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 www.cmvmag.co.uk August 2019 Frontlines

History and Legacy
A Long Range Desert Group Chevrolet 30cwt WB truck negotiates the slope of a sand dune during a patrol in
the desert, March 27, 1941. WIKIMEDIA
June next year will mark the 80th
anniversary of the formation of the
Long Range Desert Group (LRDG). I
bring it up now because earlier this
year I was invited to the launch of a
new book Long Range Desert Group:
History & Legacy, held at the Swedish
Embassy in London.
Unfortunately I was unable to attend
the event, but of more importance
was that LRDG and SAS veteran Jack
Mann was there.
Lars Gyllenhaal, one of the authors of the
new book, said Jack had astounded the
audience with his remarkable energy and
excellent memory. “After just a few words
from him it became clear his willpower
and charm are intact,” said Lars.
The LRDG worked with the SAS to destroy
enemy aircraft and Jack was a wireless
operator in charge of communications.
With operations taking place behind
enemy lines, it was naturally very
dangerous work.
The unit was disbanded after the war, but its
rich history and legacy remains. I’m sorry I
missed meeting Jack because opportunities
to hear the stories directly from those who
were ‘there’ are becoming fewer and fewer.
That is why books like this are so
important and why remembering and
commemorating anniversary events is
essential. Our nine-page feature on the
75th anniversary of D-Day and Battle of
Normandy shows we’re all doing a good
job of this judging by the number of
people who went, although writer Duncan
Glen does caution against the dangers of
over commercialisation.
I’d be interested to know your thoughts
on the matter – email cmveditorial@
keypublishing.com.
EDITOR ANDREW STONE
andrew.stone@keypublishing.com

Editor: Andrew Stone Small Print: The Editor is happy to receive contributions to Clas-
andrew.stone@keypublishing.com sic Military Vehicle magazine. All items submitted are subject to
our terms and conditions, which are regularly updated without
Twitter: @AndrewStoneDD prior notice and are freely available from Key Publishing Ltd or
Chief Designer: Steve Donovan downloadable from www.keypublishing.com.
Design: Dave Robinson & Andy O’Neil We are unable to guarantee the bona fides of any of our advertisers.
www.cmvmag.co.uk Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions
Contributors: Craig Allen, Duncan Glen, before parting with any information or item of value, including, but
not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal infor-
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Classic Military Vehicle (ISSN 1473-7779) is published monthly
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Andrew Stone Tom Lunn Steve Donovan

Andrew has worked on a variety of titles over Tom is the perfect member of the team with Chief Designer Steve has worked with designer
the years. His interest in military history started his experience on other magazines before Dave Robinson in redesigning the magazine to
at a young age and developed as his journalism coming to CMV produce CMV’s continuing evolution in 2019
career took off

3_frontline CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 3 05/07/2019 11:33

 www.cmvmag.co.uk
Features
06 Anniversary Special
Thousands attend D-Day and Battle of Normandy
75th Anniversary
Dodge
words and pictures Andrew Stone
Dependable
Steve Bowens’ 1/2-ton
WC series pick-up style Dodge
is a real head-turner
26 Dependable Dodge
Steve Bowen takes his WC-1 ‘pick-up’ for a drive
34 Shows On The Go
Reviews of Wartime in the Vale and the Overlord
Show
36 The First Panzer
David Fletcher investigates the origins of the
Panzer
42 The Humvee
Sharp in Tooth and Claw – a Retrospective
48 Universally Approved
The ‘mass’ produced Universal Carrier
54 A Humber named Olivia
The sturdy and rugged Heavy Utility 4x4
60 Red Army on Display
Soviet armour in Moscow’s suburbs
66 Heavy Hauler
Neil Whatling’s impressively capable 6x6 Foden
72 Going Out With a Bang
Peerless Gun Truck
Abandoned
ARMOUR
The battlefields and highways of southern Iraq were littered
with burnt out and abandoned armour at the end of the Iraq war
F
ought from March 20 until May 1, 2003,
the Iraq war was marked by the relative
ease of the initial campaign followed by
the years of tough insurgency which followed.
In those early days, however, a combination of
shock and awe and the reluctance of the Iraqi
military to fight made for a rapid advance.
The US-led coalition saw 177,194 troops enter
Iraq during the initial invasion phase made
up of about 130,000 US, 45,000 British, 2,000
Australian and 194 Polish soldiers.
The sight of US armour appearing on the
streets of Baghdad quickly ushered in the
complete collapse of the regime and the end
of hostilities. The blanket air cover provided by
the USAF and RAF had, meanwhile, taken out
large numbers of enemy vehicles while allied
armoured units swept aside any opposition on
the ground.
The plain fact is this was not a good conflict to
be an Iraqi armour crewman and consequently
many AFVs were simply abandoned in the face
of superior allied firepower.
The end of the fighting therefore found
the battlefields and major highways of
78 Abandoned Armour
The leftovers on Iraq’s battlefields
www.facebook.com/cmvmag
4-5_contents CMV August2019.indd 4
26
words and pictures Craig Allen
ABOVE: 12.7mm Dushka left lying in the desert
complete with a belt of ammunition, this was
probably a tank gun
TOP LEFT A fully functioning T62 simply abandoned
by the roadside in the Southern Oil Fields
TOP RIGHT T62 looking the worse for wear, this
example has been damaged and partially stripped
OPPOSITE: A T62 in ‘hull down’ position
pictured on the outskirts of Basra during 3 Para’s
push into the city
BOTTOM LEFT: The fate of so much Iraq armour, a
burnt out AFV spotted on the approach
to Baghdad
BOTTOM RIGHT: A BMP-1 recovered by the Royal
Engineers complete and in fully working condition
78
G
etting to grips with the various model names and numbers assigned
to Dodge vehicles in World War Two is almost as difficult as trying to
understand Brexit. That’s no surprise as more than 400,000 Dodge
trucks were built just between 1941 and 1945.
Fortunately, the people with knowledge on the subject are a lot more
interesting to talk to than the politicians in charge of seeing Brexit through.
Take Steve Bowens for example. The Cambridgeshire resident has
been a fan of Dodge vehicles since a youngster and has amassed a
wealth of knowledge on the brand. Steve’s passion for Dodge has led
him to acquire several vehicles, including one of his most recent, and,
dare we say, best looking, a 1/2 -ton WC series pick-up. But to fully
understand where it fits into the vast range of Dodge
military vehicles, we need to go back in
time for a bit.
The 1941 Series
WC Dodge 1/2-ton 4x4
came in various guises
including this pick-up style truck
‘They are really
good looking and as I’m
getting older, I wanted something
with doors to keep me warmer!’
27
‘Many of these abandoned AFV’s were still
‘bombed up’ containing tank shells, machine
gun belts and even AT Missiles’
southern Iraq littered with burnt out and
D-Dathy
abandoned armoured vehicles. This rapidly
became an issue in the immediate aftermath
as it turned out that many of these abandoned
AFVs were still ‘bombed up’ containing tank
shells, machine gun belts and even AT missiles.
This was a major problem as local children
began exploring these vehicles, which in some
cases had live rounds up the breech. In at least
one tragic case youths accidentally fired off a tank
round into the 16 Brigade area causing casualties.
In addition, large calibre shells and missiles
were often left exposed to the backing heat with
the obvious danger they could become unstable
or even ‘cook off’. With these issues in mind,
efforts were soon put in hand to recover as much
of this armour as possible to concentration areas
where it could be properly secured.
During this period opportunities were ripe for
units to secure trophies and many examples
of both Iraqi armour and heavy weapons were
to end up as gate guards back in the UK. Still
others were shipped back to add to the realism
75
of military training areas while many fully
working examples would in time be passed
79
Now and then:
Royal Marine veteran Clifford Coates rests on a World War Two Willys Jeep while chatting to 1 AGRM
Regimental Sergeant Major WO1 Drinkwater about his experience during D-Day. The vehicle in the background
is Supacat’s LRV 600 concept vehicle. For more on D-Day 75 see pages six to 15. PAUL HALL / CROWN COPYRIGHT
05/07/2019 11:54
 Classic Military Vehicle Issue 219 August 2019 Contents

Regulars
16 News & Letters
Correspondence from our readers around the
world

19 Military
Vehicle
Market
What’s hot, what’s not
and what’s expensive

20 New
Books
Four new releases
from respected
publishers

23 Kits in
Focus
The Universal Carrier

24 Museum
of the
Month
Sywell Aviation
Museum

40 Event
List
All the events you need to know about

82 Echoes Echoes of War Pavlov’s House words Andrew Stone pictures archive

of War
D
espite their air and ground superiority,
the capture of Stalingrad proved a bridge
too far for German forces during World
War Two and the conflict was a major turning
point in the war. In one of the bloodiest battles
in history, around two million people lost their
lives in the five months the Battle of Stalingrad
lasted. In addition to all the lives lost, it is
estimated the Germans lost 10,000 vehicles
including hundreds of Panzer 3s, Panzer 4s
and Sturmgeseutz 3s. If anything, the urban
nature of the battle proved just how ineffective
tanks were in the narrow, bombed out streets

Pavlov’s House
of the city.
The battle began in August 1942 with the
advance into Stalingrad carried out by the
German Sixth Army while the Fourth Panzer
Army secured

redeployed to support operations in Tunisia.

But still the Soviet forces fought on and
nowhere was the spirit of their defence more
prominent than Pavlov’s House. Named after
Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, the four-storey building
in the centre of Stalingrad was initially secured
by between 30 to 50 soldiers. They set about
fortifying the position with land mines on
all approaches, laid barbed wire around the
perimeter and placed machine guns in the
windows along with PTRS anti-tank rifles. Supply
and communication trenches were dug from the
building to the nearby Volga and supplies were
brought in from boats crossing the river.
It was not long before Sgt Pavlov realised
just how effective the PTRS anti-tank rifles
were in defending the position. Produced by
the Soviets during the war, the PTRS-41 could
penetrate armour plate up to 40mm thick at
100m. The defenders of Pavlov’s House used
them to great effect when ambushing German
tanks by firing down on to the thin turret roof
slow but steady, they were crucially never armour. The tanks in turn were unable to raise
the southern flank. Following heavy bombing able to capture key crossing points on the their weapons enough to retaliate.
by the Luftwaffe in which some 1,000 tons river which allowed for the re-supply of Soviet Despite several attacks launched by the German
of bombs were dropped in a 48-hour period, forces. Come November of 1942, the 6th tanks and infantry each day, concentrated fire
the Germans were forced to conduct a frontal Army had captured around 90% of the city and from the defenders kept them at bay for around
assault due to the 24km ribbon-like layout of sensing victory, many Luftwaffe aircraft were two months before they were eventually relieved
the city along the west by counter attacking
bank of the Volga River. Soviet forces. Today the
TOP: The remains of Pavlov’s House.
To counter the Luftwaffe house, which had
ABOVE: German infantry and a supporting StuG III assault gun during the Battle of Stalingrad
threat, Soviet forces become a symbol of the
BELOW: German forces drive towards Stalingrad in the summer of 1942
were ordered to stay as city’s defence, is still
close to the Germans used as an apartment
as possible and in many building with an
cases opposing forces attached memorial
occupied different constructed from bricks
sections of the same picked up after the
buildings. battle. Sgt Pavlov was
With the Germans awarded the title Hero of
launching several major the Soviet Union. Vasily
offences on the city and Chuikov, the
the Soviets offering fierce commanding general of
resisting, the fighting the Soviet forces in
descended into some of Stalingrad, is later said
the hardest and bloodiest to have joked that the
of the war with both sides Germans lost more men
suffering huge losses. trying to take Pavlov’s
While German progress House than they did
through the city was taking Paris.

82

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4-5_contents CMV August2019.indd 5 05/07/2019 11:54

 Return to N
Craig Allen crosses the Channel for the 75th Anniversary
of D-Day and Battle of Normandy

words and pictures Craig Allen

T
he first week of June found me heading
to Portsmouth and the cross-channel
ferry for my annual trip to Normandy. I
cover the D-Day commemorations on behalf
of my old regiment but, of course, this year
represented something special as it marked the
75th anniversary of the invasion.
Arriving at my usual campsite at Ranville I
noticed there were already a smattering of Jeeps
in residence and spotted several Dingos and
more Jeeps parked close to Pegasus Bridge.
Although my focus was recording the airborne
side of the commemoration, I was also on the
lookout for the scores of World War Two military
vehicles that gather each year. I didn’t have long to
wait as, after covering the ceremony at Pegasus
Memorial, I bumped into some fellow Yorkshiremen
resplendent in ‘pinky’ tank suits bearing the insignia
of the 49th ‘Polar Bear’ Division.
This famous unit had its roots in my home
turf of the West Riding and fought from D-Day
to the liberation of Holland. Hugo Hunter of the
group had brought along his Jeep, restored
to represent a 49th Division vehicle and has
returned each year since the 50th.
The next few days were a whirlwind of
activities including two para drops on the
original wartime drop zone near Sannerville.
A short break in proceedings found me back
at Ranville where I went in search of a couple of
Jeeps I had spied in a corner of the campsite. It
turned out they belonged to a group of Danish
guys of ‘Baker Company’ who restore World

6-8 ddsallen CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 6 05/07/2019 12:00

Normandy
D-Day
75

LEFT (FROM FAR LEFT): My Danish friends

from the campsite at Ranville with their
Jeeps dedicated to the US2nd Armored
Division; Hugo Hunter and friends
with their 49th Division Jeep at the
Gondree Cafe; Dodge Weapons Carrier
and Matchless G3L on the approach
to Pegasus Bridge; World War Two
actors with Dover Sea Cadets in front
of the MV Boudicca which set sail for
Normandy with D-Day veterans aboard.
CROWN COPYRIGHT

MAIN IMAGE: The scene at Arromanches

on June 6, 2019. CROWN COPYRIGHT

‘For me, it is these small commemorations

that are often the most moving’

War Two vehicles to commemorate the history
of the US 2nd Armoured Division.
Their Jeeps were badged and configured
to represent reconnaissance vehicles of the
division and one was post-war, the other an
early 1942 model. The guys offered me a beer
and we chatted about their vehicles which, it
turned out, hailed from Norway. It seems many
of the Jeeps left over at the end of the war
ended up with the Norwegian Reserve Forces.
These were eventually transferred to civilian
hands under a scheme where reservists had to
maintain them ready for use for 10 years before
they officially took ownership.
This, of course, meant there was a healthy
stock of World War Two Jeeps in working
order, many of which have found their way to
enthusiasts across Europe. I served in Norway
in the 1980s with the ACE Mobile Force and
remember a lot of World War Two equipment
still in use including P38 Pistols and MP40s
carried by Norwegian armoured crews.
The big events at Pegasus Memorial, Ranville
and Melville Battery brought out the crowds
as usual, although there were fewer veterans
attending as the years take their toll.
Meanwhile, in the surrounding villages where
the airborne troops fought so hard to hold the
bridgehead many still lie buried in quiet Norman
churchyards. Villages such as Putote-En-Auge in
the shadow of Hill 13 where paratroopers from
the 13th Battalion lost 70 men killed, wounded
and missing in the fierce battle to take the

6-8 ddsallen CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 7 05/07/2019 12:00

 D-Day
75
heights. Many of their number lie in the local
churchyard and each year, the mayor along with
veterans, officers and men of the Parachute
Regiment make the short walk from the Mairie to
the church for a simple service of remembrance.
For me, it is these small commemorations
that are often the most moving and its
humbling that the local population still
remember and turn out faithfully each year.
Similar services are held at Vaast-En-Auge and
at Breville-Les-Monts where 12th Yorkshire
Parachute Battalion stopped the last serious
German attempt to penetrate the Bridgehead,
6-8 ddsallen CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 8
ABOVE: Once more the sky above
Normandy was filled with paratroopers
ABOVE LEFT: Dutch-owned airborne Jeep pictured at Pegasus Bridge;
this had been re-built from a scrap vehicle imported from the US
LEFT: More than 250 vehicles were on display on Arromanches. CROWN COPYRIGHT
losing all its remaining officers and SNCOs in
the process. The cost was high and success by
no means assured, so it’s fitting we remember
their sacrifice, despite the passage of time.
On the 50th anniversary of D-Day my entire
battalion,1 Para, jumped into the original
wartime DZ close to Ranville and this year saw
a return to parachuting. On the afternoon of
June 5 paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade
jumped with their French counterparts onto DZ
K at Sannerville, another wartime drop zone.
I went along with my cameras to record the jump
then stayed on for the ‘Daks Over Normandy’ drop
D-Day veterans at an event in
Portsmouth. CROWN COPYRIGHT
a couple of hours later. This second event saw
re-enactors such as the Pathfinder Group jumping
from a stream of C47s some of which had been
present on D-Day itself. Leading the stream was
‘That’s All Brother’ which had led the 101st Airborne
drop on the night of June 5, 1944. Parachutists
glided down to land on the soft Norman fields in
authentic World War Two British and US uniforms
recreating the wartime scene.
Some 30 plus Dakotas had been gathered
together for this year’s commemoration,
although not all of them made the drop. It was
still impressive to see so many gathered over
the DZ to reprise their wartime role of delivering
the airborne forces to battle.
Taking a walk down to Pegasus Bridge to soak
up the atmosphere I noticed mainly Jeeps,
motorcycles and Dodge weapons carriers
with most of the heavier vehicles no doubt
concentrated at Arromanches.
I did meet two Jeep enthusiasts from Holland,
Theo and Martijn, who had brought along their
ex-pacific theatre 1942 example. We chatted and
I took their picture in front of the bridge. It turned
out their vehicle was a US import they had re-built
over two years virtually from scrap and now
represented a fine example of an airborne Jeep.
My time in Normandy was almost over and I
could reflect on what had been an enjoyable and
often emotional experience. It had also been a
privilege to capture images of some of the
surviving airborne veterans who had helped
secure our freedom 75 years ago.
05/07/2019 12:00
 words and pictures MoD
D-Day

It’s a Wading Willys 75

Our sequence of pictures show the Willys Jeep entering the dip tank in North Devon before exiting the other side. PAUL HALL / CROWN COPYRIGHT

A
World War Two Willys Jeep was driven
through a test tank to simulate a vehicle
getting off a landing craft into the water at a
special themed event to mark the 75th anniversary
of D-Day. The tank in North Devon, which has a
fording depth of up to 1.5m, tests the waterproof
capability of vehicles.
Royal Marines from Instow put several World
War Two vehicles through their paces at the
event, including this Willys, alongside their
modern-day equivalents. As part of 1 Assault
Squadron RM, the small dedicated 11 Amphibious
Trials and Training Squadron at RM Instow is
responsible for developing new equipment that
will meet the Royal Marines amphibious and
surface manoeuvre needs.
The unit is unique as it is the only one in the MOD
that carries out the development of specialised
equipment and training in this field. First established
during World War Two, the base was initially used as
a training facility for troops preparing for the
Normandy Landings at Arromanches and Gold
Beach in June 1944. It is now active in developing
new technology and ways to deliver equipment,
vehicles and troops to landing beaches across the
world as well as looking at landing vessels for
commando forces of the future.

Jeep Record Attempt

words and pictures Tim Gosling

R
AF Brize Norton was used as a launching
site for Horsa gliders to land in Normandy
and later in the war, at Arnhem. With the
75th anniversary of D-Day, Dave Bayliss of
the North Oxfordshire and Cotswolds Military
Vehicle Trust decided the event should be
commemorated with an attempt to establish
a world record for the number of Jeeps loaded
into an aircraft – a C17 Globe Master.
The objective of finding 50 Jeeps to attend Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit we quickly Vehicle Trust is a very active area and our next
this unusual event was met in just over 48 loaded 21 in the C17, 12 in an A400 Atlas and six objective is to airdrop a World War Two Jeep
hours with some coming from as far afield as in a Hercules. Did we establish a world record? out of the back of an aircraft for the Arnhem
Sheffield, Cornwall and Dover. Well, we are still waiting to hear back from the commemorations. We are still looking for a
On May 3 the Jeeps gathered at the airbase Guinness World Records to confirm this. volunteer who will let us airdrop his Jeep
and under the direction of the RAF Joint Air The North Oxfordshire and Cotswolds Military though. Any volunteers?

