www.keymilitary.com dere) sag ke Ld yee Ce ee seed ee ee eee Le ce eect ea TT Da i) aScceGN alae & EQUIPMENT CoO. isit our website & online store Being updated DAILY! We offer full support for Maintenance/Repair, ‘Customization, Fabrication, Painting, and we export anywhere in the world. Check it out today! EPR oer en a We CE ea NOC aad bed cer LOM ore i aCe) Eterm 0)Iwas recently asked if | remember where | was when the Falklands Conflict broke out in April 1982. Even though | was only nine years old at the time, and ‘more interested in football and cricket than soldiers fighting in a far-off land, 1 stil have vivid memories of watching news reports on television as it all unfolded. The reverberations of Argentina's invasion of the British territories in the South Atlantic were felt around the world, even in our house on the east coast of South Africa. My father, Les Stone, a British rational, was naturally keenly interested in the conflict and so my siblings and | were drawn into the story as it dominated news pages and bulletins in our house. | still remember the sense of pride | felt alongside my father as Margaret Thatcher announced victory just a few months later, although not really understanding any of it It stil seems so fresh in my mind that its hard to believe it was 40 years ago. ed eo As part of our 40th- anniversary coverage in this, issue, we camry the amazing story of three historic CVR(I)s of the Blues and Royals that fought with distinction in the conflict and have been rescued by Eden Camp Modem History ‘Museum in North Yorkshire. Eden Camp now owns three of the nine CVR(T) s that were sent to the Falklands, all three from 3 Troop the Blues and Royals. In years to come, they will remind future generations of the bravery of those who took part in the conflict on the other side of the world. We also have the amazing first-hand account of ‘Scimitar 23 Charlie gunner Reg Hastings who takes us through the day he shot down an Argentine Mirage. It's an incredible read. As always, your feedback is welcomed and appreciated. . Arionss/ a e ORE TOR ANDREW STON!Seca) Features 06 Brute Power Graig Moore comes face to face with a Gietrac M2 Tractor Roger Field gives insight = 7 = rmanding 4S into com Scorpions and Seimitars ‘uring the Falklands conte 38 Craig Allen on the vehicles which accompanied 3 Commando as they Gescanded on the Falkland islands 44 AUK museum has three Falkland CVR(T) ‘which are now being restored 50 ‘Louise Limb on a Falklands Land Rover, 101 which now serves coffee fo support veterans: 54 Land Rover vs Jeep Brag Moore uncovers a 1949 Bitan Army ‘oper comparing the veces 60 One of a Kind The pride ofthe Russian Arctic Convoy Museum: a rare Austin NAAFI van known a8 Bertie 64 Family Ties " Fr ed capes ara wre Any Cod ore programme during World War Two iis eS) Fits te 68 On the Road Again Duncan Glen on getting your vehicle to Normandy 77 Buffalo Update The latest on the Rhine crossing veteran Loci) ete WE vn cssskcontemmanak eae ee ee rrr Ne POeZe ely Regulars 12 News / Letters ‘Now's and views from the miltary world 18 Gear Guide Gadgets, gear and coo! miltary ‘stuff 21 Military Vehicle Market ‘Nigel Hay on the miltary vehicle scene 22 Books New releases for your miltary irary 23 Collectable Books British Batties Books 26 Events List Key dates for miltary shows and events 28 Destination Dumiries and Galloway Aviation Museum 74 Workshop Replacing a leaking core plug 78 The Gamer Delving dower nto Rind ot tanks 79 Behind the Scenes With the Bovington Tank Museum 82 Moore's Manoeuvres Craig Moore's military word vayutwittercom/emvmagmost restored example Craig Moore comes face to face with a Cletrac Medium M2 Tractorema Ld Ce ue eet ‘ago by driving it along the road there and een See ncn Tee The tractor is not completely restored Per rod ea) ‘compressor on the back that fils up an air Pe ae) econ Megane aa cenl those bits itis pretty much complete. Eee con) historic vehicle, it does not seem to fit in Te et aan he said he purchased the tractor because eet etn Deke nt Pert c inns eee tee een ery Deere eter with a canvas roof to protect the driver, the Dea te eee ee re) Fee te Riek A0) PS ee et rR eRe Pe ore eae cued Cen een eileen eats Cie a erated 2ft Bin (81.28 om) and can climb over a Ree Meu oy Ree eos in service with the USAAF in 1943. Mees ee Hercules WXLCS inline six-oyinder 150hp eee ee tt a Pea eee stl Re ee el ra ea mechtransmission helps the tractor reach a top ‘speed of 22mph (36km/h) when the high rpm range is unlocked on the governor, allowing the engine to achieve 3,280¢pm. With the governor set at 2,500rpm, ‘speeds of up to 15mph can be attained, Its fuel consumption is 3mpg and has an ‘operational range of 100 miles (160km Chris said it was quite easy to start up, "You tum the power on, turn the fuel on, and use the foot start tke in many military vehicles: The tractor is equipped with a swinging oan = (ang of British troops and equipment bolsters Nato in Estonia of Britsh troops and armour pete eee] ea sora infantry fightin fete porn Seen) eects ee eoretiee eat with Alles and ‘A Challenger 2 Main Bate Tank being transported by Heavy Equipment Transports, CROWN COPYRIGHT 12Vehicle restoration award for Gary Classic miltary vehicle enthusiast and colactor Gary Burns has received a Transport Tust miltary vehicle restoration award. Gary, from Carlisle in Cumbria, received fa grant and the award from the patron Of the National Transport Trust, Anne, Princess Royal at a ceremony held on October 20 last year Gary Is in the process of restoring an Otter armoured car. Bult as a Canadian stopgap armoured car to replace lost equipment at Dunkirk, the Otters were made in small numbers but ended up serving throughout the war in most theatres right up to the end of the hostilities, Not many are left with only three in the UK including this one and the ane in the Hendon RAF Museum Work on the armoured body is almost inished with the doors, hatches extemal bonnets and front grille made. The next steps are for the chassis and transmission (0 be completely stripped, rebuilt and replaced, The only King Tiger V2 in existence is {going on loan to Arsenallen, The Swedish Tank Museum. ‘The Tiger I, better known as the King Tiger, came into the war too late to make a significant impact but lke the Tiger befor it, it remained a feared weapon. (Currently based at the Nationaal Miltair Museum in the Netherlands the Swedish Tank Museum was looking to get it on loan, however, with the cost of transport (ofthe Nationa Transport Trust TRANSPORT TRUST Itdidn't seem feasible, ‘A sponsor said they were happy to pay haif of the €35,000 transport cost but he museum stil needed to make up the other €18,000. But after only two weeks, the Swedish public and others came together to raise rest of the money, The aim is for the tank to be transported and set up in the museum in early April 13 War and Peace tickets on sale soon Tickets for the War and Peace Revival 2022, which takes place from July 26-30, will be avaiable to book online from Apri Organiser John Alison said he had spoken to many military vehicle enthusiasts and collectors and assured them the event would be going ahead, He added: "We've got stuff coming in ‘rom Germany, Holland and Belgium. For more information, visit https://warandpeacerevival.com/ itary vehicte enthusiasts queue for tickets at the 2019 War and Peace Revival ANDREW: aeMILITARY CLASSIC AUCTION = and the Rois & Vauprés Auction House organize their spring sale, April 3, 2022 THE CLassics or THE RLSM ATO NG . = 6.M.