LarryH57

It's so hard to tell if the holes are real or perhaps painted on or attachments for something that's been removed. The bit of white in one 'hole' looks as if you can see right through the vehicle but how could that be so if there is a rear plate? having searched for this type of vehicle online the same photo comes up and on one site it says Beobachtungspanzerwagen auf StuG III Fahrgestell (Observation Tank on Stug III G chassis) and on another it says Munitionspanzer auf Fahrgestell Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G So take your pick!

I suppose it depends on how you arrive in the UK and what you have said in advance. If your Jeep comes on the train via the Euro Tunnel then I suggest you check with them in advance as they do not like 'surprises' even if you arrive with the correct documentation. If any of your weapons are replicas (fake) then you need to be able to dismantle them to show someone who has no appreciation of our hobby. Don't forget to carry the Deactivation Certificates with you for the deactivated (real) weapons you bring. Sadly the Eurostar / Euro Tunnel trains have often been evacuated or seriously delayed because a person carries a war relic on board such as a de-activated artillery shell. As for the ferry companies I have heard that they are a bit more accepting but would still need some advanced notice of what you propose so as not to have you and your Jeep left on the dockside.

Also asking on Maple Leaf Up forum might help as Chevs have a great following from members based in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. See their Softskin Page. http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=5 NB - I had to explain Softskin to her in doors - she thought that term belonged to another kind of website!

Its fascinating to see how this thread has developed! It's a shame Italy isn't as accessible as Normandy, as it would be an interesting place for an MVT tour! We could see where all those D-Day Dodgers spent their time in the sun relaxing and chatting up the local girls while the Army in NW Europe did all the fighting! Actually I worked with a few Italian Campaign veterans and the above was their own sick joke!

Is it possible the original photo was taken a bit further down the hill as there was I think a canal running round the lower part of the town, so it might be that the Valentine was trying to bridge the gap, just like the attempt at putting a Bailey Bridge across it to the left (north) of the original POW photo? http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205188889

Yes very impressive. BTW the next photo in the sequence is this, which might may help further with the location. The IWM caption for the photo with the three POWs mentions Route 6. http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205188888

And Guidon is just the French word for Handlebar!

The Jeep and POWs photo is IWM and reference NA15001 but hardly any of the series are online yet. As for the colour photo at a guess I'd say Life Magazine but I have no recollection of where it was on the web.

I thought the plan was to take over the RAF Officers' Mess?

I don't get why they moved the REME Museum to the wide open space of what was RAF Lynham and don't have enough room to house all the interesting vehicles in their reserve collection?

Sadly there is no clue as to the unit to which this Jeep belonged as the caption said near Cassino and focused on the three POWs. So it is hard to know if there is an Indian Army connection. Having said that I have seen troops so dirty on exercise they could be mistaken for anyone! BTW - I just uploaded a better photo as a Jpeg rather than PDF

Strange as it seems, when I uploaded the colour photo above of the three POWs, I thought I knew that guy on the right from somewhere, the one who is possibly wearing a US Army or British Army shirt. So I had a trawl through some 300 IWM photos I have had for about 40 years and found this photo. As you can see they are Luftwaffe but I'm not sure they are Paras but the relief at being away from the fighting is clear to see! Sadly the British soldiers in the front, despite their half smiles, show a sense of apprehension. They still have another year of fighting to go before they can truly relax! Note the Jeep has two different tyres on the front and bashed fender and lights and no pioneer tools.The canvas covering the windscreen looks to be Italian or German in origin.

That is great news; does the collection of MVs now include what was at Borden and at old REME Museum at Arborfield?

Bob, I cannot recall where this photo comes from, as I often trawl the net for one thing then find something else interesting and save it for later.

I did a bit more digging and I think it is a Valentine Bridge Layer, without the bridge on top or with the bridge in bits after it has been knocked out.

Assuming the rotating horsebox was just mounted as you suggest on a raised section of the chassis, then this mounting would have had to be made of something strong to withstand the load forces, front to back and side to side, as the vehicle moved unless there were some form of stay arms?

Thanks for all your replies. Out of interest if the Frosts POR15 is poured in to a fuel tank by what method do you block up the holes ASAP while you are turning the tank over and over again to ensure that every surface gets a good coating before it cures. I have been told you can't hang around once the sealant goes in to the tank!

It's an interesting idea Richard that the horses might have preferred looking out and facing the direction of travel, but then the tilt would be open at the front so would submit the horses to a cold breeze, as the truck raced along at 25 mph which might not be good for the horse's health! And if the horse didn't care which way it faced with the tilt pulled down on all sides, why bother with the swivel? Another possibility is that loading or unloading from the side might be useful if these trucks were unloading horses from a train, and rather than back up the truck to each carriage they could simply drive in as a column and park beside the door with enough space to turn the rear to face the train, and be at the approximate height of the carriage floor.

What type of vehicle is that in the background behind these three German POWs captured at Cassino?

I found this old photo of these British Trucks in Italy and no doubt Tony Gosling and others can say what make they are and possibly the unit that used them. The second photo shows a horse ambulance possibly photographed in France or Belgium in WW1. What is strange about it is that the rear body swivels and the men can be seen pushing it round towards the ramp. But why bother with such an arrangement when access just from the rear would have been good enough? I look forward to your comments.

All those Stirlings parked up together look like they are up for disposal. Shame that no one thought to keep one!

My replacement tank for my Lwt is not new and has had a small hole repaired but it is quite rust free so I may not bother. However the replies suggest that following the instructions and only using new formula sealant is vital.

Has anyone had a bad experience with using fuel tank sealing compounds such as that offered by Frosts? http://www.frost.co.uk/por15-basic-big-fuel-car-tank-repair-sealer-kit.html I have a replacement tank for my Lwt and although its in good order I thought about using a fuel tank sealer to give it a bit of extra protection. However a friend of mine said don't bother as he knew of another MV restorer who used a sealer on a restored fuel tank but later found that it started to peal away and in turn it clogged up the vehicle's fuel supply. My friend suggested that the sealer used by his friend (not necessarily from Frosts) may not have been able to cope with ethanol in the petrol, so are there things to look out for with such products?

I look forward to seeing it running in a few years!

STA-BIL 360°® Marine is about £15 from Amazon and on bottle is enough to treat 302 litres