9 ddsdip CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 9 05/07/2019 11:35

 D-Day
75
W
hether you wish to say a prayer at the
gravestone of a lost relative or to dress
up as a Screaming Eagle and drive
the Normandy coast is your decision to make.
But finding the balance between reflections on
war and the enjoyment of a huge international
commercial event is a fine line to tread.
Against this background, three generations of
the Thompson-Glen family ranging from eight
to 79 years old made the 700-mile round trip in
our 1943 AEC Matador from Northumberland
to the Normandy beaches. We were following
in the footsteps of LBdr John Clyde Thompson,
father of our eldest participant and great
grandfather of the youngest. He served with the
107 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Royal
Artillery and landed at Arromanches on July 6,
10-11 ddsduncan CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 10
1944 and served throughout the North West
Europe campaign.
June 1: Departure
It’s 4am and the first cuckoo calls of the
day are drowned by the rumble of a Matador
coming to life and loaded to the roof with
everything eight people need for a week. The
wheels began to turn on the 300-mile journey
to Portsmouth. A steady 35mph leaves ample
time for reflections, one of which dwelt on
the fact that in the spring and summer of
1944 many men made this long trip south
through the English countryside to converge
on the south coast. Some would not return
and those that did would be forever changed
by the experience.
10
ABOVE: A fine line up on the pier at Port-En-Bessin
OPPOSITE LEFT: A dark and sombre place. The German
Cemetery at La Cambe
OPPOSITE RIGHT: The oldest and the youngest in the
footsteps of 107 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment at
Thaon in Normandy
BELOW LEFT: Part of the heavy convoy en-route to
Baron Sur Odon
BELOW RIGHT: Torrential rain at Fox Green sector on
Omaha Beach
June 3: Memorial Trail
Following the trail of 107 Heavy Anti-Aircraft
Regiment brought us inland from Arromanches
to the small village of Thaon. The regimental
diary had given a clear description of the 3.7in
guns being deployed in a line under camouflage
to take part in the bombardment of Caen which,
at that time, was the largest artillery action of
World War Two.
The diary described the regiment as setting
up in cornfields to the north of the church and
as we crept through the narrow village streets,
fingers were crossed that little had changed in
the intervening years. We were in luck and were
able to reverse the Matador into the edge of
a field of wheat without causing any damage
to the crop. It was clear that this ridge of high
05/07/2019 11:38

Commemoration or
Commercialisation?
Commemorating an event as cataclysmic as D-Day is a personal thing,
says Duncan Glen
ground provided an ideal location for 3.7s
operating in a ground firing role.
Indeed, much of the time 107 HAA spend in
Normandy was in this role for which they had
trained on Salisbury Plain before departure. As
part of the commemoration element of the tour,
the children had been set the task of locating
the graves of the 13 men of 107 HAA killed in
Normandy which we would visit and mark with
crosses. These ranged from a gunner who stepped
on an s-mine to a whole gun crew killed by a
premature detonation caused by a faulty fuse.
It was noticeable that, just a few miles
inland, there were virtually no other military
vehicles to be seen. This all changed as we
approached Pegasus Bridge on our way to
Ranville Cemetery where eight of the 107 HAA
casualties lie.
Around Pegasus, the whole D-Day commercial
circus was in full swing with stalls selling
commemorative merchandise. The excellent
Pegasus museum had people queuing into
the streets and it was a challenge to battle our
way through in the Matador. Of course, crowds
are to be expected but the juxtaposition of the
commerciality around Pegasus contrasted
sharply with the quiet, reflection inland and at
the cemeteries.
June 4: Bloody Omaha
Today, summer sunshine was replaced with
heavy showers. Venturing on to the coast road,
it was abundantly clear that the ideal vehicles
for getting around on such a busy anniversary
10-11 ddsduncan CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 11
words and pictures Duncan Glen
are Jeeps and motorbikes. We eventually
found a quiet spot in the Fox Green sector
of Omaha Beach and had the place virtually
to ourselves. A rethink led us to tackle the
Overlord Museum at Colleville just up the road.
This proved fruitless as the place was rammed,
Gendarmes frantically directed traffic, there
were few opportunities to park and again, the
queues were out of the door. This frustration
led us to the nearby German cemetery at La
Cambe which, for obvious reasons, is not on
the main circuit. The whole site contains more
than 20,000 war dead including the Panzer
ace Michael Wittman. Not surprisingly, it is a
sombre place full of heavy symbolism. It was
here we came across a 97-year-old American
airborne veteran who was telling his tale of
landing in flooded fields, desperate fights in
ditches and hedgerows and how they had
run out of all of their supplies apart from
ammunition and they gave that to the Germans.
June 5: Beyond the Beachhead
It takes a brave man to navigate a Leyland Hippo
through the convoluted back roads between
Etreham and Baron-sur-Odon but our heavy
convoy contained not one but two of the beasts
plus three Matadors and a Scammel Pioneer
all wreathed in a slight haze of blue smoke. We
rendezvoused with the rest of the convoy at the
Special School with which the Military Vehicle
Trust have had a long relationship before travelling
on for a three-course lunch and drinks hosted by
the community. Suitably refreshed, an impressive
11
D-Day
75
phalanx of vehicles wound their way to the Hill 112
memorial to pay our respects to those who fell in
the bitter fighting to finally take Caen. On our way
back we stopped at Jerusalem British cemetery, a
small oasis of calm beside a busy road.
June 6: D-Day
For the first time ever, we passed on the trip
to Arromanches beach to watch the sun rise
partly due to the chronically early start, the
state of the tide limiting our time on the beach
and the long waits in the holding areas.
Perhaps this was the wrong call but a day
trundling around the Normandy countryside
dodging roadblocks in the summer sunshine was
a pleasant substitute and the evening trip out on
to the beach once the media circus had moved
on was much more conducive to remembering.
Again, it depends on what you are looking for.
For the rest of the week, there was an
excellent parade in Port-en-Bessin which
culminated in a very interesting selection of
vehicles lined up herringbone style on the pier
much to the delight of photographers and,
almost before we knew it, it was time to head
back to the ferry. A small detour to Hermanville
cemetery on the way to Ouisterham completed
the children’s 107 HAA casualties’ mission. All
being well, I’m sure that we will return either in
another five years or possibly earlier. There is
something for everyone at the D-Day
Commemoration, it’s just that some of the
quieter, more contemplative elements are
getting a little harder to find.
05/07/2019 11:38
 words and pictures Toby Savage

D-Day

All at
75

Sea
A personal account of a
Yorkshire lad’s experience
aboard a landing craft
support vessel on D-Day

LEFT: The crew of LCS 259, probably before they set

off to Normandy
LEFT INSET: Described by her skipper, 2nd Lieut. Tiplady,
as ‘A little ship packing a terrific punch’, LCS 259
BELOW LEFT INSET: A fresh-faced, 20-year-old Geoff Bulless
had a formal portrait taken before sailing for Normandy
BOTTOM: Geoff Bulless enjoying a ride in the author’s
1943 Jeep in 2009

L
ike so many who my home country regiment, the East Yorkshire.
make the journey On several occasions, LCS 259 went on lone
to Normandy on missions skirting the enemy shore searching out
or around June 6, Jo and shooting up pill-boxes which continued firing
Halford has personal on disembarking troops.
reason to attend. Her beach and a patch was “Our narrowest escape came when, after firing
father, Geoff Bulless, was put on. A report appeared 76 shells into a gun emplacement, our heaviest
there 75 years ago. As a in the Yorkshire Post at the gun jammed. Enemy 4in shells fell just astern of
19-year-old, Geoff had joined time. The two stokers on us as we turned to disengage. We had got about
the navy and after some the ship were mentioned 5,000yds away from the beach when I heard a
rudimentary training was in dispatches. After D-Day I loud explosion underneath the port side. We had
drafted onto a landing craft was shipped off to India, but been hit.
support vessel. His was LCS the war had ended and I was “We were holed in the engine room, the auxiliary
259 commanded by 2d Lt E demobbed in 1946. engine had been shot away, and the port engine
A. Tiplady RNVR, a former “I am in the Normandy was on fire. Because of P O Jackson’s prompt
policeman of Beverley, East veterans and I went back report I was able to act quickly. The engine room
Yorkshire. to celebrate the 60th staff put the fire out and though the port engine
Geoff’s own account of anniversary. During the war I was out of action and the starboard engine was
his experiences appeared learned to knit, and I knitted stalling, we managed to limp out of enemy gun
in a copy of The Yorkshire matinee coats for babies. It range to safety.”
Post soon after he returned was very handy in the forces Geoff sadly died in 2010. It is perhaps poignant
and, despite being brief, being able to sew. We had been that his exit was on June 6. He had been in the
described his involvement with a post- taught it at junior school.” garden enjoying the good weather and returned
event Yorkshire directness. Adding more detail to the tale was an account inside to watch the D-Day Remembrance
“I remember D-Day most vividly. I was just written by the ship’s skipper, 2d Lt Tiplady. Tiplady Ceremony live from The Cenotaph. Complaining
20. That’s where it all started as far as I was described LCS 259 as ‘a little ship packing a of a bit of pain in his chest, his wife of 60 years
concerned. I was in the Royal Navy and I was terrific punch’. assured him it was indigestion and went upstairs
on a landing craft support vessel. Before sailing, The ship survived several daring close-range to fetch some Alka Selzer. By the time she
the skipper called the gun crews into his cabin gunnery duels with enemy shore batteries. With a returned, he’d gone.
and briefed us regarding our targets. Our beach quick-firing six-pounder main gun and two 20mm Original material by Geoff Bulless and 2d Lt E A
was code named ‘Juno’, one among five on the cannons - one manned by Geoff Bulless - the little Tiplady
Cherbourg peninsula. Our task was to give the ship was manoeuvrable, fast and well-armed.
soldiers, in our case, Canadian infantry, protection It was one of many that sailed from Itchener
on their run-in to the beach. If we could make the harbour in the early hours of June 6 and after
defenders keep their heads down long enough for supporting the Allied troops off the coast of
the troops to get ashore, our mission would be Normandy went north to join the attack on
accomplished. Walcheren, though it is not clear if Geoff was on
“All went well until we hit one of these this mission.
underwater explosive devices that the Germans Tiplady’s account was probably based on his
had put in. It blew a hole in the bottom! On the report, so can be accepted as being reasonably
beach, I think the Royal Engineers came along accurate. “Together with another assault support
with a big metal plate and they welded it on and craft we cleared the enemy out of 15 houses that
off we went again. Then we got hit by a shell, day. What gave me particular pleasure from these
just along the water line - again we got onto the actions was that we were operating in support of

12

12 ddsbulless CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 12 05/07/2019 11:38

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D-Day
75
Toby Savage travels across the channel
in his 1943 Ford GPW to take part in the 75th Anniversary of D-Day
B
asking in warm sunshine in
Leicestershire, we were aware that the
forecast for the D-Day week in Normandy
was ‘mixed’. Our plan was to endure the full
75th Anniversary of D-Day experience by driving
to France in our 1943 Ford GPW, towing our
Eriba Puck Caravan to give us some comfort
while there. The Puck only weighs 800kg so
well within the capability of the Jeep – we
would just be a bit slow. We had a pleasantly
uneventful run to Portsmouth managing to
cruise at 40 to 45mph and mostly on dual
carriageways so we did not hold other drivers
up. From Caen it was an easy hop to the
Military Vehicle Trust Campsite at Etréham.
Pulling on to the site in late afternoon
sunshine it was a remarkable recreation of
14-15 ddssavage CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 14
words and pictures Toby Savage
Wide-eyed in N
a World War Two camp. The route around
the site took us past DUKWs, GMCs, Dodges,
AEC Matadors, a sprinkling of Scammells
and many Jeeps. And this was just our camp
site. Like other wide-eyed first timers, we had
underestimated the size and popularity of
this event.
Over breakfast the next morning we made
a plan of the things we would like to do and
top of the list was the Daks over Normandy.
This event had taken four years to plan and
the culmination of a lot of hard work resulted
in about 35 Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft
flying from Duxford to Caen with the aim of
dropping about 200 paratroopers, in period-
correct uniforms and round military parachutes
onto the original World War Two drop zone at
14
LEFT:: Toby’s Jeep on Juno Beach - deserted on June 7 and
free to drive on
BELOW (FROM LEFT): Toby’s partner, Jo honours her father’s
role in providing cover for the Canadian and British forces
that landed on Juno Beach at 6am on June 6, 1944; Once
the tide had gone out the local authority had a relaxed
attitude to guests invading their beach and many dressed
for the occasion; A scene little changed over 75 years.
French publicity and a flat fender Jeep; A contender for
slowest truck on the French highways, this Scammell Pio-
neer cruises at about 20mph; MVT members and friends
pile into the back of a GMC 6x6 to take part in one of many
well organised convoys; The downside of travel in an old
Jeep with no sides. When it rains, you get wet!
Sanerville – then behind enemy lines.
Word on various apps was that the Daks were
running about two hours behind schedule, but
for a once in a lifetime experience this was a
small sacrifice and the weather was fine, if a
little black over Guillaume’s mother’s! We had
bread, cheese and cider and time on our hands.
There were probably about 300 spectators
spread out along the track and at 6.45pm a
murmur of excitement spread. To our north the
first of the Dakotas appeared, soon followed by
the others spread out over a couple of miles. It
was a hugely evocative sight. They circled over
Caen, then headed west directly over our heads
to begin dropping their parachutists. Strings of
a dozen at a time jumped, soon filling the sky
with round parachutes. A sight not seen since
05/07/2019 11:38
 D-Day

n Normandy
75

and

r’s
ces
nce

sed
.
or
Pio-
ds
many Arromanches beach made a great
old playground for the DUKWs that were
there in surprisingly large numbers

1944. Hairs on the back of necks stood up and

tears welled in eyes at the memory of what
faced those brave paratroopers 75 years ago.
The following day was June 6 and we had
intended to spend it on Juno Beach in honour
of my partner Jo’s father who was there 75
years ago. The local authority, in their wisdom,
had closed all the roads preventing access,
unless you were ‘in’ before 6am. We missed
this deadline by four hours!
However, with a cunning that would have been
admired back in the day, we took a combination
of back lanes in the Jeep, cycling on our folding
bikes and climbing over fences to the cliffs A large group of World War Two
above Arromanches with a good view of the motorcycles pull away, representing classic
Mulberry Harbour area (Port Winston). From English makes; BSA, Ariel and Royal Enfield
there it was an easy descent to the packed
square and speeches to honour the veterans were pleased that nobody seemed to be using it.
who were in attendance. It had been a fascinating few days with many
We did eventually get onto Juno Beach, which highlights, not least the experience of being in
was a deeply moving experience for Jo and traffic jams of World War Two military vehicles
also drove west to Saint Mére-Eglise – an area in all shapes and sizes, and hats off to all of
remembered by the US for their valiant efforts at those who drove their slow and thirsty trucks
Utah Beach. There is an excellent museum there, there. A special mention for Tom Kaye, who
but we felt that the fairground style big wheel drove his AEC Matador from Shropshire at a
next to the square was trivialising the event and steady 28 mph!

Transport
For the 75th D-Day Anniversary, Jo Halford
and Toby Savage sailed from Portsmouth to
Caen aboard Brittany Ferries Normandie. Brit-
tany Ferries offer the most comprehensive
range of sailings connecting the south coast
with Normandy and Brittany.
See www.brittany-ferries.co.uk

15

14-15 ddssavage CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 15 05/07/2019 11:38

 News and Letters cmveditorial@keypublishing.com www.cmvmag.co.uk

Open Day
The Weald Collection recently opened the
doors to its workshop and eclectic collection
of vehicles, some of which were available to
members for access and even a ride. The
overhauled Jagdpanther 411 was centre
stage and running while Hilary Doyle and
Micheal Gibb were in the new Interpretative
Audio-Visual Centre presenting its design,
development and restoration and the extensive
research the foundation puts into projects.
On show were also the SdKfz 261, 223 and
222, a Zundapp KS750 and the Renault FT
and Renault TSF. The foundation was set
up to preserve, restore and maintain historic
military vehicles and to educate the public; it’s
a working collection where schools, engineers,
historians, modellers, enthusiasts and
collectors can discover and learn. They source

A ‘Walloping’ good time

original components or, when they can’t, create
new parts from original blueprints or examples.
They receive no UK government funding so the
work in restoring vehicles and creating a centre
of technical and historical excellence depends
on support from members. Membership is
£48 annually and gets you free and exclusive
access to the collection at special events, a
weekly Inside track magazine giving updates
on projects’ progress and more.
Military vehicles, model flying displays, new
and historic aircraft, 1940s music and dancing,
World War Two re-enactment groups and
children’s entertainment came together for a
family fun day at the Army Flying Museum in
Middle Wallop in May. The museum’s flagship
annual event, Wartime Wallop, featured an
opportunity to get up close to veteran vehicles,
aircraft and military paraphernalia. Other
attractions on the day included model flying, a
crowd-pleasing fly-out from the Historic Aircraft
Flight team, as well as 1940s singing from
the Decibelles and dancing from the Andover
Lindyhoppers. Attendees also included the
4th Dorset HQ Field Office, Many Fronts Living
History, 4th Wiltshires, The Joystick Club,
Military Education Trust, Allied Assortment
and many more. Event organiser, Joe Faretra,
said: “After a grey start threatened the event, it
all cleared away to make a really nice fun day
which, according to the feedback we’ve had,
was really well received. We’ve enhanced the
appeal to the event by adding extra value for
money to the day, so we had Battlefield South’s
laser tag arena, face painting, a bouncy castle,
and science experiments from Genie Lab, all
included in the ticket price. Plus, if entry was
Gift Aided, attendees were given an annual pass
to the newly refurbished museum. Everyone
who attended from visitors to exhibitors
seemed to leave the event happy, and we are
already planning next year’s event.”

We have received handwritten letters from
readers around the world and appreciate the
efforts to write in. Unfortunately, for reasons
of space we are unable to reproduce them to
length. However, a brief summary follows:
1. Paul Nimmo from New Zealand wrote in
to say Nigel Hay’s column in the April issue on
the growing popularity of Wehrmachtabilia and
mention of a Beutepanzer, which literally means
‘captured tank’, had reminded him of an incident
when Allied paratroopers captured La Fière
bridge causeway near Sainte Mère Église during
World War Two. Paul said captured French
tanks, or ‘Beutepanzers’ had been used with
infantry support by German forces, however
he was concerned at several inaccuracies that
had since been reported about the incident.
“If you have time perhaps one of your regular
contributors could produce this article with
the 75th Anniversary of D-Day and the rise in
interest in the use of French armoured vehicles
in the battle for Normandy by the Germans,” he
wrote.
2. Brian Baxter from Reading pointed out
the K2/Y error in addition to commenting on
Duncan Glen’s article on the A39 Heavy Assault
Tank, also known as the Tortoise. Brian said
two versions of an 80-ton trailer were designed
to carry the tank and a ‘small batch’ of one was
built. “To pull the load, two Diamond T Tractors
were required,” wrote Brian. Apparently, a
phone was rigged between the two cabs so the
drivers could change gear in unison. “Radios
at the time would have been too costly,” wrote
Brian. “The 80-ton trailers were later used
to carry early Conqueror tanks pending the
development of the Thornycroft Antar with 60-
ton semi-trailer.”
3. Dave Starling, who is now retired and living
in New Zealand, sent in a picture of a rusty
Bedford QL (alongside), which he said had been
on his farm in North Yorkshire. “My experience Thanks for the comments, feedback and
with Bedford trucks started when doing National suggestions, it’s much appreciated. - Ed
Service in the RAF in Cyprus in 1956/58 with
the RL,” wrote Dave. “I bought a farm in North
Yorkshire in 1971 and picked up the QL at a Several eagle-eyed readers including
farm sale for under a hundred quid thinking it Des Penny were quick to point out to us
would be handy with the winch for pulling things that the black and white picture on page
out that got stuck. The last job was to clear 200 eight of the June 2019 issue of Classic
acres of trees and reclaim the land for farming Military Vehicle was incorrectly captioned
in 1998. I then sold (the farm) and the QL was as a K2/Y. The vehicle was in fact a
left where you see it in the photo. The new Chevrolet and should have not been
owner of the land no doubt sold it for scrap.” included with the feature.

