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Minesweeper

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Posts posted by Minesweeper

    WW1 Dennis truck find

    in Pre WW2 vehicles

    Posted · Edited by Minesweeper
    wrong word used

    These are new linings, Norman, and we understand Asbestos-free. I think that new linings are made of some kind of cotton and resins but I guess a more knowledgable member of the Forum will be able to tell us more.

     

    You will notice in the photos that the linings had been dampened before I worked on them to keep any dust to a minimum, and I also wore a mask and worked in a well-ventilated area. Best precautions that I could take.

     

    Tony

    Military Mini Moke

    in Other Chatter

    Posted

    I passed through Bulford Camp in September 1960 and saw a Moke in the MT Shed there. I had never seen anything quite like it before - regretably now, I did not speak to anybody about it or ask what it was or what it was doing there. The next time I saw one, it was the civilian version, after I had left the army in January 1961.

     

    Tony

    Red Oxide Primer - Are they all the same?

    in I may be stupid, but......

    Posted

    We use Bonda "Bondaprimer" on the WW1 Trucks which we have found really excellent. Old metal sandblasted back to clean and then primed with this stuff has been first rate. It is very thin to apply and gives a lovely finish. Clean your brushes with a cellulose thinner -and it happily takes any ordinary paint on top of it when it is dry. We usually give two coats of that on the clean metal and then undercoat and finish paint in the usual way on top of it.

     

    If you Google "Bondaprimer", you will find it.

     

    Tony

    WW1 Dennis truck find

    in Pre WW2 vehicles

    Posted

    Linings later today - or tomorrow!

     

    The two bolts work in conjunction with springs the other side of the pivot to keep the shoes in line with the drum and also to stop the shoes falling on to the drum when the brake is released.

     

    Tony

    WW1 Dennis truck find

    in Pre WW2 vehicles

    Posted

    Steve is the best person to come back on this one and I expect that he will pick it up later on today. I know that "metal spraying" is an accepted process, but I do not know if it will work on this "dirty" cast iron without drilling or grinding out all the rusty bits first. Or even if you can do it on cast iron. My amateurish opinion is that there is now enough smooth metal there for the Brake Linings to be effective without tearing them up when being used. We have got rid of the really nasty corrosion on the Drum.

     

    Tony

    WW1 Dennis truck find

    in Pre WW2 vehicles

    Posted

    You are completely right, Norman. As Tim said, the lathe was being stretched to its upmost to do this job and the tool was extended to its limit to reach the extremity of the drum surface. Not very comfortable - especially with the tool bouncing over the rusty pits and leaving some chatter marks. Tim has another three photos of the finished job to post which do show a better finish.

     

    Tony

    Home Guard

    in Research Centre

    Posted

    The programme on TV Channel 4 tonight about "The Real Dads Army" quite comprehensively covered the use of members of the Home Guard in manning AA Batteries, and it seems that it was very common. That clears that one up!

     

    Tony

    A date to remember!

    in Other Chatter

    Posted

    A lot of people have said in the past - "Bring back National Service", thinking that would sort out some of today's "delinquents". But times change and I don't know that it would neccesarily do that. Discipline starts in the formative years - I was caned at School and although I did not like it, it never did me any harm or any of my friends who were perhaps caned more than I ever was. I think discipline at schools is far too lax today but I do not blame the teachers for that. In many cases, their hands are tied by what they cannot do - and that includes minor corporal punishment - or more significantly, the threat of it. As far as I can remember, I only ever had to smack "Old Bill" once - "Great War Truck" was a different "cup of tea" but his mother was more of a controlling influence than I ever was with the threat of hitting him with a rolled up newspaper (more noise than physical damage). I wish there was an easy solution.

     

    I hope that I have not strayed away too much from the real subject of this topic - but the bottom line must be - "Discipline must start at home". It has to be down to the parents.

    A date to remember!

    in Other Chatter

    Posted

    Thursday 8th January 1959 - 50 years ago today - I joined the Army as a National Serviceman at Jellalabad Barracks, Taunton - the Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) - formerly the 13th Regiment of Foot.

     

    Victorian Barracks - 20 men to a room heated by an open Coke Fire at either end but insufficient for the purpose so that it was still bitterly cold there. Look back on great times with great mates, all initially suffering together. The next day, Friday 9th - painful TAB Injections - but craftily given to us on the Friday so that we could get over the worst on the Saturday and Sunday when we did not have to parade.

     

    Undoubtedly a character forming experience and although the Army would not want some of the yobs that we see on the street nowadays, it would do them good and sort them out.

    Home Guard

    in Research Centre

    Posted

    Useful advice, Snapper - thank you! You can download a Search Form for a Record of Service from the Veterans UK Website - Home Guard Records are included with the Army ones. I am optimistic that I can obtain my father's records as his surviving next-of-kin - just through giving his date of birth and full names. The Search Fee is £30 and it takes about 40 days to come through.

     

    I mentioned earlier that he had said that he was part of a team manning an A.A. Gun in Bristol - and that it puzzled me. I now find that towards the end of the war, a lot of the Regular Army A.A.Gunners were relieved by the Home Guard so that the Regulars could go to Europe to serve there after the invasion. Apparently there were a considerable number of such Home Guard A.A. crews.

     

    Tony

    Home Guard

    in Research Centre

    Posted

    Thanks for that information. My father served in the Home Guard in Bristol during the war - he died several years ago and how I regret now not having asked more about what happened during his time there.

     

    When the war started, he was moved from Cornwall to Charles Hill's Shipyard in Bristol to return to his old trade of shipbuilding and he spent the war there employed in the building of Frigates and Corvettes. He also belonged to the Home Guard in Bristol and I remember him telling me that he helped man Anti-Aircraft Guns. I just took this as a matter of fact at the time, but when getting older and thinking more about it, I wondered what a member of the Home Guard was doing in an A.A.Battery?

     

    I did read somewhere a few years back that in certain places, the Home Guard relieved regular Gunners on occasions in the manning of A.A.Guns and I suppose this is what was happening there.

     

    I have no record at all of his service, and hence my original question about medals.

     

    As I said earlier, I wished I had asked more whilst he was around.

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