fv1609 Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 (edited) Why has'nt it got a reg number on it ? Because I assume it is not in service with the British Army. These men do not look like British troops in complexion, stature & uniform. This is confirmed by the Greek flag which would not be adorning a British vehicle. Not only are there non-standard mods, which look primitive, but the rear light cluster is smashed I would have thought any REME LAD would not let that remain for long & there is a non-standard mirror of a different colour. The bridge plate has been painted over, British vehicles of Pig weight not only displayed the disc in yellow but it was marked up with its bridge class. In fact the weight of vehicles over many bridges was a very touchy subject with the local leaders. So much so that sometimes understated weights were displayed to get around local objections! British Pigs in Cyprus were invariably sand coloured. This colour looks very dark & is probably dark blue almost black, a colour used later on Shorlands by the Greek Cypriot Police. So I assume these soldiers are their forerunners. Edited March 21, 2009 by fv1609 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Well done Clive, not British but it was Cyprus but was seeing if anyone would spot that.. The Invasion TOYRKIKH began the morning of July 20, 1974 with the landing of Turkish troops in the area five miles just outside Kyrenia. On Monday morning, 7:45, 22 July 1974, we started from the BMH, situated 21 IF (squadron Recognition) 35 people with four FV-1611 Humber "Pig" (armored personnel vehicles, the English origin) and 5 M / I (Marmon Herrington, English tanks of World War II). http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=el&u=http://phivosnicolaides.blogspot.com/&ei=ntXESabkGdSyjAfQlfiPCw&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dphivosnicolaides.blogspot.com%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GZAZ_en-GBGB307GB307%26sa%3DN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Cyprus?? ...........and to add another detail. In the top left photo, on the wall is a sign for Nuffield tractors, so likely this was taken outside a garage or workshops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Scan of a B&W photo I was given yesterday.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Sharp looking Pig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul connor Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Odd with a BF prefix in the reg? not in service? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Odd with a BF prefix in the reg? not in service? It used to hang around Duxford. According to the Max Richards Humber Register it should really be 05 BK 71. That doesn't tally though as that ERM was a FV1601 struck off on 22/5/64. I believe it is in the hands of Roger from Essex. I'm sure it will be properly cared for in his hands. He was at W&P last year with a FV1601 dressed up as a FV1604 by a previous owner. It went through a number of owners & Roger has started work on it. Superb effort & workmanship. Welding up a Pig is one thing but fabricating bodywork for a non-armoured Humber requires great skill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 (edited) It used to hang around Duxford. According to the Max Richards Humber Register it should really be 05 BK 71. That doesn't tally though as that ERM was a FV1601 struck off on 22/5/64. . Well done Clive, the photo was given to me by George Wade who worked on the restoration at Duxford & this is where the photo was taken... Update from George, he says that photo was taken in 1971... Edited March 23, 2009 by Marmite!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Another picture of a Pig in Cyprus, this time British Army, belonging to the Glosters dated 1964. Plenty of barbed wire on the roof and the front, and note the Union Jack tied across the engine covers. The chap lying on the vehicle is a local interpreter. Edited March 31, 2009 by Adam Elsdon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Its either a FV1611 or a FV1612 that is still FFW & not been converted to FFR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I was just about to go to work on the possible vehicles it was, then it looked familiar http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?t=7062&page=42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Didnt think id posted that one :shocked: Thats why im off work with a temperature of 102 ! Edited April 3, 2009 by Adam Elsdon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 (edited) Clive, Reading elsewhere on the forum about how much it cost to build different vehicles. I remember reading something somewhere about Pigs been converted on time and to a just under budget cost, but what was it? Just a bit of trivia for the public on my vehicle information notice board. You will be glad to know i have been busy tidying up the nick nacks i got from you, and most of it is now adorning the Pig, the side hatch was a bugger though, took a bit of custom fettling