Contact us
Have you read something in experience with a wartime classic? a vehicle? Or perhaps you’re readers? If so, we’d like to hear
Classic Military Vehicle that has Do you have an interesting story working on a restoration project from you: email your letters to
jogged a memory of your own that you would like to share about that would have interest to other cmveditorial@keypublishing.com

16

16 Letters CMV Aug2019_AS JM.indd 16 05/07/2019 11:38

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 words and pictures Nigel Hay Military Vehicle Market

T
he carnival is over, and Normandy is
now back to being a quiet backwater
once more. Certainly, there were some
very dignified ceremonies but as an old stager,
it’s fair to say the best of the anniversary
commemorations passed some years ago. But
that’s another story.
Some of the prices being asked at the swap
meets around the beach heads were simply
outrageous – €400 for an American Jerrycan
and €80 for a pair of Dodge wiper blades were
among the opportunist offerings.
We are now getting plenty of vehicles coming
onto the market advertised as ‘Just back from
Normandy’. June’s bargain so far has been a Mk3
project GMC cargo with wooden body for a Daimler
modest £4,650. Wooden bodies are reasonably Dingo at
€30,000
rare, especially on the long wheelbase version,
and it wasn’t a surprise when it was sold within
four hours of the advert appearing on Milweb.
Needing some woodwork and a full canvas,
Nigel Hay’s round up
this hard cab jimmy with winch looked to be of the military vehicle
a viable and investable project. It contrasts market
well with a restored GMC just back from the

Just back from

beaches at a realistic £12,000.
For the US Corps of Engineers enthusiast
who wants his own ready-made Construction
Battalion, an interesting collection including a
hard cab GMC CCKW 353 tipper, Caterpillar D4

airfield dozer, Onion box scraper and Fruehauf
8T trailer came up for sale at £35,200.
The Coys auction in May saw some real
bargains, probably because anyone who is a
serious World War Two German collector was
at the Militracks event in Holland that weekend.
It was not an online sale and we understand
that two Kublewagens were hoovered up at
£20,000 each while the Schwimwaggen went
for a modest £70,000 and the Kettenkrad
for £60,000. The Wheatcroft Collection was
a major buyer, and this means much of the
important items from this recently imported
from Italy collection will stay in the UK.
This 1945 Dingo was bought for £55 in 1968 and
has been untouched for the past 25 years
Foden 4380 8x6 Multidrive Tanker truck £21,950
Normandy
The restored Kublewagen at Aiolfi’s sale in
Normandy a week later got a modest €52,000
and the unrestored project with a lovely patina
was knocked down at just €2,000 less –
reflecting its ‘as found’ appeal. I hope it stays
like it is.
Just back from the beaches - restored GMC at £12,000
GMC cargo with wooden body - £4,650
Like buses, Daimler Dingos don’t come up for
sale for ages and then three come along at once.
Within 48 hours we had two restored Dingos, a
Mk3 at €30,000 in Ireland and a Norfolk-based
1942 at £31,000 – plus an unfinished project
with interesting provenance. It was the last of 64
Dingos at an MoD auction on July 31, 1968, and
the most expensive at £55!
The seller, asking for offers, hasn’t touched it
for the past 25 years and he may be making a
modest profit from his long-term investment. It
will hopefully be on the show circuit next year.
A special version Foden 4380 8x6 Multidrive
Tanker truck was offered by a defence
contractor at £21,950 with a low 18,625 miles.
The 4x2 front drive tractor unit is coupled via
the multidrive system to the rear steer bogie,
creating the 8x6 configuration.
More Land Rovers have come onto the
market including a Land Rover 110 Tithonus
with 200tdi and power steering plus a Rapier
trailer for £12,000 and a Land Rover Snatch at
£11,000 in Italy but still UK registered.
So even in the calm after the excitement of
Normandy, the market is still busy and fresh
vehicles are coming up for sale – and certainly
plenty have been sold in the past month. Now
it’s that time of the year when the Beltring
effect kicks in and hopefully there is still plenty
of money left for enthusiasts to spend around
the stalls. And with luck there will be plenty of
vehicle parts to be bought this year to feed the
hungry vehicle owners. Certainly, there will be
some new faces selling their wares.

19

19 MvMarket CMV Aug2019_AS JM.indd 19 05/07/2019 11:38

 New Books On the Shelf
Raising Dust
in the Desert
Recounted by Alan Johnson /
Edited by Simon Warner
Publisher Simon Warner
Year 2019
ISBN 9781916080904
Language English
Binding Softback
Pages 166 pages
Size 15.5cm x 23.3cm
Price £12.50
smwarner@dsl.pipex.com
Raising Dust in the Desert tells
the story of Alan Johnson who in
April of this year celebrated his
99th birthday. After serving as a
merchant seaman for a stint, Alan
joined the Royal Corps of Signals
and became a special despatch
rider for 3rd Formation Signals in
the Middle East during World War
Two. Introduced to motorcycles
at a young age, the book, which
is written in first person narrative,
recounts Alan’s many adventures
from the North Atlantic voyage to
his time in the desert. It includes the
“very unusual circumstances” which
North Korean
Onslaught: UN
Stand at the Pusan
Perimeter August –
September 1950
Author Gerry van Tonder
Publisher Pen and Sword
Year 2018
ISBN 9781526728333
Language English
Binding Softback
Pages 128
Size 15.7cm x 23.3cm
Price £14.99
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
Author and historian Gerry
van Tonder has followed up
his first volume in the series,
North Korea Invades the South,
with this work. It tells the story
of the United Nation’s need to
defend the Pusan Perimeter,
a 140 mile (230km) defensive
line around an area on the
south eastern tip of South
Korea, that included the port of
Pusan, during the Korean War.
The book covers the crucial
August to September 1950
period after UN and South Ko-
rean forces were forced down
20 New_books CMV Aug2019 JM.indd 20
saw him drive home to the UK,
along with details of his involvement
in founding the famous Bar-None
MCC. The book is well illustrat-
ed with pictures and maps and
includes plenty of interesting stories
relating to Alan’s own experiences
with motorcycles from the time.
Verdict: Raising Dust in the De-
sert will have broad appeal to read-
ers with an interest in World War
Two, but even more so to classic
military motorcycle enthusiasts.
the Korean peninsula by North
Korean forces. It was vital the port
be kept open to allow supplies and
men to reach UN forces. The book
is illustrated using black and white
archive photographs, more recent
colour images and some excellent
maps to show troop movements.
It also includes colour illustrations
of some of the armoured vehicles
used in the conflict.
Verdict: A well-researched and
written read that covers a crucial
period in the conflict.
20
Panzer I & II
come to expect from this series,
the use of pictures is excellent
The Birth of Hitler’s although in a few instances more
detail could have been included in
Panzerwaffe the captions.
Verdict: This is Author Anthony
Author Anthony Tucker-Jones Tucker-Jones’ last in his Images
Publisher Pen and Sword of War panzer series and provides
Year 2018 some fascinating insight into the
ISBN 9781526701633 Panzer I and IIs use in combat.
Language English Military historians, modellers and
Binding Softback wargamers will undoubtedly find
Pages 116 it a useful reference thanks to the
Size 18.9cm x 24.6cm number of quality pictures.
Price £14.99
www.casematepublishing.co.uk
With interest in German
armour from World War Two
showing no signs of letting up,
the number of books covering
the topic are seemingly coming
out as fast as publishers can
print them. Part of the suc-
cessful Images of War series,
Panzer I & II, The Birth of Hitler’s
Panzerwaffe looks at the role
these tanks played in the early
blitzkrieg campaigns, delves
into their history and reveals
details on their design and
development. Again, as one has
Modelling vehicles including where they were
used during the war, by which forc-
British es and for what purpose. Some
World War of the vehicles covered include
the Cromwell MK IV, Royal Marine
II Armoured Centaur and Sherman M4AI. There
Vehicles is also a chapter on building,
detailing and painting soft-skin ve-
hicles while the final chapters are
Author Tom Cole dedicated to dioramas and putting
Publisher The Crowood Press it all together.
Year 2019 Verdict: A good addition to the
ISBN 9781785005473 libraries of modellers, wargamers
Language English and anyone with an interest in
Binding Softback the history of British armour from
Pages 192 World War Two.
Size18.9cm x 24.6cm
Price £19.99
www.crowood.com
Modellers and wargamers
will find the book an essential
reference guide to British
armoured vehicles from World
War Two. Divided into 10 easy
to read and well-illustrated
chapters, it covers everything
from model making to paint-
ing figures and gives some
excellent pointers on various
methods for making the
models look authentic – like
recreating rust using pastel
chalks or pigments. It also
provides extensive informa-
tion on the different types of
05/07/2019 11:38
 mo_2019_a5_flyer.indd 2 31/03/2018 19:28:31

MilitaryOd_FP.indd 1 24/06/2019 12:23

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022_CMV_AUG19_ad.indd 1 26/06/2019 11:56:50

 www.cmvmag.co.uk cmveditorial@keypublishing.com Kits in Focus

Universal
Carrier
T
he Universal Carrier is a common
name used for describing a family of
light armoured tracked vehicles built by
Vickers-Armstrongs and other companies.
The first carriers entered service before World
War Two until the Universal was introduced in
1940. They were used widely by Allied forces
during the war for transporting personnel and
equipment. Some 113,000 were built by 1960
when production ended. They saw service in all Universal carrier of 52nd
theatres of World War Two and their widespread Reconnaissance Regiment moving at ABOVE: Troops of the 2nd Monmouthshire Regiment leap
production allowed for several variants to be speed over rough ground, Scotland, from their Universal Carrier during an exercise near Newry in
developed by different countries. Today they are November 10, 1942. WIKIMEDIA Northern Ireland, April 26, 1941. WIKIMEDIA
sought after by classic military vehicle collectors
and by modellers looking to add allied vehicles to
their collection.
Riich.Models British Airborne (Limited
Tamiya British Universal Carrier Mk.II Universal Carrier and welbike Edition)

This is a small, neatly detailed model that should appeal
to newcomers to the model world. Assembly is relatively
simple and quality is good. Four sets of decals are available
while the vehicle itself is finished in olive drab. The kit comes
with a variety of firearms and equipment and two figures are
included. Not bad considering the price. As its name suggests,
the Universal Carrier was used for a variety of purposes such
as transporting men and equipment and for reconnaissance
tasks. Several variants were constructed over the years
featuring different types of weapons. The model accurately
represents the vehicle’s compact design. An online search
reveals it’s available from at least five UK stockists and several
internationally.
Tamiya
Model British Universal Carrier Mk.II
Code 32516
Scale 1/48
Parts 103
Insignia options Four
Price Around £12
As Universal Carrier models have been around for so long, this
is, as can be expected, a re-issue of a previous kit. It’s detailed
with plenty of parts packed into the box and comes with the
addition of a Welbike. The instructions are clear and easy to
follow, and the three sets of decals allow some personalisation.
It’s certainly not one for the beginner as there are some
complex building steps involved. An online search shows at
least one UK stockist and several across Europe. Overall, this is
a detailed model that builds into a great product.
Riich.Models
Model British Airborne Universal Carrier and welbike (Limited Edition)
Code 35034
Scale 1/35
Parts 400+
Insignia options Three
Price Around £30
This is our final Kits in Focus feature. From September we will be
running a Gear Guide featuring all the latest gadgets, equipment,
tools and models from around the classic military vehicle world.

23

23 Kits CMV Aug2019_AS JM.indd 23 05/07/2019 11:37

 words & pictures Richard Gunn
Reach
Northamptonshire
A
s a museum primarily dedicated to flying,
the Sywell Aviation Museum in Northamp-
tonshire doesn’t major on military ground
transport. However, this compact venue is so
packed with exhibits that there’s still much to
interest vehicle enthusiasts. And, plan your visit
wisely and there could also be a historic vehicle
event going on… in which case you’ll be spoilt for
choice with military stuff on land and in the air.
The museum is based at Sywell Aerodrome,
close to Northampton and Wellingborough. The
airfield opened in 1928 and was a training and
repair facility during World War Two. Post-war,
it was used to shoot scenes for the 1969 movie
Battle of Britain and has since become known
for its wonderful Art Deco buildings.
The museum structures are a little less
glamorous; founded in 1998, the venue opened
in three bomb storage units rescued from RAF
Bentwaters in Suffolk, with two ex-PoW Nissen
huts added during 2011/12. However, this does
establish its military credentials and authenticity
right from the get-go.
Outside, you’ll find items such as a complete
Hawker Hunter Mk2, a Sangar concrete pillbox
and a unique test mule from the UK’s Blue Dan-
ube nuclear bomb programme from the 1950s.
Inside, the exhibits range from World War One
through to the Cold War.
The main point of interest for classic military
vehicle enthusiasts is a sidevalve Ford-engined
1943 Mercury bomb tractor. It was used by the
RAF and nicknamed 'Sammy'. The trolley behind
it sports some typical ordinance from the era.
Unfortunately, a Jeep that was also displayed
inside the museum has recently departed.
But elsewhere, there are vehicle models and
photographs, including the ‘Sywell Mayfly’, a Ford
Model T mocked up as an aircraft for one of the
1930s airshows. There’s automobilia too - such
as a representation of a typical World War Two
24 MoTM CMV Aug2019_AS JM.indd 24
Sywell Aviation Museum Museum of the month
The Sywell Aviation Museum
is located at the
Northamptonshire airfield
now famed for its Art
Deco buildings
Sammy, the 1943 Mercury bomb tractor, with
appropriate trolley-load behind
for the A BSA parachutist’s folding bicycle, as used by
British paratroopers during D-Day and Operation
Market Garden
Skies
How to tell if the tank coming towards you is
friendly or otherwise
Home Guard road checkpoint, recognition manu-
als on allied and enemy tanks, plus a 12-pack of
12 Lodge spark plugs suitable for a Merlin V12.
Form an orderly queue Supermarine Spitfire and
Cromwell tank owners! The more you search,
the more you’ll discover, as so much has been
squeezed in.
The day of CMV’s visit was the annual open
day, which always attracts a healthy turn-out
of military vehicles and appropriately attired
visitors - we counted at least 18 Jeeps among
the GMC trucks, a Bedford ‘Green Goddess’ and
Carmichael six-wheeled RAF Range Rover. One
of the 1941 Ford GPs was a four-wheel steer
prototype, one of just six survivors. So, combine
your trip with a vehicle event, and you could
easily spend the best part of a day at Sywell.
This volunteer-run museum is free to visit, A representation of a typical World War Two Home
although as it relies on donations, they’re Guard checkpoint
obviously very welcome. It’s open weekends and
bank holidays between Easter and the end of
September, from 10.30am to 4.30pm, along with
Tuesdays and Wednesdays noon to 4pm from
the last bank holiday in May until October
half-term.
Sywell Aviation Museum
Sywell Aerodrome
Sywell, Northamptonshire, NN6 0BT
www.sywellaviationmuseum.org.uk
This four-wheel drive Ford GP, which made an
01604 670824
appearance at Sywell’s open day, is one of just six
sywellaviation@gmail.com
left in the world
24
05/07/2019 11:37
 MILITARY MUSEUM
WWII exhibits including
a Sherman Tank
Café De Normandy
Armoury of deactivated
weapons
Children’s dressing up area

“We all enjoyed the museum which had some

wonderful exhibits. Would recommend
it to anyone!” Customer

O NLY £6PP
RY
T
EN

ct
O
to

Op
pr
il

en
Weds to Sun A

VISIT www.militarymuseum.uk
OR CALL 01858 880239 TO FIND OUT MORE
HUSBANDS BOSWORTH, NR LUTTERWORTH, LEICESTERSHIRE LE17 6NW

A GREAT VALUE DAY OUT FOR ALL THE FAMILY

MALTON, NORTH YORKSHIRE, YO17 6RT

Set in the buildings and grounds of

an original Prisoner of War Camp, a
visit to our unique museum allows you
to experience the sights, sounds and
smells of life on the Home Front and
Front Line during World War II.
Our collection
Course play areaincludes an extensive display of military vehicles, artillery
Junior Assault

equipment, including Churchill Crocodile, T34, Fox and rare M50 Sherman.
Open 10am-5pm, 14th Jan-23rd Dec.(Last admission 4pm). Allow 3 to 4 hours for a visit.
Free on-sitete parking, full disabled access and dog friendly.
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WinStan’ s Bunker Café.
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be part of it!

Call: 01653 697777 www.edencamp.co.uk

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25

025_CMV_AUG19_ad.indd 1 26/06/2019 11:59:01

 e
words and pictures Andrew Stone

g
Dependable
Do d Steve Bowens’ 1/2-ton
WC series pick-up style Dodge
is a real head-turner

26

26-30 Dodge CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 26 05/07/2019 11:36

 G
etting to grips with the various model names and numbers assigned
to Dodge vehicles in World War Two is almost as difficult as trying
to understand Brexit. That’s no surprise as more than 400,000
Dodge trucks were built just between 1941 and 1945.
Fortunately, the people with knowledge on the subject are a lot more
interesting to talk to than the politicians in charge of seeing our exit from
Europe through.
Take Steve Bowens for example. The Cambridgeshire resident has been
a fan of Dodge vehicles since a youngster and has amassed a wealth
of knowledge on the brand. Steve’s passion for Dodge has led him to
acquire several vehicles, including one of his most recent, and, dare we
say, best looking - a 1/2 -ton WC series pick-up. But to
fully understand where it fits into the vast
range of Dodge military

The 1941 Series

WC Dodge 1/2-ton 4x4
came in various guises
including this pick-up style truck

‘They are really

good looking and as I’m
getting older, I wanted something
with doors to keep me warmer!’

27

26-30 Dodge CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 27 05/07/2019 11:36


Most of the restoration work had already been done
when Steve Bowens bought the vehicle
‘According to the
vehicles, we need to go back in time for a bit.
It was in 1916 that Dodge sold its first regular
production vehicles to the US Army, the start
of what would become a long and successful
partnership between the two entities. Those first
vehicles were used along the Mexican border
during the Mexican Revolution and proved
effective in the rugged, mountainous terrain to
the north of the country. Because of this early
success, the US Army ordered nearly 7,500 four-
cylinder Dodges after entering World War One
in 1917. Most of these vehicles saw service in
France where the company further enhanced its
Restoration work included new floorboards for

information on the
the rear
reputation for building solid, reliable machines.
While the relationship between the military

data plate, it was and vehicle manufacturer cooled following the

war, it picked up again in 1932 when Franklin D

assigned to the US Roosevelt was elected president. Roosevelt set

about modernising the army, which had been

National Guard’ allowed to stagnate during the 1920s and orders

Access to the engine is through the ‘butterfly’
opening bonnet
Leaf spring suspension
The pedals and gear lever
for Dodges started rolling in again.
By 1937, between a third and a half of the
US Army’s fleet of 11,600 vehicles bore the
company’s name badge. With World War Two
looming, the army looked to add 1/2-ton vehicles
to its fleet and with its history, Dodge was in the
driving seat to supply these. The model was One of the issues with the 1/2-ton was that the load
designated the Dodge 1/2-ton 4x4 Series VC and body was not wide enough
since most were built in 1940, were assigned the
year as model number.
The VC series never saw action in the war,
however, and a redesign of the hood and cab
saw the introduction of the 1941 Series WC
Dodge 1/2-ton 4x4. It was the first all-military
design Dodge developed in the build-up to full
mobilisation.
The lightweight Dodge WC-series (W: 1941,
C: 1/2 ton) trucks were offered in various body
styles, the most common being the command
car, weapons carrier, a hardtop-cab pickup, a
panel truck, a hardtop-cab emergency repair
truck, ambulance and a carry-all. Production was
broken into three series, denoted by a four-digit Guards protecting the lights
engineering code as the first part of the engine
serial number, stamped on the left side of the
block just below the head. The first series models
– WC-1 through to WC-11 – featured the T207
engine code, the second – WC-12 through to
WC-20 – the T211 engine code, and the third and
last series – WC-21 through to WC-43 – the T215
code. Based on Chrysler Corporation figures
from 1946, 31,935 units with the T207 code were
produced, 17,293 with the T211 code and 28,537
with the T215 code.
In all, nearly 80,000 units were produced in
more than 30 variants in a relatively short space
of time during 1941 and 1942. The fact that they The vehicle had been restored when Steve bought it
share many of the same features can make
it difficult to differentiate between the various
models. Just the hard-cab, two-seater pickup
range consisted of the WC-1, WC-5, WC-12,
WC-14 and WC-40. Common features extended
to four-wheel drive, a 116in wheelbase (295cm),
hydraulic brakes and a six-cylinder in-line engine
while they also shared the distinctive forward
sloping ‘butterfly’ bonnet with vertical side
louvres and vertical bar grille.
Steve Bowens’ 1941 pick-up style truck pictured
here, which has a WC-1 marking on the data
plate in the cab but a post-war fitted engine
bearing the stamp T306, is among the rarer of
the WC-series. According to the information on The fuel filler pipe
the data plate, it was assigned to the US National

28

26-30 Dodge CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 28 05/07/2019 11:37


