Jump to content

Northern Ireland Oddities Help Wanted


davewood

Recommended Posts

Hi All

I am trying to find photos of two vehicles used in northern ireland in the 70's-80's, The first being a variant of the LandRover 109 which I think was called Panther(or Black Panther) and was open topped with a small "shed" like structure behind the driver/passenger compartment and was for countermeasures or surveillance?

The other is a VPK mobile chip van "The Codpiece", a picture of the side of this is shown in Simon Dunstans British Army in Northern ireland Book but doesnt show enough to identify make, looks to be a Bedfor CF or Transit Hawson type van,but I am trying to find clearer views .

Amy help would be appreciated

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
The other is a VPK mobile chip van "The Codpiece", a picture of the side of this is shown in Simon Dunstans British Army in Northern ireland Book but doesnt show enough to identify make, looks to be a Bedfor CF or Transit Hawson type van,but I am trying to find clearer views .

Amy help would be appreciated

 

There's a drawing of one on ebay:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARMY-CATERING-CORPS-BELFAST-N-IRELAND-1972-ULSTER-RUC_W0QQitemZ380220902300QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_Militaria_LE?hash=item5886ee8b9c

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

From the illustration it looks like a Bedford J type with Hawson bodywork. Some of these were used by RCT units.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi All

I am trying to find photos of two vehicles used in northern ireland in the 70's-80's, The first being a variant of the LandRover 109 which I think was called Panther(or Black Panther) and was open topped with a small "shed" like structure behind the driver/passenger compartment and was for countermeasures or surveillance?

 

 

I seem to remember the Rover at Girdwood Park, Belfast, home to "E Troop" 233 Signal Squadron (NI).It was painted black as it was used at night. I was installing Pye Westminsters into the Army Fire Service armoured fire appliances at the time and as I wasn't "in the loop" didn't get to find out anything about the beast. It disappeared after a short time, so I suspect it was a trials system that wasn't that much cop, like so much stuff we had at the time, like CLARABEL. I don't think it was photographed - certainly not by us (don't know about the oppostion!).

 

The two vehicles that were a common sight at Girdwood were the two 109s with Makrolon bodywork - one with a loudspeaker array (in a cage), and the other with a fibreglass bin on the rooof (DF vehicle). We always had to have a heavy escort for those vehicles - the loudspeaker one was used to disperse riots with exremely loud, earsplitting tones that caused bowel misfunctions! I remember it as being a two-tone vehicle - olive drab and brick dust!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 years later...

I was with the RCT LAD in Lisburn in 1972/3 and a chip van was an occasional visitor. I never worked on it myself but those who did hated getting underneath because it was dripping (no pun intended) with chip fat. I don't recall what make it was but I'm sure it was a different type than that shown here and also was painted white if memory serves correctly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...