Rover8FFR Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 ambulances our not meant to carry weapons a turret could have a weapon fitted so as to be no misunderstanding turrets removed the press or the ira could not pretend they thought it was a regular troop carrier Ironically it never stopped them being a target...... War and Conflict is just that. Geneva got ignored. Sorry to say. Falklands and Iraq / Afghan conflicts confirm scenario . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 (edited) Some awesome content here, guys. Does anyone have any pictures of the interior of a Saracen ambulance? None of the manuals I have even contain line drawings, even though they cover most of the other variants and I've not been able to find any on the internet. There is some brief footage of a Saracen ambulance in Threads (1984), which has the same registration number displayed as my APC, 82 BA 88. It is quite possible that it is the same vehicle, as I know that the Saracens could be converted fairly easily, but does anyone know of any tell-tale signs of ambulance service? Cheers, Terry Edited February 15, 2014 by Starfire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 I know that the Saracens could be converted fairly easily, but does anyone know of any tell-tale signs of ambulance service? EMER WHEELED VEHICLES V 619 Carrier, Personnel, Wheeled, Saracen, Mk 2. Misc. Instr. No.30. Conversion to ambulance role. Apr.1975 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 Does anyone have any pictures of the interior of a Saracen ambulance? None of the manuals I have even contain line drawings, even though they cover most of the other variants and I've not been able to find any on the internet. There was no conversion kit issued as such. It had to be locally manufactured (100 man-hours) & then fitted (40 man-hours) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 (edited) As always, thank you very much, Clive. You don't happen to have a soft copy of that do you? Cheers, Terry Edited February 15, 2014 by Starfire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 What the whole EMER Terry? Its not very exciting just 2 pages, it does refer to some detailed drawings that are required to make up the installation kit but I don't have those. Another clue may be the signs of high gloss white paint, as in identifying blood & wiping it away cleanly. Pigs in NI were painted white gloss in the interior, I would have imagined the same would have applied to Saracen ambulances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Thanks Clive, My interior is silver, but I dare say that it's been painted half a dozen times since the 80s. Cheers, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sary can Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Hi all, In researching My Saracen, I got these photos from Bovington. They show My best friend when she had completed conversion from APC Mk2 to ambulance at Alvis. That appears to have been in '73, with her next stop being MVEE Chertsy; could this suggest She was a test bed for the ambulance conversion? Interior appears to be silver. Anybody know what the large box on the back would be for? Now, how about this: The man in one of the pics is purported to be an Alvis employee... WHO could he be?.... I mean to find him, if he's still, well you know. Such a person could know a lot about the development of the Saracen Ambulance mod. Any good Alvis groups that might help find old employees? Anyway, I hope these pics are interesting. hope they are useful to You Starfire! Below, note what appears to be plywood and a bit of mesh on the rear hatch. Whats that about? When I found her a Mk 1 turret was fitted. (Still is.) Lost the original Mk 2 during testing at Chertsey? My wisdom is confined to a few late nights reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sary can Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Sorry- Actually, now as I look at them, I see the pics show the rear of the interior is oversprayed with another colour. The overspray that affected the data plate is still there, a primer grey sort of colour if I recall. Will check tomorrow. It looks like she went to Alvis fairly soon after returning from NI: It looks like some of the 'non silver colour' is worn a bit, so it may have been applied in NI or before? Could this be something on the lines of the repainting Clive mentioned? Field modded to Ambulance in NI, touched up at Alvis, then evaluated at Chertsey? Sorry, too many far fetched ideas, I'll stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 The Alvis FV Society may be able to help. Mick, Lew and Keith who founded the society are all long time Alvis employees so there is a good chance they would know him. I will try to ask next time I visit but it may be a few weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Very cool. I also note that it was fitted with a hull shocker. I still want one for mine! Cheers, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sary can Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Thanks very much Timbo, I will check out the Alvis group. Hey Terry, what's a hull shocker? My humble thanks to all who contribute to this forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Packhow75 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 White M3A1 Scout Car - Royal Netherlands Medical Corps - 1946 (ish): Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Thanks very much Timbo, I will check out the Alvis group. Hey Terry, what's a hull shocker? My humble thanks to all who contribute to this forum. Discussed at length here: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?42225-it-came-out-of-a-Saracen&highlight=hull+shocker Cheers, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynx42 Rick Cove Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Discussed at length here:http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?42225-it-came-out-of-a-Saracen&highlight=hull+shocker [ATTACH=CONFIG]96182[/ATTACH] Cheers, Terry Looks like the Hull Shocker works inside as well as outside the hull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 This picture showed up on Facebook the other day, and again shows my Saracen's rego number as an ambulance, so I guess there is more evidence that it spent some time as a blood box. The picture was supposedly taken outside of Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, in about 1975. The vehicle had already been converted to a Mk 5 but this was about 17 years before it was disposed of by the MOD in Hong Kong, so there are quite a few differences - especially conversion back to an APC role. I really need to get on to Bovington and get her history cards. Cheers, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.