‘By 1937,
Guard, which saw action in all theatres of the
war.
between a third
The WC-1 model, of which 2,573 units were
built, was described as having a ‘closed cab
and a half of the
with express body and longitudinal seats’ and
had a carrying capacity of 450kg. It would have
US Army’s fleet of
originally been fitted with a frame and canvas
covering over the load body. A notable feature
11,600 vehicles
of the closed cab trucks was a windshield that
could open outwards, or as Steve likes to call it
‘air-conditioning’.
A spare tyre was located on the right side of the
body and a Jerrycan on the left. The original T207
bore the Dodge
straight-six petrol engine was mated to a four-
speed manual transmission and a single-range
name badge’
29
26-30 Dodge CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 29
SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer Dodge
Type WC-1
Country of origin US
Year 1941
Engine T207
Horsepower 85bhp
@ 3,000rpm
Brakes Hydraulic
Fuel Petrol
Capacity 114 litres
Fuel consumption 20 litres
per 100km
Crew Two + six (with
longitudinal seats fitted)
Dimensions(overall)
Length 6.6m
Width 1.92m
Height 1.65m
Wheelbase 2.9m
Weight 2,106kg
LEFT: The 1941 Series WC Dodge
1/2-ton 4x4 featured a vertical bar
grille
BELOW: The first series models, WC-1
through to WC-11, featured the T207
engine code
transfer case offering part-time four-wheel drive.
Steve bought the vehicle from Norfolk-based
James Hawke who in turn brought it in from the
US. Like Steve, James is also a fan of Dodge
vehicles and currently owns a 3/4-ton command
car, 1/2-ton command car and a 3/4-ton carry-all.
James, who owned the vehicle for about 10
years before selling it last year, carried out most
of the restoration work with his father David, who
has sadly since died. “I bought it from a friend of
mine in the States who had got it from a doctor
who owned it for about 45 years previous to that,”
said James. “It was running when I got it and
we never had to do anything to the engine apart
from replace a head gasket.
“But we did replace the transfer box and carry
out some other work. We practically had most of
the spares and just put it all back together.”
James believes the vehicle may have been
stationed at a National Guard base near
Los Angeles and would have been used
for transporting light cargo and personnel.
According to the book ‘Dodge WW2 Military
Portfolio 1940 – 1945’, US army Dodge vehicles
were not overhauled once, but ‘many’ times.
“The average combat duty life of a truck before it
needed major work was 10,000 to 20,000 miles,
and there were a lot of Dodges around with
nearly 100,000 miles on their odometers or in
their log books.” Many of these vehicles not only
saw out the war but were still in use around the
world for years after and engines were replaced
with whatever was available. “It’s very difficult to
find any today with their original engines,” said
James.
Since taking ownership, Steve, has carried out
simple maintenance work on the vehicle. “They
are fairly easy to keep running and maintained
once they have been fully restored,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted one and had been on the
lookout for quite some time. They are really
05/07/2019 11:37
 Another view of the interior shows the dash with its
switches and gauges

‘The lightweight
Dodge WC-series
1/2-ton trucks were
offered in various
body styles’
good looking and as I’m getting older, I wanted
something with doors to keep me warmer!”
The British Army was the first to take delivery
of the WC-series, mostly the ambulance and
weapons carrier variants, where they were
used on the battlefields during the North Africa
campaign. While they acquitted themselves
admirably, they were not without problems and
were found to tip over too easily, their tyres too
narrow for mud and sand and the body of the
weapons carrier too narrow. Believing further
improvements could be made, the US military’s
top brass called for another redesign resulting
in the 1942 Series WC Dodge 3/4-ton 4x4,
The door handle and window winder which addressed all the shortcomings of its
predecessor. Differences included a wider and
lower bonnet, cab and body and larger tyres.
The engine and powertrain remained mostly the
same, allowing for an interchange of parts.
Overall, the US churned out more than 3.2m
military transport vehicles during the war and
despite being replaced midway through the
conflict, the surviving WC Dodge 1/2-ton 4x4s
would go on to serve until the end of the war and ABOVE: The spare tyre on the right side of the body
today are sought after by collectors the world just behind the cab
over. TOP: A view of the cab’s interior from the driver’s side
BELOW: Steve Bowens with his Dodge and dog Sadie

The famous Dodge nameplate

The outward opening windscreen

30

26-30 Dodge CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 30 05/07/2019 11:37

 2019 Parts
Catalog
Free with your order!

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 Review
Rain fails to dampen spirits as Wartime in the Vale proves another success
D
espite the wet weather, the annual
Wartime in the Vale held at Ashdown
Farm near Evesham in Worcestershire
drew strong crowds thanks to an exciting array
of military vehicles on display. Organiser Amy
Jelfs said that while it had been “slightly damp”
underfoot, the show, which took place on June
15 and 16, had been well supported by visitors
and military vehicle owners displaying their
vehicles.
“Overall it was another fantastic event and the
turnout was amazing, especially considering the
show was held so close to the 75th Anniversary
of D-Day,” said Amy. “We had all sorts of vehicles
that had never been before.”
She said just some of the attractions included
two Halftracks owned by Adrian Scott, a Sher-
man tank owned by Chris Till, a flypast from a
Lancaster and an Alvis Fighting Vehicle Society
display.
34 WITV_review CMV Aug2019_RM JM.indd 34
words Andrew Stone pictures as credited
e t
Despite the damp weather there was a good turnout of vehicles. WITV
W
“We need to say a big thank you to everyone that
braved the damp conditions over the weekend,”
she added. “That includes the vehicle owners
who turned up en masse and got on with the
show, the re-enactors for digging in and staying
with us all weekend and the traders. It seems the
weather didn’t dampen spirits too much and with
the fantastic low-level Lancaster flypast we had a
successful show.”
and
The marquee proved a major hit with plenty of
live ‘period’ entertainment on the go for the dura-
tion of the event while the World War Two camp
Wonderful
set in Nissen huts was also hugely popular with
show goers.
“Overall the feedback has been brilliant, and I’ve
had so many positive responses from people who
attended,” said Amy. “The weather did make
ABOVE LEFT: Chris Till’s Sherman was a popular
things extra busy and tougher this year but thanks
attraction. One of the highlights was a flypast by a to everyone for their hard work and help, as it is all
Lancaster. WITV of you that make the show possible.”
Burn baby, burn. ADAM
BULL/ADAMBULLPHOTOGRA-
PHY.ZENFOLIO.COM
ABOVE: There was plenty of action to keep everyone
entertained. WITV
34
05/07/2019 11:36
 words and pictures Glenn Sands Review

A highlight of the show was

the rare Metro-Cammel
Valentine Mark IX DD tank.

‘This was a Compared to the Sherman

DD tanks used on D-Day, the

milestone
Valentine was lighter, had
a single propeller and the

anniversary for
drive was directly off the
transmission

the landings
so taking part
was about
showing
respect’

Denmead’s D-Day
In June, anniversary events commemorating the
Allied landings in France were held across the UK.
One of the best was the military vehicle show in One of a very small number of White M3A1 Scout Cars
Hampshire, organised by the SOE on the show circuit. Great to see it with a full canvas
tilt fitted

T
he 2019 Overlord Show at Denmead, anniversary. Chatting with a few Jeep owners, Among the sea of olive drab there were a
Hampshire from May 25 to 27 felt far you could sense their excitement and a feeling number of highlights. A fantastic, if not patriotic,
more significant this year. Perhaps this of purpose. This was a milestone anniversary GMC CCKW-352 deuce-and-a-half toured the
was due to it being the 75th anniversary of for the landings so taking part was about show- arena waving an American flag. A White M3A1
D-Day and also to the presence of some veter- ing respect. Scout Car, which retained its original ‘skate-ring’
ans among the crowd. The event, organised by used to mount a pair of swivel-mounted .30 cal
the Solent Overlord Executive (SOE) Military Col- machine-guns, was a rare sight to see.
lectors’ Club, brought vintage military vehicles The 75th anniversary of D-Day was the main
owners out in force to make this year’s show theme of the show and, each afternoon, a
one of the best yet. re-enactment of a beach landing was performed
Around 300 vehicles attended, along with involving nearly 100 individuals and replica
numerous re-enactment groups but there was landing craft and armour from both sides. It was
a change in the show this year. Two demon- as spectacular as it was loud, with streams of
stration arenas were established that allowed covering fire laid down by both sides before the
re-enactment groups, a big part of Overlord, to allies gained the upper hand.
show their skills with authentic skirmish scenar- Once again, the SOE proved they know exactly
ios. The AFVs were displayed in the other arena. This GMC CCKW-352 was fully equipped for the show, what military vehicle enthusiasts like to see. It
This was a welcome change, but any military with M4 carbine magazine pouches hanging from the was a fitting tribute to all involved - past and
driver’s position. It’s rare to see the .50 cal ring mount
enthusiast needed to attend the show for at present.
on a restored ‘Jimmy’
least two days so as not to miss anything!
Despite just 12 months since the last event, it
was staggering to see the changes that have
occurred on the local military vehicle scene.
Several World War Two types made their debut
at the show. Barry Ring, owner of Whitedell
Engineering, had only just finished his rare Inter-
national M3-4 4x4 cargo truck. As it drove past,
you could still smell the fresh olive drab paint - it
looked fantastic.
Looking at the ranks of vehicles on show, it
was obvious that many owners were in the
final stages of planning the journey across to
Normandy. They’d spent months preparing
their 1940s Jeeps, trucks and, in some cases, a
DUKW, for the trip.
The demand for spaces on the cross-channel
ferries out of Portsmouth was so intense that Making smoke – to cover the counter-attack, a German half-track crew moves into position to protect their
cabins had been booked two years before the ground troops. This is a Czech OTA10 but it has original German 1945 running gear and chassis

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 words David Fletcher pict

The First P
David Fletcher investigates the origins
of the Panzer and its use in World War Two

I
f you are given to reading books about German
tanks of World War Two you will probably
find the Panzer I dismissed in most of them
as a training tank. “If that is so,” once asked a
friend, “why did the Germans bother
to armour it and why fit a pair of
machine guns; surely for training
purposes one would suffice?”
Well, as it happens my friend,
who is no longer with us, knew
the answer but was unable to
prove it. Many years ago, in
the library of a large military
establishment outside
Washington DC, he came
across a translated German
document which he read but was
unable to copy.
To his memory the document
gave some idea of the extent of
German war plans, well before the
war, when they were considering
how to deal with France.
When it came to tanks, for example, they
needed some yardstick to work from and
decided that their tanks needed to outnumber the
quantity of French anti-tank guns – those fitted to
vehicles and those on ordinary gun carriages – by
a substantial amount.
The argument was that if every French gun took MAIN IMAGE: Panzer IB with the longer chassis
out just one tank before being overrun then there TOP LEFT: Panzer Is, type A by the look of it, in Spain with Franco’s forces
had to be enough Panzers left to ensure victory. It TOP RIGHT: An element of 6th Panzer Regiment on parade in Berlin. Some time after 1935 when 3rd Panzer Division was formed

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her pictures archive

Panzer ‘Tanks played an

important part in
seems a rather curious calculation since there are
other means of destroying tanks, and accidents
will happen, but presumably it was as good as any
under the circumstances. What it means, from

the Nazi propaganda our point of view, is that the Panzer I was clearly
designed and built with active service in mind.

machine’ Now, it might be argued that, as far as we

understand, Hitler did not actually intend to attack
the west even in 1939, never mind 1935, but this is
probably as good an indication as any of the extent
to which the German leader placed his
country on a war footing almost from
the moment he came to power.
Just for the record, total orders
for Panzer I gun tanks, Types A
and B, amounted to some 1,500
and the type B outnumbered
the type A but only if you count
special variants. One assumes
that this idea of simply
overwhelming the opposition
was not limited to the Panzer
I but included subsequent
developments. If Hitler’s plans
envisaged a later attack on the
west it would have been with more
powerful tanks, not just the Panzer I.
So, on the basis that, as designed, the
Panzer I was a fully-fledged fighting tank
let us take a general look at it. The idea that it
was intended for training no doubt derives to some
extent from the fact that a turretless version was
used for driving and maintenance training by the
National Socialist Motoring Corps (NSKK), in the
pre-war years. Under the guise of rather extreme
motor sport the NSKK trained a pool of volunteers
who, in due course would provide the Panzer force
med with a skilled reserve of driver/mechanics.

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 The Germans had been working on tank design
in Sweden and testing their early products in secret
at Kazan in Russia, but by 1935 the cloak was
definitely off and an embryo Panzer Division had
been inspected by Hitler. A year later they were in
action in Spain.
The Germans supplied Franco’s Army with 33
Panzer Is along with troops to train the Spanish
crews and assist with maintenance. These men
also witnessed first-hand how their tanks behaved
in action and reached some uncomfortable
conclusions.
Republican forces in Spain were equipped with
Russian tanks, notably the T-26, which was derived
from a British design but improved by the Russians
to the extent that it mounted an accurate 45mm
anti-tank gun. Nationalist tank crews in their
Panzer Is soon discovered that they were coming
under fire at ranges of 1,000m or more and being
penetrated.
Unless they could lure the Russian tanks close
enough to be penetrated by their armour-piercing
machine-gun ammunition, Panzer I crews found
that they had no means of fighting back and in any
case there was no opportunity to halt and fire. To
keep moving was the only way to avoid being hit.
Franco’s men also discovered that the German
anti-tank guns they had been given were only
sighted up to about 700m and firing beyond
that involved guesswork, which was terribly
inaccurate. As a result, tanks were always being
called upon to protect other arms from attacks by
Republican tanks and it soon became clear that
the arithmetic originally applied to the Panzer I
simply did not work.
No matter how you looked at it the Panzer I
was totally inadequate as a fighting tank. There
is a story that, to begin with the idea of going to
war in tanks was regarded as so glamorous that
members of the more elite elements in nationalist
society all wanted to be tank commanders; until,
that is, they saw what happened when a tank ‘The original Panzer I, the Type A, was pow ere
was hit and caught fire. Then they all decided to
do something else and it got to the point where propaganda machine; Hitler was always giving swarming over the earth.
convicted criminals would be released from jail on his curious version of the Nazi salute as Panzer I It did not matter that the individual tanks were
the understanding that they would become tank tanks, rolling by four abreast, were used to remind not up to very much, to the press and public of
commanders; those that survived their first action the world that the Führer’s war machine was those days a tank was a tank; it was the message
were then declared free men. gathering momentum. that counted. And the message was: “Germany is
The original Panzer I, the Type A, was powered by And it would not do to underestimate the potency revitalised, virile and determined to uphold its honour
the Kupp M305 air-cooled engine, a four-cylinder of this message. We have all seen the newsreels – and it’s coming after you”. It is perfectly possible to
unit, horizontally opposed delivering about 57bhp of tanks advancing across a parade ground eight dismiss this as bluff and bluster. Modern research
but regarded even at the time as underpowered. abreast and then peeling off in each direction. Or shows that, when Hitler reoccupied the Rhineland in
Armour thickness was 13mm maximum giving an those photos of pre-war Nazi rallies with town March 1936 his soldiers were ordered to fall back at
all-up weight of around five tons. It mounted a pair squares packed with orderly lines of tanks, rank once, if a single French soldier stepped across the
of MG13 7.92mm machine guns. upon rank of soldiers and huge red Nazi banners frontier. But nobody called his bluff and the way to
It is worth noting that British and French draped from buildings. The tanks involved were war was left open.
observers in Spain dismissed the Panzer I as usually Panzer Is, like some iron grey horde Of course, you can go back before then. In August
useless, even then and, deriving from that played
down the effectiveness of the Panzer Division and
its potential. This was a dangerous conclusion
since it implied that the Germans would not Panzers in the snow. Panzer IA in the foreground The Vickers-Carden-Loyd tractor which provided the
come up with a better tank, at least not in the inspiration for the suspension of the Panzer I
foreseeable future.
Also, of course, they had not appreciated the
effectiveness of the German practice of mixing
tanks and anti-tank guns which redressed the
balance to some extent.
So, if the Spanish Civil War had already proved the
Panzer I to be inadequate what to do with it? The
number lost in Spain was insignificant so when
World War Two began there were still hundreds of
them available.
Tanks played an important part in the Nazi

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ow ered by the Kupp M305 air-cooled engine’
1935, Hitler and his entourage inspected the first
German Panzer Division at Munster. It was not
much of a thing, a handful of experimental tanks,
but it was there for all to see, out in the open, and
there was a lot more going on behind the scenes.
For example during the period when the Germans
were forbidden to develop tanks under the terms
of the Treaty of Versailles they built tanks in secret
and tested them in Russia.
It is still surprising to find two diametrically
opposed ideologies conspiring in this way, or
was it? But Hitler had not come to power when
this cooperation began, in 1929 and since Hitler’s
hatred of Russia and the Communist system
VK1801, Panzer IF, the ultimate manifestation of the
Panzer I gun tank of 1942, built by Krauss-Maffei
36-39 panzer CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 39
A Nazi rally fills the town
square in Kamentz.
verged on the pathological it was destined not to
last for that long.
Hitler came to power, as chancellor, in April 1933
although he was a considerable force behind the
scenes long before that. But steps had already
been taken towards the adoption of the Panzer I
before then.
In 1932 a German engineering company named
Nowack obtained three small tracked vehicles
from the Vickers-Carden-Loyd company in Britain.
They were purchased as agricultural tractors and
were based on a design marketed by Vickers as a
Tractor Truck; a purely commercial type.
However, the tracks and running gear were very
The Krupp prototype of the Panzer I. The first that
looked like a real tank
39
similar to various vehicles being supplied to the
British Army and by 1934 a consortium of German
firms were building comparable vehicles as
agricultural tractors and potential tanks.
They were not identical to the Vickers design, but
any fair-minded person would have to admit that
there were similarities and to that extent it seems
reasonable to claim at least some British influence
in the design of this first little German Panzer.
And, before long, large numbers of them were in
the hands of the NSKK whose members all wore
military-style uniforms and could be seen driving
around in what looked suspiciously like militaristic
formations.
By 1935, of course, the gloves were off and
the same chassis could be seen, now complete
with an armoured hull and turret, armed with two
machine guns.
The Panzer I Ausf B, the main production
model, was on the longer chassis earmarked
for the Command version, it was powered by a
six-cylinder Maybach water-cooled engine, petrol
of course, rated at 100bhp which was certainly
better than the 88bhp Meadows in the Light Mark
VI. The armour was 13mm thick over vital areas
(compared with 14mm on the Light Mark VI).
It was armed with a pair of light, 7.92mm
machine guns while one of the machine guns
in a Light Mark VI was 12.7mm which, firing
armour piercing ammunition, was capable of
penetrating 9mm armour at 91m and 11mm
at 457m. Not sufficient to knock out a Panzer
I at any range. On the other hand, the 7.92mm
machine-guns in the Panzer I, firing special hard
steel core ammunition could not do better than
8mm at 100m or 3.4mm at 500m.
However, the German tank was of welded
construction while the British still clung to the
traditional method of riveting used by nearly
everyone else. On the other hand, the British
tanks by now had a crew of three while the
Panzer I managed with just two men; a driver
and commander who also worked the guns and
listened to the radio if his tank had one.
In the case of the turreted Panzer I, it was
only equipped with an Fu2 receiving set so the
responsibility devolving on the commander was
not so bad as that experienced by a contemporary
British tank commander who could report and
reply. Indeed, it was this additional responsibility,
on top of working the guns, navigating, guiding the
driver and observing the battlefield situation that
had led the British to design their later light tanks
to accommodate a crew of three; the extra man
being the gunner.
Although production of the Panzer I ausf B came
to an end in the summer of 1937 it remained in
frontline service until 1941, by which time it was
regarded almost as a liability.
An ausf F appeared in 1942 but it was a Panzer I
only in name, and armament, having frontal
armour 80mm thick and a new suspension. A few
were sent to Russia, but in such limited numbers
as to be irrelevant. Some of the original tanks
were rebuilt as self-propelled mounts for the
4.7cm anti-tank and the 15cm howitzer while
others were adapted to incorporate a flame-
thrower, to carry and emplace demolition charges
and even evaluated as potential bridge-layers
along the lines of the British ARK, although in this
case the suspension proved to be too weak to
support the load.
05/07/2019 11:46
 JOHN CARROLL
Calendar July - December 2019
2019
July
19-21 Pottering through
the Peaks
A new and exciting event in the Mini Moke Club
calendar takes place in the Peak District of the
English Midlands.
Based near Ashbourne in Derbyshire and
adjacent to Carsington Water, this event
promises to surprise and gratify in equal
measure with tours through spectacular scenery.
For more information visit www.mokeclub.org
21-22 53rd Masham Steam Rally
Masham, North Yorkshire, HG4 4NX
www.mashamsteamrally.com
23-27 War and Peace Revival
Hop Farm Show Ground, Maidstone Road,
Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6PY
Military vehicle and re-enactment show.
www.warandpeacerevival.com
25-27 MVMVC Weare Rally
The Merrimack Valley Military Vehicle Collectors
14 Center Rd, Weare, New Hampshire, NH 03281,
USA
http://mvmvc.org/Weare-Rally
www.mvmvc.org
26-28 Kelmarsh Land Rover Show
Kelmarsh, Northamptonshire
www.kelmarshlandrovershow.com
40-41 eventscalendar CMV Aug2019_RM JM.indd 40
www.cmvmag.co.uk cmveditorial@keypublishing.com
27-28 Old Buckenham Airshow
‘The Ultimate Family Day Out’.
Abbey Rd, Old Buckenham, Norfolk, NR17 1PU,
United Kingdom
www.oldbuckenhamairshow.co.uk
August
2-4 Annual Gloucestershire Vintage
& Country Extravaganza
South Cerney Airfield, Cirencester
Free admission for World War Two veterans
and carers
www.glosvintageextravaganza.co.uk
7-11 History in Motion Military
Vehicle Show and 44th Annual
MPVA Convention
York Expo Centre, York, Pennsylvania, USA
www.mpva.org/york
8-12 The International Mini Meeting
IMM 2019 celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the
launch of the Mini.
The Mini Moke Club will be in their own area, with
activities and exhibits to enliven an event which
is ready to become one of the most memorable
in Mini history.
For more information visit www.mokeclub.org
10-11 Armourfest
Norfolk Tank Museum
Forncett St Peter, NR16 1HZ
info@norfolktankmuseum.co.uk
www.armourfest.co.uk
40
10-11 Combined Ops Military
Spectacular
Headcorn Aerodrome, Nr. Maidstone,
Kent, TN27 9HZ
www.headcornspecialevents.co.uk
24-26 Military Odyssey
Kent Show Ground, Detling, Nr Maidstone, Kent,
ME14 3JF
Multi-period living history and re-enactment
event. 07595 511981
www.military-odyssey.com
24 Ripon 4x4 & Vintage Spares day
Ripon Racecourse, Boroughbridge Rd, Ripon,
HG4 1UG. Land Rover & Vintage spares
autojumble. Classic car show on August 25
£5 per adult. 9am-1.30pm.
www.4x4sparesday.co.uk
31-1 Tanks in Mons
75th anniversary of liberation
www.tanksinmons.be
September
6-8 The Victory Show
Foxlands Farm, Croft Road, Cosby, Leicester,
LE9 1SG
enquiries@thevictoryshow.co.uk
www.thevictoryshow.co.uk
6-8 The Welsh Moking Weekend
Back to the hills and mountains of West Wales for
the final major Moking event of the year, as the
club sets up camp at Aberaeron, Nr New Quay.
05/07/2019 11:46
 www.cmvmag.co.uk cmveditorial@keypublishing.com July - December 2019 Calendar