¢ « The Jimmy » Cckw 353 Cargo 6000 - 80002 Cckw 353 Leroi 6000 - 80002 Cckw 353 Tipper 6000 - 80002 Cckw 353 Workshop 6000 - 80002 Cckw 352 Lot 7 6000 - 80002 Ward La France M1A1 6000 - 8000£ DovGe WC57 Command Car // 12 000 - 20 000£ WC52 8000 - 10 000£ WC54 Ambulance 8000 - 12 000£ WC62 8000 - 10 0002WHITE M16 A‘ Half Track // 25 000 - 30 000k M3 Scout Car // 15 000 - 25 000£ Anti tank gun type M5 // 6000 - 8000£ J E E P several Jeeps including a Ford GPW from March 16, 1942 estimate 12 000 - 16 000£ BERNARD BOURGEOIS COLLECTION Auction of cars, trucks and armored vehicles, parts and accessories... Informations catalog in March 2022 Visit of the collection Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd April Sale on Sunday April 3 at the Patton Museum, 10 Avenue Jacques Marcellot 52410 EURVILLE- BIENVILLE / France Live Auction: www.interencheres.com Mauction@military-classic.com @+33(0)2.33.44.44.44 www.military-classic-auctioVISIT WWW.ARMOURGEDDONCOUK' OR CALL 0185888 TO FIND OUT MORE JEFFREY ENGINEERING LTD JEEPS - JEEP PARTS - SERVICE AND REPAIR TEL: 01233 770007 Ran ete Se reese ey Ce Recut Se ae on cue a)words Steven Downes pictures Norfolk Tank Museum Museum's race to bring CST aay ‘Sx years outside on the ranges and 20-plus years in a museum shed! are not ‘900d forthe workings of a military vehicle But when the body is broken, there is sti something in ts soul ~ a combination of history, engineering prowess and felowship hat sustains the spark, ‘And there are plenty of people prepared to se ther skill and their passion to revive ft. ‘That is why a Centurion armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) Mk 2 FV4006 that was litle more than @ rusting hulk and a hint Cf history will soon be roaring into life again ‘A dedicated team of volunteers at Norfolk fank Museum is stipping down, cleaning, refiting and revitaising the 50-ton vehicle. And they plan to announce its revival with a show-stopping demonstration of power and poise atthe museum's Armourfest 2022 on. August 13 and 14, ‘The hoped-for sunshine and beaming smiles are stil on the distant horizon for the workforce, though. They have been facing the cold months of the museum's winter ‘and early spring lockdown, batting frozen fingers and plenty of frustration as they fight to get the Centurion moving again. Museum chaiman Stephen Machaye said the recovery vehicle was part ofthe fst batch of Centurion ARVs to be buit. “They were created from the mark three gun tank, ‘rot purpose built, They were designed to {90 into the bated and recover broken down or stuck tanks ~ they could tow ‘another Centurion on an A-bay," he said, Norfolk Tank Museum ack to life hopes to have Centurion ARV running by August ‘ABOVE: Norfolk Tank Musoum chairman Stephen ‘MacHaye works onthe Centurion BOTTOM: The Centurion gets its fist gimpse ‘ofthe sunshine in two decades, ouside Norfolk Tank Museum BELOW: Ralls-Royce Meteor MkAB donor engine, 7 fading that the winch had @ 90-ton pull ‘Stephen said they had rescued the vehicle from the ranges in Shoeburyness in Essex in 1999, “Originally | rescued her for spares, but now we've decided to get her runring, which we hope to achieve in time for Armourfest in August. We're stil trying to locate some additional pars for the ref, though. It would be incredible to have the three Centurions running together: ‘The Centurion ARV has three engines: 1 Rolls-Royce Meteor to dive it; Morris to charge the batteries; and a 881 Rolls Foyve to power the electric winch. tis designed for a crew of four ~ a driver, ‘commander, winch operator and radio operator. ‘Stephen said the restoration team had “plenty of problems to overcome" “The main engine was seized and there was also damage to the heads through lack Of ol. Sourcing parts is not easy because is not off the shelf anymore and six years (on the ranges didn't help. Then she sat at the museum for almost 20 years.” “The Norfolk Tank Museum, which reopens (on April 12, houses a colection of military vehicles, weanons and miltaria mainly from the 20th century, particulary the Cold War fra. It also has a large collection of British ‘small arms, artlery and uniforms. The tanks {and armoured cars are ether in working cconaition or awaiting restoration by the museum team. The museum is at For ‘St Peter, near Long Stratton, in NorfolkBritish Army 50 Cal Ammo Box Grade one Sires ridgedale rekker oot Socks US Division Ring se high-qualtysiver rings feature the Armored Tefen krked by te poerean Eagle note Arata rad vies from wormeptonmtarin con for Gota aie ‘you'd lke featured in our Gear Guide? E-mail cmveditorial@keypublishing.comThe Falklands War Operations Manual ZANE CNN] BS) WAR Kombat Angle-Head Camo Torch with Filters In memory ofthe anniversary of the Fkiands get this manual which looks at the planning ‘and logistics that helped make the Bish operation possible. ‘Available from hittps:// ‘tankmuseumshop.org/ Complete with four nterchangeable dso fters, the Kombat angle-head toch alows you to choose ‘the colour of your beam to suit your activity Ths torch is a camping essential with ts camourage frih ging ta real miltary fel. Available from https://wwve.militarykit.com/ for £5.05 Mechani M-PACT gloves These specially designed Mechanix M-pact gloves wil free up your finger for trager pull Te Impact padcing on the palm abso knocks and eration. ‘Available in various sizes from ewavnturet WHY SUBSCRIBE? | ¢ FREE delivery to your door i eT ¢ SAVE on the cover price eu OUT VE NEVER miss an issue fe ht Seeteeey Ee offers for subscribers A elds .com/cmvsubs 1780 480404 = Offer closes 31 May 2022Calendar April 2022 - January 2023 ONO 2022 APRIL Easter Rally Taranakai Date Apri! 15-18 Location Taranaki Diocesan School, 61 Broadway North, Statiord 4332 New Zealand. Website https:/inzmvc.org nz/easter-rally- taranaki-2020/ New Zealana’s largest military vehicle club's meeting to drive and interact with other classic miftary vehicle owners. Tiger Day 16 Date April 23 Location The Tank Museum, Bovington, UK Website https:/tankmuseum.org/events/ Dedicated to the worla's mast infamous tank, Tiger 131. See the only running Tiger Tin action at the home of the tank. Camp Plymouth Spring MV Swap Meet & Show. Date April 26-30 Location 49er Village RV Park and ‘Amador Country Fairgrounds, 18265, Plymouth, California, USA Website vvw.mvccnews net/olymouth_ spring htm! The largest annual miltary vehicle event in western North America MAY Aerojumble & Military Collectors fair Date May 1 Location Royal Air Force Kenley, Victory Beamish Drive, Caterham on the Hil, Surrey CRS SLT Website vriw.aviationantiques.co.uk/ A collectors" fir forall