Humber PIG Pictures

[fv1609]

The great thing about it is that the original screen was very homemade. It's just cobbled together with door hinges & old springs etc. I had to deliberately not make mine look too swish! I'll dig out the pics.

[fv1609]

I can get hold of plenty of that mesh so that wouldnt be hard to replicate, the photo's would be good!!

 

Well you asked for them, here goes!

 

 

Don't worry about measurements just make it to the vehicle. I know mine had this type of screen fitted as I could see where the hinges were welded to the wiper blocks. Also there is a hook on each visor & one in the middle of the engine bay central cover plate.

[Adam Elsdon]

I take it the idea is that the small hatch springs would let go, if the hatches were swung down, and the mesh falls/hinges forwards onto the bonnet. Your right though, it all looks a bit over engineered :-D

[fv1609]

Adam. I always used to unhook the upper springs then lower the hatches then attach the centre spring to the bonnet to stop it bouncing up as you go along. Although there is an element of edge wiggle as you go along even with the centre spring engaged.

 

The visors seemed to be largely redundant as the mesh always seemed to be used with the windscreens in place. Obviously the windscreens need to come out otherwise they are smashed by the No.17 Periscopes. Of the few pics I have seen the periscopes are not fitted suggesting the pig was used with windscreens fitted & mesh up most of the time.

[paul connor]

I reconise that picture Cliv! I do belive I own said 30BK43 in the pictures, If anyone would like to measure or see in the flesh/metal PM me and if your in the Lewes East sussex area pop over.

 

I should really do something for the Op Banner, As I have a flying Mk1 with sandbags on the wings and now barb wire so it does look the part.

[Adam Elsdon]

I should really do something for the Op Banner, As I have a flying Mk1 with sandbags on the wings and now barb wire so it does look the part.

 

Quite right! for so long it has been sidelined, but an awful lot of Military personnell and innocent civilians were caught up in the events that took place.

I dont think there has been an event i have turned up to where somebody hasnt came over and imparted their recollection of a Humber Pig in Northern Ireland, even the chap at the local tip i went to told me how he always felt sick in the back of them, not always because of the vehicle though...

 

I think it would be fitting to have a few reminders driving about.

[Adam Elsdon]

Clive, would early N.I. pigs have come in Olive Drab, its just i dont fancy painting mine DBG, i have never been that keen on it, mainly because it looks a bit too shiney!

[fv1609]

Adam could be either. Some people make the mistake of painting their Pigs in NATO Green. That colour only came into use in late 1980. Initially it largely depended whether the Pig was still in service or whether it was one of the 200 that had been recovered & from where they had been recovered. So as late as 1972 there were still Mk 1s with disruptive green (OD) & black. No doubt if they were paint bombed there would be repainted. But there was not enough time for painting for the sake of it. The result of Op Marble concluded that bringing these recovered Pigs into service took twice as long as anticipated. Mechanicals would have had priority over the niceties of a new paint job.

 

The most extraordinary coloured pig was on a clip in "The Rock & Roll Years" TV series. They played pop music of the year coupled with news clips. This was early 70s & the Pig was a reddish-brown with disruptive DBG, awful!

 

This strange colour scheme was repeated in 1971-ish (for a while) on Triton 1 & 2. These 2 ex-RUC water cannon were originally grey. Quite why the 17/21 Lancers who operated them thought brown & green was appropriate to urban conflict I don't know.

[fv1609]

Note the side support to keep the frame firmly fixed, rather than relying on a spring each end clipped to the top of each visor. Not only is the frame shorter but there is no flare at the side. It is more closely fitted around the visor & allows the edges to be clamped firmly.

 

Edited November 13, 2008 by fv1609

[AndyFowler]

Pig on Ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HUMBER-PIG-HISTORIC-VEHICLE-1954-1-TON-ARMOURED-4X4_W0QQitemZ220312433233QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Car_Parts_Vehicles_Automobila_ET?hash=item220312433233&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Edited November 15, 2008 by Marmite!!
Photos removed copyright ebay

[fv1609]

The usual problem of defining age of a pig. In 1954 there were no pigs. This vehicle went into service as a FV1601 GS Truck on 26/4/54. It would have become a ROF Woolich made pig in 1958-60.

 

Rather unusual colour scheme, although that can be changed easily. Looks fairly complete.

 

I notice that it has the 4WD lever engaged, buyer would need to check it is capable of being driven on rear axle ie with 4WD lever in up position & horizontal.

 

Interesting history this was struck off to RARDE Fort Halstead 16/11/77. There were a couple of pigs there registered as 00 WB 25 & 00 WB 37 but I always thought they were FV1612.

[Adam Elsdon]

This was on e-bay about 6 months ago, i was trying to find the thread about it, but cant see it.

It was originally painted black all over, and apparently was a good runner back then. It looked like it might have been used as a Limo type thing at the time. Give away points as being the same vehicle, the insides of the doors are still black, the windscreens are strange and i see it still has its enormous choke knob! and it looks like it still lives at the same location, if somebody bought it, it didnt go far!

Could of took the time to find some decent paint, looks like he has done it to raise its price/make a known vehicle look different.:confused:

 

Must be the thing in the scottish lowlands to take a perfectly good post war military vehicle and make it look tarty, there was a Ferret with chrome bling and red vinyl interior on e-bay repeatedly for a while!

