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01
ISSUE 248
de
Co e
SPECIAL
FORCES
MINERVA
Rare Belgian Army

u
vehicle finds home in UK

Bl195 5 U ir Force
S A real-life
EP is ‘a ’
JE
M38A1time capsule

PANZER
POWER
WWII German tank gets
US restoration

MILITARY MUSCLE
British Army’s versatile load 96
carrier proves its worth
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 www.keymilitary.com
Happy New Year
Our new Tank Museum column aims to give readers a ‘behind the scenes’ view of the world-renowned facility TANK MUSEUM
I am sure you noticed
that we snuck in a Tank
Museum ‘Behind the
Scenes’ column in the last
issue (CMV December
2021). There is a second
this month on page 78,
and hopefully many more
going forward. Penned
by the museum’s head of
marketing Nik Wyness,
the aim of the column is
to give readers an insight
into the inner workings
of the museum such as
what’s in the workshop,
new exhibits being set up
or shows and events that
are being planned for. The
Tank Museum is a huge
classicmilitaryvehiclemagazine
asset to the UK and a
massive source of interest
to classic military vehicle
enthusiasts, so we’re keen
to support the facility where
we can and hope you’ll find
the content enjoyable and
informative.
This month we feature
an article on a new event
– Tracks and Trade (T&T)
– scheduled for May in
the Netherlands. The
brainchild of Ivo Rigter (Snr)
of BAIV, the aim of T&T is
to provide a platform that
unites buyers and sellers of
classic military vehicles in a
‘one-stop shop’ by selling
vehicles that have been
cmveditorial@keypublishing.com
3
January 2022 Frontlines
verified by technical and
historical experts in addition
to offering tailored, high
end restoration solutions.
With the ever-increasing
prices of classic military
vehicles, many of which can
run into six-figure sums or
more, purchasing one can
be a daunting prospect.
In the past year we’ve
featured news stories on a
few deals which have been
questioned or ended in the
law courts and I suspect
that, as the value of classic
military vehicles continue
to rise, we will probably see
more unscrupulous sellers
trying to take advantage of
www.facebook.com/cmvmag
unaware buyers. CMV will in
the coming months report
on the build up to T&T 2022
and will also cover the event
when it takes place.
With this being our January
issue, we’d like to wish
you all the best for the year
ahead and look forward
to seeing you at a full
complement of military
shows and events this
year. Enjoy the read and,
as always, your feedback is
appreciated.
EDITOR ANDREW STONE
andrew.stone@keypublishing.com
www.twitter.com/cmvmag
www.keymilitary.com

Features
06 Code Blue
1955 M38A1 is a real-life time capsule
words and pictures CMV Correspondent

2022
A new event aims to unite
buyers and sellers of
classic military vehicles
in a ‘one-stop-shop’
by selling vehicles that
have been verified by
technical and historical
experts in addition to

Tracks and Trade

offering tailored, high-end
restoration solutions

Tracks and Trade will take place in May in

combination with Militracks BAIV

‘The point of the Tracks and Trade

A
new platform to be launched
later this year aims to make
the sale, restoration, and
transportation of classic
military vehicles much easier for
potential buyers and sellers.
The concept for Tracks and Trade was
started by Netherlands-based restoration
company BAIV (British American Infantry
Vehicles) in 2020 when it reached out to
individual collectors and curators from
museums around the world.
Talks were held to take the 'trade and
sale' of historic armoured military vehicles
28
to a new level, the idea to make it a
safer and easier proposition for those
involved. The event will allow those in
attendance to not only purchase a classic
event is to give like-minded
military vehicle, safe in the knowledge
that its provenance is sound, but also
people from all over the world the
offer possible restoration solutions opportunity to meet’
29

28 Tracks & Trade 2022

Event aims to unite buyers and sellers of MVs
in ‘one-stop shop’

34 Destination:
Russian Road Trip Part 2
James Kinnear takes us deeper into the land
of the tsars

38 The Wiesel
The Bundeswehr’s diminutive
Airborne Battle Wagon

44 Military Muscle
The versatile Leyland DAF DROPS

50 Panzer Power
Craig Moore chats to the team behind
restoration of rare Panzer I Ausf.A

56 A Special Minerva
Rare Belgium Army vehicle finds home in UK

TheChurchillMarkIV
words David Fletcher pictures archive

David Fletcher looks at the

development of the World War
‘Chunks of metal broke off the
inside surfaces under impact and
A Churchill V, armed with a 95mm howitzer and watched by
sceptical Australians wades through the mud on Papua, New
Guinea. It was nicknamed ‘The Stork’

Two tank became a danger to the crew’

W
hen the Churchill Mark IV with the
cast turret and six-pounder gun
appeared it became probably the
definitive model of the early Churchill
tank. Some 1,600 were built of which 160
mounted the 95mm close support howitzer and
were classed as Mark V.
It came about thus; when the six-pounder gun was
first made available it was mounted, against a lot of
well-meant advice, in a box-shaped, welded turret.
Although the welds themselves stood up well to anti-
tank fire and the turret didn’t fall to bits, as many
had predicted, the armour plate itself gave trouble.
This was in the form of flaking, where chunks of
metal broke off the inside surfaces under impact
and became a danger to the crew. A cast turret for
the Churchill had been suggested back in January
1942 but was rejected on account of weight.
Likewise, a riveted turret was recommended as an
alternative to welding but that would have meant a
delay in production because spare riveters were not
available at that time, so welding it had to be.
Now the Iron and Steel Control Board announced
that it was unable to produce armour plate that
would not flake and to make matters worse,
subsequently announced that the supply of armour
plate suitable for welding was running out.
So in a sense, those who built Churchill tanks were
right back where they started. To be fair the Iron
and Steel Control Board did make an alternative
suggestion, this was to build a turret from welded,
unarmoured plate (which wouldn’t flake) and to
clad it with panels of armour plate bolted onto the
outside, but this was rejected and it isn’t quite clear
why. This technique was adopted for the Cromwell
(A27) series of Cruiser tanks and was perfectly
acceptable.
Ultimately a cast turret was the only version that
could be adopted but Britain had improved casting
technique due to US influence, and although it
was heavier this weight would be added to other
improvements making the Mark IV, at 39 tons, still
acceptable.
Early versions of the Churchill IV mounted the Mark
3 version of the six-pounder gun but later the longer
Mark 5 was adopted. Britain and indeed all tank

62 63

62 The Churchill Mark IV

David Fletcher on the development of the
World War Two tank

68 What a truck!
African adventures with an ex-military
Chevrolet K25

74 Buffalo Update
Latest on the Crowland LVT-4

COVER IMAGE: Code Blue, a 1955 M38A1

belonging to Timothy Slawson.
TIMOTHY SLAWSON A Wiesel Mk1 TOW emerges from the belly of a CH-53 Helicopter. For more see page 38. ARCHIVE

www.facebook.com/cmvmag
4
Classic Military Vehicle Issue 248 January 2022 Contents

Regulars
Gear Licence
The Swarfega Jizer aerosol spray is a powerful, This top-loading 80 litre
non-flammable degreasing solvent that removes German Army Bergen
oil, grease, carbon, tar, waxes and bitumen features five separate
from machinery and components. Ideal for use compartments including
on grubby engine bays and other mechanical two detachable

toChill
parts. Available from www.machinemart. side pockets, one
co.uk for £7.19 main flap covered
compartment and a
large zip-fastening

De-
Guide greaser
pocket inside the
top flap, secured
onto the pack with
two quick-release These freezable bullet-shaped moulds
buckles. Available are made of stainless steel and come in a
from www. pack of four with a handy storage pouch.
military1st.co.uk A fun way to keep your drink cool without
for £86.95 having to worry about diluting it.
Available from
https://shop.
A selection of tools,
MountainBag
nam.ac.uk for
£29.99
equipment and gadgets
from around the world

Time Drink Scale Model

These quartz wall
heaters are ideal for
domestic or trade use.
They are IP24 rated
so can also be used
outside as a patio
heater if protected from
direct exposure to rain.

Out Home Bottle

Available from www.
machinemart.co.uk
for £50.39

This watch is inspired by the ‘Dirty Dozen’ Show your support for the Royal British Legion
collection of watches worn by armed forces
personnel in World War Two. It features a classic
black dial, Arabic numerals, luminous hour and
minute hands and a canvas strap. Available
from www.poppyshop.org.uk for £29.99
Heating with this fantastic drinks bottle made from
stainless steel. It features the Royal British
Legion’s logo on its front, can hold 500ml and is
suitable for both hot and cold drinks. Available
from www.poppyshop.org.uk for £19.99
This 1/35 scale model M109A7 Paladin Self Propelled Gun from Panda
features photo-etched parts and decals, workable metal tracks and a
choice of the commander’s weapon system.
Available from https://tankmuseumshop.org/ for £49.99

PoppyCandle PantherTank Power

This black ink pen from the Tank Museum features a ‘floating’ Tiger
131 that moves down the pen as you write. Available from https://
tankmuseumshop.org/ for £3.5

Germany’s Panther tank was produced from January 1943 through

Light
April 1945, with a total of 5,796 vehicles. Each World of Tanks die-cast
model includes a content code
for new and existing players.
Available from https://uk.
corgi.co.uk/ for £8.99

This field poppy fine china

candle has been designed The Inova X2 Flashlight

TigerPen
exclusively for the National is powered by two AA alkaline
Army Museum. The scent batteries and its patented optical system,
is light, fresh and floral. precision machined aluminium reflector with
The high-quality wax melts thermal management interface provides superior
and burns evenly as used. light projection. Its beam can be seen in the
Available from https:// dark up to two miles. Available from www.
shop.nam.ac.uk for £15 military1st.co.uk for £50

Got a product you’d like featured in our Gear Guide? E-mail cmveditorial@keypublishing.com Note: Prices do not include postage and packaging

12 13

12 Gear Guide
Gadgets and gifts for military enthusiasts

15 News & Letters

Military news and views

19 Military Vehicle Market

Nigel Hay on the military vehicle scene

21 Books
Four new releases for your military library

24 Collectable Books
War Diary

26 Events List
Key dates for military shows and events

76 Workshop
Buying a Jeep

78 Behind the Scenes

With the Bovington Tank Museum

82 Moore’s Moore’s Manoeuvres

T
he Kubinka Tank Museum is
a75-minute drive to the west
words Craig Moore pictures as credited

Manoeuvres
of Moscow. The facility caused
a storm of comments after
photographs were released recently of a
Maus tank featuring its new historically
correct camouflage paint scheme.
Many people do not like it as it looks wrong.
The turret has a distinctive pattern of olive-
green and red-brown paint stripes, swirls and
blotches over a base layer of Dunkelgelb dark
sandy yellow. The hull is very different. It has

Craig Moore’s
large brown wiggly stripes over a base layer
of Dunkelgelb dark sandy yellow.
The museum staff have highlighted
weapons damage to the hull by painting it
scarlet red. The Maus did not see combat

military world but may have been used for target practice
by Soviet troops.
The new camouflage paint scheme
highlights the fact that the turret came from
a different vehicle. It is intended to shock
visitors and to make them ask the question:
“Why is the turret painted completely
different to the hull?” The simple application
The Maus paint job Craig Moore discusses the
of paint has become an educational tool.
Only two prototype Panzerkampfwagen colour scheme of a Maus tank
VIII Maus (mouse) heavy tanks were built,

although 141 were ordered. They were

named V1 and V2. The turret was to mount
two guns side by side: 7.5 cm KwK 44
L/36.5 gun and the more powerful 12.8 cm
KwK 44 L/55 gun.
The V1 Maus prototype received a mock
weighted turret to enable cross-country field
trials to proceed without having to wait for
the finished turret. The V2 Maus prototype
was fitted with the first completed turret.
The tank’s armour was extremely thick,
ranging from 180mm on the hull sides and
rear to 220mm on the frontal part of the turret.
The roof armour was 220mm thick to cope
with Soviet Airforce Il-2 Sturmovik air attacks.
The power-to-weight ratio was so poor
that the design speed of 20km/h was never
achieved. In ideal conditions, the Maus could
reach 13km/h. The tracks were very wide,
‘The power-to-weight ratio was so poor (1.10m) to help decrease ground pressure.
As Soviet forces neared the tank proving
that the design speed of 20km/h was grounds, the Germans decided to blow
the two prototypes up so they did not
never achieved’ fall into enemy hands. The hull on the V2
prototype was destroyed, but the hull of the
ABOVE: This was the rear of the Maus, V1 remained mainly intact as the explosives
painted in the previous paint scheme failed to explode properly.
CRAIG MOORE
TOP: This is the Maus tank on display at the The Soviets placed the three-tone painted
Kubinka Tank Museum with its new paint turret from the V2 prototype onto the two-tone
scheme painted V1 hull to conduct tests after the war
YURI PASHOLOK before it was put on display in the Kubinka
RIGHT: Ahis was the previous paint scheme
Tank Museum. If ever you get the chance to
applied to the Maus tank. I took this
photograph in 2016 visit the museum, make sure you take a look at
CRAIG MOORE the Maus, it is an impressive tank.

82

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5

Code Blue at the Zephyrhills Museum of
Military History in Florida at the museum’s
annual D-Day Commemoration event
words and pictures
Timothy Slawson
Code
Blue
US-based classic military vehicle enthusiast Timothy
Slawson discusses his restoration of a 1955 M38A1
S
trange as it may sound, my
fascination with old Jeeps
began with the purchase of
a Korean War M1 Garand.
The M1 Garand, which is also known
as the M1 Rifle is a .30-06 calibre
semi-automatic rifle that saw service
during World War Two, the Korean
War and saw limited service during
the Vietnam War. As an unintended
by-product of that purchase, I started
watching every war movie I could
find with the rifle in it. I was drawn to
military culture as service has been
part of our family for decades. My
grandfather served in World War Two
and the Korean War while my father
served during the Cold War era as a
security officer in the US Air Force. As
I watched these films, I found myself
more and more enamoured with
1950s-era military Jeeps.
The Willys M38A1 was a big turning
point in the Jeep’s transition from World
War Two to the early fifties. Production
was from 1952 to 1971 by Willys Motors/
7
Kaiser Jeep. It had a restyled body and
rounded hood and fenders and was
used on US base facilities around the
world for quite some time in a variety
of roles. Production totalled 101,488
vehicles (80,290 US and 21,198 foreign).
To my family’s surprise, one day I
got up the nerve to purchase a Jeep
for myself. When I first saw the 1955
M38A1 I knew it was the one and put
down a deposit. I had located it not too
far from where my grandmother lived,
just north of Montgomery Alabama, US.
After recruiting my father and older son,
a family road trip to collect the Jeep
was on. We borrowed a trailer, hooked
it up to my truck and were set, but the
journey didn’t quite go to plan.
Our trip took place during the rainy
season when the Alabama red clay is
damp and sticky. My GPS took us to
a neighbouring property in the middle
of nowhere and as you guessed it, we
got stuck and jack-knifed the trailer in a
ravine on the wrong property. We had no
mobile phone service to call the seller
The yellow pinstripe was added to reflect the look of the Homestead Air Force Base’s pinstriping on all
its gloss Strata Blue 1960s vehicles
who was apparently across the fence line
behind a small, wooded area.
After about two hours, and covered
in red, Alabama clay, the trailer was
still stuck. So, we managed to unhitch
the trailer and drive until we got phone
service and called the seller who was
just a few minutes away. With the extra
help, we recovered the trailer and finally
managed to load up the Jeep.
After we got the Jeep home, I
discovered through layers of old paint
that it was a US Air Force vehicle which
ultimately led me to the decision to go
with the Air Force restoration. Also,
having something different than the
normal olive drab green helped push me
in that route as well.
One of my goals was to make the
Jeep a real showstopper for parades
and displays. The restoration work
was carried out in phases. I wanted to
keep it as original as possible and only
replace broken parts.
We had to repair the engine which
had a blown head gasket, a rag inside
the cam cover, and replace the peanut
butter-looking oil. This was all done
without a manual to help, and much
energy was spent on trial and error
during the restoration.
We removed a ‘ton’ of olive drab green
overspray paint on the original black
leather seats while the bottom of the
front seats and the rear seats needed
to be replaced. We kept the original
Cooper tyres that came with the Jeep
when we bought it – they date from the
1970s, but the spare is a replacement.
The paint and body shop did an
incredible job on the custom variation
of the classic Strategic Air Command
(SAC) 50s-era Strata Blue. One thing
that I struggled with was the original
Strata Blue had a very dull colour in the
shade. So, we tweaked it slightly so
that it kept a strong deep blue when in
the shade, but when in the sunlight, the
Strata Blue popped.
They were able to create a beautiful
exterior finish and keep the interior
cab area as original as possible.
I added the yellow pinstripe to
reflect the look of the Homestead
Air Force Base’s pinstriping on
all their gloss Strata Blue 1960s
vehicles.
I also decided to keep the engine
unrestored as I enjoy seeing
people’s reactions to watching
the old engine start and run.
Most people think it’s a newer
Jeep until they see underneath
the hood. But the traces of the
original yellow, green, and Strata
Blue paint allow me to educate
the spectators of the historic
significance of the Jeep as well.
Maybe someday I will restore
the engine, but this is a historic
piece of mechanical engineering
from another time.
One of the greatest joys I get
from the restoration is seeing
how people respond to the
Jeep. A lot of research went
into getting it as close to the SAC late ABOVE: The Jeep serves as a time capsule
50s Cold War period as possible. Even from another age
down to the gloss finish. I often get
RIGHT: Weapons are near at hand
responses from veterans who say: “You
nailed it!”. FAR RIGHT: Lined up with other military
The unique look also brings vehicles at a show
8
Timothy Slawson restored his M38A1 in honour
of his father