The Welsh Welcome is always guaranteed with
hospitality and activities second to none.
For more information visit www.mokeclub.org
7 Hull4Heroes attempt to break
the Guinness World Record for the
longest game of marathon touch
rugby.
The event will take place at Hull University’s
facilities on Inglemire Lane.
For more information visit: https://www.
facebook.com/BOHAM19/
14-21 Operation Market Garden 2019
75-year commemoration www.omg2019.nl
14-22 Operation Market Garden
Liberation Task Force’s 30 Corps Event
More than 200 British military vehicles expected.
Register to participate in the 75th anniversary
and convoy along Hell’s Highway to Venghel,
using the same roads as the liberators in 1944
www.ltf-hq.com/registration
www.widget.yourticketprovider/nl
November
3 Newark Militaria Fair
Newark County Showground, NG24 2NY
£5 per person
07889 516401/jeep.promotions@btconnect.
com
8-10 Lancaster Insurance Classic
Motor Show
NEC,Birmingham
www.necclassicmotorshow.com
17 Malvern Militaria Fair
The Three Counties Showground, Wye Hall
(brown gate), Malvern, Worcestershire, UK.
Please enter the showground via brown gate and
proceed to Wye Hall.
07976 777117/info@militariashows.com
www.militariashows.com
December
8 Chatham Militaria Fair
Only fair of its type to be held completely
indoors.
Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent.
www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk
15 Chelmsford Militaria Fair
The only indoor militaria fair in Essex. Held at the
Marconi Social Club, Beehive Lane ,
Chelmsford, Essex.
Beehive Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9RX
www.chelmsfordmilitaria.com

October
6 Newbury 4x4 & Vintage Spares Day
Newbury Showground, Chieveley, Berkshire,
RG18 9QZ. The biggest Land Rover Autojumble
in Europe plus large vintage section, more than
800 sellers.
£7per adult. 10am-2pm.
www.4x4sparesday.co.uk

YORKSHIRE WARTIME EXPERIENCE

27 Malvern 4x4 & Vintage
Spares Day
Wye Halls, Three Counties Showground, Malvern,
Worcs, WR13 6NW
£6.50 per adult. 9am-1.30pm.
www.4x4sparesday.co.uk
YORKSHIRE WARTIME EXPERIENCE

41

40-41 eventscalendar CMV Aug2019_RM JM.indd 41 05/07/2019 11:46

 words John Teasdale pictures as stated

It’s not quite time to say goodbye

to the Humvee as the US Army’s Joint
Light Tactical Vehicles starts to
make an appearance

42

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 MAIN IMAGE: This M1036, an
Armaments Carrier fitted with a
TOW M220 launcher and a winch, is
seen during an exercise conducted
in January 1995. The photograph
shows the high ground clearance
of the Humvee. A KALMANSON /
NATIONAL ARCHIVES 6385512
This M1114 Armament Carrier is assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine
Regiment, which is using it to patrol the town of Barwana, Iraq, on
March 31, 2004. M1114 is an up-armored HMMWV; note the added
ventilation grilles at the rear, very necessary when the vehicle is
operating closed. Despite the added vehicle armour,
the machine gunner is still very exposed.
LCPL KC QUIHUIS / NATIONAL
ARCHIVES 6667868

ha r p i n
S
Tooth & Claw
I
n early 2019, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat
Team of the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division
took on strength the first of the Joint Light
Tactical Vehicles to enter service. The JLTV will
replace the High-Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled
Vehicle (HMMWV) at the sharp end of US military
endeavours, be they war-making or peacekeeping.
Indeed, the process of replacing the HMMWV
– pronounced Humvee – began in 2007 when
hastily built and procured Mine-Resistant
Ambush-Protected vehicles were deployed in Iraq
and Afghanistan to replace the Humvee, which
had not been designed to cope with improvised
explosive devices.
The JLTV will not entirely replace the Humvee,
variants of which will remain in US military service
for many years yet. However, the Humvee will
never again be such a significant vehicle at the
sharp end of US Army and Marine Corps infantry
operations, so now is a good time to look back
on its service life. Specifically, we shall look at the
Armament Carrier version.
The Humvee had its origins in the early
1970s when military minds considered the
unsatisfactory nature of the US Army’s light
vehicles. The army was operating two principal
1-1/4 ton vehicles. The M561 Gama Goat was a
complex, articulated 6x6 that was proving to be
both difficult and expensive to keep in running
order. Much simpler, and thus easier and cheaper
to operate, was the M715, a 4x4 based on the
civilian Jeep Gladiator. The M715 was, however,
fragile in soldiers’ hands and prone to engine
troubles. Then there was the current incarnation
of the World War Two Jeep, the 1/4-ton M151.
The original version of this had a lethal design
of rear suspension, though by the early 1970s
this had been rectified by the introduction of the
M151A2. The trouble with the M151 was that it
was too small for present-day tactical use, given
the increasing issue of radios, weapons and other
kit to frontline infantrymen.
Dissatisfaction with the M151 as a tactical
vehicle came to a head when trials were
conducted with the newly introduced tube-
launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided (TOW)
anti-tank missile. The army wanted widespread
issue of the missile system among the infantry,
and that meant mounting on the M151 (as well
as on larger vehicles). Although the TOW launcher
could be deployed from an M151 perfectly well,
it was not practical in the field due to a lack

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This US Marine Corps Military Police M1043A2
Armament Carrier provides security outside a
hospital in Ubaydi, Iraq, on November 1, 2004. The
view shows clearly the tall curved armoured rear
shield fitted to the machine gunner’s position of
Marine Humvees. The driver’s windscreen has been
struck by a rifle round, which failed to penetrate.
LCPL CG GRAHAM / NATIONAL ARCHIVES 6694265
‘The notorious
improvised
explosive devices
took an increasing
toll on the Humvee
and its occupants’
The appliqué armour added to this M1025A1
Armament Carrier is clearly identified by the contrast
between its sand-coloured paint and the vehicle’s
original green and black paint. The vehicle is assigned
to the US Army’s 27th Infantry Regiment, and is on
patrol near Bayji, Iraq, on October 30, 2004. Note the
spare wheel and fuel cans strapped on at the rear.
TSGT L HARSHMAN / NATIONAL ARCHIVES 6688110
Ultimate in armour for the Humvee is seen here on
this M1114 Armament Carrier assigned to the US
Marine Corps’ Combat Logistics Battalion Three.
The machine gunner has a substantial turret, fitted
with armoured windows. The windows of the vehicle
doors are also heavily armoured. Vehicle and
crew are seen here in May 2013 during a training
exercise. L-CPL R VILLA / US MARINE CORPS
42-46 hummer CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 44
of space on the vehicle for the launcher, spare
missiles and radio, plus the crew and their kit.
Baja 1000
Meanwhile, the FMC Corporation, manufacturer
of the M113 armoured personnel carrier, had taken
note of a vehicle built to participate in the Baja
1000. This race was like any other, in that the aim
was to drive ludicrously fast in order to pass the
finishing line first. What made the race special was
the length and difficulty of the course: some 950
miles (1,500km) of rocks, sand and dry lake beds
through Mexico’s Baja California Desert.
The vehicle that caught FMC’s eye was named
Baja Boot; it was robust, powerful, had high
ground clearance and large tyres. It won the race
several years running. FMC built two militarised
versions and offered them for trial to the army in
1970. The army was impressed and ordered 10
more examples under the designation XR311 for
extensive trials. Four of them were fitted with TOW
launchers.
The army decided to develop the XR311 as
the Combat Support Vehicle mounting the TOW
missile launcher. The number of vehicles required
would be modest though – initial estimates put
the requirement at about 3,800. In 1977, Congress
decided that it would not fund such a low-
production run of a highly specialised vehicle. The
programme was terminated.
HMMWV
By no means discouraged, the army decided that
the XR311 should instead form the basis of what
became the Humvee. This vehicle would replace
the M274 Mechanical Mule, the M151 Jeep and
the M561 Gama Goat; it would also partially
replace the Jeep Gladiator-based M715 and the
Dodge M880 that had already begun to replace it.
Not only the US Army’s vehicles would be
replaced by the Humvee; so too would those of the
US Marine Corps and the US Air Force. Production
numbers would therefore be very high – up to
RIGHT: The driver of this US Marine Corps M1043
Armament Carrier thought he would have a smooth
descent beyond the crest of a dune. That turned out
not to be the case. The front of the vehicle is nearest
the camera. The view of its nether regions shows the
drivetrain inset between the chassis rails, offering no
projections that might catch the ground off-road. The
M1043 is in Saudi Arabia in October 1990 partici-
pating in Operation Desert Shield. LCPL ALVARADO /
NATIONAL ARCHIVES 6510301
BELOW: The M1025 Armament Carrier, fitted with basic
armour only, was not designed to cope with land
mines. This example, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th
Cavalry, was severely damaged in August 1996 by a
TMA-1 anti-tank mine while on peacekeeping duties
in Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the NATO Stabiliza-
tion Force (SFOR). PVT FIRST CLASS BA LEBRON / NATIONAL
ARCHIVES 6502883
44
50,000 were envisaged – bringing down the
unit cost. Congress approved. Three companies
submitted prototypes in early 1982 for military trial,
and the FMC design concept won. By this time
though, AM General had bought a licence from
FMC for the vehicle’s development and subsequent
manufacture. The first production contract was
awarded on March 22, 1983; that contract would
be followed by many more.
The Humvee was based on a steel ladder
chassis. Attached to the chassis was an
aluminium floor, engine bulkhead and a side rave
that started on both sides behind the front wheel,
ran below the level of the door apertures and above
the rear wheel. At the rear, the side rave extended
inwards sufficiently far to mount the rear lights, but
then stopped. The gap between the ends of the
side raves was closed by a bottom-hinged tailgate
(except on ambulance versions of the Humvee).
The front-hinged bonnet was glass-reinforced
plastic with metal strengthening beneath. The twin-
pane windscreen, which could fold flat on soft-skin
Humvees, was mounted on the engine bulkhead.
The engine, a General Motors Model DDA 6.2 litre
naturally-aspirated V8 diesel, was front-mounted
but well back on the chassis such that it protruded
slightly into the cabin. Soundproofing was not
extensive, so with the engine running it was noisy.
The engine was water-cooled, and as it was
required to operate in high ambient temperatures it
had a large radiator. To maintain a low profile at the
front of the vehicle – to give the driver a good view
of the ground off-road – the radiator was mounted
almost horizontally. Cooling air was drawn in
through the front grille and through a large opening
in the bonnet.
The engine developed 150hp at 3,600 rpm. It was
mated to a Turbo-Hydra-Matic 3L80 three-speed
automatic gearbox. An unwelcome feature of
this gearbox was that it had no ‘P’ position, so the
vehicle was totally reliant on its handbrake when
parked on a gradient. The gearbox was mated
to a New Process Gear two-speed transfer box,
05/07/2019 11:45
 The ultimate solution for the protection of the machine gunner was to bring him in the vehicle.
This M1114 Armament Carrier, assigned to Bravo Battery, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery
SPECIFICATIONS
Regiment, is fitted with a remote-controlled weapons station in order to achieve that. Manufacturer AM General
PH3 S HUSSONG / NATIONAL ARCHIVES 6670461 Model High-Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle
Production total 281,000 plus those licence-built overseas
Engine General Motors Model DDA 6.2 litre naturally-
aspirated V8 diesel (Later versions, 6.5 litre naturally-
aspirated V8 diesel and 6.5 litre turbocharged V8 diesel.)
Gearbox Turbo-Hydra-Matic 3L80 three-speed
automatic. (Later versions Turbo-Hydra-Matic 4L80E
four-speed electronically controlled automatic.)
Transfer box New Process Gear, high and low ratios;
lockable centre differential
Differentials Torque biasing Torsen
Suspension Independent; double A-frame with helical
spring and hydraulic damper
Tyres 36x12.50-16.5 cross-ply, run-flat (Later versions
37x12.5R-16.5 radial, run-flat.) Central Tyre Inflation
System optional on A2 HMMWVs
Brakes Disc, inboard either side of the differentials

Dimensions(overall)
This US Marine Corps M1043 Armament Carrier is seen driving through the desert in February Length, M1025 Armament Carrier 180 inches (457 cm)
1991 as part of Operation Desert Storm – intended to evict the Iraqi Army from Kuwait. The
Marine Corps’ Armament Carriers have exterior supplemental armour in addition to the internal Length, M1026 Armament Carrier with front-mounted
basic armour, hence the flat exterior surface winch 185in (470 cm)
of the doors as seen here. Width 85in (216cm)
The vehicle mounts an M 2.5in Height without weapons station 69in (175cm)
machine gun. CW02 BAILEY / Ground clearance under portal gears 16in (41cm)
NATIONAL ARCHIVES 6467863
Ground clearance under chassis 24in (61cm)
Approach angle 72 degrees
Departure angle 45 degrees
Wading depth without deep water fording kit 30in (76 cm)
Wading depth with deep water fording kit 60in (152 cm)
Carrying capacity, M1025 Armament Carrier with basic
armour 2,500lbs (1,134kg)
Gross vehicle weight, M1025 Armament Carrier
8,200lbs (3723kg)

which provided full-time four-wheel drive. A centre transmission tunnel. Such a location meant that, with enclosed bodywork, which tapered down
differential prevented transmission wind-up when despite the width of the Humvee, there was only at the rear to prevent the bodywork from being
running on hard surfaces. The differential was room for two seats in a row not three. damaged by the back blast from the launch of a
locked via the transfer box selector lever, which had TOW missile. Armament carriers not intended to
four positions: H (high ratio, differential unlocked); Armament Carrier mount TOW launchers had the same bodywork.
H/L (high ratio, differential locked); L (low ratio, Various types of body could be fitted to suit it The various sub-types of armament carrier had
differential locked); N (neutral). Note that when for various roles. There were three body types: different M numbers; due to lack of space, only
low ratio was selected the differential was always armament carrier; cargo/personnel carrier; some of these will be detailed here.
locked, so drivers had to be careful not to allow ambulance. The armament carrier was fitted The armament carrier had four side doors and a
transmission wind-up to occur; L was normally
only selected when negotiating steep upwards or
downwards gradients, or when the vehicle was
mired.
Suspension front and rear was independent,
allowing the front and rear torque biasing Torsen
differentials to be mounted high in the chassis. The
drive shafts from the differentials drove the wheels
via portal gear (wherein the gear on the end of a
driveshaft was located above the corresponding
gear which drove the wheel). The combination of
high-mounted differentials and portal gears gave
the Humvee very good ground clearance: 24in
(61cm) under the chassis. The split-rim wheels
were fitted with 36x12.50-16.5 cross-ply (bias-ply)
run-flat tyres. Standard equipment of the Humvee
did not, therefore, include a spare wheel and tyre.
The high ground clearance raised the centre of Serving as part of Task Force
gravity, so the Humvee was designed to have a Eagle, this M1025 Armament
wide track to be stable off-road. At 85in (216cm) Carrier is in Bosnia-Herzegovina
wide, the Humvee was nearly 2ft (60cm) wider in September 1996 serving as part
than an M151 Jeep, and only 1ft (30cm) or so of the Implementation Forces (IFOR) enforcing the
narrower than a 2-1/2 ton truck. Dayton Peace Accords signed in the aftermath of the violent
break-up of Yugoslavia. Note the vulnerability of the M60 machine gunner,
The centre of gravity was reduced by fitting the
lacking even a frontal shield. SSGT L BRISCESE / NATIONAL ARCHIVES 6494744
seats low down in the cabin either side of the

45

42-46 hummer CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 45 05/07/2019 11:45


