question Malta Humber Pig

[MHVT]

Hey guys,

I'm new to the forum, I'm a member of the Malta Historic Vehicles Trust and I'm starting on the restoration of one of the two Humber Pigs that are in our possesion. The Armed forces of Malta still have two, but are no longer in use.

Would anyone know anything about these tow two trucks, they were sand at one time, not under the armed forces of Malta but under the british. Any has a clue? I'd like to do one up in British colours to show how they were in active service before being delivered to Malta and the other pig i would do up in Malta colours jus to show how they were change to adapt to the maltese needs.

Your views and help would be much appreciated.

 

Malcolm.

 

Edited April 14, 2009 by Marmite!!
Photo links edit

[fv1609]

Malcolm a particularly big welcome as you come bearing pictures of pigs!

I have a picture I bought that was taken a few years ago of 2 pigs in Malta, at an airport I think. Would they be yours or Armed Forces ones.

 

Have you got the British military registration numbers as I can give you some basic history. If its no longer on the vehicle it would be on the contract plate on the chassis if you put your head just in front of the wheel on the passengers side.

 

I would be interested in any other pics you can post. I don't know whether these pigs were ever part of the Cyprus ones. On Cyprus some pigs were also used by Denmark & Canada under the auspices of NATO.

 

It is some years since I was in Malta (honeymoon sometime in 1970s) but I have a feeling I saw a Shorland at the airport. Would that be likely? If so do you know what happened to that?

[Tony B]

welcome Malcolm. You'll find a large pig population here.

[Adam Elkins]

Welcome. Great to see another pig fan.

[MHVT]

I'll be doing some work on the pigs on saturday, I will get the millitay registration numbers. As for the shorland, I might not have mentioned that I am 19 so the time you were here last was way before my time, but I will ask around. thanks clive.

[MHVT]

I noticed that as a signature you like to mention your vehicles, so it goes:

 

BHHC-Jones Iron Fairy Crane Ex RAF

3 X M35A2 6X6 Troop Carriers

Jones KL10 6X4 Mobile Crane Ex RAF

2 X Humber Pig APCs

M151A2 5 Ton Dumper

3 X Land Rover Lightweights

2 X Bedford RL 4X4 Trucks

Dennis Mercury Heavy

Land Rover Ambulance

2 x Land Rover SWB

3 X Police Moto Guzzi Motorcycles

1 Scammell Scarab + Trailer

(ex-RAF)

2 X Land Rover LWBBedford 1940's mwd

 

ex-Raf Leyland hippo fuel bowser

 

Thornycroft Sub Mark 5

 

Thornycroft Dp3

 

Bedford Domestic Miles Body ex RAf

 

x4 ex oxfordshire Bedford Tk fire engines

 

Range Rover TAcr2a

 

WW2 bedford OY

 

Bedford A Series Ex-Raf air crew Bus

 

1947 AEC Regal 1 Coach

[mcspool]

I see one of them was originally a sand colour.

Here´s a pic of a Pig in such a colour (Light Stone?). Source: http://www.bredow-web.de

 

- Hanno

Edited April 15, 2009 by mcspool

[MHVT]

More photos for you guys, these might any two of the four pigs on the island, these photos were taken up to 15 years ago.

[fv1609]

Very nice to see thank you.

[MHVT]

I have the registration numbers of the pigs we are currently restoring

 

Green and Yellow one 13BK07 Chassis No. 32807 Body No. S540

Green one 13BK71 Chassis No. 21371 Body No. S545

 

Any information would be of great help in restorating them correctly

thanks

Malcolm

[fv1609]

Malcolm, 13BK07 Chassis No. 32807 Body No. S540

S540 is the serial no. of the armoured body. ‘S’ indicates Sankey, as opposed to ‘ROF’ of Royal Ordnance Factories.

Something odd here can you recheck?

A chassis number 32807 should correspond to 28 BK 07. This tallies as it was struck off census on 29/4/66 in Malta!