9

Timothy has done his best to
keep the vehicle as original
as possible
The bottom of the front seats and the rear seats were replaced during restoration
A lot of research went into getting it as close to
the SAC late 50s Cold War period as possible
10
family and kids that are at the events
to want to hop in and take photos. I
don’t mind when people pile on it for
photo opportunities. I started acquiring
different helmets, hats, and other
military apparel for the kids and families
to wear at the events and it’s fantastic
to see the joy on their faces when they
look at the photos they have taken. One
time, I had 12 excited kids pile in for a
group photo.
My wife and boys also enjoy taking
rides in it around our neighbourhood,
and there are always admirers waving
to us when we’re ‘cruisin’ by. My father,
who served during the Cuban Missile
Crisis at Homestead Air Force Base
(currently Homestead Air Reserve
Base) was very proud that I used and
dedicated his squadron’s numbers from
his service time at the base.
We started this impromptu journey
to restore this Jeep that unveiled a
fascinating past as a fun history project.
And it has turned into a fun vehicle,
literally and figuratively, for adults and
kids alike to learn about a forgotten time
in our world history. In times of tension
between nations and major advances in
technology, this visual aid helps families
enjoy and learn from a unique time of
progression and conflict.
Code Blue is a living piece of history
that brings the look and feel of the ‘Jet
Age’ to life. It is a real-life time capsule
that showcases the mechanics and
engineering of the past right before your
very eyes.
Timothy Slawson proudly poses with his Jeep
Gear
The Swarfega Jizer aerosol spray is a powerful,
non-flammable degreasing solvent that removes
oil, grease, carbon, tar, waxes and bitumen
from machinery and components. Ideal for use
on grubby engine bays and other mechanical
parts. Available from www.machinemart.
co.uk for £7.19

De-
Guide greaser A selection of tools,
equipment and gadgets
from around the world

Time
These quartz wall
heaters are ideal for
domestic or trade use.
They are IP24 rated
so can also be used
outside as a patio
heater if protected from
direct exposure to rain.

Out Home
Available from www.
machinemart.co.uk
for £50.39

This watch is inspired by the ‘Dirty Dozen’

collection of watches worn by armed forces
personnel in World War Two. It features a classic
black dial, Arabic numerals, luminous hour and
minute hands and a canvas strap. Available
from www.poppyshop.org.uk for £29.99
Heating
PoppyCandle
This black ink pen from the Tank Museum features a ‘floating’ Tiger
131 that moves down the pen as you write. Available from https://
tankmuseumshop.org/ for £3.5

This field poppy fine china

candle has been designed

TigerPen
exclusively for the National
Army Museum. The scent
is light, fresh and floral.
The high-quality wax melts
and burns evenly as used.
Available from https://
shop.nam.ac.uk for £15

Got a product you’d like featured in our Gear Guide? E-mail cmveditorial@keypublishing.com

12
 Licence
This top-loading 80-litre
German Army Bergen
features five separate
compartments including
two detachable

toChill
side pockets, one
main flap covered
compartment and a
large zip-fastening
pocket inside the
top flap, secured
onto the pack with
two quick-release These freezable bullet-shaped moulds
buckles. Available are made of stainless steel and come in a
from www. pack of four with a handy storage pouch.
military1st.co.uk A fun way to keep your drink cool without
for £86.95 having to worry about diluting it.
Available from
https://shop.

MountainBag
nam.ac.uk for
£29.99

Drink
Bottle Show your support for the Royal British Legion
with this fantastic drinks bottle made from
stainless steel. It features the Royal British
Legion’s logo on its front, can hold 500ml and is
suitable for both hot and cold drinks. Available
from www.poppyshop.org.uk for £19.99
ScaleModel
This 1/35 scale model M109A7 Paladin Self Propelled Gun from Panda
features photo-etched parts and decals, workable metal tracks and a
choice of the commander’s weapon system.
Available from https://tankmuseumshop.org/ for £49.99

PantherTank
Germany’s Panther tank was produced from January 1943 through
Power
Light
April 1945, with a total of 5,796 vehicles. Each World of Tanks die-cast
model includes a content code
for new and existing players.
Available from https://uk.
corgi.co.uk/ for £8.99

The Inova X2 Flashlight

is powered by two AA alkaline
batteries and its patented optical system,
precision machined aluminium reflector with
thermal management interface provides superior
light projection. Its beam can be seen in the
dark up to two miles. Available from www.
military1st.co.uk for £50

Note: Prices do not include postage and packaging

13
 TEL: 01233 770007
MOBILE: 07770 836438
WEBSITE: www.jeffreyeng.com Email: nick@jeffreyeng.com
Berry Court Farm, Smarden, Ashford, Kent. TN27 8RQ
www.keymilitary.com cmveditorial@keypublishing.com
Enthusiast’s rifle project aims to
get WWII veterans’ signatures
A young military history enthusiast
is on a mission to get the surviving
World War Two British veterans
to sign a rifle in an effort to learn
more about the men and their
stories.
Jay Hawkins, 24, bought a
1939 deactivated Lee Enfield
No.1 mk3 SMLE rifle and
JAY HAWKINS
started the project in August
2021. He has so far managed
to get the signatures of 15
veterans who took part in the war.
This includes Normandy veterans who
MARK DABBS
I HAD never picked up a copy of your
magazine before, but on a train journey
down to London I purchased a copy for
LEAFING THROUGH this month’s excellent
CMV (November 2021), I was once again
struck by the increasing number of ‘fake'
World War Two vehicles featured on various
pages without a caption explaining that
the vehicles shown bears only a silhouette
resemblance to the ‘real’ thing.
The coverage of the Victory Show
featured a captioned ’Sturmgeschutz
3’ made from a donor British 432 APC.
A captioned Horch 222 armoured car
which, on any (not even closer) inspection,
features what I believe is a Land Rover
chassis with something underneath the
‘armour’ to give it propulsion which relates
only to the original World War Two item in
the paint scheme.
And there seems to be total acceptance
of an OT810 halftrack representing an
SdKfz 251 because it has the Czech-built
post-war copy armoured roof taken off and
then painted and marked up with German
World War Two camouflage and markings.
I’ve lost count of the number of post-World
War Two Russian Cossack motorcycle
outfits captioned as BMW R75s or similar
because the rider and machine gun-
equipped sidecar passenger are dressed
in German uniforms.
Looking at the feedback from one of the
landed on the beaches on D-Day
in June 1944 to RAF veterans
and even a veteran of the Burma
campaign named Roy who is so
the oldest to sign the rifle at 101.
“The project is still on going and
my end goal is to have the rifle
completely full of signatures of
these legends,” said Jay
Jay will then donate the rifle to a
museum.
If you can help Jay with his
mission, email him at
jaythawkins1@gmail.com
the first time and was instantly hooked.
The ‘Armour in the Dales’ feature by Vicky
Turner caught my eye during the journey
and was particularly interesting how
vehicle owners had fun in plenty of mud.
As a former member of a 306 field
hospital I spent time in Strensall in
Yorkshire over the years and know that
area well, and was at Catterick when we
heard on the radio that Princess Diana
had been involved in an accident. I only
wish I had been able to attend Armour in
the Dales. Maybe next year, now that I am
shows this year which advertised a '222
armoured car’ in the arena, several people
had gone to those events specifically to
see what they presumed was a genuine
rare example of a running vehicle, only to
discover that the Land Rover chassis ‘fake’
was not what they were expecting.
Now, this may all come over as nitpicking,
but omitting the information about the
true ’source’ of the vehicle, means that
many of the (particularly) younger amateur
historians who have come to find out more
about military automotive history and have
a semblance of mechanical savvy, would
be looking past the paint and uniformed
crew and guns to find that the mechanical
similarity to modern vehicles from a
vehicle seemingly built 75 years ago, was
astonishing!
If people wish to re-enact, then that’s
fine. However, conveniently leaving out the
fake credentials whether on static display,
credited in a magazine or demonstrated in
an arena, begins a journey down an ever-
increasingly foggy road where the lines
between fake and genuine are blurred by
the ‘exhibition’ uniformed crew that future
generations may be tempted to view these
vehicles as ’the real thing’
Jim Dowdall
15
Letters & News
MAY I voice another humble opinion about
your fine magazine? In your May 2021
issue on page 9 your specs read: Place of
Origin: Nazi Germany.
Is that necessary? From what I have
learned from you and from three German
panzer books I bought for $30, I have
become convinced that Germany did have
the best tanks, never mind what political
party was in power at the time.
Unless you wish to discriminate, you may
want to refer to your own tanks as British
Empire English tanks, to French Bastille
post-revolutionary tanks, to Czech as
Pilzner Urquell tanks, Chinese as Mao Tse
Tung tanks and finally to the Russian as
proletarian, communist tanks.
Gerhard Hamm, Hawaii
aware of it, and I will also keep up to date
with your magazine.
When I got to London for a visit to the
Imperial War Museum I also managed to
get this shot with the Humber Snipe car
which was used by Field Marshall Bernard
Law Montgomery during World War Two.
Mark Dabbs
Many thanks for your kind words Mark,
we’re happy to hear you enjoyed the
magazine and appreciate you taking the
time to write in. – Ed
I’M WRITING to you regarding the
Crowland LVT-4 Buffalo. The French
Véhicles Militaires magazine had some
lines about the recovery in issue no 99.
It states as follows (translated): “This
is one and 16 others were used to fill
a gap during the March 1947 floods in
the region. When the water retreated,
five of them were washed away. Only
one could be recovered, two sunk and
the two others, including this one fell
into a mud-filled ditch.”
There’s no source for that information,
so I wonder whether the historians
from Crowland are aware of these
facts? By the way, another former
British Army LVT-4 is on open-air
display at the little Belgian town of
Maasmechelen, north of Maastricht,
which was apparently ‘fished’ from the
River Maas. Hope this helps.
André Flener
Luxembourg
Thank you for taking the time to write
in André. The Crowland team are
aware that there could be more LVTs
buried in the mud and will this year
(2022) attempt to recover a second
one. Keep an eye on CMV for further
details. – Ed
 News
Monty’s pennant to go on display at Tank Museum
Michael Green was just eight years old when he
was presented with the pennant
THE TANK MUSEUM
The pennant flown from General Bernard
Montgomery’s tank in north Africa has
emerged after almost 80 years – and is to go
on display at the Tank Museum in Dorset.
The piece of material was given in 1943 to
a small boy who had become the mascot
of the squadron tasked with protecting the
great ‘Spartan General’.
The lad’s letters sent to his serving father
Alpha company test new Polaris Imprint wins club
JOE CATER / CROWN COPYRIGHT
Members of Alpha Company took part in
training in the new Royal Marines vehicle the
MRZR which is a Polaris off-road buggy.
The training was conducted at the
Marine Air Ground Combat Training
Centre at 29 Palms, California.
Alpha Company which is 40 Commando
Royal Marines Mobility Company has
been training with the MRZR, a versatile,
go-anywhere off-road vehicle with 500lb
cmveditorial@keypublishing.com www.keymilitary.com
A proud Michael Green with the pennant
THE TANK MUSEUM
were read to the men and brought them
fond memories of home.
Michael Green was just eight years old
when he was presented with the pennant
and although his grandfather thought it
ought to be in a museum he insisted on
flying it from his new bicycle.
The yellow and black striped pennant had
been flown by Montgomery during all the
major conflicts the Eight Army’s fought in,
including the Battle of El Alamein.
Back home the success of the north
African campaign was a major boost
to national morale. After enemy forces
surrendered in May 1943 Montgomery gave
the pennant to the squadron who decided
that their mascot ought to have it.
of rear box capacity, auxiliary power,
and cargo tie-down points with seating
for up to six. It is lightweight and easily
transportable by air.
The Royal Marines finished the exercises
with an intensive ‘battle’ across one of the
largest military training areas in the world.
The allied forces – from the US, Canada,
United Arab Emirates, Netherlands and UK
– took on the US Marine Corp.
16
David Willey, curator at the Tank Museum with
Monty’s pennant THE TANK MUSEUM
So it was flown back to the UK where
Michael was presented with it in Oakham,
Rutland, where he had been evacuated
from London – and the handover drew a
large crowd.
The pennant is now to go on display at the
Tank Museum in Bovington along with other
Montgomery items, including his iconic black
beret and a recently donated letter written by
him in the desert.
David Willey, curator at the museum, said:
“We are so grateful to have received this
donation from Michael’s widow.
“Although we are a museum about tanks
and have the finest collection in the world, it
is often the human stories that get the best
reaction, and this is a great one.”
magazine award
Imprint, the quarterly magazine of the
Invicta Military Vehicle Preservation
Society (IMPS) won ‘Best Club
Magazine of 2021’ at the recent NEC
Classic Car Show.
The award was presented at during a
special dinner and ceremony held at the
event in Birmingham, UK. The magazine,
which fought off competition from 41
other historic vehicle club magazines,
was praised for its design, content and
photography.
Imprint editor Sam Mitchell-Innes said:
“The award represents the team effort,
especially the help we receive from
members and friends from all over the
country and abroad who come up with
cracking stories and photos.”
IMPS chairman Ross Savage said
“IMPS really is the friendliest military
vehicle club and that’s reflected
in Imprint. The award is a great
achievement, a superb team effort!”
 TEL: 01233 770007
MOBILE: 07770 836438
WEBSITE: www.jeffreyeng.com Email: nick@jeffreyeng.com
Berry Court Farm, Smarden, Ashford, Kent. TN27 8RQ