These M1026 Armament Carriers are assigned
to the US Army’s 1st Armored Division, which has
despatched them and their crews for United Nations
peacekeeping duties on the Macedonian/Serbian
border. The photograph was taken on January 1, 1994
at Outpost U-51B, located in the hills of northern
Macedonia. SSGTJE LASKY / NATIONAL ARCHIVES 6500737
This M1025A1 Armament Carrier is assigned to a
military police unit. It is seen here in April 1997
being used to protect Fort Clayton, a US Army base
in the Republic of Panama. The vehicle is fitted with
basic armour. M ESQUINA / NATIONAL ARCHIVES 6496299
This heavily armoured M1114 Armament Carrier is
assigned to Bravo Battery, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field
Artillery Regiment, and is seen here on active duty in Iraq
on March 22, 2006. As well as the extensive additional
armour – the armoured doors, for example, have been fitted
with additional appliqué armour – the vehicle has been
fitted with: an Ibis Tek Front Protective Bumper; side and
rear armoured machine gunner’s shields to supplement the
frontal shield; smoke grenade launchers on each corner of
the roof (as seen here, fitted with protective covers). PH3 S
HUSSONG / NATIONAL ARCHIVES 6671416
42-46 hummer CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 46
ABOVE: An M1114 Up-armoured HMMWV Armaments
Carrier splashes across a river in Organ Province,
Afghanistan, on July 3, 2002. The thickness of the
armoured doors is very apparent, as is the overhang
of the added roof armour. The machine gunner has
the roof hatch raised to protect his back, and his front
is protected by an armoured gun shield. Humvees
are fitted with runflat tyres, but a flat tyre means that
road speed must be reduced. SFC F GURWELL / NATIONAL
ARCHIVES 6625708
cargo shell door at the rear for external access to
the cargo compartment. (The compartment could
also be reached from within the cabin.) In the cabin
were three or four seats depending on internal
configuration.
Vehicles specifically tasked for mounting a TOW
launcher, machine gun (M2 .5in or M60 7.62mm)
or Mk 19 40mm grenade launcher had provision
made for stowing securely the weapon and its
ammunition inside the vehicle. In action, the
weapon was installed on the skate ring built into a
large opening in the roof. The gunner when serving
his weapon stood on a platform attached to the
transmission tunnel; this was adjustable for height.
All armament carriers were fitted with an AN/
GRC-160 radio set. They were also all fitted with
what was termed basic armour. This comprised
steel and Kevlar panels installed internally. Basic
armour was enough only to protect against spent
rifle rounds and light shrapnel. The US Army and
the US Air Force took into service vehicles with this
specification of armour, but the US Marine Corps
decided it was insufficient. Marine Armament
Carriers were fitted with external supplementary
armour. The two levels of protection could be
identified as the doors of the vehicles with basic
armour showed the X-shaped pressings that gave
them structural strength. These pressings were
hidden by the Marines’ external armour.
The Humvee Improved
The Humvee was deployed on active service
in December 1989 when US troops overthrew
Manuel Noriega’s corrupt government in Panama.
The Humvee was noisy to ride in and its seats
were uncomfortable, but it proved to be entirely fit
for active service (though there were calls for more
armour, especially to protect the gunner). While
the army’s hope that the Humvee would replace
its light tactical vehicles was not fulfilled – it was
far too big to replace the Mechanical Mule – it
proved to be very successful as a replacement for
the Jeep and the Gama Goat. So, the army looked
to find new roles in which the Humvee could be
46
deployed.
One of those possible roles was as a gun
tractor for the M119 105mm howitzer. The
standard Humvee was not quite up to the job,
so the army commissioned AM General to build
the Heavy HMMWV Variant (HHV) which had
such as stronger suspension and heavy-duty
37x12.5R-16.5 radial tyres. The HHV entered
service in May 1992. The army soon decided
that all new-build Humvees should be to the HHV
specification. That specification was further
enhanced by installing an upgraded transfer
box and better seats. New-build vehicles to this
specification were given the A1 suffix, so the
army’s M1025 Armament Carrier became the
M1025A1.
In 1994, the Environmental Protection Agency
issued new regulations concerning vehicle
emissions. In order to comply, and in order to
benefit from improvements in technology, the
army adopted the engine and transmission
currently installed in the Hummer - a General
Motors Model DDA 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V8
developing 160hp at 3400 rpm. It was mated to a
Turbo-Hydra-Matic 4L80E four-speed electronically
controlled automatic transmission. New-build
Humvees with this engine and transmission were
suffixed A2 and were introduced into service from
the autumn of 1995.
The next improvement came as a result of AM
General’s development of a light truck based on
Humvee components. This had a cab mounted
above the engine – to increase the available load
space – and a stronger chassis.
Ever since operations in Panama, there had been
questions about the Humvee’s armour protection.
The Humvee had not been intended to be used
in direct engagements with the enemy. Even the
Humvee fitted with the TOW launcher would ‘shoot
and scoot’ rather than slug it out in the front line.
In 1992, the army deployed a small number of
M1109 Up-Armored HMMWV Armament Carriers
based on the A1 Humvee.
Soldiers and marines were increasingly using the
Humvee to take the fight directly to the enemy.
And insurgents were increasingly taking the
fight directly to the US Army and Marine Corps.
To counter the threat, Humvees were fitted with
appliqué armour from various sources. The
increased weight affected performance and
reliability, so AM General was commissioned to
build an expanded capacity vehicle (ECV) based
on the stronger chassis originally designed for
the cab-over-engine light truck. The armament
carrier version of the ECV, which entered service
in 1996, was designated M1114. To cope with the
increased weight of chassis and additional armour,
the turbocharged version of the 6.5 litre V8 engine
was fitted; this developed 190hp. In due course,
the M1114 was replaced by the M1151. This
was designed to be fitted easily with two sets of
appliqué armour. In low threat conditions, A kit was
fitted. If the threat became more severe, B kit could
be added on top of the A Kit.
In Afghanistan from 2002 and Iraq from 2003,
home-made land mines took an increasing toll on
the Humvee and its occupants. Yet more armour
was added, but it was not enough. On active
service in Afghanistan and Iraq the Humvee was
replaced as far as possible with mine-resistant
ambush-protected vehicles. It was the beginning of
the end of the Humvee as a front-line fighting
vehicle.
05/07/2019 11:45
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047_CMV_AUG19_ad.indd 1 02/07/2019 10:27:09

 words and pictures Vicky Turner (Archive photos: Wikimedia Commons)

Universally An insight into

one example of
history’s single

Approved
most produced
tracked and
armoured
fighting vehicle

48

48-52 universal CMV Aug2019_AS JM.indd 48 05/07/2019 11:44

 T
he Universal Carrier has a pedigree
that can be traced back to the end of
World War One and the emergence of
the Carden Loyd tankette in the 1920s. These
were designed as light tracked vehicles for
the transportation of men and equipment and
came about as the military strategists sought
ways of avoiding the recently experienced
stalemate of trench warfare.
Invented privately by Maj LeQuesne Martel, a
military engineer, his ideas were pitched to the
War Office which then asked the Carden Loyd
Tractor Company to develop them.
It came up with a slightly bigger vehicle based
on Martel’s designs, which were cheap to
produce and light – coming in under two tons.
It was the 1927 Mark VI Carden Loyd tankette
that effectively became the blueprint for the
Universal Carrier.
In 1934 Vickers Armstrongs, which had
absorbed Carden-Loyd into the business in

Bren gun carriers pass Belgian refugees on the Brussels-Louvain road, 12 May 1940

With a total of 113,000

of all versions
manufactured between
1934 and 1960, the
Universal Carrier
remains the single most
produced AFV of all time

49

48-52 universal CMV Aug2019_AS JM.indd 49 05/07/2019 11:44


The T54508 serial number painted
on the vehicle’s side is the one given
to it by the War Office in 1942
1928, produced its own version, designated the
D50, intended for use as an anti-tank or field
gun tractor or as a machine gun carrier. Fold-
down seating in the rear allowed a gun crew or
dismounted machine gun team to be carried, in
addition to the two-man crew.
The war office weighed this vehicle up as an
option to replace the Dragon, the artillery tractor
in use at the time. A total of 69 were ordered as
the Light Dragon Mark III. Vickers Armstrongs
then built a carrier version to be used as a
machine gun platform. Various iterations
followed, including the Carrier, Machine Gun
No1, Mark 1, which entered service in small
numbers in 1936.
This version had the driver and gunner in the
front, space for a third crew member on the
left in the rear with the right side left clear for
storage. In the early days there were several
Lorry haulage to and from Catterick via Alastair’s ex-MoD DAF
T244, converted by Shaun Hindle to be a beavertail specifically
for this purpose
48-52 universal CMV Aug2019_AS JM.indd 50
production types such as the Medium Machine
Gun Carrier (Vickers machine gun), the Bren
Gun Carrier, the Scout Carrier and the Cavalry
Carrier but eventually the ‘Universal’ design
came online just before the French Campaign
in 1940.
This meant that there was only one production
model which performed a number of roles but
because of its provenance, the vehicles have
subsequently often been referred to as Bren
Gun Carriers, although technically, they had
more diverse roles, including the towing of light
field guns so the name Universal Carrier is the
correct term.
After standardisation to the Universal Carrier
design, UK production centred around Aveling-
Barford, Ford, Sentinel, Thorneycroft and
Wolsey Motors. By the end of the war in 1945,
some 57,000 had been manufactured, including
50
SPECIFICATIONS
Make Ford
Model No3 MK1* universal Carrier
Nationality Canadian-built for British
War Dept.
Year 1942
Production Run 113, 000, from
1934-1960
Engine Ford
Type V8
Fuel Petrol
Power 85hp at 3,500rpm
Speed: 30mph (48km/h)
Transmission Manual
Gears Four speed, one reverse
Suspension Horstmann Springs
Brakes Mechanical
Range 150m (250km)
Fuel Capacity 20 imp gal (91 lit)
Crew/seats Three
Armour 7-10mm
Dimensions (overall)
Length 12ft (3.65m)
Width 6ft 9in (2.06m)
Height 5ft 2 in (1.57m)
Weight Battle ready, 3.75t
Main Armament Bren light machine gun or
Boys anti-tank rifle
Secondary Armament Vickers machine
gun/M2 Browning machine gun, or 2in
mortar/3in mortar
A bren carrier with crew from November 1946.
Location: Indonesia, Dutch East Indies, Padang,
Sumatra
the early design variants/experimental models.
Allied countries also contributed towards the
manufacture of the enduringly designed carrier;
the Ford Motor Company of Canada produced
around 29,000 named the Ford Co1UC, 1,300
were built in New Zealand and approximately
5,000 in Australia – with railway workshops
being set to the task. A further 20,000 were
manufactured in the US for Allied use, using
Ford’s GAE and GAEA V8 engines.
Some variants entered service before the war,
but it was only from the beginning of World War
Two that the vehicle made its mark, eventually
becoming the most produced AFV ever. By the
time production ceased in 1960, 113,000 had
been built.
Its success comes from its versatility – small
05/07/2019 11:44
 but highly competent on rough ground, it had a
nippy top speed of 30mph and it could be used
in several roles from transporting personnel
(six at a time) to equipment, including the
movement of support weapons like the
machine gun.
It proved handy in speedy Medevac situations
and performed as a command post too. It
could be armed with many weapons including
variously a 303 Bren gun, smoke dischargers,
a .55 Boys ATRMMG. a 50 Browning HMG, a
Besa MG, a Vickers K (VGO) MG, PIAT anti-tank
weapons, and a 20mm Solothurm cannon, It wasn’t until the MK2 came out in 1943 that the
25-40mm anti-tank guns, mortars and even hull featured welding and it became waterproof. This
flooded cabin in the riveted MK1 show why that was
flame-throwers.
necessary!
It also saw combat with German MG42s on
it (many were either abandoned or captured
by the Germans during the ill-fated Battle for
France and later reused). Thin armour without
overhead protection meant that it did have
limitations and it was never intended for use as Simple control dials give the driver ready information
a mini-tank or as an attack vehicle. - no doubt under fire or in the heat of battle, these
All allied combatants used the Universal would prove useful
Carrier and even Russia had 200 of them. The
Germans, Italians and Japanese also made use
of captured examples.
Tactical theory was that the carrier was
‘firepower transport’ with a crew that would
dismount and set up a machine gun post,
allowing the driver, who was not to leave the With a range of 150 miles, a spare Jerrycan of fuel
might just carry you that much further out of danger!
vehicle, to retreat to a safe distance.
The British Expeditionary Force’s seven, now
mechanised, cavalry regiments were initially
equipped with 44 carriers and 28 light tanks per
regiment.
In May 1940, these cavalry regiments were
replaced by the Reconnaissance Corps which
was issued with 62 carriers and 28 Humber
Scout Cars. Eventually, as the war proceeded,
carriers were issued to the support companies
in infantry rifle battalions to get firepower where
it was needed quickly.
Carriers saw service in most theatres of World
War Two, from the Western Desert with
19 Set radio There were various redesigns over the Universal
Carriers lifetime that played with the crew
A water feature on Catterick Range compartments and stowage
illustrating why rivets in the hull may
not be the best way forwards

51

48-52 universal CMV Aug2019_AS JM.indd 51 05/07/2019 11:45


All Allied combatants
used the Universal
Carrier
Alastair became interested in military
vehicles back in the 1970s with a childhood
of model kits. Later, he had Land Rovers,
and then 10 years ago, bought a Champ.
Soon he had added a Daimler armoured car
and a Dingo to the collection, and it became
apparent that he would not be satisfied until
he had armour or tracks or both!
So, he bought the Universal Carrier and
satisfied the itch. He is a great believer in
driving the vehicles he owns, using them as
far as possible for the purpose for which
they were designed and intended – except
perhaps the combat aspect. He jumps at the
chance to get them out and put them through
their paces and feels it would be a shame to
have them parked up and shiny at home all
the time.
Through attending shows and road runs,
Alastair says he has had the privilege of
meeting some veterans of the Universal
Carrier units from the war and has been able
to offer a few of them a trip out in his. One
that sticks in his mind is a chap who had
served in them in Africa and then up through
Italy. He was a sprightly 95 years old and
hopped in the back – he didn’t need to be
asked twice!
Being back in one, for the first time since the
1940s it was as if he had been transported
back over the decades. He had been happy
to talk about his wartime experiences –
so much so that his family commented
afterwards that he had shared more stories
while sitting on the bench in the back of the
carrier than they had ever heard before. It is
the familiar smell of oil and petrol and hot
mud more than anything that seems to trigger
the memory, far more so that the sound or
sight of the carrier.
But for Alastair, it was the opportunity to
hear accounts from veteran carrier crew
members, first hand, that made the expense
of owning and maintaining these vehicles
worthwhile – as well as the fun to be had in
driving them.

The riveted hull is a feature of the MK1 Universal

Carrier, with complete armour around the front and
rear compartments

the Australian Army to the Middle East with,

among others, the exiled Belgian Army and on
the Eastern Front. More latterly they were used
during the Indo-China War, the Korean War,
the Suez crisis and the Indonesian National
revolution and elsewhere; even in Ireland up
until the 1960s.

A No 3 MK1* Universal Carrier

Alastair Scott bought this Canadian-built No3
Mk1* Universal Carrier from Richie Harris three
years ago. It is Richie who deserves the credit
for having restored this worn and tired vehicle
back to the fantastic condition it is in today.
When he bought it, there was no upper
armour so that all had to be refabricated,
riveted and painted up. The running gear,
engine and lower hull were there as originally
built, but in desperate need of restoration and
repair. A lot of time and hard work went into
getting them back to perfect working order.
Since owning the carrier, Alastair says he has
only had to do minor works like replacing the
tracks and re-rubberising the wheels plus a few
mod cons like adding an electric fuel pump and
an alternator. He has also sought and fitted
small period details like the 19 set wireless to
complete the finishing touches.
Sadly, nothing is known of this particular
vehicle’s history in service, where it might have
served or what role it performed; although if
you want to see it in unrestored condition, there
is a picture of it in Nigel Watson’s Universal
Carriers book.

52

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JeepParts.indd 1 20/06/2018 16:19:50
 words Andrew Stone pictures John Carroll

In Command
From chasing Royals around Africa to dodging the Soviets in the early stages
of the Cold War, the Humber 4x4 Heavy Utility has been used in a variety of roles

The Humber was used at all levels of command and

was the only British-built four-wheel drive utility car

54

54-58 humber CMV August2019_AS.indd 54 05/07/2019 11:43

d T
here is something undeniably appealing
about the Humber ‘Box’. Its sturdy and
rugged looks give off an aura of a tough,
go-anywhere-and- not-back-down-for-anything
military vehicle that I imagine would have appealed
to wartime commanders with similar traits.
Perhaps its creators had this in mind when
designing it for use as a staff and command
car for the British Army during World War
Two. Together with the Ford 4x2 Heavy Utility,
the Humber 4x4 Heavy Utility, to give it its
full name, was used at all levels of command
and was the only British built four-wheel drive
utility car. Known affectionately as the ‘Box’, it
was specially made for the army as four-wheel
drive was not common in Britain
before the
war.
54-58 humber CMV August2019_AS.indd 55
Humber’s history dates to 1868 when it
was started by Thomas Humber as a bicycle
company. By 1898 the company had produced
its first car, the 3 1/2hp Phaeton and, having
already garnered a reputation for reliability
and quality through its cycle products,
management took the decision in 1901 to
focus solely on high-end products.
With manufacturing consolidated to a factory
in Coventry, Humber set about expanding its
vehicle range and had grown into the country’s
second largest manufacturer of cars by 1913.
Models produced at this time included the
600cc Humberette right up to six cylinder
six-litre vehicles, while the company also
manufactured aircraft and engines.
As with most companies at the time, Humber
was affected by the recession towards the end of
the 1920s and was forced to partner with Hillman,
which was under control of the Rootes brothers.
In 1931, the brothers bought a majority
shareholding in the company, which saw Humber
added to their growing list of newly acquired
independent companies like Sunbeam and Singer.
At the outbreak of World War Two, the
Rootes Group was considered one of the
country’s top six car
manufacturers
and the Super
Snipe was
55
Humber’s flagship model. Marketed as a luxury
limousine, the vehicle gained a reputation for
quality and reliability and became known as ‘the
poor man’s Rolls’.
Civilian availability ended in 1940 when the
factory was largely given over to production
of staff and armoured cars. The four-wheel
drive chassis of the Humber Box was derived
from the Super Snipe but, as the model
designation indicates, featured four-wheel
drive. Production began in 1941 and continued
until the end of the war with the same
chassis being used for utility cars, armoured
reconnaissance cars and 8-cwt trucks and
field ambulances.
With its independent front suspension, the
chassis was considered sophisticated for a
military vehicle and the Humber Box would
go on to prove itself as a sturdy and reliable
vehicle during the war years. In fact, they
remained in service for many years after the
end of World War Two.
The vehicle pictured along with this
article belongs to Ian Litchfield who
bought it in 2014. Ian said he believed it
was the third last ‘Box’ to ever be made
and was still very much original and
untouched when he acquired it. “It did
have a spruce up about 20 odd years prior
to that and was put back into storage,” he
said. “Despite this, there was still quite a
bit to do to make her road ready.”
05/07/2019 11:43
 The vehicle was mostly in a good condition when he
bought it
‘Once Olivia was The Humber draws a lot of attention
back on the road wherever Ian takes it
for the first time in
Ian kept an online blog of the restoration work
in which he said he first tackled the brakes as
many years she ran
both front wheel cylinders were seized. “The
brake linings were good, so I just honed the
faultlessly’
cylinders out and fitted new seals,” he said.
“The master cylinder was leaking but that just
required a repair kit. One rear cylinder was
leaking so I fitted a new seal repair kit but the
other was seized. If you have ever worked on
this type of wheel cylinder where the parking
brake rod goes through the centre, you will
know what a pig of a job it is to remove the ‘C’
clip, unscrew the first piston from the brake rod
in situ and then unseize the hydraulic piston.”
Ian said while the water pump had been “OK”
to start with, after about 30 minutes of running
it was leaking and “so off it came” for repairs.
“The leather seat bases were disintegrating
so they were sent for re-trimming along with
two of the rear arm rests. But the seat backs
and middle arm rest were almost as good as
new, so they stayed as I wanted to keep as
Humber had gained a reputation for quality and much as I could original.”
reliability In order to tow a 10cwt GS trailer he made a
tow bar for the vehicle.
“Once Olivia was back on the road for the first
time in many years she ran faultlessly,” he said.
“She required a few little jobs here and there but
other than that it was great fun to drive.”
Notable features on the Humber Box include its
rear ‘suicide doors’ while those at the back where
the spare wheel is mounted, split horizontally. Four
individual seats allowed for seating up to six while
a body extension was added to later vehicles to
provide full-length sleeping accommodation.
A canvas tent could be erected over the rear
The RAF identification number on the door
A fuel tank capacity of 72 litres resulted in a range
of 500km
RIGHT: Ian Litchfield’s vehicle ‘Olivia’ has been
finished with RAF markings
56
54-58 humber CMV August2019_AS.indd 56
doors providing additional space and when not
in use stored and strapped to the roof rack.
The interior of the vehicle was equipped with
map table, roof lamps, parcel nets and folding
seats while full blackout equipment was also
available. Modified vehicles used by general
staff officers were fitted with a sliding roof, map
reading lamps, armrests and other comforts.
It was reported that after the war Humber
Boxes were the first touring vehicles used
by British Commanders’-in-Chief Mission (
Brixmis) in East Germany when set up in 1946.
Created by an agreement to exchange military
missions, the object of Brixmis – and the Soviet
equivalent in the British Zone Soxmis – was to
keep communication channels open between
the respective forces.
The agreement called for ‘the reciprocal
exchange of liaison missions in order to foster
good working relations between the military
occupation authorities in the two zones’. The
Humbers were painted dark maroon with Union
Jack flags on the sides, rear and roof but were
later replaced.
According to various online sources, the
Humber was also used by the BBC during
the war while an article that appeared in
Commercial Motor in 1951 stated the BBC was
in possession of nine, some of which had been
used in South Africa during the royal family tour
during the late 1940s. In the article, journalist
Alfred Woolf wrote: “The BBC is unusual in
possessing a wide variety of special-purpose
machines. There are, for example, Humber
four-wheel-drive utilities which have been found
most adaptable for many uses.
05/07/2019 11:43
 ‘The Humber was used at all levels of command and
was the only British built four-wheel drive utility car’

The seat backs and middle arm rest are still original
TOP: The rear featured a spare wheel and doors that
split horizontally

57

54-58 humber CMV August2019_AS.indd 57 05/07/2019 11:44

 SPECIFICATIONS
Humber 4x4 Heavy Utility
Country of origin UK
Production May 1941-1945
Production no 6,500
Use North Africa
Engine Humber six-cylinder
Power 85bhp @ 3,400rpm
Gears Four forward, one reverse
with high and low ratio
Clutch Single dry plate
Brakes Hydraulic
Tyres 9.25x16
Fuel type Petrol
Fuel capacity 72 litres
Range 500km
Crew Two
Dimensions(overall)
Weight: 2,413kg
Length 4.29m
Width 1.88m
Height 1.96m
Wheelbase 2.84m

‘The South African reliability record

of the Humbers was excellent’
ABOVE: The Humber was powered by a six-cylinder
petrol engine
RIGHT: An interior view showing the dash and its
associated gauges

“Designated commentators’ cars, they depart

from the usual modesty of 11,13.C. vehicles
in that they each bear on the near-side door a
full-colour representation of the BBC coat of
arms. This is explained by the fact that they
saw service in South Africa throughout the
1948 tour of the royal family in that part of
the world, where they were used as recording
cars. They were intended for use in Australia
when a second royal progress through the
antipodes was proposed.”

from 1947
An archive photo of a Humber
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Apparently, the fact that the roofs of the

utility vehicles were able to hold camping kit
and luggage while the interiors were fitted
with beds, lockers and fittings for storing
the recording equipment made them ideal
for the purpose.
“Despite the large mileage covered and
the high average speeds required to keep
up with the royal trains, the South African
reliability record of the Humbers was
excellent,” wrote Woolf, adding they were
also coveted for their off-road abilities.
“The ability of the Humber to travel
across country is invaluable, for it
frequently operates far from the main
roads. The independent front suspension
is another worthwhile feature, having
The Humber was used at all levels of command and
was the only British-built four-wheel drive utility car regard to the delicate nature of the
equipment carried.”

