Classic Military Vehicle 2015 04

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04CARRIER RESTORATION

Russias latestRussias latestAPC revealedAPC revealed

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MARMON-HERRINGTON TANKS

ISSUE 167APRIL 2015 4.30

Events listings, pages of classifieds and a comprehensive vehicle price guide

GIPSY G4 M10

PRIVATES ON PARADEPRIVATES ON PARADEGMC bolster truck in rare private ownershipGMC bolster truck in rare private ownershipGMC bolster truck in rare private ownership

p gp gPorsches innovation in earlyPorsches innovation in earlyGerman designsGerman designs

Cherished Vehicle F_P.indd 1 05/03/2015 12:56

CLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLE April 2015

www.cmvmag.co.uk ContentsApril 2015 NUMBER 167

CLASSICCLASSICC MILITARY VSIC EHICLEVEHICLEV April 2015

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EDITORIAL

Editor: Ian Cushway [email protected]

Contributors: David Fletcher, Geoffrey Fletcher, Scott Smith,

Ian Stead, Andy Stead, Nigel Hay, Les Freathy, Diana Hawkins,

Paul Hazell, Peter McNeil, Duncan Nicholson, John Norris,

Jim Kinnear, Jon Hickman, Jon Burgess, James Taylor,

John G Teasdale, David Gilbert, Alain Henry de Frahan,

Ian Young, John Blackman, Carl Schulze, Tim Bolton,

Dimmen B Van Herwaarden, John Norris, Karl Ludvigsen

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FRONT COVERPage 24, Scott Smith

meets the owner of a rareGMC bolster truck.

OPENING SHOT!We kick off with a T26E3 Pershing, belonging tothe Brussels Tank Museum.

REVIEWA round-up of current military-vehicle news,views and correspondence.

UNIVERSAL SOLDIER

We meet the owner who bought and restored aCarrier, just like the one his grandfather droveduring WW2!

THE RIGHT PLACE ATTHE RIGHTTIME

David Fletcher looks at the Marmon-Herringtontanks.

ITS A GMC THING!

Scott Smith meets a serial GMC collector whosbagged himself a rare bolster truck, one of just ahandful in private ownership.

THE BEST FORM OF FLATTERY

Despite the rust and crying when he first saw it,this late model Austin Gipsy provided a perfectrestoration project for its classic military vehicleenthusiast owner.

KEEPING GERMAN TANKS A SECRET

Germanys testing of early Porsche-inspiredtanks prior to WW2.

CRAZY HORSE

James Taylor looks at an Italian Jeep substitute.

POST-WAR PLANT LIFELes Freathy uncovers the post-war duties ofwartime plant life.

MILITARIA 2015

We report from this years spectacle.

KAMAZ-63968 TAIFUN

Jim Kinnear looks at the new generation of mineprotected wheeled APC.

COMING NEXTFind out whats in store in the next issue.

ITS SHOWTIMEThe 2015 military vehicle event calendar.

THE MILITARYVEHICLE MARKETLatest insider news from the MV marketplace.

MV PRICESOur very own military vehicle price guide.

ECHOES OFWARThe beginnings of the peoples car.

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COVER STORY

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

COVER STORYTHE BEST FORM OF FLATTERY

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

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4 CLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLE April 2015

It has been convincingly argued that had the US Ordnance Department andArmored Command not put all their efforts into improving and manufacturingShermans during WW2 but had instead pushed forward the development ofa more capable replacement, then the lives of thousands of Allied tankerswould have been spared. Despite the all too obvious shortcomings of the M4medium tank it wasnt until late 1944 that the T26E3 (later standardised asthe M26E3 and christened the Pershing) emerged. Of the 40 available, halfwent to Fort Knox for testing while the balance were shipped to Antwerpfrom where they were allotted equally to the 3rd and 9th Armored Divisions.

Although on 25 February 1945 one T26E3 was hit and temporarily disabledby 88mm fire from a Tiger 1, the 90mm-armed Pershings soon showed thatthey were more than a match for anything they were likely to encounter inthe German arsenal. Perhaps the types weak link was its 500bhp Ford GAFengine which struggled to cope with a 41-ton tank, a problem solved by asubsequent upgrade programme.

This T26E3 belongs to the Brussels Tank Museum, and the crewman on thenearside track guard is there to alert the driver lest he inadvertently chewsup the kerb stones (or worse).Photograph by John Blackman

T26E3 PERSHING

O P E N I N GO P E N I N GS H O TS H O T

5CLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLE April 2015

A round-up of military-vehicle related news and products.Send news items to [email protected]

D e s p a t c h e s


The Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire, is looking to growits classic military vehicle show presence in 2015.

Its Classic Car Show on May 24 is to include a special military sectionthis year, and while it wont be a full scale military show, military aswell as classic emergency vehicles will be in attendance in muchstronger numbers. Show manager Tom Caren has enrolled the servicesof the Alvis Fighting Vehicle Society, who will be there to offer agunnery display as well as a formation of its Scorpion tanks.

After an absence of five years, a new Land Rover show at Gaydon isalso likely to be of interest to military vehicle collectors. It takes placeon the weekend of June 27-28 and there will be camping available onFriday and Saturday night.

Last but not least, Gaydons Old Ford Rally on July 18 will featurea military display of Ford and Ford derived military vehicles tocommemorate the 70th anniversary of WW2s end. This is being held inconjunction with the North Oxon and Cotswold Area of the MilitaryVehicle Trust. Tom confirms that other military vehicles are welcome,with entries via the MVT.

Full details can be found by visiting www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk.

GAYDON SHOWCALENDAR TOINCLUDE MVsW hat makes owning a classic militaryvehicle even more rewarding is when

youre able to establish a direct link betweenit and the people that drove it. And enthusiastRichie Harrison did just that when he took theplunge and bought a 1942 Carrier restorationproject having inherited a treasure trove ofwartime memorabilia from a relation. Hisgrandfather drove a Carrier while in serviceand, following his death, Richie wanted toknow more about what it must have been like.Not only that, but a faded black and whitephoto of his youthful grandfather taken duringWW2 while in service in Northern Ireland alsorevealed a remarkable coincidence. Also in thephoto, and serving in the same platoon, wasthe grandfather of the person he had contactedinitially when trying to source a vehicle forsale. Talk about small world. You can read thefull account on pages 12-17.

If youve got a similar story, or have aparticular link with your own military pride andjoy, Id love to hear about it. Send an email [email protected].

Ian Cushway

AEROBILIA 15 DATES ANNOUNCEDThis years aerojumble and aviation and militaria collectors fair,organised by the Boscombe Down Aviation Museum, will take placeon Saturday May 16 from 10am to 16pm. It will be held at the BDACMuseum, Old Sarum Airfield, Old Sarum, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP46DZ. The normal museum admission price covers both the fair andmuseum. For more details or stall bookings contact Hugh Sillett on01980 863062 or email [email protected]


BOOK YOUR FERRY FOR W&PR 2015The War and Peace/DFDS ferry crossing offercontinues in 2015 but you need to book yourcrossing before March 31 to take advantageof 2014 prices.Prices (booked before 31 March 2015) are asfollows:For vehicles up to 5m in length 40.00 + BAFper single sailing (47.00)For vehicles from 5.1-8m in length 50.00per single sailing (59.00)For vehicles from 8.1-10m in length 60.00per single sailing (70.00)For vehicles from 10.1-12m in length 90.00per single sailing (105.00)For vehicles from 12.1-15m in length115.00 per single sailing (134.00)And now for the smallprint!

The lengths stated above include singlevehicles and also includes vehicles towingup to a maximum combined length of theparticular rate. There is a maximum of upto four passengers per vehicle and the rateagreement is valid as stated above. Therewill be a special code number for eachport and foreign customers will be able tobook from abroad. Return trips are doublethe cost of the single rate. Bookings canbe only made over the phone, by fax orby email not on the internet quotingthe account number 65791. For more

information call +44 (0)1304 874001,email [email protected] worry if English isnt your firstlanguage just send them an email withyour requirements and they will email youback.

If all else fails, you can email theDFDS freight sales supervisor Allan Jones:[email protected].

THE MEN INSIDE THE METALVOLUME 2The second volume in a series of two,this edition by Dick Taylor, completesthe story of the uniforms and equipmentof the British and Commonwealth tankand AFV crews, 1939-45. The evolutionof uniforms, and the variations in actualuse on all the fronts, are described andillustrated, as is the personal equipment ofAFV crews. Interestingly, the advantagesand drawbacks of all the designs arediscussed, in the context of actual front-lineoperational experience.