enjoyers of classic military vehicles and miltaria VE Day Date May 8 Various events (see focal press for details) ‘Tracks and Trade Date May 12-15 Location BAIV HQ, The Netherlands Website voy bai.nifolog/2021/08/19/ tracks-trade/ Four-day conference and auction for guests hosted by BAN Militracks Date May 14815 Location Overloon War Museum, Netherlands Website www.miltracks.n (One of the best events to view motoraycles, passenger vehicles, trucks, somi-tracks and tanks, mainly from the Webrmacht. Gatwick Aviation Collectors Fair Date May 22 Location K2 Sports Centre, Pease Pottage Hil, Crawley, West Sussex RHIT BO A place to attend to get your miftaria and antique fix JUNE Overlord Show Date June 3-6 Location The Lawns, Denmead, PO? 6HS Website www.cverlordshowico.uk Hundreds of military vehicles and re-enactors from World War One t0 modern-day D-Day Festival Normandy Date June 6 COVID-19 IMPORTANT NOTICE eee ere aya Tortie) 56 ‘omveditorial@keypublishing.com www.keymilitary.com Location Various events at Bayeun, Longues-sur-Mer, Arromanches, Sainte ‘Mere-Egiise, Carentan, Utah, signy-sur ‘Mor and Omaha, Website wwrw.ddayfestivalicom ‘Aquino Tank Weekend Date June 3-5 Location Ontario Regiment RCAC Museum, Ontario, Canada Canadia's largest mittary show with tanks, static displays, battle re-enactments and 47th Annual MVPA Convention Date June 9-11 Location Century Centre, 46601 South Bend, Indiana, USA Website hitps:/www.mypa orgieve The 47th annual convention of the Miltary Vehicle Preservation Association brings together both vehicles and a market with parts for sale, Tankfest Date June 24-26 Location The Tank Museum Website https:/tankmuseum.org.events/ The world's biggest and best lve display of historic armour, ving history, and much Crowland 1940s Weekend Date June 25826 Location Crowiand, Lincolnshire Event to mark the 1947 floods with Buffalo 47 on display to the public Wartime in the Vale Date June 25826 Location Ashdown World War Two Camp Ashdown Fas Badsey Road, Evesham WRIT 7PAwww:keymiltary.com cmveditorial@keypublishing.com Website ashdowncamp.com/events (One of the UK's largest World War Two miltary vehicle and re-enactment events JULY GLASsic LaNo RovER GATHERING ates 22 ee bom lomo waa ‘Skillington noo oo AA fur-filed family event open to owners of ‘miltary and classic Land Rovers Capel Military Show Date July 283 Location Alghurst Farm, Temple Lane, Capel, Surrey Website ww.capel-miltary-vehicle show.com Held in support of Help for Heroes charity and military and local charities War and Peace Revival Date July 26-30 Location The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent Website https:/warandpeacerevivalcom UK's largest gathering of classic military vehicles and enthusiasts AUGUST Harborough at War Date August 687 Location Market Harborough April 2022 Showground, Gallow Field Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire Website htto:/harboroughatwar.co.uk/ Featuring re-enactment groups, living history groups, military vehicles, battle simulations, displays, trade stalls ‘Saturday night 1940s big band dance Yorkshire Wartime Experience Date August 12-14 Location Hunsworth Lane, Hunsworth, Nr Bradford, BD4 6RN Website www.yorkshirewartime.co.uk More than 500 miltary vehicles on display and 72 re-enactment groups in Combined Ops Miltary and Aircraft Date August 13-14 Location Headcar Aicfold, Kent Website wwwheadcomevents.co.uk/ Events/Combined%200ps/ Victory over Japan Date August 15 Location Various Keep an eye on the media for local events AusArmourfest (Australia) Date August 26-28 Location 2 Skyrail Drive, Smithfield, QLD 4878 Australia Website www.2usarmourcom See one of the largest collections of military muscle in the southem hemisphere or - January 2023 Calendar SEPTEMBER The Victory Show Date September 2-4 Location Foxlandss Farm, Croft Fd, Cosby LED 186 Website wivw.facebook com’ foxlandsfarmcosby The Vietory Show is back and it plans to keep up the trend ofits predecessors with vehicles reenactors and a classic 1940s dinner. Tiger Day 17 Date September 17 Location The Tank Museum Website https:/tankmuseum.org.events/ See the only running Tiger in action at the home of the tank OCTOBER International Army Show Date September 30-October 2 Location Center De Bergen, Zoentendaal 6, 5446 Wanrolj Netherlands Website wivw.2rmyshoweu/ Arelatively new but stil growing military vehicle show with reenactors, a market, live shows and a mock battle. JANUARY ‘Croydon Aviation & Miltary Collectors Fair Date January 8 Location Hallmark Hote! Purley Way, (Croycion, Surrey CRQ ALT Start the new year out right with a fair ‘perfect for classic miitary vehicle loversCraig Allen visits the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum in Scotland Ce 28dominated by complete Hactian s donated by the Assault This US-buitairc transport 2up de main atternpt t ‘Arnhem Bridge. ing the harne: ner equipment | from Arctic training in min ra, tem which ute Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum Destination ad ere ed Cray tye reriey accessible. If ike me, 3 bottles coo!’ ts internal elements, fas slightly unnerving to find all this equipment from my The star exhibit i Spitfire that was re where it w dent in 1941 The museum is to Dum fully fered from Loch tin a trainingPEL Ply y- - aS EY ee! ee = 4 SR Gabe ‘ert Te cee SNe = aera glen (0 Te KTM CLE MTL A eee www.classiclandroverGuest Speaker confirmed as BOB IVES, Camel Trophy winner caroline.barnes@keypublishing.com rate OE Sins LAND ROVER Eyeyr WL Rayna Ua oaass clrgathering@keypublishing.com gathering.comSee ett ag) Cd Former Blues and Royals member Roger Field commanded a Scimitar at the Battle of Wireless Ridge during the Falklands conflict and writes of his experiences AMAAAAA ALLA first came across combat vehicl reconnaissance tracked (CVR(T) armoured cars on a schoolboy visit to my future regiment, the Blues and Royals, part of the Household Cavalry. It was the summer of 1973 and the regiment liked to have a close look at those who wanted to join it. The regiment was at Windsor and its role was recoe {the eyes and ears of the amy) a roe It was well practised in, During World War Two in the 1944-45 race across Europe, the regiment was often tens of mies in front ofthe lead troops, sneaking ‘around and reporting back on what the enemy was up to. ‘Yes, some of our vehicles cary biggich guns, but they are only meant o be used to get us out of trouble when we've been spotted. And geting spotted isthe last thing we were meant to do, And, one other point, the Scorpion and Scimitar armoured cars might have tracks and largish guns, but they are not tanks, Tanks, ight or heavy, go head-to-head and do the heavy bashing, we reconnaitre atfhough, during the Falklands War, an infantry war where neither side had tanks, our armoured cars fr ‘My orew: (01) Tor For, the ‘author, Tor Round ed ed ee ae era I me tar ee na Cia ea Ieshining eRe ee ee ee ee tet” teed gaara) ne er eer oer ei tended up taking on that heavy armour ‘tank’ role. To misquote the ancient saying: in the land of no tanks, the armoured car is king’ Awe at