58

54-58 humber CMV August2019_AS.indd 58 05/07/2019 11:44

 Da y
words and pictures James Kinnear

VS
E
ub urbs in
th e

Moscow
James Kinnear looks at some of the
vehicles taking part in May Victory Day
Parades in Russia

The heavier armour begins to

move, Red Army ‘Reichstag’
flags flying in the wind

60

60-64 victory_day CMV Aug2019 RM JM.indd 60 05/07/2019 11:57

 O
ne of the main calendar events in the
Russian Federation is the May 9 Victory
Parade which was re-introduced into the
annual curriculum in 2008 and has been held
every year since.
The Moscow parade is the best-known annual
event, though May 9 Victory Day parades in
2019 were held in 29 cities across the Russian
Federation in commemoration of the 74th

s
anniversary of Victory in Europe.
These parades feature a variety of modern
tanks and military vehicles, and an increasing
number of restored wartime ‘parade lead’
vehicles. Nearly all the 2019 parades were led

The mechanised section of the 2019 Victory Parade began with a single T-34-85 parading through Red Square, with
the author being privileged to be personally present for the event

by restored T-34-85 tanks, but other, significantly
less common tank types were also on display in
some cities.
In Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), a fully-
restored and running T-38 amphibious light
tank was displayed, while in Sevastopol an IS-2
heavy tank and SU-76 self-propelled gun were
on parade together with a genuine wartime
BM-13 ‘Katyusha’ rocket launcher mounted
on an original wartime ZiS-6 chassis. For
decades, the Sevastopol vehicles had been
quietly slumbering at the Sapun Gora memorial
museum on the heights above the town as
static exhibits, before being restored to full
running condition to participate.
The Victory Day celebrations have deep
commemorative meaning in the Russian
Federation, and indeed the former states
of the Soviet Union. Contrast this with the
commemorations held in Europe at a state
level on May 8. Regardless of the politics of
today, domestic or international, honouring
those that have made the ultimate sacrifice
for their country at a time of need is a key
component of maintaining any society worth
fighting for. This applies to all countries,

61

60-64 victory_day CMV Aug2019 RM JM.indd 61 05/07/2019 11:58

 An unimaginable sight a few years ago, a
collection of wartime Red Army tanks and
vehicles, all restored to full running condition

and deference to those that have served or still The location of the museum in Padikovo is almost all of which were having their public
serve in the military is also a key to national not incidental. The settlement in the north- debut.
integrity. western suburbs of Moscow, is central Some of the running vehicles are reviewed
The now annual Bessmertny Polk or ‘Immortal to where, during the Battle of Moscow in here, and all have their individual recovery
Regiment’ that is generally held after the formal October-November 1941, the Wehrmacht was and restoration histories. The official May 9
military parades in the Russian Federation, and halted and turned back, at only 26km from the Victory Day parade at Padikovo was held on
now as a standalone event in many countries Kremlin. the day itself, but a full dress rehearsal minus
worldwide, was originally organised at a non- The defence of Moscow during these months the crowds was afforded to a small number of
state level, a genuine ‘People’s Parade’. cost the lives of a recorded 514,338 soldiers specialists and enthusiasts two days before, at
The parade is made up of family members killed and missing in action, which brings which the photographs illustrating this article
who, in Moscow for-instance, walk down the home the sheer scale of the conflict on the were taken.
main thoroughfare, Tverskaya, and across Red Eastern Front. The T-34-85 at Padikovo was built in 1944
Square, carrying plaques commemorating their For the May 9 commemorations in 2019, and served with the Red Army as it entered
relatives who served, and in most cases died, the Padikovo museum, as it did last year, put Yugoslavia during the final months of the war.
defending the Rodina or Motherland. on display some of its collection of recently The tank was taken into service with the post-
The sense of unity afforded by the parade restored-to- running condition tanks and other war Yugoslav Army, thereafter being placed in
is immense, and this year there were many armoured vehicles for the general public, long-term strategic storage.
foreign participants including a large delegation
of French veterans and their relatives, and a
smattering of British participants flying Union
Jacks among the Russian crowd of over a
million souls.
While the major parade in Moscow was,
as always, the most televised event seen
domestically and abroad, smaller scale
commemorative activities were also held in
many cities and towns, often conducted with
independent collectors providing their restored
military vehicles for such purposes.
The Museum of Russian Military History at
Padikovo near Moscow for-instance held its
now annual May 9 Victory Parade, entirely
made up of wartime service vehicles, including
some Lend-Lease types, with several unique
vehicles restored to running condition. The
‘Tankfest’ held there in 2018 was reported
on at the time, but the return trip this year The T-20 ‘Komsomolets’ armoured
artillery tractor configured as a
revealed an almost entirely new line-up for
45mm anti-tank gun tractor, for
the commemorative parade and open day, all which it was designed
achieved within a single calendar year.

62

60-64 victory_day CMV Aug2019 RM JM.indd 62 05/07/2019 11:58

 The museum’s KhT-26
chemical tank
Another new
restoration - the
BA-64B armoured
car - was originally
built at the GAZ
plant in Gorky
The GAZ-MM was a later modification of the GAZ-AA produced from 1938. This
early wartime production vehicle has simplified sheet steel fold-formed wheel
arches
Half a century later it was used during the
Balkans wars before being bought by a Belgian
collector. It was in due course sold to the
Padikovo museum and shipped back to the
country where it had been originally built and is
now a running exhibit at the museum.
The SU-85 that made its public debut in
May 2018 was again displayed in 2019, the
T-34-85 and SU-85 being accompanied by
the unmistakable soundtrack of the ‘V-2’ V-12
diesel engine which powered the T-34 medium
tank series, and the KV and IS heavy tanks, and
which remained in service in modified form for
literally decades after the war. The museum’s
SU-85 was built in May 1944 and only recently
rescued from the Chita region in Siberia where
it was still in use as a recovery vehicle with a
railway repair organisation.
The British Mk. III ‘Valentine’ tank is the
only running Valentine tank in the Russian
60-64 victory_day CMV Aug2019 RM JM.indd 63
The T-38 amphibious reconnaissance tank being manoeuvred
Another Lend-Lease vehicle, the 132mm BM-13N ‘Katyusha’ mounted on
the Studebaker US6, on which Lend-Lease chassis the rocket launcher was
standardised from 1943
‘The museum is
literally bringing
history to life’
Federation. It is in the primarily Soviet Russian
origin collection as a representative of the 3,782
Valentine tanks delivered to the Soviet Army by
Great Britain and Canada during World War Two
(including all but 32 of the 1,420 tanks built in
Canada).
It was interesting to note that the Valentine
managed to out-do the T-34-85 and SU-85 for
exhaust emissions, at which the T-34 series
usually excels in bringing ‘atmosphere’ to any
military event.
The single turreted KhT-26 chemical tank
made its public debut this year. The KhT-26
63
The museum’s SU-76M
with the SU-85 in the
background
(backwards) into its parking position
(also known by the designation OT-26) is also
an interesting vehicle, not just because of its
rarity, but because the vehicle also has an
original air-cooled petrol engine in running
condition, the most original engine installation
as of today in the Russian Federation.
The KhT-26 was a multiple-purpose vehicle,
the first of several such vehicles to be built
on the T-26 light tank chassis. They were
designated KhT (Khimicheskie Tanki) or
‘chemical tanks’ rather than ‘flamethrower
tanks’ as they performed the combined
functions of flamethrower, chemical and smoke
dispersant vehicle.
The SU-76M at Padikovo is also in full running
condition, having been bought as a wreck from
Serbia several years ago and shipped to the
Russian Federation where it was rebuilt from
scratch. It is interesting to compare the ex-
Korean War SU-76 in Bovington, which was,
05/07/2019 11:58
 for an entire generation in Europe, the default
surviving example of an SU-76 captured with
only minor damage, with the fully kitted out SU-
76 located at Padikovo.
It was clearly never going to be possible to fit
out the captured example in Bovington with all
the original Soviet kit, whereas the 21st century
restored Russian SU-76 at Padikovo has had the
advantage of the museum being able to source
nearly all of the original equipment to complete
the vehicle in ‘combat order’. This is something
the Padikovo museum has been able to do with
a significant number of tanks and armoured
vehicles, and in which it takes pride.
Less obvious than the tanks running during the
May 9 Victory parade, there have been several
subtle changes to the overall collection. The
impressive T-80BV main battle tank has been
fitted with a correct turret and is now on open
display. The relatively small T-18 (MS-1 or Small
Support Tank -1) dating from the late 1920s
has now also been fully restored. The museum
also now has three T-26 line tanks derived from
the original Vickers 6 Ton design. These tanks
represent the main production changes from
1931 to 1939, now joined by the KhT-26 chemical
tank as a newly restored T-26 derivative.
The T-20 ‘Komsomolets’ light artillery tractor
was displayed in full combat order towing
a 45mm M-1937 anti-tank gun and limber,
for which purpose the vehicle was originally
designed. The ‘Komsomolets’ has also been
restored to ‘as new’ condition with infinite
attention paid to the detail of kitting out the
vehicle with wartime fixtures and tools.
For the parade, a large temporary seating area
was erected at the museum as the armoured
vehicles filed past, with the wartime significance
of each vehicle being described by professional
commentators for the benefit of the public and
invited guests. There were no tickets and no
access fees required, visitors were only expected
to bring themselves and an interest in military
history.
Considering the ‘bad rap’ Russia receives on
a near daily basis, it is interesting to note that
individuals who are in the lucky position of
being able to run private museums as an aside
to their business interests are willing to hold
commemorative events at their own expense
and without charge to the public, based on old
fashioned ‘patriotism’ towards their country, its
60-64 victory_day CMV Aug2019 RM JM.indd 64
BOOK REVIEW
The Soviet Army
on Parade – 1946-1991
This is the second volume in a three-volume se-
ries. It details military parades held on Red Square
from 1946 through to 1990, effectively covering
the Cold War and the arms race. Author James
Kinnear provides some fascinating insight into an
era in the country which was largely shielded from
western eyes. At more than 300 pages long, the
seven chapters are well illustrated using black and
white pictures. Each of the chapters cover differ-
ent decades, from the late 1940s to the 1980s. The
final chapter is dedicated to Red Army ‘Tekhnika’,
or military equipment of the Soviet ground forces.
Verdict: A must for anyone with an interest in So-
viet armour or wanting a glimpse of what went on
behind the Iron Curtain. – Review by Andrew Stone
military history and not least its veterans.
No amount of political double-speak can cloud
that clarity of ordinary people understanding
the sacrifices of a previous generation and
respectfully commemorating those sacrifices,
something the Russians have never forgotten.
The Padikovo museum continues to operate
as a non-commercial private collection, with
no charge for public admittance on open days
or special events. The museum is open at
weekends only but allows visitors with a special
interest in a vehicle to have a closer inspection
– a museum run by enthusiastic owners and
The Padikovo museum
drivers and crew
collect to review the
parade order near the
museum’s SU-76M
64
management with the purpose of providing
education, both technical and historical, as the
primary objective. Visitors are asked to display
common sense on and around the vehicles as
they freely explore them, a refreshing attitude in
the modern-day world.
What is noteworthy since the last report on the
museum’s rapidly growing collection is that the
Padikovo museum has, in the past year, restored
several more tanks and armoured vehicles
to running condition, of which no operational
samples, or in some cases no restored samples
at all, previously existed.
The museum is literally bringing history to
life, and in common with many privately-run
museums around the world, the connection to
those that served in the defence of their country
is particularly strong.
That it is run as a resource for like-minded
individuals with an interest in military history
is particularly evident, the museum having
refrained from becoming a commercially
orientated tourist location, which is not, and
unlikely to ever be, its primary purpose.
That is not to say it does not receive many
visitors from the general public, which it does,
but rather it functions in the manner that the
majority of European museums once operated,
as learning institutions rather than commercial
profit centres.
The author would like to thank Dmitry Persheev for
the invitation to the dress rehearsal day. Thanks
must also go to the ever enthusiastic and friendly
staff of the museum, and to Yuri Pasholok, Andrey
Aksenov and Andrey Malyshev for their assistance
and companionship on the day.
Another rare exhibit, a TIZ-AM-600 solo motorcycle
complete with 7.62mm DT machine gun
Museum information
The Museum of Russian Military History is in the
settlement of Padikovo, 20 minutes by road west
of the Moscow outer ring road. The best option for
travel is by pre-booked taxi from Strogino Metro
station. The museum is open at weekends only,
from 11am-6pm. Admission is free.
05/07/2019 11:58
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65

065_CMV_AUG19_ad.indd 1 03/07/2019 16:34:55

 Heavy
words Andrew Stone pictures John Carroll

Hauler
Since making its way onto civvy street,
Lincolnshire-based Neil Whatling’s 6x6
Foden has more than proved itself as a
capable recovery vehicle

The 6x6 Fodens have been trusted for

years to recover everything from damaged,
immobilised and swamped military vehicles
to stuck or overturned trucks

66

66-70 Foden CMV Aug2019_RM JM.indd 66 05/07/2019 11:40

 ‘The 6x6 Fodens
could access
areas other
recovery vehicles
could not’

The Foden
recovering
a client’s
excavator.
NEIL’S PLANT

W
hen you own a tank hire business and passengers and the rear seats can be
a plant hire, haulage, earthworks and transformed into a sleeper bunk for two if
excavation company it makes sense needed. There is an observation hatch in the
to invest in a decent recovery vehicle with so roof with a machine gun mount and for service
much heavy metal around. That is just what in Iraq, cabs of some of the vehicles were fitted
Neil Whatling of Tanks 4 a Ride and Neil’s Plant with an armour kit.
did when he bought a 6x6 Foden recovery Neil knew that he had found what he was
vehicle 12 years ago. Neil realised there was looking for and while his unit may not operate
nothing available commercially that would suit A ten-ton in exotic or dangerous locations like Iraq or
his recovery needs, so he turned his attention to self-recovery Afghanistan as it did in the past, that doesn’t
winch is in
military vehicles, and in particular the Foden. make it any less effective. “It is in regular use
the front
Trusted for years to recover everything from and the fact that it is a 6x6 makes it ideal
damaged, immobilised and swamped tanks
to stuck or overturned trucks, the impressively
capable Fodens had served with nearly every
asset of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical
Engineers around the world. They were
deployed to support a fleet of wheeled logistic
vehicles and could recover military vehicles up
to 30 tons in all kinds of conditions. The 6x6
Fodens could access areas other recovery
vehicles could not, while the versatile slewing
crane could be used for various tasks from
lifting engines out of vehicles to suspended
tows during recovery. Maximum lift capacity
was 12.5 tons at 8ft (2.5m) and a 5.8-ton
capacity at 25ft (7.7m). A 25-ton winch at the
rear and 10-ton self-recovery winch up front
added to the versatility. Two outriggers lowered
to the ground on each side provide stability
during craning and winching operations
while recovery and lifting operations can be
controlled remotely from the vehicle using a
special console with a 98ft (30m) cable. Pictured with
The glass-reinforced plastic cab can Neil’s Saurer APC
accommodate a driver and up to three

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GrahamSykes_FP.indd 1 01/12/2017 16:47

for the conditions found on quarry sites,” said
Neil. “We probably have it out about three to
four times a month doing recoveries and often
get calls from other businesses to help out with
recoveries for them. There is nothing out there
that would meet our needs like the Foden, and
it is ideal for local, off-road recoveries.”
The 6x6 Foden recovery vehicles started
service with the British Army in 1985 when
a total of 333 were ordered in May of that
year. The first of these units entered service
in July and the vehicles would go on to see
service around the world. The last of these
heavy haulers were delivered in 2002 and after
production of all Foden trucks ceased in 2006,
the army went on to a new recovery vehicle
based on the 8x8 MAN SX45 in 2008 and
started selling off the Fodens.
Thanks to their versatility they proved
attractive to private recovery companies and
The data plate
buyers needing a vehicle with exceptional heavy
The Foden’s rotating crane gives
operators greater agility
69
66-70 Foden CMV Aug2019_RM JM.indd 69
SPECIFICATIONS
Make Foden
Model Recovery 6x6
Nationality British
Year 1985 - 1988
Production Run 333
Engine Perkins Eagle
Type Standard is 290L E112
six-cylinder inline Turbo
Fuel Diesel
Capacity 350 litres
Power 290bhp at 1,950rpm
Transmission Fuller nine-speed
Type Manual
Gears Nine
Transfer Box High, low and neutral
Suspension Leaf spring with
Kirkstall Axles
Brakes Pneumatic
Wheels 20in
Tyres 16.00 x 20 Michelin
Crew/seats Three plus one
Dimensions (Overall)
Length 29ft (9m)
Width 8ft (2.48m)
LEFT: The vehicle was missing a lot of the extras,
which Neil has replaced over the years
lifting and off-road capabilities. The Foden’s
rotating crane is especially prized as it gives
operators greater agility, while the assurance of
a vehicle maintained to strict military standards
was another bonus. The vehicles were originally
fitted with a Perkins Eagle 290 six-cylinder
engine, although some private operators have
replaced these with the last of the Perkins
Eagle turbocharged diesel engines which
develop 410bhp – the 410TX.
“We bought our unit through Witham sales
and were the first private owners after the
army sold it off,” said Neil. “All we know about
its history is that it used to have armour in the
cab and there is a 7.62mm bullet hole in the
passenger door. It had quite a bit of sand in it
so we think it may have seen service in Iraq.”
Neil’s plant hire is a family-run business that
involves his wife Lynn and prides itself on
offering a personal, knowledgeable and reliable
service. He founded the business in 1987 with
his first machine, a 3C backhoe loader which
he operated himself. Expansion followed a few
years later when he bought his first tracked
machine, a secondhand Cat 215, then one
of the first Cat 428’s. After being awarded a
contract for gravel extraction and delivery to the
new A14 construction project, the fleet started
to grow and has continued to do so, and now
boasts 25 machines.
With an interest in all vehicles, but especially
military ones, Neil bought an Abott Self
Propelled Gun (SPG) in 2006 and several
tanks have since followed. “I have a very
understanding wife,” he said of Lynn. Tanks 4
a Ride was established in 2008, having parent
company Neil’s Plant to support the business in
transporting the vehicles around the country.
Based in Lincolnshire, Tanks 4 A Ride hires out
military vehicles for birthday parties, corporate
events, to use as transport for weddings and
proms or for TV promotional videos and
05/07/2019 11:41
 films. The company also offers tank driving
experiences at ‘a few’ shows around the
country in the spring and summer months.
The fleet includes a T-55A tank (featured on
the cover of the June 2019 issue of CMV), an
FV432 armoured personnel carrier, a Saurer
APC (featured in the April 2019 issue), two
Abott Self Propelled Guns, an M2A1 Halftrack,
a Dodge WC-56 Command Car, a Volkswagen
Iltis and a 1940 GMC 352 6x6 truck.
“The Foden has been an extremely capable
addition to the business,” said Neil. “It’s very
reliable and we’ve had to do little to it other than
general servicing and maintenance, although
there was a lot of kit missing which I’ve had
to collect over the years. They are complex
vehicles with all the hydraulic hoses but are
not too bad to keep on the road as long as you
service and maintain them properly.”
Neil’s Foden may have The Mighty
The Foden has been used for everything from
seen service in Iraq Mouse graphic
lifting aircraft and pulling out tree stumps to which was on
winching a locomotive onto a trailer. the vehicle
“We’ve also used it to recover a Chieftain and when Neil
bought it

‘The Foden’s rotating crane

is especially prized as
it gives operators The famous
Foden badge

greater agility’

Centurion tank for Withams,” said Neil. “It has

more than repaid the investment we made
when buying it.”
Although the vehicle has a ‘Mighty Mouse’
sticker on the front, Neil said it was already in
place when he bought it and he’s unsure how it
is related to the Foden’s history. Foden Trucks’
origins date back to 1856 when Edwin Foden
started out with a small engineering company
near Sandbach in Cheshire. It would eventually
grow into Foden Trucks, a name that became
synonymous with quality engineering.
The early production of steam lorries was
replaced by diesel and the company’s first
diesel powered model, the Foden F1, was
introduced in 1931.
During the 1960s Foden introduced glass-
reinforced plastic cabs to its trucks with the
distinctively styled S21 model, which was
nicknamed ‘Sputnik’ or ‘Mickey Mouse’. In the
following decade, the company invested heavily
in a new production facility but a collapse in the
truck sales and export market saw Foden run
into financial difficulties in the mid-1970s.
Supported by the government at the time,
Foden managed to recover somewhat thanks
to contracts to supply military vehicles. In 1980
Foden was taken over by US firm Paccar, which
itself was taken over by Leyland Trucks in 1998.
Fodens continued to be sold until operations
ceased in 2006, although a range of parts are
still available.

