6 X 6

Sorry, not that sort of tank but I think it may well have military/aviation connections and I'm hoping someone will be able to tell me what it's original purpose was. This tank was given to me by some friends of mine who own a skip hire business and it came in on one of their lorries. Stuff like this they put on one side for me. Including the cast cap, this tank is made entirely from aluminum and all joins are riveted, not welded and is about the size of a large suitcase. It looks pre 1950 and would have been expensive to make. At each end is a carrying handle and at one end is a brass tap. The screw-on filler cap is quite large, 5" dia. There is a Maker's name plate on the tap end. The interior of the tank has a neutral small and I think it may have been the crew's drinking water supply on some sort of craft. I picture it being filled with fresh water and then delivered, lifted aboard and placed in special stowage compartment. Wise owls of the Forum, what do you think it was used for ? Cheers. X X X X X X X

Does this mean you and Mum Cartwons will be playing football together on Christmas Day ?

Amen to that and welcome to the Forum.

Any chance of seeing a few 'photos of what's there ? Cheers.

An Antar MK 3 photographed today "Somewhere in Somerset". Every back garden should have at least one.

Please see "Two Radar Trailers in Wood" thread in MV Chatter.

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If anyone wants to know the background to this thread please read Posts 21- 25 on the Albion CX22 thread. Today I revisited a old, very overgrown WD surplus yard where, some years ago, I saw two radar trailers of the type that Ack Ack is currently restoring. I was hoping they would still be there and possibly of some use to Ack Ack. Sadly, in spite of my very best efforts I was unable to penetrate the incredibly dense brambles and reach the place where remember seeing these trailers. The photographs on this post were all taken today in a more accessible part of the yard where the newer stuff is. I'm sorry if it's hard to make out what's in these 'photos, I had laid on an Agent Orange air strike but as you will see they missed the target by miles and instead erased a shopping mall in Swindon. Are these radar trailers still there ? From what I could see I think they possibly are but they would now be in such a poor state that I doubt if they would be much use in any restoration project. A return visit in the winter might be a good idea so in the meantime I'm going to explain where this place is to Ack Ack, (and only Ack Ack), and let him decide what to do. X X X X X X X

Yo Warbirdrestorer, Getting straight to the point, your username implies you may have access to some sort of warplane. If this is the case, would you consider mounting an air strike on behalf of the Forum ? I need to take some 'photos in a small wood near where I live on behalf of forum member ack ack and ideally the entire area needs to be defoliated first, with Agent Orange, to allow a bit of light in. I'd ask the USAF but they can't be trusted not to take out the whole of Somerset and not just this 2 acres of woodland. Let me know. Cheers.

Good news Ackack, Jack has very generously agreed to fund an official Forum Expedition to allow me to revisit these woods to see if anything of what I saw remains there. I shall be taking my camera. The place I'm talking about had been a yard specializing in ex WD stuff but has been closed for so long that fairly mature trees have now grown there. I can remember seeing quite a lot of interesting items lying around in the undergrowth including WW 11 Jeep engines, these trailers, a very unusual, possibly German 4 X 4 chassis and a huge quantity of brand new, unissued Antar clutch assemblies still in their original wooden crates. This place is hard to find and, apart from a few locals, I doubt if many people realize it's there so the situation maybe the same as on my last visit. I won't wait for Jack's cheque to come through and try to find time in the next few days to fire up the Land Rover and get over to this wood. Sorry Mike, only kidding about the clutches but the rest is true. Well, actually, the bit about Jack isn't true either but all rest is true or bordering on the truth. Watch this space !

I'm sure a thread recording this restoration would be very interesting to all of us on here. I may, and I'm only saying may, know of two more of these trailers that have been standing in a wood for many years. They were in poor condition when I last saw them but if they're still there they might yield up some useful bits.

Thank you Mike, a very interesting post.