Its priced at 24.99 and is availablefrom all good bookshops or direct fromMushroom Model Publications (www.mmpbooks.biz). ISBN 978-8-36367-828-9

MODERN TANKS AND ARTILLERY1945-PRESENTPacked with hundreds of detailed artworksof AFVs and their markings, Modern Tanksand Artillery 1945-present by MichaelE Haskew, is a comprehensive study ofarmoured fighting vehicles and guns ofevery nationality from the beginning of theCold War to the present. The first sectiondetails the tanks and AFVs, and the second

READ ALL ABOUT ITcovers artillery guns, rockets and self-propelled guns. Each volume is subdividedby theatre and conflict.

In that respect, its the perfect referencebook for MV enthusiasts and modellers alike.

Published by Amber Books and availablefrom Casemate (www.casematepublishing.co.uk) it is 29.99 in hardback.ISBN 978-1-78274-205-0

THE BREAKING POINTThe French city of Sedan, located nearthe Belgian border, played a key role inGermanys plans for a blitzkrieg assault on

Allied Forces in France. This book, by RobertA Doughty, is an engaging account of thesmall-unit actions near Sedan during the1940 campaign for France and recountsthe fighting in and around the city byGerman panzer forces under the famousHeinz Guderian. As well as an analyticalreconstruction of the various battles, thereis also an explanation of why the skirmishoccurred in the first place with argumentsfrom both sides being aired.

Its published by Stackpole Books at13.99 in paperback format.ISBN 978-0-8117-1459-4-8117-1459-4zkrieg assault on ISBN 978-0-8-8117-14

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sks

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nd

Germanys plans for a blitzkzkrieg ass

RARE JEEPA US Navy yeoman and a member of theWomens Royal Naval Service sitting ina Willys MA jeep marked as Royal Navy,photographed at the US Naval OperationsBase, Londonderry in 1942. Note the whitepaint on the edging of the body to aid itsvisibility in blackout conditions.

The US Army didnt bring over any MAsfor its own use but this is most likely onesupplied to Britain early into the Lend Leaseagreement.

Jeep F_P.indd 1 05/03/2015 12:58


WRITE TO REPLY!INTERESTING AS IT ISIn your Despatches column (March 2015 CMV) you discuss theMinerva topic again and invite comment. I am certainly not a rivetcounter or very precious about correctness of MV presentationand agree that there needs to be leeway given to folk to be able toenjoy the hobby in their own way. However, I think in line withyour original observations, the Minerva is an interesting and historicvehicle in its own right and painting it up as yet another WW2wannabe seems to me rather unnecessary and so undignified for theold dear.I think this is a perfectly reasonable observation. Why gild the

lily? So far, I have not yet been tempted to re-cast my BedfordMW as a WW1 Albion. Mind youFerg Anckorn (MVT, IMPS and NOBS), via email

A HOLE IN ONEI liked the jeep article with bullet holes [CMV February 2015, p70].

Our ambulance (A1207004/1207004) has a 9mm hole runningleft to right from the front passenger footwell lodging in theupper drivers side footwell. The bullet has been removed at somepoint I think someone dropped a pistol on the floor.

The ambulance has the engine and inner drivers side panel from(A1205897/50231) which was bound for Malaysia in 1942 departingfrom service in the Middle East but diverted to Australia.

This engine has 16 bullet marks fairly evenly spaced, runningalong the drivers side of the engine block. At the time ofrestoration I thought the marks on the block were fromsomeone using a chipping hammer (descaling) and it was not untilI fitted the drivers inner panel that I noticed the bullet holelined up with one of the marks!

Assuming the vehicle firing was moving forward (at about30mph on a good road, at right angles to the ambulance), theymust have stopped at the point where the drivers legs wouldhave been as the rest of the panel is blank. There is no otherbodywork, so its impossible to say what happened next otherthan the fact that the petrol tank (from the same ambulance)has two holes in its end near the top. This would suggest thatthe ambulance made a hard left turn, and leant over to the right.

Such things are a sobering reminder of conflict and it isimportant that they should be left for others to see.Rupert Condick, via email

CATCH THE BUS?

Following Ian Youngs MaltaStory I enclose two photos ofWW2 trucks now posing in Maltaas buses. The blue Morris cameto Malta from North Africa asa truck (see black and white picI found on the internet of thetype A CS/11 Morris). Meanwhile,the green/cream Austin startedlife as an Austin K2 with a civvyfront end.Simon Thomson, via email

DONT FORGET SWAMPYFebruary's issue has a picture of a Scammell 6x4 on page 52accompanied by a caption which implies that they probably werepensioned off by the early seventies. I was on a REME technicalvisit to HQ Belize in April 1982 and part of my remit was to arrangethe loading of selected vehicles on to a Landing Ship Logistic (LSL)for their return to the UK.

The load was to include Swampy, a Scammell 6x4 recoveryvehicle still soldiering on and on charge to the Belize ForceWorkshop REME and destined for the REME Museum at Arborfield.

Unfortunately the Argentineans had other plans and invaded theFalklands so the LSL was loaded with stores and sent south!

Swampy did eventually make it back to the museum and Isuspect was the last Scammell 6x4 Recy, commonly calledKnockers, in service.Malcolm Hay, via email

Ouch! PR and spin from the military are nota new phenomenon as the caption for this1942 picture of a rider obviously falling offhis Harley WLA shows. The caption reads:A scout suddenly discovering the enemyflops his cycle to return fire with his Sub-Tommy Gun. FORT Knox, Kentucky, 1942.

THRILLS AND SPILLS

Green 38.Up-Armoured Landies in Detail.Snatches in British Private Collections.Contents Include Petrol V8 SnatchesDiesel TDi Snatches Walkaroundsection,engine details,front cab,rearcab,84 pages,Over 160 colour photos.20.99

Tankograd In Detail Fast Track04.M109A6 Paladin US ArmySelf-Propelled Howitzer - In actionphotographs and a detailed walkaround,English text. - Limited print-run 999copies - As our series In-Detail but halfsize / half price! Quantity Photos andIllustrations: Illustrated with 89 colourphotographs, Pages: 40 10.99

Tankograd In Detail Fast Track05.M992A2 FAASV US Army FieldArtillery Ammunition Support Vehicle(for M109) - In action photographsand a detailed walkaround, Englishtext. - Limited print-run 999 copies- As our series In-Detail but half size/ half price! Quantity Photos andIllustrations: Illustrated with 75 colourphotographs,40pages. 10.99

Tankograd 6033.U.S. WW II DodgeWC62-WC63 6x6 Trucks 48 pages with150-200 illustrations, among themWW2 action photos, colour photosand technical drawings. Illustratedthroughout. Excerpts of technicalmanuals, wartime photos, photos ofrestored vehicles. Ideal companionfor modellers and fans of technology.Complete background history andvariants. 9.99

Tankograd 6034.U.S. WW II & KoreaM4A3 Sherman (76mm) Medium Tank 48pages with 150-200 illustrations, amongthem WW2 action photos, colour photosand technical drawings. Illustratedthroughout. Excerpts of technicalmanuals, wartime photos, photos ofrestored vehicles. Ideal compagnionfor modellers and fans of technology.Complete background history andvariants. 9.99

Painting Wargame Tanks.The definitive guideto paint Wargames armored vehicles bythe hands of the famous Ruben Torregrosa(Heresybrush) and Mig Jimenez. Throughits 96 pages we will discover, in a very visualand easy manner, how to get the results wewant in our vehicles, since the book adapts tothe needs of each player. From a basic guidefor materials, through painting a tank in aneasy but effective way, to obtaining the bestpossible professional finish. 21.99

Camouflage Profile Guide Eastern FrontRussian Vehicles.In this book you willfind all the inspiration you need to makeoriginal Soviet vehicles with a wide andnever seen variety of colors, effects, andcamouflage.Here you have more than180 profiles which are strictly based onhistorical photos, many of them neverseen before, in which the colors havebeen studied in depth.Paperback,80pages. 19.99

Nuts and Bolts 32.The medium cross-country Lorries 3 ton (6x4) of theReichswehr and Wehrmacht.To date, Nuts& Bolts has only produced publications ontracked, half-track vehicles and weaponsystems. With this volume, the first issue ina series which will deal exclusively on Lorriesin particular the medium cross-countryLorries (commercial) m. gl. Lkw. (o) of theReichswehr and Wehrmacht. 225 pages,16camouflage schemes,471 photos. 25.15

Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) in Wehrmacht.112 pagepublication in English and Czech languagecontains more than 220 historicalphotographs mapping combat deploymentlegendary tank in the Wehrmachtproduced by in Czechoslovakia. Thispublication is focused on service andcombat deployment of legendaryCzechoslovakian tank Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) andhis variant in 7th and 8th Panzer Divisionof Wehrmacht.21.99