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 71

071_CMV_AUG19_ad.indd 1 03/07/2019 16:38:55

 T
he Peerless Motor Car Company was
formed in 1900 in Cleveland Ohio where
it assembled, under licence, French De
Dion cars fitted with a single cylinder engine.
Business proved to be successful and the
production of engines to its own design (a
two-cylinder in 1901 followed by a four-cylinder
in 1902) began, which was fitted to Peerless
branded cars. These proved to be popular and
by 1903 the company offered a complete range
of cars with a reputation for reliability and luxury.
The company experimented with the concept
of commercial vehicles by fitting the cars with
van-type bodies, but this does not appear to
have been particularly successful.
In 1911 Peerless brought out a full range of
purpose-built trucks in two, three, four and five-ton
ratings which were conveniently termed models
TC2, TC3, TC4 and TC5. Apart from the TC2, which
was worm drive, the others were all chain-driven
and apart from the size of the springs and the rear
wheels were virtually identical.
Power from the engine was transmitted to the
fly wheel which forms the female portion of
The gun was
stabilised with
four jacks
which would
help absorb the
massive recoil
72-76 guntruck CMV2019_AS JM.indd 72
the leather-lined clutch. Behind the clutch was
a two-jointed prop-shaft which took power to
the centrally-mounted gearbox and differential.
From each side of the gearbox ran a jack shaft
through to the outside of the chassis where
chain sprockets were located.
Heavy-duty roller chains took the power to
larger sprockets mounted on the inside of the
rear wheels. Although chain drive would soon
fall out of favour in Great Britain, it would remain
a firm favourite for heavy trucks in the USA for
some years to come.
The driving position for the Peerless (like
most American-built trucks at the time) was
on the right-hand side with the clutch, brake
and accelerator pedals being in the traditional
positions.
The other controls were the hand throttle and
the engine advance/retard control (fitted on the
top of the steering column) and the gear
change and the handbrake which were
to the right of the driver.
In 1911 there was
a great deal of
72
competition in the American domestic market
for heavy trucks, so it must have been a great
relief when Peerless received an order for TC3
trucks by the American military. Peerless claimed
that the truck was the ‘United States Army’s first
truck’ and, although not entirely true, the US Army
bought 697 over the next few years so it was the
first that was purchased in large numbers.
With a competitive market at home Peerless
entered into a contract with the company
of Gaston, Williams and Wigmore which
exported their trucks to sell on the domestic
market in Britain.
The Peerless met with positive reviews and
some sales were made, but in 1914 the British War
Department (WD) desperate for all mechanical
transport impressed all the Peerless trucks which
were still in stock.
05/07/2019 11:39
Bang
words Tim Gosling pictures archive

Going Out with a

World War One vintage Peerless trucks

mounting 3in anti-aircraft guns joined the
defence of London in 1940

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The annual camp at Liddymore (Somerset) gave the
territorials an opportunity to practice live firing the guns
An anti-aircraft gun section of two guns
receive direction from the range finders
to the left of the photograph
British manufacturers were unable to meet the
enormous demand for trucks so the WD looked
overseas and particularly to the United States.
Being one of the first American-built trucks to be
tested by the British and found to be perfectly
suited for military service, Peerless received
repeat orders for their Model TC4 and by the end
of the war, with more than 10,000 in service, it
was the most numerous truck in service with the
British military.
Most of the Peerless trucks were fitted with
general service type cargo body, but they were
also used as troop carriers, workshops, stores
lorries, tankers, armoured cars and as a platform
for anti-aircraft guns. With Germany having
72-76 guntruck CMV2019_AS JM.indd 74
captured most of Belgium in 1914, Britain was
now within range of German bombers. The
defence of London from bombing was given
to the Royal Navy Voluntary Reserve which
had five 3in 20cwt guns towed on trailers to do
the job (20cwt being the weight of the barrel).
More guns would follow but the
3in gun was complicated to
manufacture so instead the
standard 18pdr gun was fitted
with a sleeve to take a smaller
13pdr shell which improved the
velocity and the range.
To improve mobility the idea of using trailers
was abandoned and various truck chassis were
74
‘In 1911 Peerless
brought out a full
range of purpose-
built trucks in two,
three, four and
five-ton ratings’
considered. Early attempts with Daimler and
LGOC bus chassis had not been successful as
they were found to be too weak and broke after
prolonged use.
As a more suitable replacement, the Thornycroft
J Type and Peerless TC4 truck were adapted
for this task. The chassis were strengthened by
having steel plates riveted along the length of
them and four heavy wooden outriggers with
screw jacks were fixed under the chassis.
When the gun was prepared for action these
would slide out and the jacks wound down onto
wooden blocks to help stabilise the lorry and
absorb some of the recoil.
The sides of the wooden body hinged down
to create a fighting platform for the gun crew to
stand on.
At the end of World War One there were 359
of the 3in 20cwt guns in service with the British
Army. While the 13pdr guns were soon disposed
of, the 3in guns went into storage and from
1922 they were assigned to the newly
formed anti-aircraft units of
the Territorial Army.
The 26th
and
05/07/2019 11:40
 27th London Air Defence Brigades each had six
batteries of anti-aircraft guns with each battery
comprising two sections of two guns each. These
two brigades were based in Chelsea and Putney
where they were assigned a drill hall and storage
sheds to hold the Peerless mounted guns.
You can only practice to a certain extent
with an anti-aircraft gun while indoors, so to
consolidate their training the territorial units
relied on their annual camp to live fire the guns.
These camps were popular with the territorial
soldiers who treated their 15 days under canvas
in a field near the sea as a holiday.
As the probability of war got ever closer the 1st
Anti-aircraft Division was formed in 1935 which
took control of the guns defending London. SPECIFICATIONS
Further expansion was planned, but before this Make Peerless
came to fruition, on September 23, 1938 the anti- Model TC4
aircraft units were mobilised as the threat of war Nationality United States
became very close as German troops massed Year 1914-1940
on the Czechoslovakian border. Production Run 1911-1918
When the order for mobilisation was given, Engine Peerless
the Peerless trucks were driven into the centre
Type In-line four cylinders
of London and the guns prepared for action all
Fuel Petrol
within 24 hours.
Displacement 6.76 litre
The locations the guns were positioned in were
rather prominent, along the embankment and Power 40hp
bridges over the Thames. Photographs show Transmission Manual
the gun crews at work while being carefully Gears Four forward, one reverse
observed by large crowds of onlookers who Suspension Leaf spring
were no doubt excited to see these Peerless Brakes Drum. Rear wheels only
ABOVE: The 13pdr gun did not have the range of the 3in gun and were
Wheels Wooden spoke
disposed of soon after the end of World War One Tyres Solid rubber. 36X5 on
TOP: The enormous weight of the gun has caused the Peerless to front. Twin 40X5 on rear
sink into the ground at Savage Gardens Crew/seats Crew of 12
BELOW: Setting up at Savage Gardens. The first task is to place including driver
the outriggers
Dimensions(overall)
Length 700cm
Width 240cm
Wheelbase 380cm
Weight 6,800Kg
Additional Notes
Fitted with a 3in 20cwt (this being
the weight of the barrel and breech)
gun which could fire a 16lb shell to
a height of 22,000ft. The gun had
a short recoil of 28cm and with
an experienced crew could fire 16
rounds per minute.

75

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 gun trucks on the streets. Action stations!
On October 14 the Munich crisis ended and The crew run to take their
the Peerless trucks were demobilised and called positions on the gun
back into storage without having fired a shot.
The presence of the gun trucks in such central
locations was no doubt an attempt to improve
public morale, a fact not missed by the Liberal
MP James de Rothschild.
He summed up his thoughts in Parliament when
he said: “Everybody knows that the 1914 ‘Peerless’
gun is not only Peerless in name but peerless
in ineffectiveness. It is not only ineffective but is
dangerous to the population. I would like to ask
whether those guns were sent out in order to give a
false sense of security to the population. If so, what
a humiliation for the war minister.”
The War Office stepped up production of
modern anti-aircraft guns with the 3.7in gun
becoming available in greater numbers. It
was not the end for the Peerless guns though.
being set up at the East London Albert dock and
Photographed in the nearby Savage gardens. Unfortunately, the
France the Peerless photographs are undated but the ship visible in
mounted 13pdr were the background Beacon Grange was completed
far more numerous in May 1938 and sunk by German torpedo
than the 3in gun with the loss of two lives in April 1941. A close
examination of the photographs shows that the
rear wheels of one of the Peerless trucks have
sunk into the ground while the other Peerless
has a badly smashed radiator and the words ‘On
tow’ written on chalk on the back.
As the 3.7in anti-aircraft gun began to be
deployed, the need for the Peerless gun trucks
disappeared. The 3in guns were removed from
the Peerless trucks and mounted on to merchant
ships leaving the Peerless (the last to see British
military service in two world wars) to be disposed
of. It is doubtful if they shot a single German
plane down at this time, but their objective was to
discourage German planes from flying too close.
Although outdated for a second world war, their
presence and the sound of them firing had helped
maintain public morale but of greater importance
they had provided operational experience to the
gun crews while the replacement 3.7in guns were
being manufactured.
Following Britain’s declaration of war on
Germany in 1939 the Peerless mounted guns The steel plate riveted to the top of these two
were mobilised once again. This time they were stacked Peerless chassis signify that it was
positioned in the East of London near the city once a gun truck. Probably the sole survivor
docks. The sound of the anti-aircraft guns firing
was supposed to be a great morale booster even
if they didn’t hit anything.
This was probably a good thing as it was
estimated during the World War One that for every
enemy plane that was downed between 2,000 to
2,500 shells had been fired. The sites on the guns
were hopelessly inadequate and with German
planes now flying faster and higher than they did
20 years earlier the Peerless gun trucks really had
no hope of hitting them. The sense of futility was
recorded by one gunner in February 1940 when
he observed two German seaplanes land in the
Thames to place mines in the water. Although
spotted by the gun crew the Peerless remained
silent as they were not allowed to fire at night in
case they hit the oil tanks on the other side of the
river. The Home Guard unit which was located
with them had gone in for tea, so the gun crew
helplessly watched the Germans drop their mines
in the water and then take off again unopposed.
Most of the photographs in this article come
from one album and show Peerless gun trucks

76

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 77

077_CMV_AUG19_ad.indd 1 26/06/2019 12:06:21


Abandoned
ARMOUR The battlefields and highways of southern Iraq were littered
with burnt out and abandoned armour at the end of the Iraq war
F
ought from March 20 until May 1, 2003,
the Iraq war was marked by the relative
ease of the initial campaign followed by
years of tough insurgency. In those early days,
however, a combination of shock and awe and
the reluctance of the Iraqi military to fight made
for a rapid advance.
The US-led coalition saw 177,194 troops enter
Iraq during the initial invasion phase made
up of about 130,000 US, 45,000 British, 2,000
Australian and 194 Polish soldiers.
The sight of US armour appearing on the
streets of Baghdad quickly ushered in the
complete collapse of the regime and the end
of hostilities. The blanket air cover provided by
the USAF and RAF had, meanwhile, taken out
large numbers of enemy vehicles while allied
armoured units swept aside any opposition on
the ground.
The plain fact is this was not a good conflict
in which to be an Iraqi armour crewman
and consequently many AFVs were simply
abandoned in the face of superior allied
firepower.
The end of the fighting therefore found the
78-80 armour CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 78
words and pictures Craig Allen
ABOVE: 12.7mm Dushka left lying in the desert
complete with a belt of ammunition, this was
probably a tank gun
TOP LEFT A fully functioning T62 simply abandoned
by the roadside in the southern oil fields
TOP RIGHT T62 looking the worse for wear, this
example has been damaged and partially stripped
OPPOSITE: A T62 in ‘hull down’ position
pictured on the outskirts of Basra during 3 Para’s
push into the city
BOTTOM LEFT: The fate of so much Iraq armour, a
burnt out AFV spotted on the approach
to Baghdad
BOTTOM RIGHT: A BMP-1 recovered by the Royal
Engineers complete and in fully working condition
78
battlefields and major highways of southern
Iraq littered with burnt out and abandoned
armoured vehicles. This rapidly became an
issue in the immediate aftermath as it turned
out that many of these abandoned AFVs
were still ‘bombed up’ containing tank shells,
machine gun belts and even AT missiles.
This was a major problem as local children
began exploring these vehicles, which in some
cases had live rounds up the breech. In at least
one tragic case youths accidentally fired off a tank
round into the 16 Brigade area causing casualties.
In addition, large calibre shells and missiles
were often left exposed to the baking heat with
the obvious danger they could become unstable
or even ‘cook off’. With these issues in mind,
efforts were soon put in hand to recover as much
of this armour as possible to concentration areas
where it could be properly secured.
During this period opportunities were ripe for
units to secure trophies and many examples
of both Iraqi armour and heavy weapons were
to end up as gate guards back in the UK. Still
others were shipped back to add to the realism
of military training areas while many fully
05/07/2019 11:39
 ‘Many of these abandoned AFV’s were still
‘bombed up’ containing tank shells, machine
gun belts and even AT Missiles’

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 ‘A combination of shock and awe and the reluctance of the
Iraqi military to fight made for a rapid advance’
working examples would in time be passed on
to the new Iraqi Army.
It was an AFV spotters dream with so many
ex-soviet AFVs of the cold war era on display.
At one pause in the advance I happened to stop
my Land Rover beside an underpass and there
left abandoned was a fully working BRDM-1
complete with its AT missile launcher.
This was a vehicle familiar from old enemy
recognition cards and there were many similar
78-80 armour CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 80
encounters with examples of older generation
Soviet armour to be found by the roadside
either intact or as blackened hulks.
I began recording images of some of these
in the course of my duties and have included
a selection on these pages. What was clear
from the sheer number and variety of AFVs is
that the Iraq Army had the capability to put up a
stout defence had it chosen.
In fact, opposition in my own brigade’s area
80
ABOVE: What appears to be an artillery tractor or
engineer vehicle based on a BMP chassis which was
recovered along with Iraqi weaponry
LEFT: BMP-1 towed in by the RE recovery team, a
typical example of the abandoned armour discovered
in the Brigades area
BELOW:A Chinook passes over abandoned AVFs
recovered to a former Iraqi airfield where they could
be properly secured
came in the main from long range artillery
directed by spotters mounted on motorbikes
or pick-ups. Then with the push into Basra
there was the odd angry shot from last ditch
Fedayeen units.
It was clear however that the military had
little stomach for the fight with many soldiers
simply demobbing themselves and going
home. Once, along with the press officer and a
BBC crew I took the surrender of one such
group of Iraqi soldiers. This seemed a little
bizarre at the time but was not untypical in the
early days of the campaign.
05/07/2019 11:39
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81

Classified.indd 80 28/06/2019 12:07

 Echoes of War Pavlov’s House words Andrew Stone pictures archive

D
espite their air and ground superiority,
the capture of Stalingrad proved a bridge
too far for German forces during World
War Two and the conflict was a major turning
point in the war. In one of the bloodiest battles
in history, around two million people lost their
lives in the five months the Battle of Stalingrad
lasted. In addition to all the lives lost, it is
estimated the Germans lost 10,000 vehicles
including hundreds of Panzer 3s, Panzer 4s
and Sturmgeseutz 3s. If anything, the urban
nature of the battle proved just how ineffective
tanks were in the narrow, bombed out streets
of the city.
The battle began in August 1942 with the
advance into Stalingrad carried out by the
German Sixth Army while the Fourth Panzer
Army secured

redeployed to support operations in Tunisia.

But still the Soviet forces fought on and
nowhere was the spirit of their defence more
prominent than Pavlov’s House. Named after
Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, the four-storey building
in the centre of Stalingrad was initially secured
by between 30 to 50 soldiers. They set about
fortifying the position with land mines on
all approaches, laid barbed wire around the
perimeter and placed machine guns in the
windows along with PTRS anti-tank rifles. Supply
and communication trenches were dug from the
building to the nearby Volga and supplies were
brought in from boats crossing the river.
It was not long before Sgt Pavlov realised
just how effective the PTRS anti-tank rifles
were in defending the position. Produced by
the Soviets during the war, the PTRS-41 could
penetrate armour plate up to 40mm thick at
100m. The defenders of Pavlov’s House used
them to great effect when ambushing German
tanks by firing down on to the thin turret roof
slow but steady, they were crucially never armour. The tanks in turn were unable to raise
the southern flank. Following heavy bombing able to capture key crossing points on the their weapons enough to retaliate.
by the Luftwaffe in which some 1,000 tons river which allowed for the re-supply of Soviet Despite several attacks launched by the German
of bombs were dropped in a 48-hour period, forces. Come November of 1942, the 6th tanks and infantry each day, concentrated fire
the Germans were forced to conduct a frontal Army had captured around 90% of the city and from the defenders kept them at bay for around
assault due to the 24km ribbon-like layout of sensing victory, many Luftwaffe aircraft were two months before they were eventually relieved
the city along the west by counter-attacking
bank of the Volga River. Soviet forces. Today the
TOP: The remains of Pavlov’s House
To counter the Luftwaffe house, which had
ABOVE: German infantry and a supporting StuG III assault gun during the Battle of Stalingrad
threat, Soviet forces become a symbol of the
BELOW: German forces drive towards Stalingrad in the summer of 1942
were ordered to stay as city’s defence, is still
close to the Germans used as an apartment
as possible and in many building with an
cases opposing forces attached memorial
occupied different constructed from bricks
sections of the same picked up after the
buildings. battle. Sgt Pavlov was
With the Germans awarded the title Hero of
launching several major the Soviet Union. Vasily
offences on the city and Chuikov, the
the Soviets offering fierce commanding general of
resisting, the fighting the Soviet forces in
descended into some of Stalingrad, is later said
the hardest and bloodiest to have joked that the
of the war with both sides Germans lost more men
suffering huge losses. trying to take Pavlov’s
While German progress House than they did
through the city was taking Paris.

82

82 Echoes CMV August2019_AS JM.indd 82 05/07/2019 11:39

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