first sight Back to 1973 and up to Otterbum training area in Northumberland we went Two ofthe squadrons sill had the ‘old" wheeled Saladine, but one squadron had new-fangled, just issued, 76mm gunned Scorpions commanded by the troop leader and the troop corporal of horse (sergeant, There were also two Sciritars with their ‘amazing and revolutionary 30mm quickfre arden cannon, each commanded by a lance corporal of arse (corporal. Those‘Come 1982, this made it the perfect vehicle to drive across the delicate, sodden peat of the Falklands’ roast 1 Me”appalled headlines - but those engines were governed down and they never went that fast again. At 7ft 2in wide, they were also very narrow and we drove them easiy through towns and vilages. What's more, the narrower the front, the narrower you are asa target By the me | ended up fully trained, the regiment was in Germany on Chieftain tanks. Most of our soldiers hated those nteliabl, slow, diesel-powered Chieftains (great guns though) compared to CVR(T}s land some never stopped whingeing about it, especially the drivers. “The moment any of us climbed onto a Chieftain we got covered in diese, the drivers worst of all. They longed to get ‘back to Windsor and their petrol-powered and reliable CVRIT)s. Look after it and it will ook after you. This was proved in the Faklands where there was only one major breakdown during the whole campaign: a broken goarbox which was easily replaced. Argentina invades Come Apri 2, 1982, and the Argentine invasion, | was a captain at Windsor and working at regimental headquarters as a combined intligence office, training offer and laison officer. 'B Squacton was ‘scrambled’ on Apri 4 wth nina order of bate of two troops ~3 end 4 troop, callgns 23 and 24, each of two ‘Scorpions anc! two Scimiars plus @ REME ‘Samson tracked recovery vehiie with a crew of four. They were under two experienced, lieutenant troop leaders: Robin ines Ker {@ Troop and Mark Coreth (Troop. They moved ike greased weasel "as we used ‘ABOVE: The author outside the troop house in ‘Stanley, posing beside one of those ‘captured Panhards. One is now at the Tank Museum, ‘Bovington and a second outside the Household ‘Cavaty Museum, Combermere Barracks, Windsor LEFT: We found one troop of Panhards parked up ‘a side street ‘and Royal Marine not already on the boat ~ and there wore los of them — were trying their damnedest to get on the boat. No (one was giving a valuable space to a Blue and Royal. | was stood down. So too was the remainder of B Squadron, which was (on notice to join the second waver Sth Infantry Brigade. Nobody seemed to want them... result: would | join 5 Brigade as a ‘watchkeeper the colonel asked me again? ‘Again: yes. On May 12, | set off in a luxury stateroom aboard Queen Elizabeth 2 — the only way to go to war! Meanwhile, in the mid-Atlantic, the boys finaly caught up with their vehicles off ‘Ascension Island, They had not fred their main armament since the previous November. The British Army was, and remains, staggeringly tht when it comes Tale) Te ED Ce carrying exhausted soldiers and kit’ to say and, come Apri 6, they were loading their war-ady vehicles aboard the MV Ek, a North Sea roll on-off fey. Three days later, (on Apa 9, the crews saled on Canberra as, part ofthe Task Force, Back at Windsor, things went quiet uni the commanding officer asked me if | would lke to go with 3 Commando Brigade as an HO watchkeeper - a tedious job manning the racios. | of course said yes. Remember that the army is highly hierarchical and rere lieutenants swim atthe very bottom of the officer pond, there tobe told what to do, Not to be listened to. His thinking was that |, as a captain, stood a measurably better chance of being listened to, We bath knew the age-old problem: show an infanteer an armoured ‘car and he thinks iis @ tank and will most probably misuse it as such. However, it was ot to be, This being the fist ‘proper’ war we Bxits had to go to fight since Koroa, every Para to.expending ammunition and they badly ‘needed to boresight their guns (shoot their guns 69 it fres exactly where the sight says it wil— guns get knocked out of true al oo easly) before they met the enerny. Problem. There were no beaches that they could safely land on. Creative solution: reverse onto the landing craft (LOU), two abreast (uselul they are so narrow), and the LLCUs motor along, ramp down, whie the vehicles fred at floating 40-galion oi drums. They were now "beach ready’ to help shoot in a defended seaborne assault. (On May 21 they landed, to ther rele, unopposed at San Carios. Their main worry and that worry remained with us Fight untl the Argentines surrendered — was Pucara, a slow tying, propeler-iven specialist ground attack aircraft, which carried missles and bombs as well as four 20mm cannons. If that were not enough, it ‘also had four GPMGs making them perfect tank kilers. They would have eaten our ‘ABOVE: Moody Brook, smashed to pieces and fire-blackened. But, yet another of those very ‘Scary recolless rifles LEFT: An Argentine recoils rifle on Wireless ‘Ridge. A hit from that beast would have blown ‘ur ighty armoured vehicles to kingdom comeThe final Wireless Ridge ridgeline. 2 Para on top readying themselves to continue the attack. Although Iwas not to know it as I drove up the ilside and took ths photo, Port Stanly lay beyond lightly armoured vehicles for breakfast had they ever spotted us. Which ~ spoiler alort they never did. Thank God, CVR(T)s prove their worth ‘As | sailed south, the boys on the island performed mutinle tasks but were not used in bate, though they did alot of fring at low-thing Argentine acratt, pouring GPM rounds at them, and even 3Ormm the 76mm was useless in this role) tying to force them tory higher into our antt-aioraft missie zone. ‘Ths was a technique the North ‘Vietnamese had used with devastating effect against US planes inthe Vietnam War. What is moe, they caimed several hits (800 pages 44-49). It was ony after the war was over and our bosses saw what wo were capable of at the Battle of Wireless FRdge that they came to realise that, for example, the Batle of Goose Green might have been less costly had our vehicles been there, ‘Then again, there were Pucara at Goose Green and, had they zeroed in on our vehicles — they would have had nowhere to hide on those wide, bere grasslands — | wonder how many would have survived? That though, ike so much in warfare, belongs to the world of "What ifs"? ‘ABOVE FIGHT Tpr Round beside 238. There is ‘so much GPMG ammo stacked onthe front decks ‘that he will not be abe to see where he iscrving: | wi tell him where to go. But 2 Para desperatly ‘needed more 762mm ammo and this was the ‘quickest way of geting it to them FRIGHT. Motoring down of tat last ridgeline towards ‘Moody Book, which the Argentines captured rm the ‘Royal Marines on that fs day ofthe ison ‘LEE Driving back across the enemy's positions ‘on Wireless Ridge. The troop leader's Scorpion, cal sign 23 Even as landed on June 4 with 5 Infantry Brigade, The Blues and Royals had been making a name for themselves ‘with everyone they