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Belgian CVRTs...Any Service Records available?


Duffy

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I spoke to the chap from the belgian museum (who has been on here occasionally), who said they have a tendency to destroy the records when the vehicles are cast. Shame as i have a (very scratty) belgian scimitar in un white, and would love to know where it served. Favourites seem to be somalia or balkans...

 

Cheers

Tim

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  • 3 weeks later...
The Belgians were deployed in a number of noteworthy locations.

 

Are there any records similar to the Tank Museum or Merlin Reports?

 

Alan

Belgian Army does not have a policy to keep service documents.

Once out of service, docs are destroyed.

CVRT's transferring to the Army Museum sometimes keep their documents but these are maintenance documents and do not carry service records.When vehicles are deployed the logistical chain follows them on their license plate but after the mission no tracks are kept.You might find a black square with a three digit number on it and this refers to the unit in wich it served, for ex. 057 = 2nd Lancers Regiment.This could give you a clue.

Operations in wich belgian CVRT's were involved are numerous: Belgian Forces in Germany, Croatia, Kosovo,Somalia, Rwanda etc.Most of the CVRT's engaged served with the light cavalry regiments called "Jagers te Paard". We used to have three regiments of these, each equipped with around 100 CVRT's.of all types.

Every recce platoon of the tank-and infantry regiments had 7 CVRT's, tank squadrons used Spartans as PC and LAD mec vehicle.In total Be Army had more than 7OO CVRT's.

 

William Testaert.

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I am looking for the year of manufacture of my belgian Spartan. Where can i find a hint?

Or when are Spartans delivered to Belgium?

Hello,

 

At the right or left rear side (not the back) of your SPA you should find some letters and digit's ex: BESPA XXXX, put the number 65 before these digit's and you have your belgian MOD license plate.

Now, the hulls were produced by a Belgian firm ASCO, they still exsist but manufacture airplane parts nowadays.

Most of our CVRT's were produced around 1973-74. Samaritans where the last ones.

For ex 65665 was hull 665, in this case a SULTAN. (my first CVRT when I joined...)

This ALVIS club or something might be a bit more helpfull..

Hope I was of any help!

Cheers,

William

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Bill

 

Are there many privately owned cvrt's in Belgium?

 

Tim

I know of one bloke who collects UK CVRT's but his name I will have to look up.

I just contacted a friend who was cvrt testdriver at ASCO who produced CVRT's under license in Belgium.

He is almost 80 but still drivers our museum's Striker.

He doens't recall any id plate whatsoever in our vehicles, so for the moment I stick to my stand: I cannot tell you when your vehicle was produced nor where it first served.

We have a proto Spartan and a proto Scorpion and they have UK style ID plates but that's it.

To find the black squares look at my pics. they might lead us to something.

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Hello All

 

There are black squares on the left hand side, one on the back cargo bin, one on the left side rear and one on the front, left beneath the licence plate. But they are all blank, maybe my Spartan was reserve stock??? The clock shows only 110 km's if not replaced since service.

 

My Spartan was shortly imported to Switzerland and the only one here as far as i know..

 

I will show the vehicle the bigest HMV event here in Switzerland, www.convoy.ch in early august. To introduce and honor this vehicle to the public, i'm looking for the year of manufacturing and some history of the Spartan (or general belgian Spartans history) .

 

Thank you for any hints, time is short to the event.

 

Raphael14062013421.jpg

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Definitely a Belgian Spartan.

Did you find a black square with a 3 digit number on it?

I will hav to check a bit further.

William

 

You all got me cornered with this idendification problem!

I admit I did not pay much attention to this before.

I looked into one of our Spartans and found an ID plate near the back switch-box but no other vehicle seems to have one!

Serials are all mixed-up and correspond to nothing...more intriguiing than I tought!

the only thing I can come up with sofar is that:

When vehicles were built the licenseplate corresponded to the serial nrs.

During the late 80ies our CVRT's underwent a major reconstruction, they were totally take apart and rebuilt.

It is probable that they got licenseplates when they came of the constructionline wich then did not correspond to their former number.

If you are interested all our OPS CVRT'S will be on display during the URSEL WING AND WHEELS show during the week-end of 10-11 aug.

Urselairfield lies is in Ursel near Aalter easily reached from the coast trough the E 40.

William

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Locations are absolutely correct.

Might be possible to grind one slightly, a number might appear.

Might it be possible you found a red and blue square on it?

 

William

Hello All

 

There are black squares on the left hand side, one on the back cargo bin, one on the left side rear and one on the front, left beneath the licence plate. But they are all blank, maybe my Spartan was reserve stock??? The clock shows only 110 km's if not replaced since service.

 

My Spartan was shortly imported to Switzerland and the only one here as far as i know..

 

I will show the vehicle the bigest HMV event here in Switzerland, www.convoy.ch in early august. To introduce and honor this vehicle to the public, i'm looking for the year of manufacturing and some history of the Spartan (or general belgian Spartans history) .

 

Thank you for any hints, time is short to the event.

 

Raphael[ATTACH=CONFIG]80010[/ATTACH]

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If what i see at the right rear stowagebin is a red and blue square this means that this spartan was used by an artillery batallion, most probably used by the forward observers.

It is definitely a modernised vehicle since it carrie s new type fire extinguishers.

License plat should be beneath the rear door, onto this special iron plate illuminated with the little light on top of it.

William

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  • 1 month later...

Speaking of this,

 

Here are two markings off of our Belgian Scorpion, 65068 (quite a low hull number!)

Anyone have any thoughts on these ?

 

12 Recce , on the driver side front Gearbox cover, as well as on Drivers side stowage bin, "080" in black square, in usual location

 

many thanks

 

Nick

Belgian CVRT marking detail 002.jpg

Belgian CVRT marking detail 001.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 years later...

I know its an old thread but I am still trying to find the date of my Spartan chassis BESPA184/65472 with no luck ,is there any one can help I have tried

Brussels tank Museum

Alvis Society

Military Vehicle Trust

BAE Systems

all with no success ,MVT cut me off ,he is very busy .So as you can see any help grateful all I need is a nice letter for the Revenue man in Ireland

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