with a grinder before it fitted properly. Edited April 3, 2009 by Adam Elsdon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Adam just wondering is your body a Sankey? The flap you had was from a ROF pig, shouldn't be a difference, in theory! Costs of FV1600: The costs of manufacture varied with time. In April 1954 the first 250 of the FV1601 with the winch cost £4,250 each but by August 1954 this had fallen to £3,350. Whereas the FV1602(A) had cost £3,250 in March 1952 this had risen to £3,500 in February 1956 and at the same time the winched version came in at £3,650. The cost of converting a FV1601 to a FV1611 was estimated at £6,000 and for a FV1602 to FV1612 £5,700.This was at a time when the cost of the B60 engine was £730 3s 0d. The estimated cost of the conversion of the FV1602 to the 20 FV1609 prototypes was £5,950. In fact the actual cost was £5,650. I imagine one of the few occasions in the history of human conflict when a defence project actually cost was less than estimated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elkins Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 What about the FV1613 clive, any info on cost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 What about the FV1613 clive, any info on cost? Adam no idea I'm afraid. It wasn't a manufactured variant but merely a REME conversion of FV1611 done under the authority of an EMER issued in January 1965. Even if one could find the cost of the conversion kits you would need to factor in labour. The kits were in 4 parts: LV9/BOE/MOD/22348 LV9/BOE/MOD/20762 LV9/BOE/MOD/20763 LV9/BOE/MOD/22302 & locally obtained nick-nacks Stripping & assembling: 30 man-hours Embodiment: 20 man-hours Actually I'm surprised it could be done so quickly, looks a lot of hard work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elkins Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Cheers Clive for the info. yes it does seem quick. is that the time for one man or a team? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Cheers Clive for the info. yes it does seem quick. is that the time for one man or a team? Well 30 man-hours is one man taking 30 hours or 2 men taking 15 hours & so on. Clearly too many men would get in each others way. So I imagine it might be a maximum of 4 men in a team? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 (edited) Adam just wondering is your body a Sankey? The flap you had was from a ROF pig, shouldn't be a difference, in theory! Costs of FV1600: The costs of manufacture varied with time. In April 1954 the first 250 of the FV1601 with the winch cost £4,250 each but by August 1954 this had fallen to £3,350. Whereas the FV1602(A) had cost £3,250 in March 1952 this had risen to £3,500 in February 1956 and at the same time the winched version came in at £3,650. The cost of converting a FV1601 to a FV1611 was estimated at £6,000 and for a FV1602 to FV1612 £5,700.This was at a time when the cost of the B60 engine was £730 3s 0d. The estimated cost of the conversion of the FV1602 to the 20 FV1609 prototypes was £5,950. In fact the actual cost was £5,650. I imagine one of the few occasions in the history of human conflict when a defence project actually cost was less than estimated! The average mans wage in 1954 was a fiver a week!, just looked up the price of cars of that period, 1954 Jaguar XK120 with racing spec cylinder head, yours for a bargain GBP 1175:wow: , so a Humber was a very very expensive machine in its day! Edited April 3, 2009 by Adam Elsdon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Worked it out that the average wage then compared to it now, would mean that the 6000 pound conversion price falls just short of 600,000 in todays money.....bargain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 1954 Jaguar XK120 with racing spec cylinder head, yours for a bargain GBP 1175:wow: , so a Humber was a very very expensive machine in its day! Yes but of far more use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 A large number of Jaguar XK120's driven by an infantry platoon charging towards the communist hordes, sprayed in the finest "British Fighting Green" sounds like eccentric fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Some more photos of Humber pigs, this time its the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry, The parade picture is Allied forces day, berlin 1963, the second picture is SCLI with two pigs and a Unimog/Wombat outfit. But what is strange about the Pigs in the photos........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 OK, here it is, but what is it, appears on all of the pigs belonging to the SCLI. The modification to the commanders hatch looks like it is still held open on the hatch lever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elkins Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Adam, why is it strange that the hatch is still held up by the original lever? what was the hatch modified for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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