Champs in desert service.

[Rick W]

Several questions here.

There are a few, not many Champs with desert camo scheme on the scene.

1)Has anyone got any pics of them in service, in colour preferably they could post?

 

2)What units did they serve with and what were the regimental insignia painted on them.

 

3)Where did they serve, Ive seen pics from Aden, a couple from Suez, anywhre else.

[fv1609]

Where did they serve, Ive seen pics from Aden, a couple from Suez, anywhre else.

 

Jordan

[Rick W]

Do you know what regiments were equipped with them Clive? Regt or unit insignia?

[fv1609]

Do you know what regiments were equipped with them Clive? Regt or unit insignia?

 

16th Parachute Brigade with BATs & Champs.

 

14th July 1958 saw a coup in Iraq. There was a fear of major instability in the region & King Hussein felt particularly threatened & appealed to the UK for support.

 

17th July advance party of Paras was flown from Cyprus & the deployment completed by 20th July.

 

All the usual internet sources give a divergence of units & equipment. There is even a photo of what is described as a "Jeep" but it has a "BE" registration! They were definitely Champs & I often speak to a MV enthusiast who was there.

 

Relying on the written word rather than the web. Famous Regiments - The Red Devils by Lt-Gen Sir Brian Horrocks:

"It consisted of the entire Parachute Brigade except for the 1st Battalion, which had remained in Cyprus in case of another emergency.."

 

BATs & Champs are all very well, but it was the final straw for the Defence Staff who felt serious fire power was needed. In fact a weapon capable of destroying any known tank. Such a weapon would be operated by an air-portable guided weapons squadron to be operational by 1962.

[Rick W]

So I presume the insignia for GHQ Land Forces in middle east, that of the camel in a shield could have been designated to a Champ.

[fv1609]

So I presume the insignia for GHQ Land Forces in middle east, that of the camel in a shield could have been designated to a Champ.

 

Not that I can see, I have a grainy B&W image of a row of Champs in Jordan. I have a slightly better view of trailers from the rear. Nearside rear I would judge to be a turquoise Pegasus/Belleraphon on maroon square. On the off side rear '42' on a badge diagonally divided in two. The upper left colour is quite dark, the lower right quite light. Just above the tac signs to the middle of two of the trailers have badges 'B' & 'C' so I think there must be a 'A' & 'D' in there behind the obstructions.

 

That's a bonus just seen a Humber 1-Ton!

[les freathy]

Not the best quality but Champs in various middle east locations

1 Royal Fusiliers on a landing excercise in Melitha Bay Malter in 1959

2. Champs that have been air lifted to Jordon seen at Amman in July 1958

3. British forces in Port Said during the Suez crisis

[Rick W]

Not that I can see, I have a grainy B&W image of a row of Champs in Jordan. I have a slightly better view of trailers from the rear. Nearside rear I would judge to be a turquoise Pegasus/Belleraphon on maroon square. On the off side rear '42' on a badge diagonally divided in two. The upper left colour is quite dark, the lower right quite light. Just above the tac signs to the middle of two of the trailers have badges 'B' & 'C' so I think there must be a 'A' & 'D' in there behind the obstructions.

 

That's a bonus just seen a Humber 1-Ton!

 

So I assume 16th Para brigade. Any ideas what the diagonal badge would have been?

[Rick W]

Not the best quality but Champs in various middle east locations

1 Royal Fusiliers on a landing excercise in Melitha Bay Malter in 1959

2. Champs that have been air lifted to Jordon seen at Amman in July 1958

3. British forces in Port Said during the Suez crisis

 

 

Nice pics Les thanks for that. I like the round Camo nets(?) on the Champ bonnets, bit like the Jordanian head-dress! Done on purpose do you think?

[Minesweeper]

Interesting to see the Landing Craft in the background. Can we start a topic on R.A.S.C. Landing Craft - in the 1950's and 1960's and where should it go?

[morris c8 fat]

Interesting to see the Landing Craft in the background. Can we start a topic on R.A.S.C. Landing Craft - in the 1950's and 1960's and where should it go?

 

All the way to the Falklands if iI remember that number

[Eugene]

So I presume the insignia for GHQ Land Forces in middle east, that of the camel in a shield could have been designated to a Champ.

There used to be a Champ in desert paint with MELF markings -though the camel was on a square not a shield- down this way in the 80s. I don't know where the owner, who I saw this weekend, got his inspiration from.

I haven't seen it, as far as I know, since he sold it. It's reg. was WHM 782G. Does anybody know it's whereabouts now?

-Roger.

[Kuno]

Here is an Austin Champ in Coefia near Benghazi:

[les freathy]

Still grainy but a few more middle east Champs

1 has interesting LCT markings

2. middle East command sign on th left bumper

3. Royal Fusiliers at the Tarhuna training area, wheres Tarhuna

[les freathy]

Computers never cease to amaze me, you put them in order and the bloody thing decides to place where it thinks best so the top photo is the bottom caption. Methinks i need to give my computer a John Cleese thrashing

[Kuno]

3. Royal Fusiliers at the Tarhuna training area, wheres Tarhuna

 

Tarhuna is a small city east of Tripoli. Maybe about 100kms. not at the seashore but something landinward.

[Rick W]

That pic is what I was looking for Les, the one with the camel! Painted on the bumper, unusual I think, but interesting to note the camel faces toward the middle of the Champ, which it should do, despite the original facing toward the outside. Any animal, was changed to face the inboard, or centre of the vehicle.

Sad old looking vehicle in Kuno's pics though!

[Rick W]

The last pi Les may be a vehicle from the Tobruk HQ. From what I can understand from a bit of research, Tobruk was used by SCLI and their Tac sign was a diamond in the bottom corner of a square with a diagonal running at 40 degrees, may be a "shortened" version of that especially as the camel Tac sign isnt the full sign.

[Kuno]

Another one which was resting near Mizdah:

[Rick W]

Very confused by Tac/Regt badges and insignia here. I was going to start a new thread but carrying on with this. Have painted the Champ in desert colours to recreate an MELF unit, 25th/10th armoured brigade. The HQ badge for Tobruk was a camel on a red and black background, but the badge for the Armd was a wolfs head. It doesnt seem right to show both, which should it have and why??