Matthewc66 Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Is there any way to ascertain where my Ferret has been or any interesting facts from the documents I received from the Tank Museum? I posted this on the intro page but realize a lot of people may not go through there too frequently. I live in California, In San Diego and take delivery of this vehicle in the next few weeks. Any help would be appreciated. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I drove a vehicle from this tranche, 01EC28 with UNFICYP Force Reserve Squadron out of Nicosia in 1976-77. IIRC it's a late Mark 2/3. It might have been a Mark 2/4. The 2/3 was the definitive turreted Ferret and earlier Mark 2s were upgraded (primarily by uparmouring IIRC) to Mark 2/4. Oh it's a Mark 2/3: it says on the document. It says it was with the Queen's Own Yeomanry, a TA (Territorial Army - if you are American, think National Guard. In those days it was styled TAVR: Territorial Army and volunteer Reserve, which is why QOY is postscripted (V) to indicate Volunteer Reserve) regiment between 1971 and 1983 before undergoing conversion. I have absolutely no way of knowing what the conversion was (though I am sure there are people here with access to the books). 1983 may well have been a good time to convert from a Larkspur to a Clansman radio system. My regiment (front line BAOR) converted our vehicles from Larkspur to clansman in 1980. I remember 28 went like brown stuff off an entrenching tool. In the Cyprus winter I spent two times two-week tours of Skouriotissa in the Troudos Mountains. 28 developed a starting problem which led to me bump-starting it down a rough track from a Danish OP on the Green Line through a minefield. We got it started and limped home to Skouriotissa where our pet REME Armoured Vehicle Mechanic (VMA or A-Mech) diagnosed a dead starter motor. New starter motor sent out from the Light Aid Detachment (LAD) at the Squadron's base at Nicosia Airport. REEM and I spent six hours undoing the three mounting bolts holding the starter motor on the Ferret floor (the belly access plates were tiny and the REEM ended up sawing his 5/8" (9/16"?) AF OJDE spanner in half so that he could reach the bolts. Starter motor arrived in the middle of the night and we spent another nine hours feeding the new starter motor around the engine into position and securing it. As you've worked out by now, replacing a Ferret starter motor is usually done after a pack lift. Everything back together ... no change. We were instructed to bring 28 back to the LAD where it could be worked on conveniently. Just after dark I set off (with my commander, the Troop Leader in his best kit because there happened to be a do on in the Officers' Mess) over the mud tracks through the mountains back to Nicosia. I did the journey in 45 minutes. People were impressed: the best time anyone had ever done for the journey was 34 minutes in a lightweight Land Rover dry in bright daylight. Turned out to be a duff battery. I'd previously had tracking problems: VERY close to the Turkish OP line just outside of Famagusta, I found the front wheels splayed like a fat uncle in an armchair. A good few hours having broken out the emergency Compo rations while we awaited recovery. Very shortly after replacing the battery, 28 went off for overhaul and I was given a replacement which, though older, was like new, and drove like it. Your vehicle seems to have spent a lot of entire life either in a Central Vehicle Depot (Command Vehicle Depot? It's been a long time.) in Ludgershall (I know it well: was stationed next door in Tidworth) or a TA regiment. The first entry looks like Royal Horse Guards, These are Household Cavalry, now merged to become RHG/D (Royal Horse Guards and Dragoons: the only regiment known officially to all by its nickname, The Blues and Royals). There is a line in there says it spent ten years with 11 Field Squadron (I presume Royal Engineers), So to sum up, my guess is you have a late model Ferret with low mileage. Probably a prime example. The downside is your actual vehicle probably has probably never been anywhere or done anything exciting. You may be lucky and find 11 Fd Sqn RE got up to something between 1984 and 1994. The other upside is that IMCO opinion, this will be the very best ride of your life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnguppy Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I have a UN ferret used in cyprus towards the end of there service life its UN reg number is UNF 551 would this be the time period you where in service had all the mods inc mine protection . Converted to GMPG and had clansman radios 2 off for radio relay john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnguppy Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Matt i see your date in service was 1960 one way of checking the build date of the hull is to check the number stamped on a small plate/welded to the hull behind the data plate or down near the forward/rev change leaver the last 4 digets first 2 are month and last 2 are year so yours should be near ?? 60 mine is 10 66 oct 1966 which turns out to be the last small batch 7 ferrets orderd hope this helps john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I have a UN ferret used in cyprus towards the end of there service life its UN reg number is UNF 551 would this be the time period you where in service had all the mods inc mine protection . Converted to GMPG and had clansman radios 2 off for radio relay john I have no way of knowing. It is over 30 years since I was in Cyprus but only a handful since I discovered that UNFICYP vehicles had later adopted a UN numbering system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthewc66 Posted August 25, 2009 Author Share Posted August 25, 2009 I drove a vehicle from this tranche, 01EC28 with UNFICYP Force Reserve Squadron out of Nicosia in 1976-77. IIRC it's a late Mark 2/3. It might have been a Mark 2/4. The 2/3 was the definitive turreted Ferret and earlier Mark 2s were upgraded (primarily by uparmouring IIRC) to Mark 2/4. Oh it's a Mark 2/3: it says on the document. It says it was with the Queen's Own Yeomanry, a TA (Territorial Army - if you are American, think National Guard. In those days it was styled TAVR: Territorial Army and volunteer Reserve, which is why QOY is postscripted (V) to indicate Volunteer Reserve) regiment between 1971 and 1983 before undergoing conversion. I have absolutely no way of knowing what the conversion was (though I am sure there are people here with access to the books). 