worked with, their vehicles “floating over the sodden peat- Ike speedboats" said Lt Mark Coreth later. They doubled as taxis, carying exhausted soldiers and kit and when stopped, Converted into laundromat - soaked soldiers using the wickedly hot engine decks to dry their socks and kit (On June 7, given 36 hours to get from Teal Init in the very north to Fitzroy inthe south, where they were to come under command 6 Brigade, they completed the journey over “impassable terrain’ in six hours. Sorry, ‘Commando Snow-Cats ~ supposedly the dog's cojones ~ you did not compare. Ujoined them and come June 11 | was in a seriously fithy mood. | might be a captain, but everyone senior was permanently far too busy to listen to what | had to tel them about how to best use, and not misuse, the CVRIT)s. 3 Troop had been re-attached to 3 Commando and headed back north wile 4 Troop was attached to the Scots Guards, heading towards Mount “Tumbiedown, Walking back to HO and the bleak prospect of another eight hours on the blasted radios, a Para major spotted my cap badge, He asked me if was 3 Troop Leader. The troop had just been attached 0 2 Para forthe forthcoming ‘fina’ battles. This was Maj Chris Keeble, back to being 2 Uc of 2 Para after commanding the battalion after the death of Colonel H. | said no but then hit him with facts and figures and ranges of our vehicles. He ‘suggested | moet Col David Chaundler who was now in command having HALO'ed (parachute dropped} nto the South Attanti. Battle for Wireless Ridge Col Cav was fascratedby what had to tel but vs oo busy ote nad Wout caso jon ti? Two hour tr ves camber orto @ Wessex heleoot, fying to Moar Kent, th anew ot axmouted acer, 2 Pea. had found the ‘eal war. read of beng onthe receirg rd ofvatous typos ofr erence tn Barish rac, tere was a sporting chance of mebehg abe to ghe someting back to the Argentines. After a long night and day march in deep sub-Antarctic cold, sustained artilary barrages and ging in we ae te oder totic Wireless dpe. 9 Toop arved and we were ready, only for the attack to be postponed by 24 hours, COn.hne 13we realy were oft. woud me‘be running alongside Col Deva. I dit ‘admit that it had crossed my mind what hhad happened to the last commanding officer 2 Para, and those running along beside him, abe lying, Then again, | hadht travelled 8,000 mies and wasted a perfectly {good Engish summer just to sit on some radios — important as that job was felow watohkeepers, For what happened next, I wil quote rectly from an article | wrote in late July 1982 for The (Guards Magazine. | duit few accounts will bbe fresher than ths, The bits in brackets) are ‘my subsequent comments fo this artic. “The Blues and Royals were to sit on the ridgelnes and fre in the Paras. They were to soften up the enerry in conjunction with our arilery and then provide very rect support \when the latter had to stop. “The troop moved out. | was in Tac 1 with ‘commanding officer 2 Para, witha radio (on the Troop Chatter Net, a net without which the troop could not have worked so effectively, Casign 23 spotted an armoured vehicle “Could he fe?” 2 Para agreed. Two rounds fred. A freak snowstorm intervened. That sums up the weather. "At 2030 hours, local time, June 13, the attack started on some features lading to the main part of Wireless Fidge. It was ‘over by about 2200 hours with the positon Captured. The troop blasted Argentinian positions using ther night sight capably ‘Meanwhile, had been leaping in and out of the mud with Tac 1 (CO and artilery forward ‘observation officer and two close protection shipers and, now, me}, convinced that my original Sandhurst view of He was utterly ‘correct, namely, that anybody doing what | was doing now when they could be in a ice, warm armoured car, must be rad. *At this moment it came over the ar that CoH Dunkeley, the commander of Cal ‘Sign 238, a Scimitar, the same Scimitar | had spent time with in Fitzroy and whose crew | had got to knaw) had been knocked Unconscious. The CO of 2 Para accepted ry offer to take command of the vehicle. "gingerly picked my way back to the regimental aid post (straight through couple of minefields I later discovered when, [revised the Islands in 2007). aived safely and asked the gunner, Tpr Ford, fora quick revision of 30mm mist dls; he ported ‘out that was | who had taught him gunnery in the frst place. If Calsign 238's gunnery ‘was not good, | had only myself to blame. it was a bright moonit night, with a deen, deep frost as we moved back to the bate — quite oorie with the astant chatter of ‘machine guns and bursting lluminants. The (only movernent was that of smell groups Of stretcher-bearers, dark against the white carpet, carrying their ioads. Exhausted, they put down ther stretchers to exchange a brief = poor old Round wil struggle to se again! ~ and !jumped out ofthe turetto capture that moment. ‘Note the huge smiles - we were going to ve... ‘The moment any of us climbed ontoa Hee eee Wor of greeting as we passed. It was as (one imagined a World War One battlild, rot one of the 1980s. The constant wine of artilery shel, the harsh backdrop, smal {groups of men huddled together for shelter and warmth, others moving gently forward for the next attack, Mode technology was ‘ot apparent on Wireless Ridge. "We moved from the ridgeline to jon in the shoot onto the main part of Wireless Ridge. The troop was doing a good job. Callsign 234 seemed to be playing alte game. A short burst of GPMG fie; the Argentinians usually fred back and the cars would then hit the source ofthe enemy tracer. That postion would not fre again. Anything that moved or fd at us was “zapped” and the real star was the Pardon 30mm gun. The arden with its flat trajectory, its si-shot capabilty and incredible accuracy could neutralise a target very quickly. The high ‘explosive and armour piercing secondary effects rounds were used “We were stood off at about 800m from the enemy and with our GPMGs wee able to put sustained bursts of fie into their postions. Tor Round, my driver when not on the ground trying to replace the acolerator pedal which had decided this was an ‘@xcallent moment to fall off, played a crucial part in target acquisition. The prize though ‘must goin this respect to the incredible right‘of my Scimitar and 234 posing for a shot. Soldiers love a camera. ‘Sight (this was a very early version of what we see today in so many Holywood tiles ~ittumed pitch black ino fuzzy green, But ‘and most important, a shot fred by the enemy showed as a bright flash which the (gunner could zero in on instantly — ever ‘a poorly hidden, glowing cigarette blazed bright in the sight. That night sight made mast Fidge and we shot in the advancing Paras with, sometimes, only ‘some 50 yards plus to spare. “Fre orders changed, even before 2 Para's attack, from "Maggie (MG) traverse lft to "Running Argentinians”. Tracer rounds floated over our heads from, it tured out, {60's fring armoured piercing rounds (which would have devastated our superight ‘aluminium armour, "We also came under intermittent fre from 20mm anti-aircraft guns, but fortunately, none ofthe vehicles was hit This contrasted with Lt Merk Coreth, 4 Troop, fighting a similar action in support of 2nd Battalion Scots Guards who ran over {an anti-tank rine, His vehicle was blown Up. However, despite headaches, the crew wore unharmed, and Lt Coreth continued to direct his troops from the outside of Scorpion 24M fa missed opportunity as have come to realise. 