fv1609 Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 (edited) Many will have noticed that I have been selling a number vehicles & various MV items. Those who are in the MVT will have seen in the latest Windscreen the reason for this. But for those who don't have access to the magazine, the explanation is here. Dale Prior 1949-2010 I am very sad to report the unexpected death of Dale Prior from Reading on 14th March 2010, a valued friend and Humber enthusiast. Dale was born on 1st October 1949 and as a boy first made contact with things green and mechanical when he was given a Jeep in the form of a pedal-car. His interest in military vehicles blossomed as a lad when in 1956 he watched convoys of vehicles bound for the Suez Canal heading along the A4 outside his house in Maidenhead. To see in real life the things that many of us saw only as Dinky toys created a lasting impression on this young lad. Young lads grow up and Dale served his apprenticeship as a vehicle mechanic for Fords in Maidenhead and then moved onto Citroen cars. But his interests were not sustained by domestic cars; his instincts led him to bigger things. He took on a job as the vehicle mechanic at a local gravel pit. This was a stimulating challenge not just in the range of vehicles and equipment to keep running but it was a test of his ingenuity to source components not readily available. Dale took out his HGV licence and derived great satisfaction in driving much of the heavy stuff that he had learnt to maintain. He enjoyed ten happy years on the road and I imagine they were happy years for the vehicles as well, given that they now had a driver who knew how to treat a vehicle with respect! For a while Dale relinquished the wheel and turned his hand again to repairing HGVs. The frustration of regularly repairing faults that could have often been avoided by greater respect for things automotive became too much and Dale took up his HGV driving again until his untimely death. But when did the real military vehicles come in? Not until he got married! A week before his marriage to Alison in 1973 she mentioned someone at her work was emigrating and was looking to dispose of a Jeep; well it was actually an Austin Champ just like the Dinky toy owned by the boy from Maidenhead. So that was the start, along the way other vehicles gradually accumulated culminating with three Humber Pigs, a Humber Malkara Test Truck, a Humber Wireless Light, a Humber GS, two 2A Land Rovers FFR, two Lightweight Land Rovers, a Defender 110, a V8 Pilot that belonged to his father and of course the faithful Champ. Although Dale along with his son Ashley would regularly attend shows it was never with any of his vehicles. Attending shows was too see other people’s vehicles and meet their owners but above all hunt for those elusive spares to keep his vehicles running. In fact we would often joke that our vehicles would outlast us both and we had a sort of duty to ensure that they did. To this end we spent many happy sunny days picking over Pigs in a scrap yard on Salisbury Plain. Dale was a modest and unassuming man and on a first meeting one might not gauge the extent of his collection. His modesty was such that he shied away from his name being quoted in print and to get a photograph of him was something of a challenge. But here is a picture of Dale with his mind on other things as he oversaw the removal of a Pig engine and gearbox, saved from becoming part of a range target. It had been an ambition of mine to get Dale to at least one show with one of his Humbers. But I know full well he derived just as much satisfaction visiting his vehicles, servicing them and just listening to the smooth purr of a B60 engine. Despite enjoying good health throughout his life, it is extraordinarily difficult to grasp that I have suddenly and inexplicably lost a very good friend. Clive Elliott Edited June 1, 2010 by fv1609 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 My sincere condolences, Clive. Keep your big end up. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 Very sad, my commiserations Clive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 Very sad, my commiserations Clive. Clive ,you can be very proud of the way you are assisting Dales family in their hour of need ! A true friend indeed ! Well done mate ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 A great loss, hopefully his vehicles etc are going to good homes.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted June 1, 2010 Author Share Posted June 1, 2010 Many thanks for your comments. I still haven't got used to the idea of what has happened. One particular regret was that my Pig was off the road at the time of Dale's funeral. Had it been running we would have liked to have used it for his final journey, something that he would have approved of. The irony being that some weeks earlier he was offering to come down & give me a hand with it. A memorial trophy has been set up to be awarded annually at W&P. This has a number of novel concepts. More details later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 Clive,sorry to hear of the loss of your friend, only a young feller, my condolences to you and his family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoggyDriver Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 Very sorry to hear about the sad loss of your friend Clive. Please give my respects to his faimily and friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Such a sad loss, to you, Dale's family and the rest of us enthusiasts, please accept my condolences Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted June 3, 2010 Author Share Posted June 3, 2010 A memorial trophy has been set up to be awarded annually at W&P. This has a number of novel concepts. More details later. http://www.warandpeaceshow.co.uk/Show-Information/2010-Show/Trophy-History.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
early british ww2 Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 http://www.warandpeaceshow.co.uk/Show-Information/2010-Show/Trophy-History.html Very appropriate Clive , I was shocked when I saw the Obituary in Windscreen as I missed Dale at Stoneleigh this year as we didn't get down - What a great guy he will be sadly missed - Please pass on my condolences to Alison and the family Rgds Glynn - Yorkshire Dales Area MVT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted July 3, 2010 Author Share Posted July 3, 2010 Here was Dale when he got this one a good 10 years ago, obviously quite delighted. (Shortly to be restored by Wayne) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted July 3, 2010 Author Share Posted July 3, 2010 Dale Prior Memorial Award After a lot of thought & many ideas, we have now had produced a plaque to commemorate Dale's interest in the Humber FV1600. We believe that the award is novel in a number of ways. Not only does it bring into focus the Humber series, but we believe for the first time focusses on servicing & originality as the key factors in judging for the award. The originality could the way in which the vehicle has been restored into a format that it was or may have been in service or it could mean even an unrestored vehicle but in a tidy original state. But whatever its condition it must be presented to show that it is being adequately serviced as it would have been during it military career. Many awards at shows are either trophies that must be returned or if they are to be kept then they rarely are of any real value. These plaques for Dale's award were expensive to produce & are made of 2mm brass measuring 4in x 6.5in which we hope will be treasured by the winners over the years. One side of the plaque is a close copy of the brass repair plaque for 28 BK 63, a Pig that Dale was working on in the photograph in his obituary. The drawing on the other side was been copied with the permission of the artist Jochen Vollert from his famous Humber book. The family wish me to thank the many people, who in their various ways, have expressed their sorrow for the loss of Dale. This has brought them much satisfaction & comfort. Alison & Ashley will be attending the War & Peace Show on the Sunday & they look forward to presenting the winner with this new & unusual award. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 Clive ,you can be very proud of the way you are assisting Dales family in their hour of need ! A true friend indeed ! Well done mate ! I will quote Andy's comment, as he summed it up, A true friend indeed ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted July 30, 2010 Author Share Posted July 30, 2010 Here comes the winner who we thought wasn't going to make it into the arena in time. A well known Pig & Scammell owner from this very forum! Photo courtesy of Mark Barnes, showing Andy receiving his W&P award & the prestigeous Humber brass plaque. Ashley is presenting the award in memory of his dad & mum Alison on the right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Well done Andy mate, Daisy's next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Here comes the winner who we thought wasn't going to make it into the arena in time. A well known Pig & Scammell owner from this very forum! Photo courtesy of Mark Barnes, showing Andy receiving his W&P award & the prestigeous Humber brass plaque. Ashley is presenting the award in memory of his dad & mum Alison on the right. Thanks for presenting my Pig with Dales Memorial award Clive ! I was pleased as punch to win especially as I know how much the award means to you ! I'm very pleased to have met Dales family and regret never meeting Dale as I'm sure I would have learn't a lot from him , as I have from you ! Thanks again mate ! Andy ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Well done Andy mate, Daisy's next! Thanks Bernard ! Hope to see you again soon mate ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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