So that you know absolutely everything that can possibly be known about British registration plates I should just add that if one owns a vehicle over a certain age, I think it may be, I say maybe, if the vehicle was manufactured pre 1960 and has never been registered before then you can apply for what is known as an age related plate. This means you will be issued with a three letter, three number plate for example, YSX 637, that can be displayed on your vintage vehicle in white numerals on a black background rather than having to use a modern, a much longer number, on a reflective yellow or white background that would look out of keeping on a vintage vehicle. Did you really want to know all that ? Probably not.

Good point. Not that I'm aware of, although, the Beverly collection that snapper did such a good job of recording is, I believe, still with us even if now somewhat dispersed so the potential still exists for the collection to be reformed and shown again.

What we need to do is form a forum syndicate, enter this lottery, win the £300 million, buy the Isle of Wight, put a roof over the entire island and then fill it with old army lorries. Are you up for it ? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2778768/International-super-lottery-will-see-prizes-of-300-million.html

I frequently met a young bloke named Tony Smith, and his girlfriend, at shows around Wiltshire and Somerset about 12 years ago. He owned an immaculate Leyland 6 X 6 cargo he'd bought from Roger Pratt. He also had a MK1 Militant and a few Land Rovers. I think he dealt in Land Rovers. Sometime later, I heard he had committed suicide. It was very sad, he was in only in his late twenties. The only contact 'phone number I had for him was his mother's so I couldn't very well ring up to ask what had happened. This Leyland Cargo was standing in the open for many years in the yard of Wiltshire Land Rovers near Chippenham and may well be still there if anyone is interested. There's also a complete but badly weathered Martian gun tractor that has been standing in the far corner of a car breakers just off the A38 near Dursley for many years. I was told it belongs to an enthusiast. It maybe still there/for sale. I wish someone would do something about the white Leyland recovery lorry that has been standing in a field, for as long as I can remember, beside the M5 northbound where the A361 crosses the motorway. If I had a quid for everytime someone has said to me "er there's a bloody great old Scammell in a field right beside the M5 near Taunton" I'd never have to work again. I'm going to headbutt the next person who says it.

Sorry, I started all this by calling the Red Dragon Draig Gosh so as not to make Degsy feel racially disadvantaged. Anyway, here's a picture from the Constructor thread showing the Red Dragon/Draig Gosh shortly after it had been disabled by a tranquilizer dart fired by Ministry of Transport marksmen. It's being towed by someone who claims to be militantgraham.

Mike you're really observant ! I'm so dozy I didn't even notice. FV 1121 Truck 10 ton, 6 X 6, dropside cargo, 27' 6" overall length 14' 5" W/B FV1110 Truck 10 ton, 6 X 6, dropside cargo, this is the LWB model, 30' overall length with a 18' W/B and appears to have been in service. Was it ?

Hey deuce, 809 XUP is most likely to be it's current UK registration number and 36 YZ 00 would most likely be it's old British Army registration number which is probably still stamped on it's brass chassis plate. You often see British owned HVM's with UK reg. numbers made up 80 9X UP to look like army numbers. It's not legal, but we don't care. I hope this answer is acceptable as I'm the only one on forum night shift until radiomike7 takes over. Cheers.

Thank you for your reply. It was inconceivable to me that an experienced owner such as yourself would not have used this opportunity to renew the clutch. It's just that in post no.55 on the Military Fodens thread you say; "I got drive for 50 miles then it went again. I readjusted the clutch and squeezed a further 9 years use out of it when it was pretty well well shot." "I don't think I did bad to keep a knack'd clutch going 10 years" It was in the light of these comments that I made my enquiry. Mike, I suppose what I would really like to say to you is that I found your disparaging comments about Anita's vehicles unacceptable. Firstly, because as an owner of ageing metal yourself, you should know that engines do blow up, gearboxes do break and clutches do disintegrate whoever is at the wheel and even with well maintained preserved vehicles like yours. Secondly, how is the forum to grow if new members like Anita, who has less than 10 posts, is subjected to comments she may have found humiliating to read in such a public place as this ? I hope she has accepted your apology and will continue as member of this forum but it would perfectly understandable if she never logs on again.