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brakes, Nato style rear hitch, Spare wheel, Left hand drive available, Diff locks, selectable 2/4 wheel drive, power steering, etc,125 Miles. Salisbury Front and Rear Axles, Power Steering, etc,
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Semi-Automatic Gearbox with Neutral turn capability, Maximum road Fitted Perkins 6-litre, 6-cylinder, Crew: Driver, Commander plus
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speed 72 km/h,฀Range 750 km, Manoeuvrability,฀Gradient 60%,฀Side 2 pax, year 1992, low mileage, Excellent condition,
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words and pictures Nigel Hay
New Jeep buyers emerge
Nigel Hay’s round-up
of the classic military
vehicle world
T
he price of Jeeps continues to
rise, and we have had many
successful sales of wartime
examples at more than £30,000
throughout the autumn. Interestingly, a
new genre of Jeep owner is buying into
the hobby.
These are not established military
vehicle enthusiasts, but classic car
collectors who fancy something different
to the shiny, polished and cosseted cars
they know well. Classic car dealers are
quick to react to this and the highest
offering we found was at £50,000 for a
reasonable but not exceptional Willys MB.
Some buyers will pay premium money
for vehicles that most Jeep collectors
would deem are not for the purist.
However, it will not detract from the fact
that they will have fun and some will
inevitably get immersed in our hobby.
One could argue that at these high
prices Jeeps are not good investments
unless they continue to rise at the same
rate, but right now the market is as high
as it can be.
We continue to see a greater difference
between the asking prices of wartime
Jeeps and Hotchkiss Jeeps, the prices
which were for so long pretty close.
But the entry-level Jeep this month at
£4,900 was an M151A2 Mutt at £4,900.
Ex-Portuguese army, it certainly will be a
restoration challenge for its new owner.
Cross-channel activity appears to have
improved when compared to the start of
the year as shippers, border forces and
European customs have got used to the
new rules and procedures.
An entry level M151A2 Mutt sold for £4,900
The most notable export this month from the UK was an M18 Hellcat tank destroyer
Deactivated weapons, including vehicle-
mounted ones and artillery, do, however,
need special attention to make sure you
don’t breach firearms regulations.
Importing a certificated one into the UK
can constitute importing a live firearm
which requires specific licences and is a
serious offence if you don’t have one.
The most notable export this month
from the UK was an M18 Hellcat tank
destroyer. It left the UK for a customer
of Normandy-based Military Classic
Vehicles. In November, Military Classic
Vehicles ran another highly successful
auction of World War Two and pre-war
French vehicles.
A very nice M8 armoured car reached
€63,000 plus sale fees, a nice Command
Car got €34,000 and a reasonable GMC
353 with a wooden body was hammered
down at a modest €9,000.
Milweb advertised what looked to be a
very good value short wheelbase GMC
with winch and Set 7 crane in the rear,
ready to rally at £9,100. I suspect it will
This Mack NO 1943 Prime Mover was offered
for £35,000
19
Military Vehicle Market
sell very quickly at that price.
But a nice heavy vehicle this month was
a Mack NO 1943 Prime Mover offered
at £35,000. These are awesome trucks
and relatively few survive. Many had
formidable post-war careers as recovery
vehicles.
Used for pulling a Rogers trailer with a
tank onboard or for towing heavy artillery,
they make the wartime Scammell’s seem
positively fast. Back in the 1980s, I was
involved in the recovery of one from a
yard in Slough with the Cadman brothers.
We managed to drive it back to East
Kent. But the ascent of Detling Hill at less
than walking pace caused a memorable
traffic jam. On the other hand, the power
of the Mack NO was incredible but
commensurate with its fuel consumption.
Young and enthusiastic Brentwood based
dealer Bill Ruston continues to find a
never-ending plethora of barn finds, mainly
British wartime vehicles and this month
offered a 1940 Austin K3 GS at £7,995.
Already running and fairly complete it is
certainly a viable and not too challenging
project which we should expect to see on
the show circuit next year.
Despite everything, 2021 was a good
year for our hobby. Prices continued to
rise on many types of vehicles and there
have been excellent levels of spares and
parts sold.
Our show organisers have adapted and
improvised to meet Covid constraints
and shows that were able to take place
were rewarded with record attendances
and renewed enthusiasm from traders,
participants and visitors.
Dates for 2022 events are flooding in.
 STAND UNITED WITH VETERANS
WHO HAVE GIVEN US SO MUCH
Every penny raised through the Tommy Club will help change lives, supporting
veterans and their families. Over the past year, referrals for PTSD and housing services
have increased above anything we have known before. There has never been a more
important time to commit your support to the veterans of today.
Be here for them for decades to come.

“NO VETERAN OR THEIR FAMILY SHOULD BE PUT AT A DISADVANTAGE

DUE TO THEIR SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY.”
TOMMY CLUB CHAMPION

JOIN TODAY FOR LESS

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TOMMYCLUB.CO.UK/JOIN
Anyone can join and become part of our incredible community.
You will receive regular updates from the people you are
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magazine and discounts in the RBLI shop.

rbli.co.uk
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Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) Charity No. 210063.
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RBLI is completely separate to The Royal British Legion and receives no financial support from the annual poppy
appeal. The charity must raise its own funds to deliver care and employability support, and build more homes.
On the Shelf New Books

British Land Rover

Battle
Tanks
Author Simon Dunstan
Publisher Osprey Publishing
Year 2020
Language English
Binding Hardback
Pages 304
Size 19.7cm x 24.9cm
Price £25 / $30
www.ospreypublishing.com
This is a comprehensive body
of work from Simon Dunstan
that focuses on post-war
British tanks (1946-2016).
Military Versions of the
British 4x4
Chapters cover the Centurion,
Vickers Battle Tanks, Chieftain,
Challenger and Challenger 2.
The book describes in detail
how tank design developed
from Centurion to Challenger
2, but also includes first-
hand accounts from soldiers
who served with the different
vehicles making for fascinating
reading.
Verdict: Will make a great
addition to any library.
Publisher Pen & Sword Military
Year 2020
ISBN: 9781526789730
Language English
Binding Hardback
Pages 64
Size 21.1cm x 29.6cm
Price £16.99 / $28.95
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
Using a mixture of colour and
black and white images along
with high-quality illustrations,
Ben Skipper provides a good models and the different Land
overview of the development Rover variants.
of military Land Rovers. Verdict: A great resource
Chapters cover the design for modellers or Land Rover
and development of the iconic enthusiasts wanting to know
vehicle, camouflage markings, more about the brand’s

Kurdish
a showcase of some fantastic military heritage.

Armour Pz. Kpfw. VI

Against Isis
Author Ed Nash and Alaric Searle
Illustrated by Irene Cano
Rodriguez
Publisher New Vanguard
Year 2021
ISBN 9781472847584
Language English
Binding Softback
Pages 48
Price £11.99
https://ospreypublishing.com/
One of the most remarkable
mechanised campaigns of
recent years pitted the brutal
and heavily armed jihadis of
the Islamic State against an
improvised force belonging
to the Kurdish YPG (later the
SDF). While some Kurdish
vehicles were originally
from Syrian Army stocks or
captured from ISIS, many
others were extraordinary
Ausf. B Tiger II
homemade AFVs based on
truck or digger mechanicals,
or duskas, the Kurds' version
of the technical. Before US
airpower was sent to Syria,
these were the Kurds' most
powerful and mobile weapons.
Author Mariusz Suliga
Publisher Kagero
Year 2020
ISBN: 9788366148703
Language English
Binding Softback
Pages 19
Size 21.1cm x 29.6cm
Price £13.60
http://www.kagero.pl/
Another from the Top
Drawings series, this time
Mariusz Suliga focuses on the
Pz. Kpfw. VI Ausf. B Tiger II
(Sd Kfz 182) The Tiger II was
the heaviest and largest tank series of colour illustrations as
used during World War Two. It it would have appeared with
weighed nearly 70 tons while different units during the war.
the thickness of its frontal Verdict: The Top Drawings
armour plate was 150mm. series is an excellent resource
The book contains detailed for anyone wanting highly
drawings of the tank from detailed drawings and this is
various angles in addition to a no different.

21
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On the Shelf Collectable Books
Making Covenanters,
Centaurs and Comets
This remarkably detailed
book published at the end of
World War Two details The
English Electric Company Ltd's
industrial contribution to the war
effort including the manufacture
of tanks in its Stafford factory
T
his month’s
collectable book has
a drab and dusty
cover and a dull blue
spine with only a small logo
and the words ‘War Diary’ on
the front.
Quite how the words War
Diary caught my eye when I
spotted it in a secondhand
bookshop, I don’t know but
once I’d had a flick through I
confirmed that this book was
coming home with me.
It is the official War Diary of
the English Electric Company
Ltd and covers the period
between March 1938 and
August 1945. English Electric
was a British industrial
manufacturer formed following
World War One through the
amalgamation of five separate
businesses that had been
making munitions, armaments
and aeroplanes.
These companies had
factories in places such as
Bradford, Preston, Rugby
and Stafford. After some
consolidation the new
conglomerate specialised
in industrial electric motors
and transformers, railway
locomotives and traction
equipment, diesel motors and
steam turbines.
Further restructuring led to
agreements with the American
Westinghouse concern and
the appointment of George
Nelson as chairman.
Nelson would
steer the company
through the war years. As the
1930s slipped by, the RAF
was being strengthened and
English Electric was tasked
with making airframes in
conjunction with Handley
Page.
The Preston works would
make more than 3,000
Hampden and Halifax aircraft.
In December 1942, English
Electric bought D Napier &
Son Limited manufacturers of
the engines used in Typhoon
and Tempest aircraft and
motor torpedo boats.
Of particular interest to
CMV readers is the fact that
the Stafford works made
thousands of Covenanter,
Centaur and Cromwell
tanks as well as precision
instruments.
This book is a hybrid of a
company's annual reports,
a book of contacts, a roll of
honour and an official diary and
contains numerous black and
white images of its products
being made and in action.
The diary entries are
fascinating;
1940: 28th June. Stafford
Further contract received
for 200 'Covenanter' tanks
complete with the turrets
which the company were now
making and which hitherto had
been issued by the Ministry of
Supply from other sources.
24
words and pictures John Carroll
1941: 9th July. Preston
Order for 250 Halifax MkII
bomber aircraft.
1943: 12th November.
Stafford
For the welding of pontoons
and other seagoing craft, chiefly
for the Mulberry Harbour, 46
Arc Welding Units were ordered
by a government contractor.
1944: 18th October. Stafford
The first 'Comet' all-welded
heavy cruiser tank was delivered.
The contract for 500 Comets
was later extended to 600
and the diary notes that this
'Britain's fastest and most
heavily armoured cruiser led
our army's advance across
the Rhine.' English Electric's
other factories were also
delivering; Halifax bombers
from Preston, turbines from
Rugby and generators from
Bradford.
By April 1945, English
Electric was employing
25,000 in its four main works
although its wartime peak had
been 45,000.
The company would in
future make jet aircraft
following the first flight of a
Vampire from Samlesbury
Airfield, Preston on April 20,
1945, a date that apart from
VE and VJ days brings the
diary to a close.
Although undated, it must
have been
published soon after the
cessation of hostilities.
It's a great book that is
both curious and factual;
the formal diary entries
are complemented by the
numerous photos and it's
easy to imagine it on the
shiny mahogany table in a
boardroom somewhere.
It's the kind of find that
makes me glad I persevere
in those dusty cluttered
old bookshops and, while
writing this I was interested to
discover that the Imperial War
Museum has a copy within its
collection.
I also discovered that
there are more copies than
expected for sale online
so finding a copy won't be
difficult if this diary takes your
fancy.
Title War Diary of the English
Electric Company Ltd
Author n/a
Publisher English Electric
Company Ltd
Year c1945
ISBN n/a
Language English
Pages 260
Size 8.5x11in
Binding Hardback
Current Price From £25
www.ebay.com
 BACK Are you looking for
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ANDREW STONE Calendar January - September 2022 cmveditorial@keypublishing.com www.keymilitary.com

MAY semi-tracks and tanks, mainly from

2022
JANUARY
VE Day
Date May 8
the Wehrmacht.

Croydon Aviation and Various events (see local press for details) JUNE
Military collectors fair. Overlord Show
Date January 9 Tracks and Trade Date June 3-6
Location Croydon Aerodrome Hotel, Date May 12-15 Location The Lawns, Denmead, PO7 6HS
Purley Way, Croydon Surrey Location BAIV HQ, The Netherlands Website www.overlordshow.co.uk
Indoor. Free parking Website www.baiv.nl/blog/2021/08/19/ Hundreds of military vehicles and
Contact: davidsutton16@aol.com or tracks-trade/ re-enactors from World War One to
07973 885754 Four-day conference and auction for modern-day
invited guests hosted by BAIV
APRIL D-Day Festival Normandy
Tiger Day 16 Militracks Date June 6
Date April 23 Date May 14&15 Location Various events at Bayeux,
Location The Tank Museum, Bovington, UK Location Overloon War Museum, Longues-sur-Mer, Arromanches, Sainte-
Website https://tankmuseum.org/events/ Netherlands Mère-Église, Carentan, Utah, Isigny-sur-
Dedicated to the world’s most infamous Website www.militracks.nl Mer and Omaha.
tank, Tiger 131. See the only running Tiger One of the best events to view Website www.ddayfestival.com
I in action at the home of the tank. motorcycles, passenger vehicles, trucks,
Tankfest
Date June 24-26
Location The Tank Museum
COVID-19 IMPORTANT NOTICE Website https://tankmuseum.org.events/
Due to the impact of the coronavirus, we would like to advise readers to please The world’s biggest and best live display
check with organisers or visit the relevant websites for the most up to date of historic armour, living history, and
much more
information on all shows and events scheduled for 2022. CMV cannot guarantee
that the shows and events listed here will take place on the given dates.
Crowland 1940s Weekend
Please notify us of any changes by emailing cmveditorial@keypublishing.com
Date June June 25&26
Location Crowland, Lincolnshire

26
www.keymilitary.com cmveditorial@keypublishing.com January - September 2022 Calendar

Event to mark the 1947 floods with Buffalo

47 on display to the public.

Wartime in the Vale

Date June 18&19
Location Ashdown World War Two Camp
Ashdown Farm
Badsey Road, Evesham WR11 7PA
Website ashdowncamp.com/events
One of the UK’s largest World War Two
military vehicle and re-enactment events

JULY
Capel Military Show
Date July 2&3
Location Aldhurst Farm, Temple Lane,

ANDREW STONE
Capel, Surrey
Website www.capel-military-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://warandpeacerevival.com
UK’s largest gathering of classic military
vehicles and enthusiasts
AUGUST
Harborough at War
Date August 6&7
Location Market Harborough
Showground, Gallow Field Road, Market
Harborough, Leicestershire
Website harboroughatwar.co.uk
Featuring re-enactment groups, living
history groups, military vehicles, battle
simulations, displays, trade stalls and
Saturday night 1940s big band dance
Yorkshire Wartime Experience
Date August 12-14
Location Hunsworth Lane, Hunsworth, Nr
Bradford, BD4 6RN
Website www.ywe-event.info
More than 500 military vehicles on display
and 72 re-enactment groups in attendance
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.ausarmour.com
See one of the largest collections
of military muscle in the southern
hemisphere
SEPTEMBER
Tiger Day 17
Date September 17
Location The Tank Museum
Website https://tankmuseum.org.events/
See the only running Tiger I in action at the
home of the tank

ANDREW STONE

27
 2022 Tracks and Trade
A
new platform to be launched
later this year aims to make
the sale, restoration, and
transportation of classic
military vehicles much easier for
potential buyers and sellers.
The concept for Tracks and Trade was
started by Netherlands-based restoration
company British American Infantry
Vehicles (BAIV) in 2020 when it reached
out to individual collectors and curators
from museums around the world.
Talks were held to take the 'trade and
sale' of historic armoured military vehicles
28
to a new level, the idea to make it a
safer and easier proposition for those
involved. The event will allow those in
attendance to not only purchase a classic
military vehicle, safe in the knowledge
that its provenance is sound, but also
offer possible restoration solutions
 words CMV Correspondent

A new event aims to unite

buyers and sellers of
classic military vehicles
in a ‘one-stop shop’
by selling vehicles that
have been verified by
technical and historical
experts in addition to
offering tailored, high-end
restoration solutions

Tracks and Trade will take place in May in

combination with Militracks BAIV

‘The point of the Tracks and Trade

event is to give like-minded
people from all over the world the
opportunity to meet’
29
 and assistance in getting the necessary
permits and licenses to ensure the vehicle
arrives safely at its destination.
BAIV co-founder Ivo Rigter (Snr), who
has been involved in the idea from the
beginning said: “Anyone interested in
owning a military vehicle will need to
overcome certain hurdles before they can
take ownership. First, where does one
find one? The market for historical military
vehicles and related equipment is large
with interest coming from around the
world. It can be a daunting purchase.”
Ivo said that even once a vehicle
had been found, there were still many
challenges to overcome. “How do
you go about making sure it becomes
legally yours? Can you be confident
about the authenticity of the vehicle,
and how will you transport it home?
These are just some examples of
questions that may arise. At Tracks and
Trade, we can play a significant role in
the entire process, from helping find the
right vehicle and ensuring the necessary
permits are in place to the restoration
and transportation.”
As the market for militaria grows,
collectors today can be found around the
world. They range from private individuals
who can store their collection in a room
at home to modern museums with vast
collections of military vehicles. More than
30,000 World War Two military-related
‘Alice’ is an M-26 Pershing restored by the team at BAIV for a client in the US. BAIV items are offered on the Dutch website
‘Marktplaats’ every month. On eBay, this
number exceeds 1.4m items.
‘We estimate the annual market of “The purchase and sale of historic
military is currently mostly processed
historic military vehicles and tanks at via websites, online forums, Facebook

around €500m’ marketplace, specialised companies, and

auctions,” said Ivo.

