nd troop, 'C' sqn, 14/20th Kings Hussars, Belfast, 1970. detail a bit fuzzy, but you can pick out the 'cheese cutters' welded to the turret tops.

Not really sure if it has been up-armoured??? seems like the front bar rack is of a later date, and stuck on there?? Many 'struck off' vehicles later appeared as either gate guards, or more normally range targets, and looking at the condition of said Pig, it has been sitting around a long, long time. Case in point. Chieftain Mk2 04EB68, issued new BAOR 1969, struck off 1978, never re-modded. Disappeared until showing up in the mid nineties as a gate guard at Avlechurch. Disappeared again, before showing up at Otterburn in 1999, as a range target. I also remember a Cent ARV being struck off in Germany, issued again to us in Libya, 1969!!

The only stickers that WERE on there, (ripped and torn, so removed, I'm afraid), was a red letter on white background, giving speed limits in BAOR, and a 'SOXMIS' contact number. The Cold War was never colder then.

Hope this helps

I have a colour pic of a Ser11A in full RAF markings if thats any good??

Looks like a Commer?????????

Thanks Matt, Drop me an email, and I will send what I have by return, with a write up on each one, if that's OK. Just a quick tip for those of you who take your Ferrets to shows, learned the hard way on Army 'CAPE' tours. Make up a couple of wooden blocks, so that when you have the drivers side hatches open, they jamb the hatch, preventing sticky little, (or adult) fingers, from knocking the bar, with a possibility of losing same fingers!! A really easy mod, you can keep the blocks in the 36 grenade tin, handy for when you show. Dave. Unless of coarse, you plan to carry three grenades???....lol

After my last post, I have had several PMs on 'Ferret's in Service' stuff. Most of the manuals cover everything, but if there are any tricks of the trade I can pass on, or 'shortcut' tips, relating to Ferret, Saladin or Saracen, problems with operation or stowage stuff, then I would be pleased to answer anything I can remember. I'm sure that there are other ex-service personnel well versed in the above, but the offer is always there. You can always PM or email me on tootles.thetaxi@yahoo.co.uk I have a couple of photos of Mk2 Ferrets in service in Northern Ireland, and would be only to pleased to pass them on. Not getting any younger, the Ferrets will always be around long after the guys who used them are gone! Dave.

Again, Tony, I am NOT making excuses for the filthy exentricities of The Third Reich, but lets get this into context. You write "However, dont expect total love when there are a bunch of armed men marching down the street, removing radios, sentencing you to prison or concentration camp if you listen to the BBC" Sounds like Berlin 1945, dont you agree? Much is made of the German atrocities to Allied soldiers during the Ardennes Campaign of 1944/45, and yet I have read written accounts of British soldiers executing prisoners on D Day and afterwards. To the winner belongs the spoils, and also the right to the propaganda, and as Big Ray quite rightly points out, the side of the fence you care to lean on matters as well. You could, I suppose, argue all day that the 'German people asked for it, and had it coming', but maybe, just maybe, if the surrender terms of 1918 had been a little less ten against one sided, then Hitler and his bunch of thugs would never have got to a position of total power in the first place?