 

Entered service on 12/1/55 as a FV1602 with engine no. 8580.

Receipt Voucher CBR/R/2809 delivered to on 12/1/55 as a FV1602 with engine no. 8580. 3rd Vehicle Group HQ Church Broughton in Derbyshire:

CBR - 31st B Vehicle Depot Church Broughton

 

Contract 6/V/27455

After the Malta entry there is a number 011811 but I don’t know the significance of that.

BTW I used to own the next one up 28 BK 08

 

 

13BK71 Chassis No. 21371 Body No. S545

S545 is the serial no. of the armoured body. ‘S’ indicates Sankey, as opposed to ‘ROF’ of Royal Ordnance Factories.

Receipt Voucher CBR/R/4576 delivered on 14/12/53 as a FV1601 with engine no. 6344.

3rd Vehicle Group HQ Church Broughton in Derbyshire:

CBR - 31st B Vehicle Depot Church Broughton

Struck off MELF (Middle East Land Forces) 010188 on 29/4/66

 

Both would have been converted to pigs in the period 1958-60. 28 BK 07 changed from a FV1602 to a FV1612. Although the two archives I use still refer 13 BK 71 as a FV1601, rather than a Pig FV1611.

 

You will see they were both struck off on the same day 29/4/66

[MHVT]

Hey Clive, you were right, it is 28 BK 07 and not 13 Bk 07, my old my friend Peter Skerry listed them incorrectly yesterday.

 

Could you explain the difference in the contract numbers because you were starting to talk to me in chinese just there.

 

Would you have the operational history of the pigs or is that through the RLC?

 

Thanks again

 

Malcolm

[MHVT]

Some photos for you guys. Some work on the pig on Saturday, a couple of more saturday's and we'll get it stripped completly

 

Malcolm

Land Rover Lightweight Series 3 1974, ex-northern ireland armoured lightweight

[MHVT]

Hey Guys, some updates on the pig. I had to stop work on the pig for the past month due to exams, but now I had all the time in the world to start cracking. One side of the pig is completely stripped and painted. The side lockers need welding due to being in the open for more than twenty years.

Might I say that it has taken four guys (myself, Martin, Mark and Mario) and a girl (my girlfriend) about four days to strip half a pig to bare metal and painted in red oxide.

 

Malcolm

[Ivor Ramsden]

So where are the four guys? The photos cannot lie; there's only one girl doing the work. What a wonderful woman!

[MHVT]

Thet woman was the woman that helped put the engine and gearbox back into my land rover

[Adam Elsdon]

Nice job you are doing to the pig, and dont let your Girlfriend get away, she is a real rare breed!!

[fv1609]

Are there any updates of these two Pigs?

[ltwtbarmy]

After the sudden demise of one of the founders, Mario Zammit, and various problems with premises, the Malta Historic Vehicle Trust was wound up, and vehicles, as far as I know with regards to these two Pigs, were sold, and have now been restored by the person who purchased them at the time. I have no contact with the current owner, but will attempt to see if pictures can be obtained. A third, was restored by the Malta police, and is in their collection. The fourth was retained for some time by the military, but has not been seen since, and the barracks where it was were demolished in approximately 2013, and no one I spoke to knows where it ended up.

By the way, whilst attempting to look for some pics of the Malta Pigs, facebook turned up a picture of another Pig, apparently being shipped to Malta in 2016. No idea which one it is, and have never seen it on the island. Pic taken off FB below when said Pig was being onloaded at the shipper’s Essex base. It looks like the Armourgeddon one.

Edited November 20, 2022 by ltwtbarmy

[fv1609]

Thanks for the update, that is sad news.

The paint scheme of the one being loaded is a little curious for depicting a vehicle with an urban security role.

[ltwtbarmy]

Someone in the UK might recognise it. The picture was taken in Essex, where that particular shipping company has its UK hub.