The BAIV restoration team with Alice shortly before it was shipped to the client BAIV

30

“There has been significant growth
in the number of sites selling militaria
and we estimate the annual market of
historic military vehicles and tanks at
around €500m. While there are many
genuine sellers out there, there are also
a lot of unscrupulous people looking to
make quick money. It is a case of buyer
beware.”
Since the late 1980s, auction houses
have also become increasingly
active in the sale of military vehicles
and collections. However, specialist
knowledge of military vehicles is relatively
limited with many auctioneers, said
Ivo. “None of them can supply the
combination of purchase or sale with
the possibility of restoration. Vehicles are
always auctioned ‘as found’. What’s more,
An artist’s impression of what
the first Tracks and Trade event
will look like BAIV
the coverage of permits and licenses is
often largely left to the responsibility of the
buyer. As a result, several auctions and
‘overseas purchases’ have sometimes
led to long-running legal disputes and
lawsuits.”
Ivo said to because of these many
challenges faced by buyers, the idea of
Tracks and Trade was born. The concept
is simple: a reliable platform that offers a
network for information, discussion and
auctioning of high-end historical vehicles
(1914 to 1991).
“It unites sellers and buyers within a
one-stop shopping environment,” he said.
“It offers vehicles that have been verified
by technical and historical experts,
accompanied by tailored specification
with a high level of accuracy. The auction
31
platform allows users to see some of the
items after restoration.”
An official launch event for Tracks
and Trade will take the form of a ‘meet
and greet’ in May with a select group
of approximately 100 to 200 guests
attending from all around the world.
“The point of the Tracks and Trade
event is to give like-minded people
from all over the world the opportunity
to meet and also learn about the many
aspects of buying and restoring classic
military vehicles,” said Ivo. “It will be a
case of being allowed to buy the best
of the best and the best of those to be
restored.”
Tracks and Trade will bring together
experts from the world of ‘rolling military
heritage’ to share information,
Tracks and Trade will allow
buyers to purchase a vehicle
safe in the knowledge of its
provenance BAIV
 ‘As the market for militaria grows,
collectors today can be found around the world’
conduct research into specific subjects
and themes, and inspiring those in
attendance and build confidence among
potential buyers. “It will be a unique
event that encourages co-operation in
finding solutions during the exchange
of collections of museums and private
individuals,” said Ivo.
The launch of the event was originally
planned for September 2021, but due to
the Covid pandemic, it was postponed
and will now take place on May 12
and 13, 2022. It will be combined with
Militracks in Overloon. Both events
complement and strengthen one another.
Guests will get to listen to talks from
keynote speakers, attend shows, and
finally participate in a special auction with
unique military items on sale.
“We envisage that it will be held every
second year going forward,” said Ivo.
ABOVE: BAIV has been involved in many different
“Each event will have its own theme and and complex high end restorations for clients Axis powers in World War Two, however,
will be combined with an auction.” around the world BAIV Tracks and Trade will take place at
Held each year at the Overloon Museum different locations.
in the Netherlands, Militracks attracts TOP: BAIV’s impressive state-of-the-art For 2024, organisers are looking at
workshop in the Netherlands BAIV
about 30,000 visitors annually. It focuses holding it in the UK while Austria and the
specifically on vehicles that served the BELOW: Ivo Rigter (Snr) BAIV US have also been earmarked as
potential locations for future events. A
website, www.tracksandtrade.com serves
as a central platform for current offers,
registrations, and the latest news.

Tracks and Trade

is a brand name of BAIV
Netherlands-based BAIV specialises in the
restoration and preservation of US and
British historic war vehicles and tanks has
grown into one of the most recognised and
respected classic military vehicle restora-
tion companies in the world. The company
focuses on preserving cultural historical
military heritage with highly quality resto-
rations of historic armoured vehicles and
tanks. Projects include vehicles that were
produced from 1914 to 1991.

32
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33
words and pictures James Kinnear

Part 2

Lost
in the Fields
James Kinnear continues his road trip around
Russia, this time visiting museums and battlefields

Pervie Voin

S
ome years ago I made a spur restrictions and of course the inevitable
of the moment road trip from introduction of speed cameras. Our route, On the way south, we circumnavigated
Moscow to the battlefields comfortably taken in a new Land Cruiser Tula, which has an extensive small-arms
of Kursk, which proved to be which a friend’s wife was good enough to museum near the Tula Kremlin building
an interesting experience on several let us borrow for the trip, was Moscow- in the town centre, and various war
levels. And so, in 2021, with the world Kursk-Oboyan-Yakovlevo-Prokhorovka- memorials in the vicinity, and passed
amid travel restrictions and general Belgorod-Kursk-Glukhov and via Bryansk close to Novomoskovsk, where the
travel difficulties, there was no better back to Moscow. only surviving original BM-13 ‘Katyusha’
time than to go against the prevailing
grain and repeat the experience. So,
off we set on the 670km road journey
from Moscow to Prokhorovka, returning
by a circuitous 2,000km overall route
through a region that was ravaged by
war in 1941-45 and where reminders of
that war are to be found in almost every
village throughout the region.
As the old saying goes, what a
difference a day makes, or on this
occasion eight years. The regional
roads in Russia far from Moscow
used to be ‘variable’ in quality, but are
now significantly improved, with four-
lane highways and smooth tarmac for
much of the route, but with the travel
time now increased due to the added
‘modern’ inconveniences of regular speed

34

‘The tank and armoured vehicles museum
is in a high-tech style, with models and interactive exhibits’
rocket launcher mounted on an STZ-5
tracked tractor chassis can be seen on its
pedestal mount in the town centre.
A mere 337km south of Moscow on
the M2 highway just northeast of Orel
are the settlements of Sergievskaya and
Perviy Voin where there is a roadside
memorial complex to the 1st Guards Tank
ABOVE MIDDLE: The tank hall at the Museum
of Russian Military History at Padikovo near
Moscow
ABOVE TOP RIGHT: A T-80 main battle tank at
the Partisanskaya Polyana memorial complex
ABOVE BOTTOM RIGHT: The Padikovo museum
has now rebuilt a whole series of T-26 light tanks
from recovered wrecks with production dating
from 1932 to 1939
LEFT: A memorial complex to civilians murdered
during the Nazi occupation of the Bryansk region
in 1941-43, with individual losses recorded by
village and town
Division. The defensive action there at
the beginning of October 1941 involved
a major tank battle around the village
of Sergievskaya, the action involving a
total of 25 T-26, BT-5, BT-7, T-34 and KV
tanks of the 4th and 11th Red Army tank
brigades which engaged the Wehrmacht
3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions, slowing the
advance on Tula and Moscow.
The roadside memorial complex was
opened in 2001, consisting of a long
grassy ‘ploschadka’ or square directly
alongside the road, with lovingly manicured
grass and engraved granite memorials
detailing the action. It lists the names of
those awarded Hero of the Soviet Union
status based on the battle, and those lost
in action during the action. The memorial
complex has three tanks, a T-26 M-1933,
a T-34 M-1941 and an out of period T-34
M-1942 with the later hexagonal turret.
All the tanks have been restored from
battlefield wrecks, with the earlier T-34
being the typical situation of a preserved
Soviet tank sitting quietly as a symbol of
remembrance, and yet by its very presence
raising interesting technical questions.
35
Russia Destination
The tank is based on an early production
T-34 M-1940 hull, with the characteristic
early driver’s hatch and oblong
transmission access hatch; with a cast
turret; but armed with the later 76.2mm
F-34 gun with a welded and bolted mantlet
rather than the cast “pig snout” mantlet
of the earlier 76.2mm L-11 gun more
commonly mounted on the earlier tank.
More curiously still, the tank is fitted with
the all-steel roadwheels and simplified
drive sprocket common to later STZ
(Stalingrad) production tanks. The tank
has however obvious shell damage on
the glacis, while the hull, including the
STZ road wheels, shows clear corrosion
damage consistent with having been
underwater for many years. This was
most likely raised in that state, suggesting
the tank was originally built at STZ in that
(rare) configuration during wartime, or
rebuilt before being lost in action.
The T-34 M-1942 is by contrast a later
tank, based on a very final production early
(76.2mm armed) T-34 or a standard T-34-85
production hull (with an angled glacis beam)
and perforated ‘spider-web’ roadwheels.
words and pictures James Kinnear
ABOVE: The ZiS-12, an extended variant of the ZiS-
5, configured for mounting air defence equipment,
including the Z-15-4 searchlight as seen here
BELOW: A BM-13N ‘Katyusha’ MRS, which
was from 1942 standardised on the Lend-Lease
Studebaker US6 chassis
An unexpected display of three rare wartime
tanks at the side of the road, where a few
years ago there were none.
After a brief stop for coffee, it was
on to Prokhorovka, driving south and
circumnavigating the cities of Orel and then
Kursk (the city being quite some distance
from the battle named after it). The turn-off
to Prokhorovka is now helpfully signposted
in English in addition to Russian, as are most
road signs across the country, another major
change in recent years.
Victory Park, Prokhorovka
The long-established open-air exhibition of
tanks and armoured vehicles at Prokhorovka
field is well known, with a significant display
of T-34-85 tanks and SU-100 self-propelled
guns and other ‘mainstream’ tanks including
‘The regional roads in Russia far from
Moscow used to be ‘variable’ in quality,
but are now significantly improved’
the IS-2M and IS-3M.
The village of Prokhorovka, around
which the central action of the month-
long Battle of Kursk was fought is actually
nearer the town of Belgorod 40km to the
south rather than Kursk which is some
80km distant to the north.
For those interested in military
vehicles, the most recent expansion
of the museum complexes in the
village of Prokhorovka itself is however
a significant indication as to the
investments being made in Russian to
keep history alive for the next generation,
whether Russian or foreign.
Museum of Armoured Vehicles,
Prokhorovka.
The Muzei Bronetekhniki (Museum
36
of Armoured Vehicles) located in the
village of Prokhorovka is quite the centre
for military historians and armoured
vehicle enthusiasts. In 2013, on the 70th
anniversary of the Battle of Prokhorovka,
the decision was taken to build an
extensive indoor museum complex in
addition to the open-air Victory Park
exhibition. Built quite literally on a
greenfield site, the museum complex
consisting of three separate museums
formally opened in 2017. Outside the
entrance to the purpose-built armoured
vehicles’ museum is a striking monument
to Tankoviy Desant or tank-riding infantry.
Internally the tank and armoured vehicles
museum is in a high-tech style, with
models and interactive exhibits relating
the history of tank development. The story
begins with the first armoured horses
and wooden siege engines. It moves
through the centuries via wooden models
including Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous
‘tank’ design, to the 20th-century origins
of the tank warfare with models of the
British Mk1 ‘Male’ and German A7 tanks.
The story then moves on to demonstrate
early Russian armoured cars and tanks in
model form, including the early Russian
Vezdekhod and Mendeleev designs, and
the unique Lebedenko developed Tsar
Tank of which a prototype was built and
tested in the Moscow suburbs. The Soviet-
built KS tank, based on the French FT-17,
of which several examples were captured
during the Russian civil war moves the
story on from foreign origins to the first
Soviet tank designs.
Exhibits at this brand-new museum
complex also emphasise the technical
aspects of tank design and production,
explaining armour production, casting and
welding methods, the exhibits even include
a 1:50 scale model of the Uralmash plant.
There is a cutaway 1:1 scale reproduction
of an early production T-34 hanging from
the roof, which is used for interactive
displays, with sections of the tank being
highlighted during presentations; an
effective presentation method.
Outside the museum, there is a collection
of approximately 20 tanks and armoured
vehicles on display including the wartime
T-34-85 and a range of post-war tanks
 Russia Destination

including the Soviet standards such as the

T-62, T-64A, T-72, and T-80 main battle tanks.
Self-propelled artillery includes the ISU-
152 assault howitzer and the Soviet-era
2S1, 2S3M, 2S4 and 2S19 self-propelled
artillery vehicles. Infantry combat vehicles
include the BMP-1, BMP-2, BTR-70 and
the rare BTR-40ZhD, a version of the
standard 1950s era BTR-40 configured
with hydraulically lowered rail wheels for use
as a scout vehicle for armoured trains. The
museum also includes a range of anti-tank
guns and medium artillery and a sectioned
100mm D-10S gun from the SU-100.
The museum has its own three-bay
restoration workshop from which base
visitors have the option to take a ride on a
wide variety of armoured vehicles on the
attached tankodrom circuit, complete with
artificial hills, bridge, underpass and water
obstacle. Rental options include the BTR-
40, BTR-70 and BTR-80 wheeled BTRs,
BMP MICVs, BMD airborne vehicles and
tanks such as the T-62.
Entry is approximately £1 at current
exchange rates and photography
permission is another £1. The excellent ABOVE: The memorial to Soviet tankers at the Battle of Kursk is located on the M2 road south of Kursk
hotel we stayed in was directly across the rather than in the city
road from the museum complex in the
BELOW LEFT: An NKL-26 early wartime era assault aerosan, also once extinct, and now recreated

village of Prokhorovka, a superb, modern,
clean hotel with friendly staff and costing
the equivalent of £27 a night, full cooked
breakfast included.
There are two other museums literally
across the grass from the Prokhorovka
armoured vehicles museum, which
describe respectively the battles for the
Kursk Salient and the history of the Soviet
wartime military production effort. Between
the museums is an open-air display of
relics exhumed from the surrounding
battlefield, including the remains of several
T-34s and some other tanks.
This display of destroyed battlefield
remains is perhaps the most poignant
of all the items on display, in that each
collection of tank parts also represented
the obvious loss of human life.
The museums are open year-round, with
slightly shorter working hours in the winter
months when darkness comes early.
The museum has a website (covering all
the military museums in the ‘village’ of
Prokhorovka): www.prohorovskoe-pole.
ru which gives a good impression of the
extensive museum complex.
The editor of this magazine has
previously mentioned the perennial
problem of attracting the next generation
of younger people with, in many cases,
no direct military experience into the
hobby/interest/obsession.
In my own experience, a general interest
in things military is fed by a variety of
different inter-related themes, whether
visiting museums, or military shows, or for
the luckier few, visits to actual battlefields
such as related here.
It was some years ago that I visited the site
of the famous Battle of Balaclava, scene of
the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade in
mid-19th century Crimea against Russian
cannon. Standing on the actual location
rather reconstructed my schoolboy-era
minds-eye view of what that valley looks like,
it being rather less steep-sided and enclosed
and more like a flat plain between some
surrounding low hills.
The same applies with driving around
the Battle ‘field’ of Kursk, which in land
area is significantly larger than some
European countries, with undulating fields
of crops going off into the far horizon in
all directions. Within a mere couple of
hundred kilometres, one is however in the
deep forests of wartime partisan country;
with the sheer height of the trees and
the extent of the forests again bringing
perspective as regards distance and scale.
Partisanskaya Polyana, Bryansk
The Partisanskya Polyana (Partisan
Glade) memorial complex near Bryansk is
located deep in the woods, as were the
Soviet partisans that operated there when
the region was in occupied territory in the
years 1941-43. The complex is a memorial
to the partisans that fought in the region,
with the names of all known individuals
that died during the conflict recorded on
huge granite memorial blocks.
The open-air museum complex has a
series of sub-terrain wooden bunkers and
hideouts in their original wartime
locations, which is the main theme of the
memorial complex, but also has a large
collection of tanks, military vehicles,
artillery and even aircraft, hence widening
the appeal to family visitors.
Next Month
James concludes his trip around Russia
in part 3.

