Surveyor Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 i'm going back down on thursday to move the tank and reassemble it as best i can. we'll be using a giant 4x4 forklift to up end it and get the crap out of it, after which it will be moved nearer to the main building and put together with the parts we have.i'm looking for volunteers to help with the resto. i'm bringing a gas axe and welder genset and an assortment of large hammers. anyone that knows how to use these precision tools will be most welcome this will be a one day resto If only I was closer or when down in Southampton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 What you have all been waiting for. There was a good amount of original green paint still but what we all want to know is what the T number represents. Obviously it is the tank number but can anybody relate it to a particular vehicle and its service in a particular brigade or division. There was also a red tac sign with 51. The ugly person in the tank is Rick who thinks it is his personal property (it probably is - well done Rick) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Well done, Rick Your tank's census number T18656 falls into the following groups; [h=2]T18361 - T18660 CovenanterI, II, Bridgelayer[/h][h=2]T18661 - T18760 CovenanterI, Bridgelayer [/h]These numbers are from the pre-1948 A Vehicle census list on the MAFVA website. Not sure where it means these groups were gun tanks and bridgelayers or just the latter. You will have to look for unusual fittings on the hull to ascertain if it was a bridgelayer. regards, Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Suslowicz Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 I thought you were joking about picking it up with a forklift! :shocked: (I hope the "one day restoration" was a joke, at least, it looks in surprisingly good condition for something that has been buried for 72 years or so.) Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1960 Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Amazing stuff !!!! :bow: Rick you are a star!!! Is the turret form the same site ..only it looks different colour ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draganm Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 bridge-layer might explain lack of turret, but then again it's also missing the "bridge'y parts " Important thing is it's recovered, job well done . Is that the engine and final drive in the 4th photo, still in the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 It's clearly a Mk III gun tank, T18656 was an English Electric built tank to contract T104 which covered Mk I, II, III and bridgelayers. The turret came from either Pirbright or SPTA, I can't remember which! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Rowe Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 I concur with Adrian, there were 300 built in that contract by English Electric, as being I , III , IV marks which included 28 bridge layers out of that 300. The BL's were based on a MKI or Mk IV chassis , built without turrets for this purpose rather than converted gun tanks. Total production figures are something like 1771, being 500 MkI (20 B/L ), 680 MkIII , 585 MkIV ( 60 B/L ) Cheers Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 It's clearly a Mk III gun tank, T18656 was an English Electric built tank to contract T104 which covered Mk I, II, III and bridgelayers. The turret came from either Pirbright or SPTA, I can't remember which! It is definitely a gun tank - it still had some of the cardboard inserts in the shell racks. The engine, final drive and radiators are still in situ What we would love to find out is what unit it belonged to. the first one dug up in the 1980's had a 79th AD badge (see my previous photos) but we cannot make out any badge or markings except what I have mentioned above. Does the 51/red square with the T number correlate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Any idea how much you actually shoveled out of it? What is the basic state of the interior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Does the 51/red square with the T number correlate? Nope, the 51 indicates the senior regiment in the brigade at the time, the T number is just the census number of the tank. You would need the formation sign to figure out the user. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisgrove Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 There is Boar hill between coldharbour and North Holmwood which I believe is still in use, we used to collect bullets from the sand pits at Milton heath between Dorking and Westcott as kids 50 years ago, it was a wartime range. Yes extremely like that, what a great start! Westcott was still in use as a range in 1958; put many a round down there when I was at school in Leatherhead. Was that really 60 years ago? I must be getting on! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lawrence Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Rick has finally gone home having welded most of the loose bits onto the tank and put a grill over the turret top to keep the great unwashed of Dorking off his toy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 couple of long hard days for sure but worth it, finally got home at 10.30 pm. and so onto the next buried tank :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rog8811 Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 great unwashed of Dorking Oy, we do not have unwashed in Dorking great or otherwise :mad: Looks a whole lot better for the wash and brush up, well done Rick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrev Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 (edited) The thought of the work involved in restoring that thing is sobering to say the least. I would guess that both the engine and transmission will have taken hits during its target days, hull work can be done from new materials, but how to source a usable Meadows engine and a correct Wilson transmission would be quite a task? By the way, many years ago I came across 2 or 3 sets of those unique road wheels with the characteristic holes/dimples in the rubber tyre in a scrap yard in central Victoria. I do remember that the pair of wheels on the swing arm were darn heavy. At the time I had no way of transporting them. They were complete to the swing arm which is where they had been oxy cut off the vehicle (of which no trace remained). I offered to recover them for Bovvy, who showed no interest even though their Crusader had damaged rubber on its road wheels, so did not take it any further at that time. On the next visit they had gone and when I asked where was told to South Australia. Given that the HMV community in SA isn't all that big, chances are that some enquiries may locate them. Worth a try. Regards Doug Edited June 3, 2017 by dgrev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 but how to source a ............. correct Wilson transmission would be quite a task? There is new or as new one available, I have told Rick, and it is in NSW...... 'no names, no pack drill' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Child Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 The thought of the work involved in restoring that thing is sobering to say the least. Now that it's recovered, I'm hoping Rick will work his way up to it by finishing the work on a certain Charioteer first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 (edited) lauren charioteers are boring i want a real challenge to get stuck into Edited June 4, 2017 by eddy8men Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 unfortunately i never take many pics of my antics as i'm normally otherwise engaged but i did manage a few of the covenanter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 my favourite. i love the angle of the engine compartment vents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrev Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 Rick I note the turret ring has taken a massive hit. What size turret ring fits? Is it the same as Matilda, Staghound, Lee/Grant? Regards Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 doug the left side of the tank looks like it was used for infantry demolition training and is absolutely hammered. i don't know what size ring will fit yet but i'm sure i will get to grips with it one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draganm Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 doug the left side of the tank looks like it was used for infantry demolition training . That was my first thought as well, combat engineer training with a charge placed on the sponson, just above or slightly behind the 2nd road-wheel, which blew off 2 wheels, the turret, and buckled the ring. Looking at the timing though, Coventanters relegated for scrapping in 43 , and PIAT introduced in 43, first unit issued PIAT's were Canadian (who were also the last to operate these covenanters according to Denbies hisotry) is it possible that the damage was caused by a tank hunter crew training with PIAT ? At least you have most of the unique Covey parts, like those radiator covers and turret. Wheels and tracks are still probably pretty rare but look like they might have been shared with other early cruisers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 I look forward to seeing it running in a few years! 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.