Edited November 15, 2008 by Adam Elsdon

[Adam Elsdon]

Adam could be either. Some people make the mistake of painting their Pigs in NATO Green. That colour only came into use in late 1980. Initially it largely depended whether the Pig was still in service or whether it was one of the 200 that had been recovered & from where they had been recovered. So as late as 1972 there were still Mk 1s with disruptive green (OD) & black. No doubt if they were paint bombed there would be repainted. But there was not enough time for painting for the sake of it. The result of Op Marble concluded that bringing these recovered Pigs into service took twice as long as anticipated. Mechanicals would have had priority over the niceties of a new paint job.

 

The most extraordinary coloured pig was on a clip in "The Rock & Roll Years" TV series. They played pop music of the year coupled with news clips. This was early 70s & the Pig was a reddish-brown with disruptive DBG, awful!

 

This strange colour scheme was repeated in 1971-ish (for a while) on Triton 1 & 2. These 2 ex-RUC water cannon were originally grey. Quite why the 17/21 Lancers who operated them thought brown & green was appropriate to urban conflict I don't know.

 

As they were the Lancers i would of thought if they were going to camouflage paint them, the Berlin paint scheme would of being the way to go, at least its harder to see in built up areas, but i suppose it would of been a bit of a chore to keep on tarting them up if they kept on having paint chucked at them.

 

For those who are wondering what Berlin cam is!!:

[fv1609]

As they were the Lancers i would of thought if they were going to camouflage paint them, the Berlin paint scheme would of being the way to go, at least its harder to see in built up areas,

 

Even if they left them in the original RUC grey that would have been better. Or maybe they just got bored & needed some artistic outlet!

[fv1609]

This was on e-bay about 6 months ago, i was trying to find the thread about it, but cant see it.

 

Ah yes it is familiar. Those strange windscreens & the fire extinguisher put in the wrong place.

 

He has copied the parts book & fallen into the trap of mounting the fire extinguisher on the driver's door. The parts book is wrong! They incorrectly used a picture from a Hornet that has the extinguisher there together with a Pouch, drivers, general purpose whereas the Pig had only had an AFV first aid kit there & the fire extinguisher was mounted behind the passenger next to the machete.

[Roland]

@clive

 

Do you have a picture of a correct driver door (inside) with the mounting or box (?) for the first aid kit? My pig door is empty there. My first aid box stored behind the driver seat and I like to do the job for the right placement.

 

Another question please: Are there no mountings in the driver/commander area for any guns or rifles? Were do the crew stored them. And what gun will be the right choice then (in british army service at Cyprus, Berlin, Malaya...):

STEN, STERLING, L1A1, 9mmFN Pistol... ???

[fv1609]

Roland

Somewhere I have pictures & measurements of the first aid box mounting bracket. Can you see any old weld marks on the door where it once was?

 

AFAIK there were no formal mountings for weapons in the Mk 1. I'm not into weapons so have no idea what sort of things were carried by crew, sorry.

[Roland]

As I removed all paint I found two weld marks at the driver door. There were squared areas of about 1" to 3" without paint beside. These marks are gone with sandblasting and new painting.

[seany]

hopefully these will come out ? changing the driveshaft gaiter , very interesting job

[seany]

hooray they did ! , this is the pig that my boss used to go courting in !

[vor]

Hi, here are a couple of pictures of my old pig. It was bought in 1990 from a local garage who tried to convert it in to a recovery vehicle. The roof was very roughly removed with a gas torch, and all bolted on armour also removed. The doors and roof were replaced with thin tin items. The first picture is it coming home to start restoration; the second one was taken three months later at its first rally. The missing pieces were replaced from parts removed from a scrap pig in Bradford. The registration plate in the first photo was from a1972 Ford cortina which the pig had somehow managed to acquire before I got it. If memory serves me well I think the army number was 26 BK 32.

 

Cheers Stan.

[Adam Elkins]

Great transformation, another one saved. well done.

[AndyFowler]

Nice to see ! A lot of work but well worth it ! :-D

[Adam Elsdon]

Hi, here are a couple of pictures of my old pig. It was bought in 1990 from a local garage who tried to convert it in to a recovery vehicle. The roof was very roughly removed with a gas torch, and all bolted on armour also removed. The doors and roof were replaced with thin tin items. The first picture is it coming home to start restoration; the second one was taken three months later at its first rally. The missing pieces were replaced from parts removed from a scrap pig in Bradford. The registration plate in the first photo was from a1972 Ford cortina which the pig had somehow managed to acquire before I got it. If memory serves me well I think the army number was 26 BK 32.

 

Cheers Stan.

 

VOR/Stan, i think the roof came off well before then, a garage in Insch had it for a little while, he was asked to make the N.I. style rear wings for it, he thought my pig was the same one but then mentioned that the one he worked on had the roof cut off, he seemed to think that it was used for forestry type work by a farmer. He has an aerial photograph of his garage from years ago, and you can just make it out in his yard. I have been keeping an eye out locally ever since hoping to come across its carcass in someones back yard!

 

Do you still have it, or has it moved on..

Edited November 17, 2008 by Adam Elsdon

[vor]

I bought the pig from the garage in Insch. They apparently had made and fitted all the tin work for the owner, but there was some dispute over the cost and the pig ended up being left at the garage. It lay there for several years before I got it. I sold it in 1995 but I believe it is still in the Stonehaven area. If you need tyres, I still have a set of 1100 X 20 Dunlop Trakgrip runflats.

 

Cheers Stan.