Panzer Tracts No.8-1 Sturmpanzer.This80 page Panzer Tracts is the ultimatepackage of primary source material onthe Sturmpanzer with over 19 pages ofthe world leading 1:35 scale drawingsthat have been grouped together tofacilitate comparison, and over 80clear large-format photos laid out in anattractive style.Paperback. 28.99

Panzer Tracts No.22-5 Gepanzerter 8tZugkraftwagen & Sfl.Flak (Sd.Kfz.7).This88 page Panzer Tracts is the ultimate andonly accurate primary source referenceon the gepanzerter Zugkraftwagen 8t (Sd.Kfz.7) and Flak Sfl. for both beginners andexperts. There are 21 pages of 1:35 scaledrawings grouped together to facilitatecomparison and over 100 clear large-format photos most of which have neverbeen published before. 28.99

The Men Inside the Metal Volume 2.Thisbook, the second volume in a seriesof two, completes the story of theuniforms and equipment of British andCommonwealth tank and AFV crews,1939-1945.Paperback,124 pages,Black/White and Colour photos.Author DickTaylor. 24.99

The Big Macks.The Visual HistorySeries are single-subject referencebooks featuring a historical introductionfollowed by extensive black-and-whiteperiod and walk-around photographs,many of which are otherwiseunpublished. A Visual History of the MackWheeled Prime Movers in U.S. ArmyService, 1940-1985 One hundred twelvepages, over 180 b&w photos.16.99

FUCHS Part 3. Ambulance / ElectronicWarfare / NBC The Transportpanzer 1Fuchs (Fuchs being German for fox)wheeled armoured personnel carriers are,aside from the Leopard main battle tanks,the most iconic and most prominentassets of the modern German Army.64pages,full colour. 13.99

Tankograd 5054.FUCHS Volume 4.FUCHSThe Transportpanzer 1 Wheeled ArmouredPersonnel Carrier in German Army ServicePart 4 Battlefield Surveillance Radar /Radio Communications / InternationalThe Transportpanzer 1 Fuchs (Fuchsbeing German for fox) wheeled armouredpersonnel carriers are, aside from theLeopard main battle tanks, the most iconicand most prominent assets of the modernGerman Army. 13.99

Tankograd Fast Track 06.Type 10TKModern Japanese Army Main Battle Tank- In action photographs and a detailedwalkaround, English text. - Limited print-run 999 copies - As our series In-Detailbut half size / half price! Quantity Photosand Illustrations: Illustrated with 70colour photographs,40 pages. 10.99

Liberty Roads.The Red Ball ExpressHighway is the nickname given to thesupply route opened in August 1944which stretched from the landing beachesto the American armies launched in anincredible pursuit throughout France.Hardback,224 pages,Very well illustratedwith Colour and Black/White photos34.95

U.S. Army Earth Movers in detail. WWIIBulldozers, Graders and Scrapers.Chapters include Clark,Cletrac,IH T-6,AllisChalmers HD015A,Cat D2,CAT D4,CATD7,CAT D8,Scraper Le Tourneau,CATGrader No.12,Clark Airborne CA-1 Dozer.Paperback,155 pages,Over 300 colourwalk around and detail photos. 30.99

Tankograd 9022.Cold War Exercise SPEARPOINT80.Joint British and American Forces face theThreat from the East. After two years of preparatorywork,the field training exercise Spearpoint 80was conducted as part of the large-scale ExerciseCrusader 80 between 11 and 26 September 1980.Since NATO came into existence,this exercisewas the largest British one held on West Germansoil.Illustrated with 86 colour photographs,32black&white photographs and 4 maps.13.99

Army Wheels in Detail 10.Humber F.W.D4 X4.This publication contains detailedphotos, historical photos, scale drawings,detailed drawings from the instructionmanual and colour profiles. English andCzech language.44 pages,B/W and Colourphotos. 13.99

M2A2 ODS Bradley Infantry FightingVehicle in Detail. 96 pages,fullcolour,Chapters Include: Introduction,HullWalkaround,Drivers Compartment,SquadCompartment,Turrett exteriordetails,Turrett Interior details,NBCProtection System,OIF M2. 19.99

Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank Volume2.In Challenger 1 Volume 2 RobertGriffin outlines the service career ofthe Challenger 1 Main Battle Tankand Challenger Repair and RecoveryVehicle.80 pages,185 Archive photos,10colour maps 13.99

The Encyclopedia of French Tanks andArmoured Vehicles 1914-1940.The tank, aweapon which would revolutionize warfare,was created in France almost exactly at thesame time as in Britain, to meet the sametactical need. And even before the firsttanks were built, it was in France, at theturn of the 20th Century, that the very firstproper machinegun car with partial armourappeared.Hardback. 34.95

Nuts and Bolts Volume 33.LeichteFeldhaubitze 18, GW II fr le.F.H.18/2 Wespe and Hummel-Wespe.Paperback,184 pages,Black/white andColour photos,line drawings. 25.15

UNIVERSALSOLDIERRichie Harrisons interest in his grandfathers war service led toan ambitious Carrier restoration. John Blackman has the story


My grandfather Kenneth Harrison passedaway in 1989 when I was nine, says Richie.I was sitting in the front room of his housewhile it was being emptied out when myfather came downstairs with a box of mygrandfathers effects including his glengarry,a stable belt, field compass, a set of

binoculars and medals. He said that hethought my grandfather would have liked meto have them.

Richie put the box of prized possessionsaway for safe keeping until around 2006 whenhe decided to try and find out more about hisgrandfathers life and, in particular, his wartime

service. He knew that Kenneth had been aCarrier driver from what he had been told byhis father and from the photos handed downto him, but little more. Like many of those thatsurvived WW2, the old soldier had kept hismemories to himself.

INTRIGUING COINCIDENCEIn a way, Richies research was two pronged.He both wanted to know more about hisgrandfathers personal history and wasalso interested in the Carrier as a vehicle.I wondered if you could still get one torestore, so I sent an email to every museumI knew of in the UK explaining who I was andthat I was looking for a Carrier, and I included

Idont know about you but, when admiring a restored military vehicle, I find it all tooeasy to get lost in the technicalities involved and in admiration for the skills exhibited.However, just as interesting, if not more so in many cases, is the motivation behindthe project. Just exactly why did the builder embark upon a long, difficult and frequentlyexpensive restoration? Was it simply for the challenge involved in turning a pile of rustingscrap into a fully functioning vehicle, or was there some deeper motivation involved?There are probably almost as many responses to that question as there are restorationsbut, in the case of the Carrier project initiated by Newcastle-based Richie Harrison, theanswer definitely falls into the deeper motivation category.


with it a photo of grandfather on parade, heexplains. The only reply I got was fromShaun Hindle of Battlefront, the East EnglandMilitary Museum, asking me to ring himimmediately. So I did and he asked whereId got the picture from. I explained the storybehind it and my quest and there followed along pause. Then Shaun said Well, the thirdman from the right, facing the camera... thatsmy grandfather.

Incredibly, the photo taken at Enniskillenin County Fermanagh, NorthernIreland showed both menhad undertaken the samecourse with the 2nd BattalionRoyal Scots Fusiliers in 1941aimed at re-arming and retraining the unit inthe aftermath of the evacuation from Dunkirkthe year before. Shauns grandfather, Claude,better known as Jack, had been a REMEtechnician attached to the RSF within thesame platoon. Shaun Hindle is a name well-known on the MV scene and, for one reasonor another, has featured in the pages of CMV agood few times over the years. It can also beno surprise to hear that he is something of aCarrier aficionado so, after a meeting to poreover old photos, as Richie puts it: Hindle hasbeen looking after Harrison ever since. Shauneven helped me get my track-laying licence.

AFFORDABLE PROJECTRichie eventually sourced an affordableUniversal Carrier project from Canada in 2009,the remains of a No 2 Mk I* manufactured byFord at its Windsor, Ontario, plant in November1942. Really all that it consisted of was thelower tub, tracks, steering wheel, drive axleand an engine, Richie admits. I could onlyafford a project in that condition. Anythingbetter would have been over my budget soI went the long-term route. Everything thatwas missing I had to fabricate so it has beena steep learning curve during which, amongother things, Ive learnt how to weld and rivet.And no, Im not an engineer, although Ive

dabbled with cars over the years. In fact oneof my first memories is of helping my dadwork on Minis in our garage at the age ofabout four.

While a Mini-loving father and a successionof cars gave Richie an element of practicalexperience, he admits to having beeninfluenced in terms of his overall approachto the project by Bill Smith, a leadingmember of The Bluebird Project which isrestoring Bluebird K7, the boat in which

Donald Campbell set seven world waterspeed records during the late fifties andsixties before a fatal crash on ConistonWater in January 1967. He has given mea lot of advice regarding restoration andconservation, Richie confirms, particularlyregarding the need to retain the original fabric.As a result, nothing that I started with hasbeen lost. For instance, although I choppedthe centre bulkhead down to mid-level to easefabrication of the body, the steel I removedwas put back in the glacis plate so retainingthe fabric of the original.