1983 may well have been a good time to convert from a Larkspur to a Clansman radio system. My regiment (front line BAOR) converted our vehicles from Larkspur to clansman in 1980. I remember 28 went like brown stuff off an entrenching tool. In the Cyprus winter I spent two times two-week tours of Skouriotissa in the Troudos Mountains. 28 developed a starting problem which led to me bump-starting it down a rough track from a Danish OP on the Green Line through a minefield. We got it started and limped home to Skouriotissa where our pet REME Armoured Vehicle Mechanic (VMA or A-Mech) diagnosed a dead starter motor. New starter motor sent out from the Light Aid Detachment (LAD) at the Squadron's base at Nicosia Airport. REEM and I spent six hours undoing the three mounting bolts holding the starter motor on the Ferret floor (the belly access plates were tiny and the REEM ended up sawing his 5/8" (9/16"?) AF OJDE spanner in half so that he could reach the bolts. Starter motor arrived in the middle of the night and we spent another nine hours feeding the new starter motor around the engine into position and securing it. As you've worked out by now, replacing a Ferret starter motor is usually done after a pack lift. Everything back together ... no change. We were instructed to bring 28 back to the LAD where it could be worked on conveniently. Just after dark I set off (with my commander, the Troop Leader in his best kit because there happened to be a do on in the Officers' Mess) over the mud tracks through the mountains back to Nicosia. I did the journey in 45 minutes. People were impressed: the best time anyone had ever done for the journey was 34 minutes in a lightweight Land Rover dry in bright daylight. Turned out to be a duff battery. I'd previously had tracking problems: VERY close to the Turkish OP line just outside of Famagusta, I found the front wheels splayed like a fat uncle in an armchair. A good few hours having broken out the emergency Compo rations while we awaited recovery. Very shortly after replacing the battery, 28 went off for overhaul and I was given a replacement which, though older, was like new, and drove like it. Your vehicle seems to have spent a lot of entire life either in a Central Vehicle Depot (Command Vehicle Depot? It's been a long time.) in Ludgershall (I know it well: was stationed next door in Tidworth) or a TA regiment. The first entry looks like Royal Horse Guards, These are Household Cavalry, now merged to become RHG/D (Royal Horse Guards and Dragoons: the only regiment known officially to all by its nickname, The Blues and Royals). There is a line in there says it spent ten years with 11 Field Squadron (I presume Royal Engineers), So to sum up, my guess is you have a late model Ferret with low mileage. Probably a prime example. The downside is your actual vehicle probably has probably never been anywhere or done anything exciting. You may be lucky and find 11 Fd Sqn RE got up to something between 1984 and 1994. The other upside is that IMCO opinion, this will be the very best ride of your life. I guess a lack on interesting history is worth it if it has been babied in a motor pool its whole life. Thanks for the information, it is exactly what I was looking for. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazz Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 This veh was used by the QOY(V) one of my old units, I'll trawl archives etc and try and see if I can find some in service pictures. Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthewc66 Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 This veh was used by the QOY(V) one of my old units, I'll trawl archives etc and try and see if I can find some in service pictures. Barry That would be tremendous.. I want to try and gather as much information as I can as the more time that passes the more potential there is for its history to dry up.. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter4456 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Hello Matt, Did you get the translation of your vehicle record card (sent to you via Yahoo Ferret group)? Most of the info you require is on it! Let me know and I'll send it again if required, Best wishes, Peter Owner of Ferret 2/3, 03 CC 42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthewc66 Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 Hello Matt, Did you get the translation of your vehicle record card (sent to you via Yahoo Ferret group)? Most of the info you require is on it! Let me know and I'll send it again if required, Best wishes, Peter Owner of Ferret 2/3, 03 CC 42 I didnt get it. I have been printing everything I can on the Ferret. If you could send it I would be much obliged. I am heading out of town to visit Pismo Beach CA and will be out of touch until Monday. Thanks in advance.. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter4456 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Matt, Translation attached - others on the forum may be able to correct / add to it! All the best, Peter Owner of Ferret 2/3, 03 CC 42 01 EC 43.doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Excuse me for a slight hijack of the thread. Somewhere in this forum I am sure I read that somebody owns a Mark 1, 02CC74 which I remember because I drove 02CC76 in 1978 (at least that's how I remember - it might have been 02CC74: my record of being wrong recently does not bear scrutiny: seeing the picture makes me wonder if in fact I am in the picture, unseen in the bowels of the FSC). If you read this, please PM me. I have found a picture on a friend's private Facebook group of your vehicle in service with Intercomm Troop of my old regiment, 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars. It isn't dated, (I would be surprised if Intercomm Troop were not the role, if not the title as I knew it, of my own role in 1978.) I have not asked his permission to copy his picture, but if you get in touch with me, I'll put you in contact with him. Sorry. Please do not reply to this post as it is off the OP's topic (even if it is entirely on-topic as far as the thread title goes). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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