37

words Craig Allen pictures achive
T
he Wiesel is a diminutive,
armoured vehicle specially
developed for use by the
Bundeswehr’s Paratroopers.
Designed to be easily air-portable
it could carry a variety of weapon
systems and was originally intended
to provide fire support and battlefield
reconnaissance.
Later versions included an ambulance,
APC, mortar carrier and surveillance
variants with a larger Mk2 version being
developed. By way of contrast, British
airborne forces have mostly relied on
unarmoured Land Rovers in these roles.
The Parachute Regiment enjoyed regular
exchanges with the German Paras and
seeing them operate in the field I was
impressed by the Wiesel’s speed and
agility. It was essentially a mini-tank or
tankette and we simply had nothing like
these pocket-sized airborne battle wagons.
The W
The TOW armed Wiesel gave German Airborne
troops a useful anti-armour capability
BELOW: The Ozelot an air-defence version of the
Wiesel Mk2 armed with Stinger missiles
Still, in service with the Bundeswehr, its
protracted design and development make
for an interesting story.
The Wiesel story began in the early
1970s when the Bundeswehr started
looking for a light air-transportable
armoured vehicle for its airborne troops.
Porsche was offered the contract and
submitted prototypes in 1975 but the
military didn’t pursue the project due
to lack of funding. Undeterred Porsche
continued the development of the vehicle
with an eye to sales to both NATO and
foreign armies.
Eventually, in 1985 the Bundeswehr did
put in an order for 343 machines with
deliveries beginning in the late 1980s. An alternate version was armed with the
Named Wiesel due to its small size, the US produced TOW wire-guided anti-tank
original Mk1 version featured a one- missile. Both variants were powered by an
man KUKA turret. This was fitted with a Audi 2.1 lit turbodiesel producing 85hp and
Rheinmetall 20mm automatic cannon with giving the vehicle a top speed of 43mph.
the gunner using a Peri Z-l6 periscope sight. The powerplant was a standard motor
38
Wiesel The Bundeswehr’s
diminutive airborne
battle wagon

The Mk2 120 mortar carrier features a pair of

stabilising jacks and an automatic gun laying system

BELOW: An MK 1 with camouflage

‘With its modest enemy observation. The reconnaissance

version with its 20mm cannon could
weight of three provide useful fire support to the lightly
armed paratroopers.
tonnes and low The TOW armed vehicle could meanwhile

ground pressure, take on enemy armour. A flexible 7.62mm

vehicle engine and could be changed in
the field in as little as 15 minutes.
With its modest weight of three tonnes
and low ground pressure, the vehicle had
impressive cross-country performance.
Lightly armoured the Wiesel could only
the vehicle had
impressive
cross-country
performance’
withstand small-arms projectiles and shell
fragments and had to rely on its speed
and agility for survival on the battlefield.
One advantage of its diminutive size and
low silhouette was that it offered a small
target and was easily concealed from
MG3 was additionally mounted to both
types providing intimate protection from
infantry. Designed from the outset to be
air-portable the Wiesel could be airlifted
by a CH-53 helicopter and air-dropped if
required. With the addition of a flotation
kit, it could also cross water obstacles
powered by its tracks.
Once in service with the 1st Airmobile
Division, further developments of the
Wiesel were pursued including a version
armed with the Franco-German HOT anti-
tank missile system. Trials were also run
to test the usefulness of the vehicle as a
battlefield load carrier while a variety of
alternate weapon fits were tried. These

39

A Wiesel Mk1 TOW emerges from the belly of a CH-53 helicopter, which can carry two internally
included a 12.7mm HMG, recoilless rifle
and a more powerful 25mm cannon.
These experiments suggested a larger
version might be useful leading directly to
the development of the Wiesel Mk2.
The Bundeswehr first ordered the larger
Mk2 version of the Wiesel in the mid-
1990s with field trials commencing in
1997. Developed by MaK of Rheinmetall
Land Systems this stretched version was
longer at 4.78m with an increased height
of 2.17m.
This gave almost twice the internal
‘One advantage of its diminutive size
and low silhouette was that it offered a
small target’
imager for night use.
Designed to be easily air-portable the
increased weight at over 10,000lbs meant
it was not air-droppable. To deal with the
extra weight a more powerful VW/Audi
109hp diesel engine was fitted producing
109hp and driving through a ZF auto-
transmission.
All the driving controls were now digital
rather than using mechanical linkages with
the electronic control system automatically
adjusting power output according to the
load. First coming into service in 2001 the
Wiesel 2 was able to fulfil a wider series of
battlefield roles due to its increased load
capacity of up to one ton.
These included recce, command,
The Wiesel Mk1 recce and fire support version armed
space of the Mk1, and it is easily with the 20mm RH-202 cannon
identified by its larger hull and additional
fifth road-wheel on either side. Ground
clearance is also improved over the
original model and the body is wider at
1.87m. Armour protection was increased
but was still only sufficient to withstand
7.62mm projectiles and shell fragments.
However, the crew now benefited
from air conditioning and a full NBC
system fitted as standard. The optics
were also improved and included a
high-resolution day sight with a thermal
A Wiesel Mk1 on the high plains of Afghanistan
engineer, weapons carrier, and
ambulance versions. An APC model
could carry four fully equipped troops,
useful for deploying reconnaissance
teams and forward observation parties.
The command post variant meanwhile
featured a roof-mounted HARD radar
and enhanced communication systems.
Further air defence versions were
also developed along with a specially
designed mortar carrier. This featured a
120mm mortar mounted at the rear along
with two stabilising jacks.
An automatic gun laying system was
used and the weapon lowered to the
horizontal position for manual loading.
All standard 120mm ammunition can be
used including special guided munitions
with 27 rounds carried internally.
The three-man crew consists of a
commander driver and loader and
the mortar has an effective range of
6,000m. Enlarging the original Wiesel
40
platform greatly improved its usefulness
making the vehicle attractive to other
branches of the German Army beyond
airborne forces.
For example, the Bundeswehr chose it
as the platform for its new Ozelot light air
defence system based on the LeFlaSys
Stinger. This mobile system consists of
a command post vehicle, a fire control
vehicle, and an air defence carrier
mounting the weapon system itself. To
fulfil this new role additional Wiesel 2s
were ordered from the manufacturer
Rheinmetall.
The Bundeswehr currently holds a
SPECIFICATIONS
stock of around 340 Wiesel Mk1s and Model Wiesel Mk1 Model Wiesel Mk2
some 180 Mk2 versions in various roles. Manufacture Porsche/Rheinmetall Manufacture Rheinmetall
Land Systems Land Systems
Country Germany Country Germany
Year 1988-2001 Year 2001-current
Engine VW/Audi 2.1 86hp Engine VW/Audi 9.1 109hp
Fuel Diesel Fuel Diesel
Transmission ZF automatic Transmission ZF LSG 300/4 automatic
Suspension Torsion Bar Suspension Torsion Bar
four road-wheels five road-wheels
Top Speed 43mph Top Speed 45mph
Armament 20mm Cannon / TOW Armament HOT/ Stinger/120mm
ATGM, 7.62 MG3 Mortar, 7.62 MG3
Crew Two Crew Three
Weight Three tonnes Weight 4.78 tonnes

Variants
Mk1 Weapons Carrier, (HOT Missiles)
Recce/Fire Support Vehicle (20mm Armoured Personnel Carrier
cannon) (four Troops)
Anti-Tank Vehicle (TOW ATGM) Armoured Ambulance
Air Defence Vehicle ( LeFlaSys
Mk2 Stinger)
Reconnaissance Mortar Carrier (120mm)
Command & Control (HARD Radar)

Standard equipment to airborne and

TOP: Both versions of the Wiesel
mountain units, both types have seen Mk1 pictured together
service on overseas peacekeeping THIS IMAGE: The APC version of
missions including deployments to the Wiesel Mk2 can carry recce
Afghanistan and Somalia. and forward observation teams
Recently a modernisation and life
extension contract was awarded to
Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft,
(FFG) ensuring the Wiesel Mk1 will
remain in service until at least 2030. The
improvements include the fitting of CAMAC
ballistic armour offering greater protection
to the crew along with new armament and
updated communication systems.
To date, the Wiesel has not been sold to
any foreign armies although the US military
did trial a small number for use as remote
vehicles. The Bundeswehr commitment to
providing dedicated armour for its airborne
arm is impressive but this compact little
AFV has been found useful in many other
roles and promises to be around for a long
time to come.

41
www.keymilitary.com

42
 Photospread 2007

An abandoned T34-85 remains a visual relic from decades of fighting in Mozambique, starting with the War of Independence from 1964-74 and
then followed by the Mozambican Civil War fought from 1977-92. The civil war was fought between Mozambique’s ruling Marxist Front for the
Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) and the anti-communist insurgent forces of the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO). It also involved
outside, regional protagonists including Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa and the former Rhodesia (prior to 1980). FRELIMO initially
received substantial military and development aid from the Soviet Union and East Germany. More recently Mozambique has seen an upsurge in
violence from Islamist insurgents in the north of the country
ANDREW STONE

43
N
eil Whatling, a military vehicle
collector and enthusiast known
to many for his Tanks 4 a Ride
contribution at shows in the
UK has owned this 1992 Leyland DAF
for around four years.
The heavy lifter has proved useful in
transporting Neil's military vehicles around
and he’s found that his collection, which
includes a 25-pounder gun, a half-track
and a Dodge Command Car fits on the
flat rack.
The medium mobility load carrier
(MMLC) with demountable rack offload
and pick-up system (DROPS) is much
more convenient than the low loader he
was using as transport before Covid. The
rising costs of public liability insurance
means Neil no longer offers tank rides at
shows up and down the country.
Most of his haulage needs are smaller
and closer to home doing proms,
commemorative events and exhibiting
at local vehicle shows. He's only done
2,000km since owning the Leyland but
says that being able to load and unload
himself has been brilliant.
Neil said the lorry was very easy to
drive, does six miles to the gallon but that
50mph was “flat out” and revving highly.
He feels it could do with another gear.
“The British Army used to run them at
40mph as standard back in the 90s, so I
suppose they never had too much bother
44
with it,” said Neil. “It's clever for its time
and has a ZF fully automatic transmission
and a button on the right of the driver that
applies a retarder.
“This acts as a braking system so when
travelling fully loaded down steep slopes,
it slows the vehicle down in each gear,
effectively bringing the whole unit to a
stop. It means you don't have to use the
brakes too much and that saves on wear
and tear.
“With the button pressed, holding it in
first or second gear and then taking your
foot off the accelerator keeps the retarder
on and stops it behaving like a runaway
train.”
Former drivers have warned that
 words and pictures Vicky Turner

Military

Muscle The Leyland DAF MMLC with DROPS

was developed at a time when the
British Army wanted a mobile, self-
loading vehicle with a large payload

‘He's only done 2,000km

since owning the Leyland
but says that being able to
load and unload himself
has been brilliant’

45
1 2

4 5

auto. There are safety features such as a

7 enable drive again. The vehicle can then
ABOVE (LEFT TO RIGHT)
1-7 The Leyland DAF DROPS was developed with the aim of making loading and unloading easier and
this sequence of photographs shows the various stages which can be done by one person
engaging the retarder when running
downhill empty or with no flat-rack in wet
conditions can be dangerous as the front
axles can lock putting the vehicle into a
jack-knife slide.
Cautionary tales aside, it’s a very
capable rig that was designed to be
pretty much foolproof for the British Army.
It's easy to go from normal road driving
mode to off-road driving. There's a rotary
switch with a green light for each mode
– to engage rear axles, to put the front
axles in drive and to engage all the diffs.
Just a few turns and you're ready for
serious terrain.
The Leyland DAF DROPS featured the
multi-lift MK4 load handling system,
engineered to lift loads of up to 1,500kg
on purpose-built flat-racks that lift, tip and
slide the load back over the chassis.
Operating the lifting equipment is
relatively simple - you just put it into
Strawson inclinometer with a red and a
green wine glass. If the glass is red the
vehicle cuts out so that it doesn't roll or
tip – that’s both side-to-side and front to
back. When it gets to a dangerous angle,
it stops, and the operator can only load
when the vehicle is reasonably level.
All the lifting equipment is controlled
from a unit above the driver's head once
the vehicle is parked and in auto mode.
There is a load/unload lever by the
driver's right knee and when pushed, the
hook and a-frame come up and over the
vehicle before descending.
Once it is down, the lever is released to
be reversed until the lifting point is lined
up to the load. All that is then needed
is for the vehicle to be connected and a
lever moved to start the lifting.
The handbrake needs to be off so that
the hook pulls the vehicle back to the
load that it's simultaneously lifting until it
comes to rest under the rack, which then
settles to a level position.
With the handbrake back on again, the
operator can then use the various anchor
points to lash down the load before
setting off ready to repeat the process
in reverse to off-load. There's a sizeable
locker opposite the fuel tanks that is