Although it might appear from the photosaccompanying this feature that there wasntmuch fabric left to retain, Richie estimatesthat some 80% of what you now see isoriginal (some components were discoveredwith the help of a metal detector and dug outof a field in Norfolk) with only 20% having tobe fabricated from original specifications. Theengine, while being the one that came withthe project from Canada, has 99T marked onthe cylinder heads denoting it as one of the100bhp units produced for Ford trucks andMercury cars between 1939 and 1941 ratherthan the 85bhp Carrier engine that wouldhave been fitted originally. But in any case,there are few engines as ubiquitous as Fordsflathead V8, which is probably just as well

since, after years in the open, the block wasseized necessitating a complete rebuild.

ITALIAN CONNECTIONThe scheme in which Richie chose to paintthe restored Carrier is based upon that likelyto have been worn during Operation Husky,the invasion of Sicily during July/August 1943.There were many schemes in use at the timeand I dont profess to being an expert, Richieexplains. But a lot of the Carriers would have

been sand coloured followingservice in North Africa on towhich the units would havehad to do something disruptivefor Sicily using either shades

of blue/black, brown or red. And I have photosof Carriers in Sicily at that time wearingblack on sand.

The real reason why I chose the time ofSicily is because that is the period duringwhich my grandfather ceased being a RoyalScots Fusilier because he came down with


the unit in Donald Campbell set seven world water of blue/black,

the old soldier had kept hismemories to himself.

Above: This photo is believed to have been taken at Enniskillen in 1941 and shows Richiesgrandfather, Kenneth Harrison second from the right, and Shaun Hindles grandfather, Claude,better known as Jack, facing the camera to his right. (Courtesy Richie Harrison) Right: KennethHarrison (far right) with two Royal Scots Fusilier colleagues. Sitting on the left is Ron Lamb but theidentity of the other gentlemen isnt currently known. (Courtesy Richie Harrison)

The Carrier project when purchased by Ritchie from Canada in 2009.

Little of the bodywork remained.

A Ford flathead V8 came with the project but itwasnt the original and probably came from aFord truck or Mercury saloon.

Usefully, some of the various linkages remained.

What remained of the instrument panel.Little of the bodywork remained.

A Ford flath d V8 with the ject but it

THE RESTORATION Photographs courtesyof Richie Harrison


Below: During the 2014 War and Peace Revival Richie Harrison, Shaun Hindleand friends recreated the spirit of a 1941 photo that linked the Harrisons and

Hindles. Richie is on the right while Shaun is looking towards the camera.

Although past saving, some components suchas the fuel tank could be used as patterns.Alth gh t vi nt ch

Richie had to fabricate a new body virtuallyfrom scratch.

Theres probably a joke here about how many Geordies it takes to fit an engine but its good tohave friends when there is some lifting to be done.

the mumps during Operation Husky and wasflown back to a hospital in Bizerte, Tunisia.By the time he was fit for duty again, the 5thDivision, of which the 2nd Battalion RoyalScots Fusiliers was a part, had been stooddown and was re-arming. However, the 46thInfantry Division was short of Carrier drivers.


So, on 21 September 1943, just two days afterleaving hospital, grandfather found himselfdriving a Carrier up Green Beach in UncleSector at Salerno for Operation Avalanche.

Operation Avalanche, the Salerno landings,had commenced on 9 September and hadbeen bitterly resisted by the defending German

units. By the time Kenneth Harrison arrived thetide of the battle was turning or had turned,but even so, it must have been disconcertingto say the very least to have been thrown intothe Salerno cauldron immediately followinga period of illness and with a crew he did notknow. Richie agrees. Although during and

A piece of original armour removed from thebulkhead was incorporated into the rebuiltglacis plate.

The 99T model 100bhp Ford V8 after a full rebuild.Th 99T del 100bhp F d V8 ft full build.PROVING PROVENANCEAlthough Richie has painted his Carrier forthe Sicily period it bears the same serial asthat on Kenneth Harrisons Enniskillen-periodCarrier, T10829, which in reality happensto have been a Wolseley-built machine. TheCarriers actual number is thought to havebeen CT54508, as Richie explains. I hadto go through quite a rigmarole while trying

to prove provenance. Although a lot of thearmour had been cut off, a section remainedwhere the dash panel is on which there wasa partial number. Unfortunately, much of ithad been lost because of the heat generatedby a gas axe. But I have a friend in the Policewho works in a vehicle crime unit and theyneeded something different as a training aidso they took the section away and managedto recover most of the number.

I then passed the result to Nigel Watson(another well-known Carrier owner/expert)and, having already examined and dated theCarrier from various factors, he was able tonarrow down the possibilities to just one,CT54508. So we are as certain as we can thatthat is the correct number for this machine.

Having had a lot of assistance from ShaunHindle, Richie then convinced him that itwould be a good idea if he finished his Carrierin a matching 5th Division Sicily scheme andthat they take both to the 2014 War and PeaceRevival. Once there it was just a short stepto recreating the spirit of that photographtaken at Enniskillen in 1941 which linked thehistory of two old soldiers and set the wholeCarrier restoration ball rolling. Wed like tothink that while Kenneth Harrison and JackHindle may have looked down and deploredtheir descendants scruffy personal turnout asthey positioned themselves for the photo, theywould surely have applauded the sentiment.

I believe my grandfathers ghost is stillaround, Richie says. He had a thing aboutwriting his name on everything, probablyfrom when he was in the Army. Anyway, Iwas working on the Carrier in the garageat home and I heard a clunk; a pen markedKenneth Harrison had dropped into theCarrier. And I dont know where it came from.It was a bit weird.

Richie Harrison would welcome anyinformation regarding his grandfathersRSF and 5th Division comrades and canbe contacted by e-mail [email protected]


Richie proudly shows off his grandfathers glengarry.

after Salerno grandfather was with the 2/4thKings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry attachedto the 46th Infantry Division, he seems tohave kept no memorabilia from that period.Everything I have relates to the Royal ScotsFusiliers so Im of the opinion that he had anaffinity with that regiment.


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The Marmon-Herrington Company ofIndianapolis was probably better knownin the US for its trucks, and although tankproduction was a relatively small part ofits business it was a significant one. Infact, perhaps sensing a gap in the market,Marmon-Herrington came rather late into thetank building business, with its first modelappearing in 1935. Before that time the Britishmanufacturer Vickers-Carden-Loyd hadproduced a series of light tanks which werereleased onto the commercial market and didvery well, but later on its products had grownin size and complexity, not to mention costwhile its mainstream products were aimed

very specifically at the British Army. Clearlynow there was room for a small, relativelycheap light tank primarily suited to internalsecurity work and this was a market Marmon-Herrington clearly wished to exploit.

EARLY EFFORTSIts first model, the CTL-1, was a small,turretless vehicle designed for a crew of two.It was well protected and armed with a single,forward firing machine gun, not unlike a muchimproved Carden-Loyd. Although one sourceclaims they were all powered by a Ford-builtV12 Lincoln engine, the consensus is thatmost had a Ford V8 which still gave them a

lively performance and speeds up to 30mph(48km/h). The suspension featured smallrollers and longitudinal leaf springs whilethe tracks were based on Goodrich designs,namely a reinforced rubber band which gavesmooth but silent running. It was said thatshould such a track come off it was almostimpossible for a two-man crew to put it backon again. Another feature to note was theemployment of front mounted drive sprockets,like most American tanks.

The CTL-1 was supplied to Persia (Iran),which had also purchased armoured cars andtrucks from Marmon-Herrington. However,since Iran was also buying AH-IV light tanksfrom Czechoslovakia at the time one assumesthe Marmon-Herrington tank order was just atoken. The companys next model, the CTL-2,was very similar but does not seem to haveattracted any commercial interest. However,

Mention Marmon-Herrington to anyone familiar with the history of the British orSouth African armies and they will think immediately of armoured cars built inSouth Africa on a Ford chassis, used throughout the campaign in North Africa. Butsay it in the presence of anyone aware of the history of the US Marine Corps and they willimmediately think of tanks.

IN THE RIGHT PLACEAT THE RIGHT TIME...Marmon-Herrington wasnt just famous for its armouredcars, it also had a history building tanks, albeit not verygood ones, as David Fletcher explains


A Marmon-Herrington CTL-1 light tank with its test crew outside the factory in Indianapolis.

it was followed by the CTL-3 which certainlydid, specifically from the US Marine Corps.

