Jack Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Great work Clive - I know that bend and that stretch of road very well but I would of never recognised it! I do adore now and then pictures............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Coupling 2 Diamond T's really looks impressive!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Photo links repaired. Great pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I know that area, used to work at Wotton Rivers, I wonder how they got on with the switch backs later on? Not to mention the narrow bridge over the Kennet & Avon canal. That incidentally was also a defence point , I belive the pill boxes are still there. There are also two on small bridges at Wotton rivers, one on Manaor farm where I worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Clive ,About the close up of the homes in posting #15 , Those are some STEEP! roof's , is there a reason they constructed them so ? other than it a local look ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Marlbourgh had a 'Great Fire' some time in the 16th Century. From then on thatched roofs in the town were banned. The local style of thatch is quite steep. The whole area is a historians dream, Avebury, Spilbury hill Martinsell iron age fort, Savernake Crofton pump engines, the Calne Hill flight of locks, not to mention the GHQ line. the whole area is also a conservation area, the steep roofs are a hangover from the thatch period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Thank you for the information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeEnfield Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Great thread; Cheers to all posters, and to Clive for the comparison pics. All the best, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Take a look round on Google earth. Merlin's Seat in the school. Spilbury Hill off to the West, Avbury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Jim Clark (HMVF member and owner & restorer of Sherman Tank - Sloppy But Save) called me last night to say that he had a set of the Stuart Tank Bearings I was looking for on the HMVF Classified thread - Excellent news! Whiltst chatting he told me how much he had enjoyed this thread and did I have any pictures of the recreation we did of the original photograph at the MVT National Show at Kemble last year? Well, yes I have and here they are Jim :-) Ok so its not an M-10 and its not in Marlborough - But we are working on that ;-) Enjoy! Jim Clark loads the Sherman aboard Andrew Blackford's M19 Combination! "Keep her straight and power-on" Martin Hammond guides Jim up the trailer bed. I hope he was extremely gentle putting that tank on the transporter. It looks to me like there is a lot of weight on the idler as the tank reaches its maximum nose-up attitude, and the idler is not the strongest part of the suspension, being adjustable to tension the track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I hope he was extremely gentle putting that tank on the transporter. He must have been, with that guide walking backwards across a low loader deck, only a few feet in front of the tank . . . Hanno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 But look at the detail in the picture. Look at the cargo - M-10 tank destroyers with ply-wood covers and a vision hole for the driver? Clive, Thanks for this excellent picture. The plywood cover is for shipping purposes. I have not seen this variant before, but it nicely covers the open-top turret, engine deck and any extra suplies carries on the rear deck, all in one go. Hanno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david052 Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 He must have been, with that guide walking backwards across a low loader deck, only a few feet in front of the tank . . . Hanno My thoughts exactly! Where is his escape route if it all goes wrong suddenly? Biiiiiig steps would be needed, as in the old saw, 'what steps would you take in case of emergency?'. Interesting though, 'elf and safety is becoming embedded in this business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Batchelor Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Nice picture, I wouldn't have recognised it either despite being born in savernake hospital! We've had the scammell and lowloader up that hill a few times, first gear all the way counting the manhole covers one by one! Used to keep it on a farm at Wooton rivers (mentioned by someone else - small world!) and know the 'S' bend over the canal/railway bridge with the pill boxes - bit of a bottle neck for that convoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Regarding the loading of tanks, I agree 100%, the only safe place to be and indeed the best place from the point of view of visibility is as far from the tank as is practical. I would stand in the back of the Diamond T. Having said all that, I think Martin is guiding Jim off the trailer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Having said all that, I think Martin is guiding Jim off the trailer. Well done Barrell, I was waiting for somebody to spot that:cool2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Well done Barrell, I was waiting for somebody to spot that:cool2: Thankyou sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Having said all that, I think Martin is guiding Jim off the trailer. Well spotted! H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 The plywood cover is for shipping purposes. I have not seen this variant before, but it nicely covers the open-top turret, engine deck and any extra suplies carries on the rear deck, all in one go. For reference, here is a picture showing the typical method of shipping tanks. All the apertures have been sealed, and a crate with supplies/spare parts carried on the rear deck. Hanno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
253cmg Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Hi Guys excellent and informative thread, the before and after pics are great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Where is Clive, we need more pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 For reference, here is a picture showing the typical method of shipping tanks. All the apertures have been sealed, and a crate with supplies/spare parts carried on the rear deck. Hanno I wonder how many ended up on the bottom of the Atlantic ? Do records exist of actual numbers that made it here ? I think those Merchant Navy chaps where bloody brave ! Especially the ammo ship and tanker sailors ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 Proably should go into the naval section, but as thread threads diversefies. There are two famous Merchant Navy Oil Tanker stories, Ohio, on Operation Pedestal and San Demitro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Rae Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 I agree, they are shipping boxes. The one which is often seen (prior to loading for the Normandy landings) is a real heavy gunge which is dark-colored. Could be that the sealant has soaked into the plywood? I love this bit with the 'Double-headers' It's a fantastic pic - thanks for sharing it!:-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M5Clive Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 Nice picture, I wouldn't have recognised it either despite being born in savernake hospital! We've had the scammell and lowloader up that hill a few times, first gear all the way counting the manhole covers one by one! Used to keep it on a farm at Wooton rivers (mentioned by someone else - small world!) and know the 'S' bend over the canal/railway bridge with the pill boxes - bit of a bottle neck for that convoy. I was born in Savernake Hospital too! We used to keep our fleet of four GMC CCKW's at a farm at Burbage for many years before I relocated to Suffolk and Neil moved to Notts. We always took our Red Ball Express convoys of the early 1990's up that hill as well, just to separate the men from the boys on slick gear changing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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