46

handy for stashing all the ratchets, straps,
chocks and chains.
In the years since he has owned the
truck, it has needed nothing in the way
of parts or serious overhaul, just the
normal servicing. The only job that Neil’s
had to do is change the four front tyres
to comply with new legislation. The DAF
came with barely used tyres but the new
law means you can't have anything over
ten years old on a steering axle so they
had to be replaced. Neil has kept the old,
part-worn ones, as they can be used on
the rear axle wheels.
In the mid-1970s the British Army of the
Rhine was subject to a re-evaluation of
its firepower needs and battle readiness.
A large storage locker able to hold a
variety of equipment is located on
the side
3
During this period at the height of the
Cold War, the biggest threats appeared
to be the Soviets. Strategists were trying
to predict their next move as well as
respond to known developments like
the T-72 tank being impervious to (then
standard) 105mm artillery.
Military planning and mechanised
innovation were being driven by a fear of
the USSR – the country’s technological
and communication advancements
seemingly pointing to new battle tactics
which included rapid mobilisation, speedy
deployment and huge firepower. The
British Army had to respond.
It became clear in the late 1970s
and early 1980s that the current fleet
47
consisting of fixed-bodied trucks being
loaded and unloaded by forklifts was an
inadequate logistics system involving lots
of personnel, stationary vehicle (potential
target) queues and storage issues.
Studies concluded that many of the
delays could be eliminated and military
mobility significantly increased by a self-
loading vehicle with a large payload and
preferably built to ISO 20ft container
standard size. The DROPS requirement
was identified through this process and
the MOD sent out invitations to tender in
1982. Unusually, it requested a design for
the whole system, integral to the vehicle
and not a bolt-on or a conversion.
A wide variety of businesses from
Rememberance Day
Neil and his collection recently took
part in a Remembrance Day service at
Deenethorpe Airfield and the DROPS was
on transport duty. Around 120 people and
20 military vehicles gathered at the airfield
to remember the site’s wartime history.
During World War Two, RAF Deenethorpe
was home to heavy bombers and played an
active role in the logistics and air support
for D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and
the Battle of the Bulge.
across the automotive engineering
industry submitted designs. The selection
process was detailed and exacting,
the British Army had never been so
demanding of their suppliers before.
The designs selected for development
and small scale production after
prototypes had been assessed were
subject to rigorous testing for a whole
year in 1986 by a specially formed trials
unit.
The Leyland DAF DROPS made it
through all the challenges and a contract
to manufacture 1,522 trucks was awarded
in 1987. The drivetrain was initially
developed by Scammell Motors – part of
the Leyland Group – as the S26, a military
version of its commercial vehicle, firstly as
a 6x6 vehicle.
After the 1986 trials, it was developed
further to become the 8x6 version, with
a Rolls-Royce Perkins 350 Eagle engine
that went into production in 1989.
The first batch was delivered to the
MOD in 1990. The units were built at the
Leyland factory in Lancashire; DAF NV
had just bought the Leyland Group and
the Scammell workshops in Watford were
being closed.
There is a degree of irony here. The
vehicles were designed to do a specific
job, which they did admirably, but the
customer, the MOD, and consequently
the designers, visualised war only in the
colder climes of the Northern Hemisphere
in and around Western Europe and
designed accordingly.
These vehicles came into service in
1990, after the fall of the Berlin War.
Geopolitics had moved on and the
theatres of war had migrated to the
Middle East. A cold climate designed
vehicle was about to be deployed into
some of the hottest and most hostile
environments – the deserts of Iraq and
Afghanistan.
During the first Gulf War, some of
these MMLCs with DROPS suffered
catastrophic failures as sand worked
its way into the engine. A raised air
intake was quickly retrofitted, those in
production modified, and the issue was
resolved. The DROPS survived the harsh
climate of the desert; that their heating
system was excellent didn't matter much.
They remain a popular vehicle for
ABOVE: Gauges on the dash
including fuel and revs
ABOVE TOP: The load/unload
lever which can be seen in the
centre of this picture starts the
process
BELOW: Neil has found the
vehicle useful for transporting his
collection of military vehicles
48
SPECIFICATIONS
Make Leyland DAF
Model Medium Mobility Load
Carrier
Nationality British
Year 1992
Production Run 1,400 approx. from
1990-95
Engine Perkins 350LM Eagle 12.7l
straight 6 turbo
Fuel Diesel
Displacement 998 cm3
Fuel Capacity 272l
Power 350bhp @ 2100rpm
Range 500km
Max speed 75kp/h
Gearbox Automatic ZF 6HP 600
Gears Six forward and one reverse
with lockable torque converter
Transfer Box Leyland single speed,
selectable six-wheel drive
Tyres 445/65 R22.5
Brakes Air brakes, dual line, dual
circuit
Suspension Semi elliptic three-leaf
springs with telescopic hydraulic
shock absorbers, double acting on
both front axles only
Crew/seats two (+one if needed)
Dimensions (overall)
Length 9,110mm
Width 2,500mm
Height 3,180mm (to top of cab)
Weight 14,000kg
enthusiasts and collectors alike. They are
capable, on and off-road, and with their
own MHE, invaluable to anyone moving
large bits of kit around. While the MOD
did order some spare cabs from Leyland
DAF during the production years, there
are none to be found on the spares
market – the MOD exhausted supplies
pretty quickly as many got damaged in
the line of duty. They're a costly vehicle
to keep on the road with an eye-watering
low mpg and spares being rare and
expensive. But what a set-up.
The Panzer I in the ‘War Clouds‘ exhibit at
the American Heritage Museum. The lighting
makes it look green but it is grey

Panzer
Restor 50
words Craig Moore pictures American Heritage Museum

Craig Moore spoke to

the team behind the
restoration of a rare
German Panzer I Ausf.A

T
he Collings Foundation’s new
American Heritage Museum
in Hudson near Boston,
Massachusetts, has recently
finished restoring a rare German Panzer
I Ausf.A, of which there are only six
surviving examples. It will be one of two
restored to a working condition and
the only one on public display in North
America. The tank was supplied by the
Jacques Littlefield Collection in July 2013.
The development of the panzer dates
to when Germany secretly started to
rearm from the mid-1920s in breach of
the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.
The Panzer I was the first mass-produced
tank of the Wehrmacht. Initially, it was
intended to be used as a driver training
tank and the first 15 were delivered
without turrets.
Its full name was 2. Serie/
Landwirtschaftliche Schlepper
(Panzerkampfwagen I (Maschinengewehr)
(Sonderkraftfahrzeug 101) Ausführung A).
This translates to ‘series two/agricultural
tractor (armoured combat vehicle Mk.I,
(machine gun) (special purpose vehicle
101) version A)’. This was abbreviated to
Panzer I Ausf.A (Sd.Kfz.101) or PzKpfw I
Ausf.A (Sd.Kfz.101).
Production started in 1934. A total
of 863, 2. Serie/ Landwirtschaftliche
Schleppers were produced. Krupp
Grusonwerk produced 328, MAN
produced 160, Rheinmetall produced 110,
Henschel produced 150 and Daimler-
Benz produced 115.
The turret was armed with two 7.92mm
M.G.13K machine guns. The tank’s
protective armour ranged from 6mm to

ration
15mm thick. This would only protect the
crew from small arms fire and shrapnel. It

51
ABOVE The Panzer I turret and superstructure
was worked on separate from the hull
ABOVE RIGHT The Panzer I was first worked on
by Greg Taylor in his Nevada workshop
FAR RIGHT The fitting of Panzer I turret and
superstructure to the hull in the American
Heritage Museum’s Workshop
was used as a reconnaissance scout tank.
The next version of the tank was the
Panzer I Ausf B. It was 40cm longer to
accommodate a more powerful 100hp
engine and had an additional fifth road
wheel. The armour thickness and
weapons remained the same. It was
slightly heavier: its combat weight was
now 5.8 tonnes rather than 5.4 tonnes and
it was fitted with a more powerful Maybach
engine to cope with the weight increase.
Panzer I tanks first saw action in the
Spanish Civil War in 1936 with the
Condor Legion at the battle of Madrid.
A Panzer I tank could only damage the
communist Republican army’s Soviet T-26
tanks at short range but were effective
against enemy machine gun nests,
artillery batteries and soft skin vehicles.
Both versions of the tank were used in
the 1939 invasion of Poland, the 1940
ABOVE LEFT: The rear
of the Panzer I turret before the
restoration AIDAN MCMACKIN
BELOW: The arrival of the Panzer I tank at
the American Heritage Museum from Greg
Taylor’s workshop in Nevada
52
occupation of Denmark and Norway, plus
the Battle of France.
In 1941 they were shipped to North Africa,
where they saw action in the desert with
Rommel’s Afrika Korps as scout tanks.
They were later replaced by the Panzer II.
They were also used on the Eastern Front
but were withdrawn from front line duties
in the Spring of 1942 after it was found
that they could not cope with the poor
winter conditions. They continued to be
used for tank crew training and internal
security, anti-partisan policing roles.
The American Heritage Museum’s
Panzer I Ausf.A is powered by an original
restored Krupp M 305 four-cylinder air-
cooled 3.5 litre 60hp petrol engine. Dick
Moran oversaw the restoration of the
Panzer I tank when it was transported to
the museum’s workshops in 2020.
“The tank was not in running condition
when it was on display in Ottawa
and California,” he explained. “The
replacement engine had been worked on
before we got it. There were a lot of new
parts, but it did not run.
“We worked on overhauling the engine
and got her working. The magneto had to
be rebuilt first before we put the engine
back into the tank. She fired up okay, and
we took her for a short drive, the first time
for over 70 years, I suspect.
“The number one connection rod started
to make an abnormal noise, so we shut
her down immediately. It did not do any
damage to the engine, but we were not
going to take any chances.
“We took the engine out again and
replaced the defective connecting rod.
It only takes about half an hour to take
the engine out. Compared with the other
tanks we work on, it is a very small
engine and easy to handle. We call it the
VW car engine on steroids.

“It is great to have an original wartime
engine in the tank. We probably have
enough spare parts to build a second
one. The engine was also used on the
Krupp Protze six-wheeled German truck,
so spare parts occasionally come up for
sale. Most of our spare parts came from
the Littlefield Collection strike sale.”
Dick added: “There are two brass fuel
tanks. They had had some work done
on them in the past but were in a perfect
working condition. In the back deck
next to the engine cover, there are two
ABOVE: The turret was traversed by a pistol grip
hand traverse under the turret ring
BELOW: The driver’s vision slits and the empty
vision block holders are fitted it behind them
SPECIFICATIONS
Model Panzer 1 Ausf.A
Length 4.02m
Width 2.06m
Height 1.72m
Weight 5.4 tonnes
Engine Krupp M 305 four-cyl air-
cooled 3.5 litres 60hp petrol engine
Crew two
Left barrel 7.92mm M.G.13K
machine gun
Right barrel 7.92mm M.G.13K
machine gun
Armour 5mm - 15mm
Max Speed 37.5km/h
Max Range 140km
Total built 1,190 (863 of the 2.La.S)
armoured caps on each side. They have
a steel quarter turn key that you have to
unlock to open that flap. Inside that is
another cap which you have to open to
give you access to the fuel tanks.”
Most German World War Two tanks
were started using a large crank handle
at the back of the vehicle to reduce the
strain on the electrical starter motor and
Dick explained the starting operating
procedures for the Panzer I.
“We have to turn on the master power
switch which gives power to the dash.
You turn the magneto control switch to
the ‘on’ position and then push the start
button. It starts up easily each time with
full choke. It has that nice post-war VW
car and van engine sound when it starts.
“On a cold start, we pre-oil the engine to
make sure each bearing is covered, and
we have good oil pressure before starting
it. The tank does have the option of using
a crank handle at the back, but this
vehicle is not fitted with a large, powerful
engine like the later tanks, so it can safely
be turned on using the electrical button-
operated starter motor.”
Dick said the tank’s tracks and
suspension were still in reasonable
condition. “All the track links are original.
They have a lot of wear as if the tank had
been used as a training tank, but they are
still serviceable. Most of the track pins
had to be replaced.
“The sprocket wheel’s teeth show some
wear but are in a good condition so did
not have to be replaced. The idler wheels
are also original, but one has some
shrapnel damage. Some of the track links
also have bullet and shrapnel damage.”
As for driving the tank, Dick said: “It
does not have a steering wheel. The
driver controls the tracks by using two
vertical tillers. Steering is easy and very
53
Model Panzer 1 Ausf.B
Length 4.42m
Width 2.06m
Height 1.72m
Weight 5.8 tonnes
Engine Maybach NL 38 Tr six-cyl water-
cooled 3.8 litre 100hp petrol engine
Crew two
Left barrel 7.92mm M.G.13K
machine gun
Right barrel 7.92mm M.G.13K
machine gun
Armour 5mm - 15mm
Max Speed 30km/h
Max Range 170km
Total built 399
responsive. Changing gear is just like
driving a standard shift (manual gearbox)
vehicle; you depress the clutch, select
the gear, release the clutch and peddle
the gas (petrol) to move forward or
backwards if reverse has been selected.
“It does not have a preselector or
automatic gearbox. The dashboard has
only a few dials. It has an oil pressure
gauge, speedo, tachometer, but it does
not have a temperature gauge.
“Most photographs you see taken during
the war have the two hatches behind the
turret locked fully open. This was to help
cool the engine. The heat from the engine
can be felt inside the crew compartment,
and it is extremely noisy inside, much
more than most other tanks we drive. I
did not expect it to be that loud.”
The driver has vision ports to the left
and right in addition to one at the front.
“Although there is a vision port behind the
driver, it is very hard to see out of,” said
Dick. “He would have to rely on directions
given by the tank commander in the turret.”
The driver’s vision port hatches could stay
open thanks to a lever on both sides that
locked into place with a thumbscrew.
“Behind the vision slits on the armoured
hatches is a vision block,” said Dick. “These
can be removed if they get battle damaged.
There should be two in front of the driver to
protect his eyes, but we only have one. We
would love to find another.”
The turret traverses by means of a
mechanical, gear-driven traverse. “There
is no power traverse, but it works very
easily,” said Dick. “If they had to make a
rapid turn left or right, they would probably
put the gearing into neutral and swing the
turret onto the target and then put it into
gear to make the fine adjustments.”
The 7.92mm M.G.13K machine guns in
ABOVE: The driver’s seat and controls
the turret are original and came with the BELOW: The machine gun ammunition-ready
tank but have been deactivated.” “We rack was fitted between the two machine guns
did not have ammunition magazines,
but a collector in the US had over 60
magazines, and he donated them to the
museum,” said Dick.
“We loaded the magazines with inert
ammunition. In front of the two machine
guns is a ready rack and that is fully kitted
out with four full magazines full of bullets
available for immediate use.”
The restored tank is going to be
displayed in the museum’s War Clouds
exhibit, where the build-up to World All the track pins
War Two and the Blitzkrieg is being had to be replaced
highlighted. The tank has been painted
grey with large white crosses on the side. the sub floor and items like the driver’s believed that the deactivated M.G.13K
Hunter Chaney, director of marketing chair attached to the floor had corroded machine guns that were fitted to the tank
for The Collings Foundation said they away. The dash panel instruments were turret had been sourced by the Littlefield
had wanted to give the tank markings either missing or corroded. It all had to be Collection and were not the originals
that were used in the early part of the removed and replaced. mounted by the German factory.”
war during the invasion of Poland. “The “About ten 7.92 mm rounds were found Aidan said that at “some point” the
markings were copied from wartime under the floor dated 1945. We found tracks did not turn so a gas axe had been
photographs,” he explained. very sandy soil at the bottom. Greg took used to cut the linkage between the two
Rob Collings, CEO of the Collings samples to be analysed but they were final drives and the steering unit to enable
Foundation said well-known tank restoration lost during the clearance of his workshop the sprocket drive wheels to turn. “That
expert Greg Taylor had been working on following his death. linkage had to be replaced,” he said.
the Panzer I before he died in 2020. “There “The engine was shot and so were “The right final drive had to be taken
is a gap in our knowledge on exactly what most of the other parts inside the engine apart and overhauled as parts had warped
parts had to be replaced but I believe the compartment. Rob obtained an original as if it had suffered a big impact. The
suspension and springs are original,” said Krupp M305 engine that had been used transmission was in great shape and just
Rob. “Greg made new road wheel rings, as a standalone generator and shipped it needed the lubrication renewing. There
removed the rubber and pressed them to Greg. was bullet and shrapnel damage by the
back on. He was in the process of making “Other parts were sourced from around engine and track area on the left side.”
the tank a working drivable vehicle.” the world, but some had to be fabricated The museum is planning to run a larger
He added: “Unlike most other German like the throttle linkage. I was told that the Tankfest-style event in 2022 and bring the
wartime vehicles, this tank is relatively engine that was removed was going to be Panzer I tank out for it.
easy to work on. It is almost like a used as a static display exhibit.
Sherman tank; access to the suspension “The hull and turret were sandblasted.
is simple. The interior is a different matter. There were about five layers of cream
It is so small and cramped that it makes coloured paint inside the tank. The
access difficult.” original paint on the outside of the tank
Before he died Greg had been teaching had been removed at some point and
Aidan McMackin, a young mechanic then painted dark green over red primer.
and military vehicle collector, the skills That green paint was then painted over
needed to be a competent restorer with grey paint.
and Aidan occasionally helped with the “Greg had photographs of the tank in
Panzer I restoration. Canada. It did not have machine guns.
“Lots of the fixtures inside the tank They would have been removed in Europe Another view of the Panzer I in the ‘War Clouds‘
were missing,” explained Aidan. “Most of before being shipped to Canada. He exhibit at the American Heritage Museum