The CTL-3 took part in one of the mostinteresting experiments to be conductedin the US at that time. An experiment mostparticularly related to the Marine Corps. Itinvolved a 50ft launch fitted with a woodenramp at the bow for loading the tank aboardbut it was a curious arrangement since itwas impossible to turn the tank aroundon the boat so it hadto reverse ashore. Thepromoters of the schemepointed out that if thetank were to comeashore forwards therewas a serious risk of thedriver being drowned if the vehicle plungedinto deep water. However, the idea of anytank leading an invasion force by reversingonto the beach seems a bit ridiculous.

This contrasts dramatically with eventsin Britain where prototype landing crafthad already been developed and tested.The Marines continued to purchase a fewMarmon-Herrington tanks but they didnot pursue the amphibious aspect forsome years.

CAUGHT ON CAMERAAnother version of this little tank was theCTL-3A which had an external frameworkadded to the suspension, the purpose ofwhich seems to have been to strengthen it,but quite how remains unclear. It is reportedlythe first Marmon-Herrington tank to be fittedwith a Hercules engine. Incidentally, a versionof this tank appears to have survived andturns up ocassionally in films. In fact, it makes

an appearance, along with a motley collectionof other tanks in the old Gary Cooper classicFor Whom the Bell Tolls although it hasreputedly been in a few others as well.

Most unusual from this collection is theCTVL which was supplied in some numbers toMexico in 1937. It is a strange looking vehicle,shorter and rather slab fronted although thesuperstructure is similar to its predecessors.Maybe it is the shortness of it and the verticalfront plate that also makes it look taller. It was

armed with two forward firing machine gunsand carried a crew of two. It was reputedlypowered by an 85hp Ford V8 engine whichgave it a top speed of 30mph (48km/h). Thatwould be the same engine as fitted to certainversions of the British Universal Carrier.

ALL GREEK TO USSome of the pictures here are from aMarmon-Herrington catalogue in the Tank

Museum library whichcontains an excellent setof prints of a typical CTLseries tank. Judging bythe way it has carefullybut emphaticallybeen written over, the

catalogue or sales brochure was intended forGreece. Now, as far as we know, Greece neveracquired any Marmon-Herrington tanks so thestory behind this document, or indeed how itcame to end up in the Tank Museum library,remains a mystery.

At this point we find that a dramatic changecomes over the range of Marmon-Herringtonproducts which involves the suspension,tracks and, in due course, the very physicallayout of its tanks. It began with the CTL-3M,


vehicle plunged an appearance, along with a motley collection catalogue or sales b

the idea of any tank, leading aninvasion force by reversing onto the

beach seems a bit ridiculous.

The CTL-1 on a cross-country course. It seemed to cope pretty well in these conditions.

Below: A series of three shots showing the US Marine Corps practising amphibious landings using a Marmon-Herrington CTL-3 tank and a 50ftlaunch. For safety reasons the tank had to be reversed ashore.

2020 CLACLACLACLASSISSIC MC MILIILITARTARY VY VEHIEHICLE April 20155

a prototype apparently built with the USMarine Corps in mind, which featured a formof vertical volute suspension, not unlike thatapplied to M3 series light tanks. In addition,the metal link tracks featured a new patterndrive sprocket and idler. The superstructure,however, was traditional, insofar as onecould call the design of Marmon-Herringtontanks traditional. By which I mean it wasturretless, surmounted by a two-man crewcab and forward firing machine-guns. TheCTL-3M was followed shortly after by thesimilar CTL-6 which is also recorded asbeing supplied to the US Marines in 1942.Whether they only had the one, or a batch,is unclear, but given that much better tankswere available in 1942 one wonders what theMarines even wanted the tank for.

MEANING OUT OF MADNESSThere are a couple of explanations. Theorganisation is wedded closely to the cultureof amphibious warfare and, given the dearthof suitable landing craft in the US between thewars, then it had some justification, as it sawit, to obtain the lightest tanks available thatcould be landed from other types of boats.Indeed it had established a doctrinal theorythat tanks should be an essential part of anamphibious operation, if only it had any, andthe craft to land them in. Secondly perhaps,

in order to preserve its ethos as distinctivelydifferent, the Marine Corps would prefer notto use the same kind of tanks as those issuedto the US Army. They may indeed not havebeen allowed to which did not leave themvery much choice; they could either toy withMarmon-Herrington tanks, no matter howawful they were, or do without. One getsthe impression that there were some in theMarines who would have preferred to dowithout. Later, they accepted some M2A4 lighttanks as used by the Army but an academictitle on US Armor Doctrine claims that sometoothless Marmon-Herringtons were landedby the Marines on Samoa in 1942.

US ARMY SUCCUMBSNevertheless, the Marines gave Marmon-Herrington one final go in 1942 when theypurchased the model CTM-3TBD which waspowered by a Hercules diesel engine, thetype DXRB. Since it is referred to as the onlyMarmon-Herrington tank to be fitted with adiesel engine it may well be that the Marinesonly ever had the one. It was well armed, ifmachine guns are your thing. It had three

.30 calibre weapons across the front of thehull with a pair of .50 calibre weapons in adual mounting in a turret set on top of the hull.The turret was an angular affair. One assumesthat it was traversed by hand. It was a moreimpressive looking tank than its predecessors,no doubt because it finally had a turret butit appears to have been the last Marmon-Herrington tank the Marines ever acquired. Infuture they would employ standard Americantypes, notably versions of the Sherman and,of course, the Amtracks with which they aremost commonly associated.

Meanwhile, the US Army, who hitherto seemto have kept well clear of Marmon-Herringtonproducts, found themselves obliged toaccept some. For this we have to go back to1941. The tanks in question were Marmon-Herrington types CTLS-4TAC and CTLS-4RAYand one can question whether they qualifyto be described as tanks at all. They weretwo man machines with a tiny machine-gunturret for one man alongside the drivers cab,the other man, at the front. The turret wasnot capable of complete rotation but had anarc of fire of about 270 degrees at the front.

21CLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLE April 2015 21CLACLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLE April 2015

The CTL-1 viewed from the rear, again outside the Indianapolis factory.

A publicity shot featuring a line up of Marmon-Herrington CTL-1 light tanks against the factory building in Indianapolis.

Right: The only Marmon-Herrington tank Ihave ever seen. A CTMS-1TBI at the MilitaryVehicle Foundation Trust Museum in California.A totally different design to the firms firstefforts, but the US Army still didnt like it andthis model was supplied to Guatemala.

Right: The nl Ma -H ri to tank I

They were odd looking vehicles with highand prominent drive sprockets at the frontand an idler wheel, pitched a bit lowerat the back. Between the two were twosets of vertical volutesuspension units oneach side. The troubleis that from the anglethe majority of themwere photographedthey look very distortedand unstable. The reallyodd thing about them,however, is that the CTLS-4TAC, known asthe light tank T14 in American service, hadthe turret on the left and the drivers cab onthe right (viewed from inside the tank itself)while the CTLS-4TAY (or light tank T16) hadthe turret on the right and the drivers cabon the left. Otherwise they were identical,with the same suspension, rear hull andHercules six-cylinder petrol engine. Quitewhy the manufacturers did this is unclear;most of the tanks were destined for theDutch East Indies and it seems they wereto get both types. Others were reputedlydestined for China so the choice of layoutmight be a case of national preference,although that seems unlikely, or it may bethat the little tanks were designed to workin pairs, right and left-handed as it were,but we cant prove that either. Either way,the armament wasnt much to write homeabout; there was a .30 calibre, air-cooledmachine gun in the turret and the optionof at least two more in the front of the hull,in typical Marmon-Herrington style. TheUS Army was presented with 240 of theselittle tanks and shipped them off to Alaska,where they were probably out of harms

way. A further 194 of both types were given toAustralia, although what they did to deservethem is not recorded. They only ever usedthem for training and seem to have been very

complimentary about their construction andworkmanship, and the Hercules engine, butnot their fighting potential which they thought,quite rightly, was poor.

BEST EFFORT YETFinally we can look at what might be called aproper tank the Marmon-HerringtonCTMS-1TBI. It was a three-man light tankarmed with a 37mm gun in a manuallyrotated turret. It was also intended for theDutch East Indies but was sold to Ecuadorand Guatemala too. An example was alsotested by the US Army who were quitescathing about it. One of these tanks,acquired from Guatemala, can be found in

the Military VehicleFoundation Trustcollection near SanFrancisco and thecolour photos weresent to me by the latePhil Hatcher.

There was evena four-man version,

the MTLS-1GI4 which was similar but larger,mounting a pair of 37mm guns in the turret.This was also destined for the Dutch EastIndies but never got there, of course.


The Marmon-Herrington CTLS-4TAY, or light tank T16 in American service. Note the adoption ofvertical volute spring suspension and separate link track.

This view of the crew in the CTL-1 tank showshow vulnerable they would have been drivinghead first into the water. Even reversing wouldhave been risky.

an academic title on US ArmorDoctrine claims that some toothlessMarmon-Herringtons were landed by

the Marines on Samoa in 1942.

