Fugly Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Just seen a Saracen Command Vehicle on Withams auction site - desert colours. States they have never tried to start it. Whats the value of something like that ?? Here is the link http://www.mod-sales.com/auction/vehicle/related/27808/ALVIS_SARACEN_ARMOURED_COMMAND_CARRIER.htm Reg number is 01DA48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 It isn't an ACV (Armoured Command Vehicle) - it's an ACPRA (Armoured Command Post Royal Artillery). Look at the height of it. We were issued these by mistake on deployment to BAOR in 1978 and must be the worst armoured vehicle I ever served on. Being a non-runner isn't all that different from being a runner if you want to know the truth. Straight out of the vehicle depot at Monchenstrapback, we never got any of the three issued to us over about 20 mph. Driving a Ferret behind them was so-o-o-o-o boring. I was so glad when they were taken away and replaced by ACVs. Certainly it is nowhere near any list (real or fictional) of kit I might consider owning, but I am sure it will float somebody's boat for its rarity value and the challenges of making it go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I think a sense of humour would be required as well, seen the state of the engine bay! (What you can see of it). Somebody brave with rose tinted specs and heaps of optimism will think its the mutts nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REME 245 Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 And check as I said the other day on a different thread if you can still register them for road use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugly Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 Nice an high though, might make a great garden shed..... And burgular proof..... I thought from the markings it had been abroad, surprised they bothered to bring it back ? I read somewhere once that they took some Saracens to the Gulf War 1 and left them there?:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 IMCO the army would have been wise to leave the ACPRAs in the sandpit before ANY other vehicle. Maybe some bright spark recovered this one and brought it back himself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugly Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 IMCO the army would have been wise to leave the ACPRAs in the sandpit before ANY other vehicle. Maybe some bright spark recovered this one and brought it back himself? It somehow made its way home !!!! A couple of months ago Withams had another Desert painted Saracen - perhaps they had a hidden supply and are drip feeding them to the masses... wouldn't want to flood the market !! (Actually I quite fancy it myself for some weird reason) not sure why . Perhaps the same reason why I bought an exercise bike once .........or my ferret.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 They are probably ex-gate guardians, like the Ferrets which they have been selling recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugly Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 Can anyone tell me what the big black triangle means , its painted at the back of this Saracen? I dont know anything about markings !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolman Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 I've just had to google IMCO..... I remember googling IIRC when I saw that too! Maybe we need a abbreviation help page somewhere on the forum! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Maybe we need a abbreviation help page somewhere on the forum! :-D Or speak in English :-D one or two are ok but NO Txt Speak please:stop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Nice an high though, might make a great garden shed..... And burgular proof..... You see you might be onto something there, you wouldnt need planning permission as its mobile, it is also more of a talking point than anybody elses shed, so while they might have a chair a kettle and a radio, you can have all that with a big RR engine and armour as well, would also make a great Wendy house/climbing frame for the kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Can anyone tell me what the big black triangle means , its painted at the back of this Saracen? I dont know anything about markings !! Triangle is the Tac sign for "A" Squadron (Company, battery etc) Square ditto B Squadron Circle ditto C Squadron Diamond HQ Squadron I assume the D10 is the callsign but the system used post-dates my experience, changing in 1982. Under the current system 10 is perfectly reasonable for an A Sqn (or battery since this is an ACPRA) command vehicle. However the system must have changed again between 1982 and 1991 because what I learned was that the alpha prefix was daily changing. Must have been a bitch re-stencilling the callsign every midnight. It does tie up with Bravo 20, except that Bravo was specifically an arm indicator for airborne forces under the old pre-1982 system, so it would seem to me that SAS felt the need to hang on to their old arm indicator even though it was supposed to have been dropped. Certainly, Delta was not an RA arm indicator under the old system, their primary being Golf (for guns) and their alternate was Whiskey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie370 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 We (ie the AAC) had two per Sqn as Command Posts, until they were replaced by CVR(T) Sultan in 1981. AFAICR (there you go, another one) 669 Sqn never moved theirs from the time I arrived in May 79 until they were dragged off the park in August 81, although the old sweats would happily tell tales of derring-do in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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