54
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S
ince Series One sale prices
skyrocketed some people
have latched onto the fact that
Belgian Minervas, basically
Land Rover Series Ones in steel
clothing could be purchased at a
fraction of the price.
This pool of steel-bodied Series Ones
located just over the Channel in Belgium
exists due to a deal that was struck by
Belgian car manufacturer Minerva after
World War Two. It came about because
the Belgian Military needed a four-wheel
drive utility vehicle similar to a Jeep or
Land Rover.
Rather than going down the expensive
and time-consuming route of developing
its own solution, Minerva approached
Land Rover in 1951 with a licensing
proposal where it would purchase
CKD (knockdown) kits consisting
of everything minus the aluminium
bodywork. It would also receive
technical advice from Land Rover. The
proximity of the two countries also
made this deal a sensible option.
Minerva assembled the rolling chassis
and bulkhead as well as the engine
and transmission. The bodywork was
designed to satisfy Belgian military
requirements and was built out of steel.
The distinctive slope angled front wings
of all Minerva 4X4s was because the
Minerva factory did not have the tooling to
form the curved wings of the Land Rover.
In 1952 Minerva agreed on a deal

‘It is fair to say that the Blindees are as rare

as rocking horse doo dah since so few were built’

56
 words and pictures Garry Stuart

A Very Special

Minerva
Peter Wales’ Blindee
is known to have seen
action in the Congo crisis

The Minerva pictured here is

owned by Peter Wales from Kent

57

Space for storage of Jerrycans and other
equipment at the rear
to take 2,500 CKD units from Land Rover
and shortly after a further batch was
ordered (approx 3,800) all for military use.
By the end of 1953, a total of 7,859 CKD
units had been supplied. These military
Minervas were not all put into service
at once and many were stockpiled/
mothballed in hangars and only driven
around the yard to ensure that they didn’t
seize up.
The Belgian military was still using these
vehicles as late as the 1980s when it
began to sell them off in batches of 20
The ambulances were the only ones that
had extension frames and tilts to provide
cover for the stretchers which protruded
from the rear end.
The Minerva pictured here owned by
Peter Wales from Kent is altogether a
more exotic and rare beast. It is one of
only 66 Blindee Minervas built. Blindee
can be translated as ‘armoured.’
Thirty Blindees were designated as
airfield defence vehicles and they differed
from the remainder in that they had extra
armour plating on their sides. The other

‘Luckily it was units. The earlier assembled vehicles

had Land Rover chassis and bulkheads
36 vehicles were paratrooper assault
vehicles that operated in the same
almost complete but Minerva soon began making its own
which are identifiable by the omission of a
capacity as British SAS Pink Panthers.
Presumably, the side armour plating was
which is a major PTO hole in the rear crossmember.
By the time Minerva started producing
left off to reduce weight and facilitate
manoeuvrability in difficult off-road
result as many civilian versions in late 1953, it stated in
its advertising that the vehicles were more
conditions.
The Minerva Blindees are instantly
parts are unique to than 60% Belgian-manufactured. recognisable due to their frontal armour

the Blindee and are Much as Land Rover touted its 80in as
a multi-purpose vehicle, Minerva did the
plating and their characteristic dual semi-
circular bulletproof glass screens which

almost impossible same, basically copying Land Rover’s

brochures of the time.
to find’ Minerva produced the same range of
body options of truck cab, tilt, hardtop
and Station Wagon. In 1954 Land Rover
produced the 86in wheelbase and
protect the driver and front gunner.
Front and rear 30mm Browning machine
guns provide firepower. All had a front-
mounted angled spare wheel behind which
is a series of heavy-duty metal slats that
can be adjusted to allow airflow to the

Minerva assembled the rolling

chassis and bulkhead as well as
the engine and transmission

Weapons storage on the side of the vehicle

Various tools were stored on the bonnet
1,100 were supplied to Minerva until the
termination of the arrangement between
the two companies in 1956.
It is rare to find surviving examples of
86in civilian Minervas as they were used
and abused by farmers and builders and
their steel bodies deteriorated far more
rapidly than British aluminium.
Military Minervas performed much the
same range of duties as Land Rovers did
in the British military – general troop and
officer transport, comms vehicles fitted
for radio, fire tenders and ambulances.
radiator or close it off altogether to protect
the radiator and engine from small arms fire.
It is fair to say that the Blindees are as
rare as rocking horse doo dah since so
few were built and some those were
involved in operations in the Belgian
Congo between 1960 and 1965. Not only
were they used by the Belgian Special
Forces but some were also driven by the
infamous mercenary army led by ‘Mad’
Mike Hoare in helping to suppress the
Simba rebellion in the Congo Crisis. Peter
Wales’ Blindee is special in that it has

58

‘They believe they know the
whereabouts of another 45
non-running examples in
various states of disrepair’
known provenance as having seen action
in the Congo Crisis.
Pathe newsreel footage shows this very
vehicle on active duty outside an airport
in 1960, presumably protecting white
refugees who were seeking to escape
the perilous situation that was rapidly
developing. Its identification numbers can
be seen and correspond to those on this
vehicle. The bulletproof glass shields on
Peter’s Blindee clearly show evidence of
being hit by small arms fire.
The vehicle made it back to Belgium
where it remained in
service until 1972. It’s
unclear what happened
to it over the next 20
years. It may just have
been badly stored in
the barn where Belgian
Minerva restoration
specialist Marc
Haentjens eventually
discovered it in a
somewhat sorry state in
the early 1990s. Luckily
it was almost complete
which is a major result as
many parts are unique to
the Blindee and are almost
impossible to find as so
few were ever made.
Marc recommissioned
the Blindee and in 2019 put it up for sale.
Peter Wales has many close contacts in
Belgium and when he found out about
it he wasted no time in hitching up his
trailer and hot-footing it to Belgium with a
fistful of euros.
Peter was now the owner of a very
exotic and rare Special Forces Minerva,
only five of which are known to be
running in the world. Marc Haentjens and
his associate Hendrik Vander Hoeven
are the world experts on Minervas and
especially Blindees.
59
THIS IMAGE: Military Minervas were not all
put into service at once and many were stored
and only driven occasionally
BELOW LEFT: Pathe newsreel footage shows
this very vehicle on active duty outside an
airport in 1960 during the Congo Crisis
They believe they know the whereabouts
of another 45 non-running examples in
various states of disrepair which is quite
a lot out of the initial 66. They were very
valued specialist vehicles which together
with their armaments and in this case,
radio comms equipment were not merely
abandoned in their theatre of operations
as is the fate of much hardware but
repatriated to continue in their service as
paratroop special vehicles.
Peter’s example entered service in
late 1952. It has the original two-litre
petrol engine which is a spread bore
as opposed to a Siamese bore which
powered the earlier Minervas.
Peter’s Blindee runs very well and
appears to be quite nippy considering
the extra weight of armour plating front
and rear as well as the armaments and
comms equipment. To cope with the
extra weight under extreme off-road
conditions the suspension is beefed up
considerably, the leaf springs having 14
leaves at the rear and eight at the front.
Peter, who has a collection of cars,
likes to put them to good use and drive
them to relevant shows and the Minerva
Blindee is no exception. When CMV
caught up with him he had driven it
from his home in Kent to the Queen’s
Regiment Memorial Woodland for the
annual commemoration service in the
Although the front and rear machine guns provide his Blindee generated among the
firepower, the bulletproof glass shields also show experienced military personnel he
evidence of being hit by small arms fire transported around Headcorn as most
had never seen such a vehicle before.
One passenger, in particular, took a
special interest in the details of this
Special Forces Minerva. He turned out
to be an ex-SAS Regiment member who
was very familiar with the Land Rover
Pink Panthers but had never before
encountered a Minerva Blindee.
So, if you would like to see this beautiful
rare vehicle in bare metal then put June
24-26 in your diary because that’s when
the Battle of Britain Airshow 2022 takes
place at Headcorn. Peter’s Minerva
Blindee will be running around ferrying
VIPs (very important pilots) to and from
the historic aircraft.

Surrey Hills. He was part of a display of

military vehicles that greeted the families
of fallen regiment soldiers who had come
to pay their respects.
In 2021 Peter and his Blindee were at
the Battle of Britain Airshow at Headcorn
Airfield in Kent. They were not there to
form a static display but to provide airside
transport for the pilots and personnel who
were helicoptered in, and ferry them to LEFT AND ABOVE: Military Minervas performed
much the same duties as Land Rovers did for the
the historic aircraft that they were to fly
British military
such as Spitfires and Dakotas. BELOW: Peter and his Blindee at the Battle of
Peter recalls how much interest Britain Airshow at Headcorn Airfield in Kent

The Belgian military were still using these

vehicles as late as the 1980s when they began
to sell them off in batches of 20 units’

60
 20 fi
22 rm
con
s h o ed
w
2-3 July 2022
RETURNING TO - Lower Farm, Skillington, NG33 5HF

For trade enquiries

ThE sics
contact Brodie Baxter:
to ba nt
brodie.baxter@keypublishing.com back over eve
R c
General enquiries: Land a nostalgiel
clrgathering@keypublishing.com with intage fe
and v

www.classiclandrovergathering.com
Sponsored by

Check website regularly

for show updates. 437/21
TheChurc
words David Fletcher pictures archive

David Fletcher looks at the

development of the World War
Two tank
hen the Churchill Mark IV with the
‘Chunks of metal broke off the
inside surfaces under impact and
became a danger to the crew’

W cast turret and six-pounder gun

appeared it became probably the
definitive model of the early Churchill
tank. Some 1,600 were built of which 160
mounted the 95mm close support howitzer and
were classed as Mark V.
It came about thus; when the six-pounder gun was
first made available it was mounted, against a lot of
well-meant advice, in a box-shaped, welded turret.
Although the welds themselves stood up well to anti-
tank fire and the turret didn’t fall to bits, as many
had predicted, the armour plate itself gave trouble.
This was in the form of flaking, where chunks of
metal broke off the inside surfaces under impact
and became a danger to the crew. A cast turret for
the Churchill had been suggested back in January
1942 but was rejected on account of weight.
Likewise, a riveted turret was recommended as an
alternative to welding but that would have meant a
delay in production because spare riveters were not
available at that time, so welding it had to be.
Now the Iron and Steel Control Board announced
that it was unable to produce armour plate that
would not flake and to make matters worse,
subsequently announced that the supply of armour
plate suitable for welding was running out.
So in a sense, those who built Churchill tanks were
right back where they started. To be fair the Iron
and Steel Control Board did make an alternative
suggestion, this was to build a turret from welded,
unarmoured plate (which wouldn’t flake) and to
clad it with panels of armour plate bolted onto the
outside, but this was rejected and it isn’t quite clear
why. This technique was adopted for the Cromwell
(A27) series of Cruiser tanks and was perfectly
acceptable.
Ultimately a cast turret was the only version that
could be adopted but Britain had improved casting
technique due to US influence, and although it
was heavier this weight would be added to other
improvements making the Mark IV, at 39 tons, still
acceptable.
Early versions of the Churchill IV mounted the Mark
3 version of the six-pounder gun but later the longer
Mark 5 was adopted. Britain and indeed all tank

62
chillMarkIV A Churchill V, armed with a 95mm howitzer and watched by
sceptical Australians wades through the mud on Papua, New
Guinea. It was nicknamed ‘The Stork’

63
producing nations had a horror of fitting
tanks with a gun that stuck out ahead
of the tank. They had visions of the gun
barrel sticking in the ground when the
tank operated on an uneven surface.
Although this did not apply to the
Mark 5 gun it was certainly longer than
the Mark 3 but if the
tank was driven with
the gun on maximum
elevation no such
accident was possible.
Firing armour-piercing
discarding sabot
ammunition, which
became available in
June 1944, the Mark
5 gun had an armour
piercing performance
that was second only
to the seventeen-
pounder. Indeed, firing this ammunition
the six-pounder could penetrate the
front of a German Tiger Tank. Whether
it ever did or not is unknown, but it was
theoretically capable.
Essentially the Churchill Mark IV was a
new turret on a traditional hull, indeed
this part had not changed much since
the Churchill II except for the new-
style air intakes at the side and the full-
length track guards. It was still a five-
man vehicle with two men in the front of
the hull and three more in the turret and
still powered by the Bedford horizontally
opposed 12-cylinder engine rated at
350hp and driving through a Merritt-
TOP: Side elevation cutaway drawing of a Churchill IV showing manual elevation of the main armament
BELOW: A Churchill IV with 75mm gun of 6th Guards Tank Brigade, swamped by passengers of the Royal Scots Fusiliers in Normandy
‘Essentially the
Churchill Mark IV
was a new turret on
a traditional hull’
Brown transmission. Armour was still the
same, it hadn’t been increased except at
the sides where some tanks had panels
of applique armour welded on.
Even so, the long term future of the
Churchill tank was still not assured.
A reputation for unreliability, despite
several reworks, dogged it. Thus by May
1942, it was agreed by the AFV liaison
committee that Churchill production
should cease when 3,500 had been built.
In January 1943 the British War
Cabinet decided that a further 500
could be built, bringing the final total
up to 4,000 but of course, even that
depended on something suitable being
64
evolved to replace it.
However, by 1942, English Electric Ltd
of Stafford was building prototypes of
a heavy assault tank, the A33, using
Cromwell components, which looked
promising. In the event, when A33
appeared in 1943 it was rejected and
since nothing else was
available it looked as if
the Churchill would go
on for a while yet so
more would have to be
built.
Attention now turns to
Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd
of Newcastle, although
it had nothing to do
with the development
of the Churchill tank
up to now, it was
about to come up with
something which, when applied to the
Churchill would give it a new lease of life
and ensure its future at least until the
end of the war.
Although the development of high-
velocity weapons such as the 76.2mm
17 pounder, or the high velocity, long-
barrelled 75mm gun by Vickers-
Armstrongs was underway they would
not fit the turrets of most existing British
service tanks of the time. The War Office
suggested that it would be satisfied
with a smaller weapon that would give a
similar performance to the 75mm gun in
the American Sherman.
Vickers set about producing such a gun
but in one respect it went one better, it
discovered that the six-pounder breech
would more or less hold a US 75mm
round so reamed out the tube and
inserted a 75mm liner.
It sounds ridiculous, increasing the
calibre of a 57mm weapon to fire 75mm
rounds but that’s apparently what
happened and by retaining the six-
pounder outer barrel created a new
weapon that would still fit into a six-
pounder weapon mount so making the
change was relatively easy.
Of course, since it was now firing the
US round the muzzle velocity was the
same but the performance was not as
good as the US weapon. The armour
piercing performance wasn’t quite as
good except at shorter ranges and firing A Churchill IV (NA75) with a Sherman gun of A Squadron, North Irish Horse makes its way down the
high explosives the US gun had a longer narrow streets of Montefiore in Italy
range than its British counterpart.
The War Office accepted it as the the 75mm gun with geared elevation. very difficult to identify from most angles
best that could be done under the There are also minor changes to the and otherwise look like a Churchill Mark
circumstances and a programme of top of the turret and some stowage IV with a 75mm gun.
up-gunning was soon put in place, improvements, approximately 1,000 Capt Percy Morrell was an officer of
with Churchills at the top of the list, appear to have been built but they are the Royal Electrical and Mechanical
Engineers based in Tunisia. He spent
quite a lot of time in a wrecked tank
park, with a tape measure, and became
convinced that the Churchill Mark
IV could be adapted to take the gun
mounting from the Sherman tank, of
which there was any number of wrecks.
He met a lot of resistance to the project
but eventually obtained permission to go
ahead with the scheme. And thus, after
a lot of hard work, the Churchill NA (for
North Africa) 75 was born.
In due course, 210 examples were
built, adapted from Churchill Mark IV
tanks and proved very successful. At
first, Churchill tanks weren’t required
in Italy so two brigades, that is six
regiments, were whiling away the time in
Churchill IV tanks lined up. The end one is an oddity, fitted with a 75mm gun and covered with a Tunisia doing maintenance and getting
material like zimmeritt
very bored.