Footman James F_P.indd 1 04/03/2015 10:39

Nigel Deville has been a fan of American WW2 metal forsome time, but for a private collector, getting hold ofsomething this rare is unusual. Scott Smith went alongfor CMV to find out more.


ITS A GMC THING!

Fast forward 70 years and this raresurvivor has found itself in private hands,namely Nigel Deville, who is no stranger toall things WW2, especially when it comes to

those vehicles of the GMC persuasion.As he explained, Id had a long and a short

wheelbase and I was looking for something alittle different but wanted to stick with GMC

First seen towards the tail end of WW2, the GMC Bolster Truck came to prominencewhen the US Army introduced its M4 floating bridge system as the allied armiesswept across Northern Europe in their quest to bring the war to an end. Having beenmanufactured in 1944, the example here is a veteran of that campaign and undoubtedlyplayed a crucial part in the allied victory.


ITS A GMC THING!

as I knew them so well. I thought it had tobe a Bolster or a LeRoy Compressor and itended up being the latter. I found this one onMillweb in February 2014 and it was beingsold by Richard Shepard.

GETTING A GOOD UNAfter a quick look around, Nigel knew thathed got a good un with military vehiclecollector Richard having had this in hisstockpile of green machines for some time.

Once a deal had been struck the vehiclemade its way up to Nigels yard in Leek,Staffordshire where he was able to set to workbringing it back up to scratch.

It was in fair condition, but it had to haveall the paintwork freshened up and a bit ofbare metal work, explains Nigel. There wasno rust or filler, it just need a bit of tidyingup really. To that end, Nigel sent a variety ofparts away to be shot blasted and set aboutgetting the paint job redone.

Ive got friends who supply paint so Iquickly got that arranged, and my mates a


The Bolster Truck had pontoons on the trailer when Nigel first saw it, but he decided against buyingthem and opted to create his own crate frame instead.

The back axle can be moved forward andbackwards dependent on what load is beingcarried.

albanouppage

qu

The Bolster Truck had pontoons on the trailer when Nigel first saw it, but he decided against buyingThThba

shot blaster which was also rather handy.Otherwise, it was mainly me who did allthe work.

In total, it took Nigel about 12 weeksto get the whole lot finished, although hehad to pull out all the stops to hit a ratherspecial deadline. It was all pretty flat out,and it involved a lot of late nights and earlymornings in the workshop, recalls Nigel.The target was always Normandy wewere leaving on the 28 May and I didnt wantto be finishing it off the day before. I wantedto finish it in plenty of time, so I could havea month of trying it out as I realised the tripwould be a major challenge.

As mentioned previously,Nigel is no strangerto GMCs, But this onebrought new challenges,Reversing is fun as thingsare moving in so manydifferent aspects, the frontbeam, the back beam and the tow pintle.

There are three different turning pointsand you can be locking over when reversingand then, all of sudden, its jack-knifed itself.Im a class one driver so you do get used tothe reversing aspect of it.

One thing that is very similar with allGMCs, however, is that they are very slow.They are all very sluggish for the first 20minutes of driving until all the oils have

warmed up, explains Nigel. Then you getto that ten mile point and it becomes a verydifferent thing to drive.

That drive comes from the stock 4.6-litre,straight-six GMC petrol unit which will doaround six and a half to seven miles to thegallon if you are careful or about threeuphill, confirms Nigel.

Fortunately, driving quirks aside, thetidy up all pretty much went to plan andbeing able to attend a couple of trips beforeembarking for France gave Nigel all theconfidence he needed. Id done a couple oflocal shows in it soon after it was finishedand it behaved perfectly well. We went toNormandy and back so the confidence in it isoff the scale now as it can well and truly betrusted to perform.

TRAILER TAILSThere is that word once again, Normandy,a place where a number of vehicleowners were aiming to get their prideand joy to in order to take part in the 70thcommemorations of D-Day. This is, in fact,where I first clocked eyes on the GMC withNigel manoeuvering it into a suitable position

for a picture just outsideof Longues-sur-Mer.

On that trip though itwas missing its trailerwhich it is pictured withhere simply due to thefact that the journey was

made a lot easier, not necessarily quicker, bynot dragging it all the way from Leek to thebeaches of Normandy.

Nigel explained a bit more about thetrailers which these vehicles would havehauled all across Europe. Its a slip poletrailer and it will extend a further 6ft, aspontoons are close on 30ft long. It iscertainly an impressive load when it hasthem attached.


to pintle Fort atel drivi uirk id the de lot ie

They are all very sluggish for thefirst 20 minutes of driving until all

the oils have warmed up,

Left: When purchased at the start of 2014the GMC was in good condition with just atidy up job required ahead of its big trip toNormandy that June.

From the front end it certainly looks like most other GMCs. Its only when you look further backthat you see the difference.

to

th

The trailers, along with a couple ofpontoons were originally offered as partof the original deal, but Nigel wasnt in aposition to buy them atthe time. They wereat Richards place but Ibacked off buying them.In hindsight I wish I hadbought them, even if itwas only for temporarydisplay. But I needed something I could utilisefor staying over at shows. Instead, Nigelbuilt the crate frame

himself from archive plans, Its called anM11 crate frame, apparently, and it servesits purpose perfectly.

DUTY CALLSHaving successfully tidied up the GMC andtaken it on its first proper, long distance

excursion to France, Nigel tasked himselfwith the challenge of trying to find outmore about the vehicles past. Richard

had informed him thatsurvivors in the UK werein single figures, but whatof its time in the militaryand before it came tothese shores?

Through research, Nigeldiscovered that the vehicle was delivered inSeptember 1944, and subsequently spenttime with the 552nd Engineers BridgingUnit. Whilst with that unit it ferried pontoonsand bridging tracks up and down from thebeaches before, at the latter end of the war,spending time on the Red Ball Express. Afterdemob it stayed in France until 1989 beforebeing imported into the UK.


Nigel is able to use this crate frame box as accommodation when he attends shows, somethingwhich he has found useful during its first season out in 2014.

The vehicle came pretty much kitted out withmost accessories that it now carries.

With three different types of turning point, reversing the trailer cancertainly be challenging. Even for the most experienced drivers.

Id had a long and a shortwheelbase and I was looking for

something a little different

Unanbespdebe

Ni l is bl to thi at fr bo dati he he tt ds ho thin Th

Although he managed to get all the workcompleted in time for his trip to Normandyin the summer of 2014, Nigel admits thatthere is still a number of tasks which heis looking to complete ahead of the showseason in 2015.

He said, Its very much ongoing, a workin progress Id say. Jobs that I need to doon that are localised shot blasting of certain

things. The wheels have got to be doneagain, I need to replace the tyres and I willprobably make a new canvas for the topand back. Its just general tidying up to makeit look nice. Im also looking to acquire anM12 21ft flat deck trailer from the Statesas I think that would be somethingdifferent. Thats not to say, its differentenough already!


Some of the pioneer tools which would have been carried by the GMC when in service.

Below: The Bolster Truck is one of the rarer WW2 American vehicles onBritish shores. There are thought to be fewer than 10 in preservation.

I heard about the vehicle via anInvicta Military-Vehicle PreservationSociety (IMPS) member at the 2007 War

& Peace show, explains the 51 year-oldaircraft sprayer from Manston in Kent.I bought it over the phone and when it

Theres no doubt about it, the Gipsy was an unashamed imitation of the LandRover and its launch just a few weeks prior to the arrival of the Series II inearly 1958 was a shrewd move by Austin. But before being too critical of theLongbridge firm, its important to remind ourselves that imitation is the best form offlattery, and in many respects Austin took things a step further with its replacementfor the Champ. Specifically, the Gipsy had an ace up its sleeve regarding suspension.Instead of the Land Rovers live axles, the first Gipsy featured Alex Moultons Flexitorcompressed rubber independent arrangement which provided a smooth, high speedride both on and off road, even if ground clearance under the differentials wascompromised. Significantly different, too, was the fact that the Gipsy had an all-steelbody and sadly this is the thing that initially tripped up an unsuspecting DermotOConnor when he bought this late Series IV example eight years ago.

THE BEST FORMTHE BEST FORMOF FLATTERYOF FLATTERYAustins take on the Land Rover makes ahighly practical, ultimately usable militaryvehicle although you have to watch forrust, as the owner of this now immaculate1967 G4 M10 example discovered. IanCushway was told the gory details


turned up on a low loader, I nearly cried.Said vehicle had been sitting in a

collapsed shed in North Allerton since thelate seventies and in that time rust hadeaten its way through most of the bodyand chassis.

It was a terrible mess, recalls Dermot,who no doubt at that precise momentwondered why he hadnt at least taken acursory look at what was in store beforetaking delivery.