4 troop were used in a fanking ‘diversionary attack’ which, while it certainly got the enemy looking in their direction, stalled once Mark's Scorpion was blown up in that minefield, They could not ‘advance futher without running over more mines s0 they could only shel the Argentine postions from where they were, Nor— ‘would suggest - would such a flanking attack, unsupported by infantry, ever have had a fraction ofthe effect that we did on Wireless Ridge. But that's hindsight again ‘D Company, 2 Para, successfully attacked the ridge and suftered few casualties, a fact possibly due to the support of The Blues and Royals. Daybreak, after a brief ammo replenishment, saw us moving on Stank from ridgeline to ridgeline. Morale was sky: high after the previous night, and there was much discussion about he Argentine Penhards with their much larger than ‘ours, 90mm guns) and what was soon to happen to them. “Suddenly it was all ove, the Argentineans had surrendered, Our inital reaction was ‘one of disappointment, adrenalin was flowing, we were looking forward toa really {good punch up, This was folowed moments later by an immense surge of relief and delight; we had survived “The dash for Stanley began and with the vehicles surounded and covered by members of 2 Para, The Blues and Royals flag proudly fying, we drove into Stanley. We were exuberant, We reached the war memorial on the outskirts in the lead by now and we were tald to stop. “Lhoisted the Union Jack from the antenna of my vehicle, and we waited. One by ‘one the heads disappeared into vehicles, the hatches closed and the troop slept, exhausted, drained and woken only by the chill of late afternoon and a feeling of great ant-clmax. Conclusion “We found those dreaded, wheeled Panhards in Port Stanley the next day. None had, thankfuly ‘come out to play’ 37 Perhaps their wheels could not cope with the rocky and marshy terrain of Wireless Ridge or the Falklands generally, unike our ‘amazing Scorpions and Scimiters, Il never know. What | will do though is leave the last ‘word about Scorpion and Scimitar in the Falklands War — not least as I get a nice mention — to Maj Gen John Frost, OB, DSO {& Bar, MC (commanding officer, 2 Para at Amhem, Septeber 1944) and author of the 1983 book: 2 Para Faktands; The Battalion at Wer, i any particular @roup deserves special praise for what was done that night the Bate of Wireless Fidge), then it must be the tanks of The Blues and Royals. Their mere presence had been a remarkable boost to morale during al the attacks that had taken place, and the speed and accuracy oftheir fre, matched by their abilty to keep up with the advancing Paras, had Deon a severe shock tothe enemy. Lance Corporal of Horse Dunkeley's tank, which Captan Field had taken over folowing the injury to Its ‘commander, had alone fred forty rounds from its 30mm gun: ‘Although even | could not stop the general {rom caling our armoured cars, ‘tanks... Re ea eee One Soldier's Fa PeasIn 1982 the Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade sailed towards the Falkland Islands with the British Task Force and took their BV202 Bandvagens with them signed to operate in the snow, the BV202 Bandvagens proved equally adept at crossing the bogay rock-strewn ground they encountered during the Falklands War in 1982. The campaign has gone down in history as a footsloggers’ war with Marines and Paras yomping and tabbing their way across the Islands. ‘The Bandvagen was one of the fow vehicles that could cope with this rugged terrain and played a useful role as general load luggers. | have some personal history with these versatile rubber- tracked machines as they were regular ‘companions during Arctic warfare training inthe 1980s. I, therefore, thought it would be interesting to discover more about ve wea pairo their use during the Fak Rally epapatcle Sel 5 War but ‘02s xg tops dum fot ak frst ite history TheBandvagen — rewire encon sett, “The Bandvagen (B¥202) was originally (Bv202) was ‘ther transport onthe rad to Stanly atthe end dloveloped fr the Sadish Army by pan af te war Bolinder-Munktell, a subsidiary of originally eae seo marae aoe a Volvo back in the 1960s. Ithad a long ery ster Se sores oytrannanence pecoy | CQMEMOpeR forthe nsec Constructed of wo Inked ‘Kegresee SwedishArmyby = ™""" YY‘lets rear section which was driven. initially powered by a four-cylinder 1.8 Volvo B18 petrol unit producing 82.Sbhp this was later uprated to 97bhp. The engine drove through a manual ‘gearbox while steering was accomplished via a system of hydraulic rams working (on the pivot point. Despite this unusual arrangement the driver was provided with ‘a conventional steering wheel in his cab, ‘The 8202 Mkt could reach speeds of up to 35km/h on land and was amphibious, being driven by its tracks in the water. The Bandvagen's Impressive ability across the snow was down to the low ground pressure exerted by its wide rubber tracks, ‘The Royal Marines were impressed ‘and BV202s were acquired to replace the earlier ST4 Snowcat, also Three BY202s eros the rugged Falklands train during the war, note the ‘Bergens stung onthe sides ‘Swedish design. It was also adopted by the British Army and employed for Arctic warfare training in Northern Norway, So, back to the Falklands War and information proved hard to find on the vehicle's involvement in the campaign. Various sources speak of some 50+ examples being put aboard ships for the long voyage down south. However, it appears that very few of these were landed while some accounts state a large number went down with the Il fated Atlantic Conveyor. The ship was lost to an Exocet strike on May 25, 1982, taking a huge amount of vital equipment with it including badly needed helicopters. It seems clear that several Bandvagens ishment of the brigade maintenance area at San Carlos Bay alongside several snowcats operated by 407 Transport Troop. “The 8V202, with the help of some requisitioned tractors, moved the stores from the beach to dumps sited further inland. A general shortage of fuel soon became a serious issue, however, limiting their use. Perhaps this is one reason more Bandvagens weren't offloaded, From pictorial evidence and first-hand accounts, it appears no more than six to seven were in use at any one time and most ikely operated by commando Units. It also appears that at least some examples were fitted for radio units, which would have been invaluable to keep radios charged The Bandvagens were certainly used in OUT M EE remained popular with foresters and Ue Uae Ea ae‘A Bandvagen in a more famifar ‘setting during winter traning in Norway SPECIFICATIONS Make Bv202 Model Volvo Bv202 Mkt Manufacturer Volvo Country Sweden Year 1964-81 Engine Volo B18 82.Sbhp, B20 ‘87php (M2) Fuel Petrol Range 200m ‘Transmission Manual ‘Suspension Rubber tracked ‘Top Speed 35krnvh land, km/h water Capacity two pax front cab, ‘eight pax rear Payload one ton Weight 3.2 tons ‘The front section housed the engine and driver's compartment while troops or stores could be carried in the rear section’ maintenance area was established by June 1. Meanwhile, 8 Para had occupied Estancia House after an epic night march in freezing conditions. (Once again, the BV202s were employed to resupply 3 Para and bpring forward supplies to the distribution point established at Estancia, In the battles for the high ground that followed, they were again used to bring forward ammunition, water and rations and to evacuate casualties, (One 8202 was lost to a mine strike while attempting to colect casualties from the vicinity of Sapper Hil. Maj Brian Armitage, who was in the vehicle, recals: "We ran over a mine. | went up through the roof and the vehicle went up and was turned right round by the explosion. This is the only account | have been able to find of a Bandvagen lost or damaged due to enemy action. With the Argentine surrender on June 14, BV202s ¥ ‘seen on the streets of Stanley. They had certainly made a difference helping to keep the supplies flowing to the forward troops while saving lives through evacuating casualties from the battlefield. ‘A year later in 1983, | made my ‘acquaintance with the Bandvagen on ‘a NATO deployment to Norway. have many fond memories from this time ‘conducting Arctic training inthe high valleys, The BVs as we called them were invaluable and would mest us at the end of each day at a pre-arranged ‘Zulu Muster’, Here we would retrieve our BBergens and tent sheets setting up for the night in temperatures that could drop to minus 30° and below. Despite the harsh conditions, the BVs were reliable workhorses and if there was @ problem our hard-working REME detachment would soon get them going again. Towards the end of those tours, we received a batch of the new BV206s which would eventually replace them, These more modern aver-snow vehicles ‘could fit up to six upfront and came with efficient heaters and a larger payload. Despite this, the older 8V202s were more capable in deep snow and would often bbe used as trail breakers for the newer machines. ‘When | finally left the regular army and moved to Scottand years later | was ‘amused to discover that old BVs had ‘been sold off and were often seen in the hhands of Highland farmers. When the ‘weather closed in and the snow got too deep even for Land Rovers a Bandvagen could stil get through and deliver feed to the livestock, Thay have also remained popular with foresters and farmers in their native ‘Sweden where many are stil held in reserve stocks. Examples stil come up for auction and one of these would make ‘a good choice for the enthusiast looking for something a lite different. “The Bandvagens enjoyed a long service career but perhaps the highight was those few weeks in the summer of 1982 when they went to war in the Falklands. ‘RIGHT: The Falklands was a footsoggers’ war but the Bandvagons were able to cope withthe rugged terrain ‘BELOW: BV202s dropping of Bergens and rations to the forward ‘troops, possibly 3 Para at Estancia‘Soldiers move a US Army M2 Bradley fighting vehicle during a multinational situationalCea Historic Falkland A SE (ete Cm emt CO Ca cies eee teu POE cic nino ns with distinction in the South eee eeu tcct) by staff of one of Britain's premier Ceca eect ae Oe ee Perec as See Tce etait esoen Eee eee eg SERA tu ce Dre ee ene ene) ete eae etal Sees eter eed Sue es Se Cc sta) Coe nC re ala) ey of the Senet tee Teta SIN SRUrts Peers et ee Fi eee are as DS A lc enc eee nce Conflict are undergoing anda Samson tracked recovery and restoration in the UK See ee ee ee eos eee ee waco Sooo ee ee ee ee eee ea eee ere) Sane te = aes loth err tanDem ae Tin Ce ene nD Pee ee a ra) at sea before being loaded onto HMS Pe eet ee eee od Carlos on May 21, 1982, and over the ela Oke eee cl pie tot ay eee) Cer iccd Fee neta Dee Rutt aces Eye PAD re Te Ts pee aT ‘sign 23 Alpha, (234) with its 76mm ee ey ora i sent tothe Falklands along with four eee eae aulocannons and the Samson, Criginaly DD a a ILE ‘somewhat underpowered, the Scorpions Bree ee et eh reer ae ate ty oa ones Cree ny Cee er trad Seen ao ed Pee eet ety Of the wide tracks and powerful weapons. eer eee ‘Some were sceptical about could and did, push beached landing Craft back into the water and even helped rescue their own Sampson recovery eet ee tee ee ds eee ee Neat cid regimental flag of the Blues and Royal, Ror id Stanley after the battle of Wireless Cee eee eee een eo Re cs many casualties and again at Bluff Cove See sae en ‘Seorpions provided flanking cover, Sete ea poe eater Cree arc Like the others, i carried a BV, a boiling vessel, which enabled troops to get a Pee eee ce oe Te a Ce a ole eee geet ae) eet aoe Cede no Ree Re a eae recited with being the frst correspondent Se ge Cte ea a £2002 for ‘services to journalism ‘Aiter atime spent in the Falklands, 23 eee eet e eres ieee ter Cn aca ee ut ari See ee es Se naa) Britsh troops for some years untl it was ‘decided thatthe vehicle was no longer feed Lis a SOR Dee a Sea hoe ence Pict eae esa Cre ete tees aT ae Pee ae) Ecomeeciitnelemisentcg See aes ne weetPyar om are Alpha pushing Prd Pre Pee the Scorpion arrived in the workshops the turret was removed and it was stripped and its later diesel engine, together with a rare matching gearbox were refed. It has now been brought back to as near as possible to its configuration when in the Falklands and was shown off to visitors last year. Scimitar 23 Bravo — Falklands and Bosnia Ina remarkable coincidence, just ‘months after the restoration of 23 Alpha, the Falklands ‘Victory’ Scorpion, was completed, its sister vehicle, Scimitar 23, Bravo, was also found by the team at Eden Camp and it too was ‘rescued! The FV 107 Scimitar, nicknamed Ferocious’ also had a distinguished record In the Faklands wit the Blues and Royals. In one incident the vehicle dropped into ‘a deep aul injuring its driver. The driver, already injured earlier when working on the tank, ignoring his serious head wound, (fis colleagues called it hatch rash), got the vehicle out of trouble and completed the mission during a crucial engagement betore seeking medical help. He received a ‘Commendation for his courage, Prd ee ey ag ‘After some months in the Falklands following the Argentine surrender, 23 Bravo was brought back to the UK and refurbished with a new diesel engine, Later nits fe, instead of being relegated to overseas traning duties tke, 28 Alpha, in 1996 it was sent to Bosnia on active service with IFOR with the Blues and Royals. Its driver was Tpr Chris Butler who takes Up the story: “After traning at Imber on, Salsbury Plain we were sent up to Castle ‘Martin but the vehicle began playing up. We had an overheating problem and on the way to Wales it broke down in the middle of the Sever Bridge. We had to wait unt the engine cooled before setting off again, but the problem occurred every two hours or so. “Eventually we arrived in Bosnia on our IFOR peacekeeping mission and we were bbased in an ald potato warehouse in a place called Giamoc. It was a mountainous area and we soon found that 23 Bravo was the fastest vehicle in the troop. It was great to drive on patrols, “We reckoned it could do about 60 flat ‘ut and it was so fast on the mountain roads around the bends but it ket chewing through belts. They discovered the gearbox mount was broken but when it came back irom repairs it never drove quite as fast again. But overall, it was a brillant itl vehicle Frank Wood, head of restorations at Eden Camp was delighted to find this second vehicle with Falklands history, “23 Bravo, ‘minus its 30MM Rarden canon, was up for sale as scrap and the tracks were missing when we found it” he said, “tt had beenThe Blues and Royals landed at San Carlos ‘on May 21, 1982. 