INITIAL INSPECTIONThankfully, however, it wasnt all bad news

because the previous owner had alreadymade a start restoring the chassis andmechanically, it was not only complete butalso in relatively good order.

He had done some fantastic weldingwork already, explains Dermot, andmechanically it was spot on so basicallyit was a case of tackling the bodywork,floorpans and the rear quarter panels. Thefront inner wings were also pretty holedas well.

Incredibly, Dermot managed to grindout all the rust and make new patches.The front wings are in two pieces, so he

separated them and made an L-shapedchannel of run the full length of bothparts of the wings to enable him toclamp the panels together and mig weld itall up. I then bolted the two halves backtogether with a rubber gasket in between,recalls Dermot.

As for the rear quarter sections, hemanaged to weld in new metal then used aflat punch to cleverly replicate the originalspot welds.

I suppose the trickiest part of thewhole rebuild, smiles Dermot, wascleaning the chassis and floor back to


tu

colaeaan

whwocuta

INTh

Left: The vehicle made its debut at2008s War & Peace and Dermotsbeen taking it to the show eversince. Below: Dermot OConnorbought this G4 M10 without evenseeing it in 2007. Needless to say,he didnt realise what hed lethimself in for...

bare metal before etch priming andWaxoyling everything.

By the time he had finished, animpressive 10 gallons of wax had beeninjected into it, and just six months afterpurchase, it was ready for painting.Something that, given his occupation,was a piece of cake for Dermot bycomparison.

COMMON MARKINGSSadly, apart from the fact that DermotsGipsy left the factory on 9 May 1967, littleis known of its service history. However,because a large number were used bythe Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) for linelaying duties, these are the markings hechose to dress the vehicle. However, therewas another good reason for choosingAFS markings, as Dermot explains: Ialready own a long-wheelbase ex-AFSGipsy and I wanted to display the twotogether at shows.

Of course, having an event datemarked on a wall calendar works wonders

32 CLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLE April 201532 CLACLACLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLECLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLE April 2015April 2015

THE RESTORATIONPhotographs courtesy of Dermot O'Connor

when it comes to getting a projectfinished and indeed this was the casewith the Gipsy. I got it finished on themorning we were due to leave forPaddock Wood to attend War & Peace2008, he recalls. Although I hadnt drivenit at that point, it made it the 80 miles tothe show without missing a single beat.

Although much of the Gipsys metalworkhas been cut out and replaced, theressomething factory fresh about thevehicle following its restoration, and thisis something Dermot is quite proud of.Funnily, although I know virtually nothingabout its past, I am the first registeredowner, he quips. Its actually only done20,000 miles and the engine numbermatches the chassis, so in that respect itsall very original.

MODEL EVOLUTIONThe Gipsy was originally available with a2178cc four-cylinder diesel, as fitted tothe FX3 taxi, as well as a 2199cc four-potpetrol unit, and its the latter in 70bhp


Above: A new section is due to be sewn into the top of the canvasbefore the 2015 show season gets fully underway.

The wire-mesh grille was the biggest distinguishing feature of the Series Mk IV which appearedin 1962.

35CLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLE April 2015 35CLACLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLE April 2015

guise that is fitted here. The transmissionis a four-speed affair, mated to a two-speed transfer case that interlocks thelow-ratio gears and engages the four-wheel drive.

So far, apart from routine servicing,Dermot has only had to replace the waterpump, although hes made a usefulupgrade when it comes to the choice ofcarburettor.I havereplaced theoriginal Zenithdowndraughtcarburettorfor anSU whichmakes it muchmore responsive to drive, as well as a bitmore frugal on fuel.

The Series I remained in productionuntil late 1959, and while the Series II thatreplaced it looked little different, therewere numerous changes underneath.

Most notably, the Flexitor suspensionnow featured lever-arm shock absorbersat the rear and the rubber was softenedto improve ride. The Series II lasted untilAugust 1962, when it was replaced by theMk IV, which was instantly recognisibleby its new wire-mesh grille. There was noMk III.

For the first time, there was the option of

conventional leaf springs, with the Flexitorarrangement being phased out in 1965,and therefore the semi-elliptical multi-leaf configuration with live axles is whatadorns this vehicle. Its much better thanthe Flexitor suspension, says Dermot, its

very easy to drive, light, quite nippy andnot that juicy. Indeed, given thefact that it employs simple mechanicals,as a truly practical MV you can work onyourself he reckons its a pretty goodpackage.

Whats nice is that you can still getmost of the mechanical parts easilyenough and actually it shares some of thebraking system with the Land Rover whichis handy.

Of course, when Austin and Land Rovercame under the ownership of the samecompany, something had to give and itwas the relatively unproven Gipsythat was sacrificed with the last ones

being madein 1968.For ownerslike DermotOConnor itdoesnt reallymatter thatthe Gipsynever really

got the recognition it deserved because forhim, at least, it provides a welcome changefrom a Land Rover and a supremelyusable vehicle in which to enjoy the classicmilitary vehicle scene. And at the end ofthe day, thats all that matters.

I have replaced the original Zenithdowndraught carburettor for an SU whichmakes it much more responsive to drive,

as well as a bit more frugal on fuel.

Gipsy had languished in a collapsed shed sincethe early seventies and was bodily rotten whenDermot got it.

Above: A large number of Gipsys werepurchased by the Home Office for use by theAuxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and Civil Defence(CD) fleets. Right: The Gipsy was always prettySpartan inside.

venofaas

Mechanically, the original 2199cc 70bhp engine was spot on although Dermots swapped theoriginal Zenith carb for an SU.

Ab A l be of Gip

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the impossible. This 100-page special from the team behind RoverAmerican Icon.

FEATURES INCLUDE:

ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENTWhen the Second World War started in Europe, German Panzer tanks raised the curtain on a new form of warfare. Thus the American War Department was authorised to fi nd a new form of motor transport.


JEEP WRANGLERSMay 13, 1986 was an important date in the history of the Jeep; when the next generation of the traditional Jeep was formally announced by AMC.

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THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AN

Ever since the interest in Jeeps

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AN

406/14

406 JEEP A4 AD.indd 99 20/08/2014 12:31

Orazio Satta, in charge of the experimentaland design departments, was determinedto come up with a rival design, and the manhe chose to run the project was GiuseppeBusso, a former Ferrari engineer. Busso wasgiven full design freedom and, apparently, anunlimited budget but he had to have thenew vehicle ready so that it could competewith the Fiat.

UNCHARTED TERRITORYIt was a tall order. Alfa Romeo had neverbuilt an off-roadvehicle before, the150 or so 6C 2500Coloniale modelsbuilt in 1941for Mussolini'stroops to use inAfrica really beingmodified cars. Looking for inspiration, theMilanese engineers recognised the LandRover as the only example of a light 4x4 thenbeing produced in Europe. In late 1950, they

obtained an example for study through adealer in Switzerland.

There was no time to design a new engine.The six-cylinder engine in the 6C 2500 wasmuch too large, and the only other option was

the new four-cylinder in the new 1900 saloon,released that autumn. It was not ideal for anoff-road vehicle, being a high-revving 1884ccfour-cylinder with twin overhead camshafts

that put out 93bhp. But it would have todo. Busso and his team reduced its powerto 65bhp at 4400rpm for the new militaryvehicle, somewhere near the wartime Jeeps60bhp at 3600rpm but way above the Land

Rovers 50bhp at4000rpm.

When the Frenchmagazine Gazolinelooked into thestory of the Mattain 2009, theyfound that the first

known drawing (dated 27 December 1950)showed a vehicle that was very similar indeedto the Land Rover. The main difference layin the wheelbase, which on the Alfa Romeo

Looking for inspiration, the Milaneseengineers recognised the Land Rover as

the only example of a light 4x4


This cutaway drawing shows the essentialfeatures of the Matta, with twin-cam engine in a

ladder-frame chassis, a conventional rear axle butindependent front suspension.

was 2200mm (86.6in) while that on the LandRover was just 2032mm (80in). The Italianshad obviously spotted what the Britishcompany discovered only later that the80in wheelbase did not allow enough roomfor four troops to be carried on inward-facingseats in the rear. Land Rovers switched to an86in wheelbase in 1953, and for largely that

reason. However, design progressed quickly,and the next known drawing (dated 20January 1951) shows most of the eventualproduction characteristics in place.

THE SAME BUT DIFFERENTPressing on as quickly as they could, Bussosteam installed an Alfa Romeo engine in their

Land Rover, and began testing it duringJanuary on the bomb-devastated landaround the factory in Milan. Though theItalians could not have known this, Roverhad done something very similar when ithad installed one of its car engines in a Jeepchassis to create the first mule prototype ofthe Land Rover.