3 and 4 Troop with their ‘Scorpions and Scimitars were deployed ‘mainly to support 2 and 3 Para to Port ‘Stanley. Scimitar 23 Charie was the frst to ‘come ashore from a landing craft from HMS Fearless. The crew claimed they were “used as guinea pigs to test the depth of the water”. The Blues ‘and Foyals were quickly sent i to support the Paras and the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards. {In the coming days, they were to take part ‘in the decisive Battle of Mount Tumbledown ‘on June 13 and 14, among other actions. The three-man crew of 23 Charlie comprised vehicle commander CoH Kiause Fisher; driver Tor Jim Holdsworth; and Gnr 18-year-old Reg Hastings. The crew was all young, and Reg ‘had only been inthe army for three years, ‘including a year's training Reg takes up the story: “As we got onshore {in the early hours we saw a lone figure and luckily we quickly discovered it was a Falklander who came to see what was ‘happening, He helped us find cover in a big ‘barn to keep out of sight of Argentine planes hile we prepared for action. We were at San Cartos. it was ‘bomb alley’. “ntialy we spent most of our time helping ‘A smiling Reg Hastings having just landed a Portsmouth COURTESY REG HASTINGS, to protect the infantry as required and mainly inan air support rote, when possible, for 2 and 3 Para and Marines. The bombing was pretty constant. One night we witnessed HMS “Antelope blow up, spit in two and sink (a bomb disposal officer was trying to defuse a bomb wien it lew. “There was alot of action We received air ‘aid warnings dally over the rac and ita red alert was called you knew al hel was gong break loose. And that's what happened on one such occasion. We got the countdown from green/amber to red and left our barn in haste forthe impending attack "As we were driving along a track towards cur fring positon, Kause called out and said ‘here was Ari et coming across our front | was bringing the Rarden cannon round to bear on the target but inital al | could see was a flock of seaguls “We had six rounds of 30mm high explosive (HE) shells loaded. Then suddenly could 300 this Argentine Mirage coming in very {ast beyond the seaguls. | half panicked and started fring on automatic whl at the same time traversing the gun trom et to right towards te target. “The plane was turing revealing is ners. Suddenly, we saw a fash from the fourth HE round iting just below the cockpit it continued to rol over and tured Lpside-down, then crashed into the ground and exploded, It had crashed into a large feld where some horses were grazing but luckily ‘none of them was harmed. “We tured to each other in dlsbelit Had we ‘actualy just shot the plane down? Stil, with an element of doubt, it seemed that we had, ‘but this took time to sink in. We were used to firing at canvas targets in peacetime taining but there was no after effet lke this one, “it was 9.10am on May 24, atime and a day | will never forget fr the rest of my lite. It was ‘my 19th birthday! It was a strange feeling of what had happened that day. I couldn't forget that it wasnt just a plane that came to an end but the pilot did as well.” Later that day when the crew of 23 Charlie Were back at their temporary base, an artillery officer and a military police sergeant came to see them. They were investigating the shooting down of the Argentine Air Force plane ‘nd the crew gave their account ofthe action. As the two investigators tured to go, the officer said he was off to investigate a report {rom a soldier who claimed he'd shot the plane down with his submachine gun. ‘Afterwards, Reg and his colleagues had a ‘chuckle about this claim. They knew it would bea short investigation and the crew of 23 Gharfle were credited with downing the Mirage. ‘Some days late, the crew of another Scimitar Were sheltering in another bam right by the wide-open doors. The vehicle commander ‘Scott Ward called out and gunner Ede Tucker found another Argentine in his sights. He fred nd for the second time, a Blues and Royals ‘crew brought down an enemy plane. Sadly, neither of these extraordinary feats made big headlines atthe time, ZN EeConverted to diesel ke its sister vehicles but everything was open to the elements and water had got into the gearbox. 2 Bravo i stil undergoing restoration and i's hoped i'l be ready for display in time for the Falklands anniver Scimitar 23 Charlie — the ‘Anti-Aircraft tank’ Like the other vehicles, 23 Charl, was ‘eventually brought back to the UK on HMS Fearless. Last year the team from Eden ‘Camp found this historic vehicl in a sony sate, partially cismantied and about to be broken up for scrap, Frank said the restoration willbe @ daunting task. “tl take a great deal of work to restore this to running condition, EE) errr ual rs ror bout we will get the job done, We now own three of the nine CVATs that were sent to the Falklands, all three from 3 Troop the Blues and Royals.” During the Falklands Contct, the three- rman crew of 23 Chatie comprising of vehicle commander CoH Klause Fisher, driver Tpr Jim Holdsworth and 18-year- ld Gnr Reg Hastings had several lucky escapes. Flag explains one incident. “While we were at Blutf Cove, we were instructed to take fuel cans to the Scots and Welsh Guards in the hills above us. We stacked them on the decks of the Scimitars and teach of us sat on one in the turret. But as we got higher up the mountains and not far from our fuel drop off point, we noticed 2 very low jet go over to the right of us wath The CVRT restoration, Cn ry the pilot waving. “I.can stil remember is face now. tt was an Argentine Air Force jet and when | looked behind us, | saw the jet starting to line up on us, im 100% sure, as if to fire (on us. But then he suddenly pulled up. *Kiguse and I started to throw the fuel ccans onto the ground. Then we saw why he had let us go. As we looked down into the cove, we could see two ships shining brightly in the sunlight. We watched the aircraft ine up and go in for the shot. We ‘noticed nothing at first but then the radios came alive with desperate people asking for help from the area. “Just then we saw a Rapier missile hitting cone of the aircraft. We had been spared but those two ships, Sir Tristram and Sir en eee Td