By this stage, the Italian Army had clearlyassigned a liaison officer to the Alfa Romeoproject, and the name of Colonel FerruccioGarbari appears in the early months of 1951.He conveyed the news that the militarywanted independent front suspension, andfor maximum travel this was designed withmassive lower wishbones pivoting fromclose to the centre-line of the ladder-framechassis, plus torsion bar springs. It wasGarbari, too, who persuaded the designersto incorporate a limited-slip rear differential


Below: Two early examples of the Matta are seen here when new. One of them is believedto be the second production example, with chassis number 50002. (Alfa Romeo)

Alfa Romeo publicised its new model as muchas it could. This one was entertaining thecrowds by climbing and descending somesteps at the Monte Stella in Milan. The frontview suggests the vehicle is an early prototype,without the production style pressed grille.

Alfa Romeo publicised its new model as much

with a 100% locking capability. Like theLand Rover and the Jeep, the rear axlewas otherwise a simple live type on semi-elliptical leaf springs. The Alfa Romeo alsoshared the Land Rovers arrangement of afour-speed main gearbox with a two-speedtransfer gearbox giving selectable drive tothe front wheels.

AGAINST THE CLOCKThe timetable really was incredibly tight: acomparative trial between the new Fiat andthe existing Jeep had already been plannedfor May 1951, and the Alfa had to be thereas well to have a chance. The prototype didmake it to the military trials at Serravalle delChienti, in east central Italy, although theserevealed a number of areas for improvement.Busso and histeam worked flat-out again to lowerthe gearbox ratiosand to modify theengine for dry-sump lubricationwith a separate oil tank. Their chassis wasready but the body was not by the time Fiatpresented their production-ready vehicle atthe Fiera del Levante in Bari in September.

Not to be outdone, Alfa Romeo completedits final prototype in time to present it,with typical Italian style and panache, atthe Monza Grand Prix a week later on 16September 1951. Its first public appearancewas at the head of a procession of sportscars! After final acceptance testing on thefirst production vehicle in October, the

Italian Ministry of Defence placed an orderfor 2000 vehicles. All would be assembledat the Pomigliano dArco aircraft plant,near Naples.

WHATS IN A NAME, OR THREE?At this point, the Alfa Romeo 4x4 acquireda name or, to be more accurate, three ofthem. As far as its makers were concerned,it was and always would be a 1900M, withthat M standing for military. As far as theItalian military was concerned, it was an AlfaRomeo AR51, which stood for Autovettura daRecognizione (reconniassance car) 1951, andthe same AR51 name was given to the rivalFiat. The third name was the one by which itis still most familiarly known, and that wasAlfa Romeo Matta. It translates roughly as

crazy, and supposedly originated with theengineer who was Alfas General Managerat the time, Iginio Alessio. He thought thevehicles rough-terrain performance wascompletely crazy, and suggested giving it thename for that reason.

There are various stories about theallocation of those 2000 vehicles, and onesource claims that 1899 were delivered,all the first examples going to the Army in1952 and 1953 and the later ones going tothe Ministry of the Interior for the police and

carabineri. A number also went to the AirForce and the Navy, as well as to the FinanceMinistry. There were supposedly 116vehicles sold to individuals (although somesources reduce that number down to 12),among whom was the Milanese CountLeonardo Bonzi, who used several onoverseas expeditions.

All this soundslike a successstory for AlfaRomeo, which haddesigned a viablemilitary vehicle inrecord-breaking

time and had secured a volume contract forit. Unfortunately, things were not quite thatsimple. The Matta had been designed to beatFiat at all costs, and those costs ended upbeing high; it is said that each Matta costthree times as much as a Fiat Campagnolabecause of the large number of uniquecomponents in it. It was also rather morecomplicated than the Italian military reallywanted. So no further military contracts wereplaced, and after 1954 the Fiat took over asthe standard Italian military light 4x4.


Right: This military example was pictured in preservation in a museum. Note how the semaphoreindicators on this and other vehicles have been replaced or supplemented by flashing indicators.(Lennart Coopman/WikiMedia)

Above: The civilian AR52 derivatives were sometimes seen with snow ploughs.

nk Thei ch si c , nd dl iginated ith th ti nd had ed

The Matta had been designed to beatFiat at all costs, and those costs ended

up being high

CIVVY STREETPerhaps anticipating this, Alfa Romeo lookedat making a civilian version. Almost identicalto the original, this became known as theAR52 but only 154 examples were built

during 1954. Some became fire tendersor were attached to snow ploughs; somewere used for farming; and a hardtopversion was also made available as a smalldelivery van. Alfa Romeo looked at fitting

the AR52 with the two-stroke superchargeddiesel engine from its Romeo van, but noproduction vehicles followed. By 1955, it wasclear that the Matta no longer had a future,and production was brought to an end.

Very few examples of the Matta still exist.Many were scrapped after withdrawal frommilitary service, and the owners club(www.registroalfaromeomatta.it/) believesthat only about 100 of the AR51 variant andabout 20 AR52s still survive and thosenumbers probably include many whichhave been modified for off-roadrecreational use.


This AR52 model was pictured in preservation at a Germanclassic car event. Though it is a civilian model, there are nomajor differences from the military AR51 version next to it.

(Detectandpreserve/WikiMedia)

Although no serving military AR51 ever carried that lettering on its bonnet, this picture showsthe excellent access from the rear-hinged doors and the petrol tank mounted under thepassengers seat. (Coys)

Multi-cam engines are common in modernSUVs, but the DOHC Alfa Romeo engine looksout of place in the Matta. (Unknown copyright)

Although no serving military AR51 ever carried that lettering on its bonnet, this picture shows


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From 1919 the Military EngineeringExperimental Establishment was formedat Christchurch to test new equipment(becoming MEXE in 1949) and theorganisation was responsible for filling inany gaps in provision. The establishment atthis time was divided into various groups

including bridging, roads and airfields,explosives, armoured engineers and, ofcourse, plant.

FIRST TRACTOR TRIALSOne of the first tasks to be undertakenwas the testing of a high-speed crawler

tractor during the late 1940s on a modifiedInternational TD class tractor and an AllisChalmers HD14, with modifications includingthe gearbox and the fitting of spring typerubber pads. Unfortunately, the trialsproved unsuccessful due to the tractorsbeing underpowered at high speed and thepresence of excessive vibration.

Instead, January 1949 saw a developmentcontract awarded to Vickers Armstrong toproduce a military spec pilot model based onthe then new medium tractor, the intentionwas to achieve a road speed of between

British Army engineers used a variety of plant machinery, some of which was builtspecifically for military use and some which was commercially available but inneed of modification to suit military requirements. Following the end of WW2very little was spent on new plant equipment because usable surplus machines wereavailable, thankfully much of it in reasonable condition, thanks to regular servicing,which meant it would last for a good many years.

POST-WARPLANT LIFELes Freathy looks at the civilian use of military kit from theimmediate post-war period, some of which continued provinguseful right up until the early 1970s


During WW2 a number of Caterpillar D8 dozers received armour protection for both the machine and operator.Some served on into the late 1940s before being sold off or used minus the armour plating.

12-15mph (19.2-24km/h) to eliminate theneed for transporters to move the tractorsfrom site to site. In the event these speedswere not achieved but the design evolvedand a direct transmission version sawlimited numbers purchased by the Army asthe Vickers Vigor heavy tractor. In additionMEXE trialled a Vigor with an angle dozerblade powered by a Rolls-Royce six-cylindersupercharged diesel engine giving a roadspeed of around 8mph (12.8km/h) and anumber of these were also purchased.

Fowler of Leeds was another supplier

of heavy tractors and between 1948 and1958 supplied a substantial number of theChallenger 2 models, joined later by themore powerful model 3M3 of which around40 were in service. The Challenger wasemployed in both the tractor and dozer roles.

MEDIUM WHEELED TRACTORSCaterpillar machines had been a mainstayduring WW2 and the firm continued tosupply the British Army after hostilities hadended, the D4, 6 and 8 tractors being usedin tractor dozer and crane roles as were

the International TD 18 BTD6 and BTD9machines.

The medium wheeled tractor wasdeveloped post-war with the intention ofproviding the Royal Engineers with a machinecapable of moving at speed along withthe squadrons vehicles, again without theassistance of valuable transporters. The earlybrief on this type of machine stated that itwould require a performance comparableto that of a Caterpillar D6 tractor and becapable of operating in the dozer or loadingshovel role and also be able to tow a 6cu yd


This Caterpillar D4 dozer has been preserved as a monument by the Royal Engineers at Chathamand stands for all to visit in an industrial estate in Gillingham. The dozer was in pretty good orderwhen these images were taken 15 years ago although the paintwork looked a bit shabby.

This Caterpillar D4 dozer has

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