Cromwells second and others after

that. The up-gunned tanks were
designated Churchill IV (75mm) but not
all were done.
This brings us to the subject of manual
against geared elevation, which is still
not solved. Strictly speaking, geared
elevation is essential when firing high
explosive rounds but since the six-
pounder mounting could be either this
may have carried over into the Churchill
IV (75mm).
This brings us swiftly onto the Churchill
Mark VI. Not a lot for sure is known
about this version. It appears to be an
interim design ahead of the Mark VII, but
a new tank all the same. It has the hull A Churchill Mark VI in Irish service and named Fionn. Four were acquired in 1948/49 and at least one
and turret of the Churchill IV but mounts has been preserved

65
 ABOVE: A Churchill VI of 3rd Battalion Scots Guards in 6th Guards Tan Brigade makes its way gingerly over a Number 2 tank bridge laid by a Churchill Bridgelayer
BOTTOM: The Churchill that stood outside The Tank Museum for years. But is it a Mark IV (75mm) or a Mark VI? The trouble is it’s welded shut so we
can’t get inside to look
It was a common belief that Churchills
weren’t wanted in Italy because they
lacked 75mm guns and no adapted
Churchills were being sent from Britain.
For a start, there was no point but
in any case, Italy was regarded as a
backwater so new tanks weren’t often
sent there. The NA75 seemed like the
answer to a prayer.
The two brigades were shipped to
Italy in April and May 1944 and proved
their worth attacking German positions
in the North. Since the Churchill Mark
IV Model NA75 contained a complete
Sherman gun mounting in the turret, it
follows that it had a co-axial .30 calibre
Browning machine gun in place of the
more normal BESA. To avoid carrying
two types of machine gun ammunition
in a single tank the hull-mounted BESA
was replaced by another Browning.
Otherwise, the NA75 was just another
Churchill tank with the same turret
and hull as any other Churchill IV, with
only the external gun mantlet to tell
them apart. No example of a NA75mm
survives that we know of.
The Churchill Mark V (of which one
survives in Holland) was essentially
the Churchill Mark IV mounting a short
95mm close support howitzer in the
turret. The British approach to a new
weapon was to cobble it together from
existing components where possible,
rather than design it from scratch. Thus
the 95mm howitzer was created by
taking a section of the barrel from a 3.7in
AA gun, joining it to a 25 pounder breech
block and arranging it to fire modified
rounds from the 3.7in pack howitzer.
As a tank gun, it was just about
‘Even so, the long
term future of the
Churchill tank was
still not assured’
suitable but as a towed weapon
on a field carriage, it was worse
than useless. In the field gun role, it
used separate charge and projectile
ammunition but for use in tanks, these
had to be amalgamated to become a
quick-firing round.
Mounted in a turret the 95mm was
limited to an elevation of 37 degrees –
not very much for a howitzer – and a
range, firing high explosive, of about
6,000 yards, adequate for a tank.
The gun, with a counterweight at the
muzzle, fitted comfortably into the cast
turret, with a co-axial machine gun. A
high explosive anti-tank round was also
available. In theory, it could penetrate
110mm of armour at any range but was
never carried because it was dreadfully
inaccurate.
Because the Churchill V fired high
explosive ammunition it did so from
66
a static location and for that reason
had geared elevation for the main
armament. Without seeing the gun it is
virtually impossible to tell a Churchill
V from any other version with a cast
turret, but there is a way. On top of the
turret, the air extractor has been moved
to a new location.
Finally, there is the Churchill Mark X,
although it’s questionable whether it
qualifies as a version of the Mark IV
at all. At the end of the war, three new
Marks were considered; Mark IX (57mm),
Mark X (75mm) and Mark XI (95mm)
but only the Mark X appeared and one
survives at the Indian Cavalry Tank
Museum at Ahmednagar.
It consists of a modified Mark IV
Churchill hull supporting the heavier
turret of an A22F Churchill Mark VII
in this case with a 75mm gun. It also
features the up-armoured front plate
of an A22F with a round driver’s visor
and hull machine gun mounting and
reinforced upper plates to bear the
weight of the heavier turret.
Extra applique armour was added to the
sides of the hull and the suspension from
an A22F was fitted to carry the increased
weight. Since this and the other
proposed tanks would use weapons
originally fitted to Churchills with cast
turrets they do just about qualify.
However, in the event of not enough
heavy Churchill turrets being available a
light turret version of each Mark was
proposed but since this never happened
they never appeared. In any case, they
would have been difficult to tell from
upgraded Churchill tanks of the ordinary
sort after the war.
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 words and pictures Roger Gaisford

Roger Gaisford recalls a series

of adventures with an ex-military Chevrolet K25

Crossing the Mothomololli

River, Lekkerpoet, Botswana

hat
M
ilitary vehicles come in a
bewildering assortment of
size and use. Some are
armoured behemoths under
which the earth trembles, and others
nippy, dainty and fast. During the early
1970s, General Motors South Africa
produced a lightweight two-wheel drive
Jeep-type vehicle which, although not
dainty, was nippy and fast. This was
the Chevrolet Nomad. The vehicle
was originally privately developed by
Patterson Engineering of Mitchell Street
in Pretoria, with full-scale production
later taken over by General Motors
in Port Elizabeth. The vehicles were
popular with farmers, fishermen, and
young people wanting a fun car. The
South African Defence Force used
numbers as general base runabouts
The Nomad had a very square box
body with folding windscreen, removable
doors and either canvas or metal canopy.
Suspension, transmission, steering and
brakes were Vauxhall Viva, with power
being provided by the 2.5 lit Chevrolet
Nova four-cylinder engine popularly used
!
in a range of GM cars produced in South
Africa at the time.
They shared components with the
k
Chevrolet’s six-cylinder engines of the
late 60s, 70s and 80s . The 2.5 was little
more than a 3.8 lit six-cylinder from which
c
two cylinders had been pruned. With five
main bearings and hydraulic tappets it
produced about 94hp at 4,000 revs and
u
154lbs of torque at 2,250rpm. A
mighty little engine.
r
The Nomad was
equipped
t
with
a
a a standard four-speed Muncie SM 435
limited
slip differential,
and in spite of being
only two-wheel drive, and
running on 14in wheels, was peppy,
with reasonable off-road performance.
At the same time, Patterson Engineering
developed a forward control one-and-a-
quarter ton truck specifically designed for
military use, to be fitted with an insulated
body housing electronic communications
‘In spite of its
shortcomings, the
Chevrolet K25 was
a good performer’
and interception equipment. This vehicle,
known as the K25, used the chassis,
suspension and power train of the stylish,
commercially available 126in wheelbase
Chevrolet K20 four- wheel drive pickup
truck popularly used in South Africa in the
1970s and 80s.
Patterson Engineering built a boxy
forward control cab of square tube
and plate, with cab roof and back
panel of glass fibre, which were easily
removable. Windscreen frames could be
opened upward and forward to improve
ventilation. Side door windows slid to be
opened and closed, while two reasonably
comfortable bucket seats saw to the
crew’s needs.
The cab was dominated by the insulated
box covering the 4.9 litres, six-
cylinder truck engine. This
produced 160hp
and 270lb
ft of
torque at
1,600rpm. A
wonderful engine of
legendary performance and
longevity. Transmission was through
gearbox with an extra low first gear of
about 6.5:1. The rear axle was a Dana 60
with limited slip differential, and the front
axle a heavily reinforced Dana 44 with
open steering knuckles. Differential final
drive ratio was 4.56 :1.
The Dana 44 front axle worked very well
on the standard one-ton normal control
trucks, however, on the K25, the extra
weight placed on the front axle by the
forward control design resulted in front
69
axle failure. In production the front axle on
the K25 was heavily reinforced to carry
the additional weight. Nevertheless, front
axle failure was a problem, especially with
the truck heavily loaded. The Saginaw
steering, sans power assistance, could
be very heavy when manoeuvring. Brakes
were servo assisted discs in front and
drums on the rear, and tyres 900x16
Dunlop Track Grip.
In spite of its shortcomings the Chevrolet
K25 was a good performer. Reasonably
comfortable with an engine of legendary
reliability and pulling power, the truck was
able to happily cruise all day at about
65mph without having to constantly
change gears on hills. Even with the motor
in the cab, within but a few inches of the
driver, the big Chev was so quiet that crew
could happily chat away as they travelled.
Heat transfer into the cab was not a
problem. Fuel consumption was in the
order of about 4.5 km/lit, petrol being
fed via a mechanical pump from two 70
lit tanks mounted behind the cab,
along the chassis sides.
Fitting radial tyres
improved
things
somewhat.
Low gearing, low
down torque, wonderful axle
articulation resulting from long leaf
springs and a very flexible chassis of
high tensile steel combined with excellent
traction from the 900x16s and the limited
slip rear differential, resulted in exceptional
off-road performance.
Initial testing of the basic vehicle,
minus bodywork, but loaded with a ton
of iron weights was conducted on the
Skurweberg Vehicle Testing range near
Pretoria, and showcased the Chev’s
exceptional performance. However, in the
end, these vehicles were hardly used.
Front axle failure was a problem, but more
seriously, the widespread use of landmines
in Northern Namibia and Southern Angola
where the South African Defence Force
was active during the 1970s and 80s, saw
soft-skin vehicles, such as the Chevrolet

OPPOSITE TOP: Kaz’s Custard Slice
OPPOSITE MIDDLE: An adventure. Crossing
Maputo Bay on the Catembe ferry
BOTTOM: Camped at Nyokanyane on the
Zululand Coast
BELOW MIDDLE: An ex-military K25 after
disposal by the South African Defence Force
BELOW: A bunch of ex-military Chevrolet
Nomads parked in a disposals yard in Pretoria
‘We proceeded K25s relegated to base camps. They were
to pump up the disposed of at military surplus vehicle
auctions during the late 1980s and early
four tyres in the 1990s, most in excellent condition having
done little mileage.
more than 40° In 1989 a friend by the name of Kaz
bought a K25. The vehicle had about
midday heat ’ 5,000km on the clock and came
complete with its bulky insulated
communications van body mounted
on three rubber doughnut mountings
designed to absorb the large amount
of chassis twist of which these trucks
were capable.
Kaz wanted a long-distance touring
truck to take on the distant corners of
Southern Africa where roads existed as
little more than tracks, or dotted lines
on a map. The bulky van bodywork was
cut down at the waistline and bows were
bent to take a canvas roof. This was
made from a yellow polythene. The truck
was painted a light beige, the whole affair
in the end looking like some confection
and so given the name ‘Custard Slice’.
Kaz used the Custard Slice on jaunts
including a memorable excursion to the
Rust De Winter Off-Road Rally held near
Warmbaths, north of Pretoria. Part of the
competition was a test of the competing
vehicle's tractive ability. To measure this,
a large strain gauge had been concocted.
A concoction of a device featuring great
springs and levers and dials and chains
and such, it was set in concrete at the top
of a steep bank and for good measure
chained to a large tree.
Kaz was told to drive the Custard Slice
up the steep bank where the strain gauge
was hooked to a front towing eye. He
was instructed to engage low ratio, and to
70
reverse, whereupon the tractive effort of
his truck would be measured.
The truck was loaded with ten rowdy
types drinking beer. Kaz explained to the
fellows manning the apparatus that he
should rather bypass such foolishness,
as his truck was not to be taken lightly as
one would a Land Rover or Toyota.
But they wouldn’t have it, so the K25
was hitched to the mechanism, low ratio
reverse engaged, and revving slightly,
Kaz let out the clutch. The Custard Slice
moved backwards and feeling the check
of the strain gauge, Kaz gave a bit more
throttle, and then some more.
The Chev settled down and pulled, and
as it did so, there was a great crash and
bang and the strain gauge, the whole kit
and caboodle of springs, chains, dials,
wheels and levers flew about to hoots and
cheers from the audience. This was great
entertainment, but Kaz was not invited
back.
The ex-military Chev has been used
on wonderful camping trips to wild and
distant places around Southern Africa,
from places on the coasts of Zululand
and Mozambique, to the bush, salt pans
and swamps of Botswana. With ten
passengers, friends, family and children,
all their kit, food, water, extra petrol and
a large fridge to ensure cold beer, one
could hardly do better.
But one year things went
awry. Kaz thought it would
be a great idea to visit
Mozambique, a country
ruined by years of civil war.
A peace accord had been
signed between the warring
factions and it seemed the
country was returning to
normality.
Everything needed for
camping in the wild was loaded including Catembe on the southern shore. From
food, water, booze, tents, tarpaulins, there we headed on south to the little
fishing and diving gear, tools and spares. coastal resort town of Ponta do Ouro, on
Leaving Johannesburg we headed the the border with South Africa.
500km east to the city of Maputo, in From Ponta do Ouro, it was our intention
southern Mozambique. of taking to the beach to drive the 50
After a day or so exploring what had or so kilometres north to Ponta Dobela,
once been a beautiful coastal city, there to spend Christmas at the beautiful,
then broken and littered, we took the deserted bay of crystal clear sub-tropical
ferry across the great bay of Maputo to sea teeming with fish, and reefs home
On the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana, 1996
71
to rock lobster, mussels and oysters.
Once on the beach we deflated the
truck’s 9.00x16 tyres until they bulged
somewhat, to 15 or so psi. Dropping
tyre pressure in sand gives a larger
tyre footprint and the vehicle literally
floats along, although high speed is not
recommended.
We spent ten days over Christmas 1993
camped in glorious isolation swimming,
snorkelling, building sand castles, fishing,
exploring the lagoon and climbing the
100m high sand dunes. One vehicle
passed the whole time we were there,
an ancient diesel-engined Austin Gypsy
loaded with local Mozambicans who very Our 900x16 tyres needed inflating for ABOVE: TA K25 ‘camper conversion’
TOP LEFT: On the Bulls Run in Zululand,
kindly presented us with fish for dinner. the return home by road. But at Ponta do
South Africa
Christmas was a grand affair with Ouro we found whatever garage or motor TOP RIGHT: The family resemblance to the
decorations and presents at that vehicle repair facilities that once existed Nomad is clear to see in this scrap K25
lonely place. The children were beside there had been ruined in the war. BOTTOM: On the beach near Inhambane,
themselves with excitement at finding Now, Kaz and I regard ourselves Mozambique
evidence of Santa’s sleigh having landed as of the ‘Realm of Real Men’, those Kaz shrugged, and opening a beer,
on the beach and hoof marks from his scared of nothing. Kaz, as do I, sniffs at handed me the tyre pump, and said:
reindeer. Dinner was enjoyed with all the gadgets, little electric tyre pumps and “Well, get on with it.”
trimmings courtesy of the voluminous K25. such. We are of the opinion these are Taking turns we proceeded to pump up
After a glorious Robinson Crusoe-like designed to inflate footballs and bicycle the four tyres in the more than 40°
existence we headed home. The first leg tyres, certainly not 900x16 10-ply tyres midday heat of summer on the
of the journey was south, back down the to 40psi. Kaz and I believed in hand Mozambique coast bringing each tyre to
50km of beach to Ponta do Ouro. From pumps, the sort of dependable things a little over 30psi. That was quite enough
there we would take the road back to used to inflate tractor tyres and sold at we thought, until we got to a proper filling
Maputo and on to Johannesburg. agricultural supply depots. station. Following that adventure, we were
all in agreement – what a truck!

‘Dinner was enjoyed with all

the trimmings courtesy of the
voluminous K25’

72
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 words Andrew Stone pictures as credited

Recent discoveries by
the restoration team
have led to more questions
Buffalo
Crowlandociation
LVT Ass

T
he Crowland Buffalo is
slowly giving up more of its
secrets as restoration work
on the amphibious vehicle
used in the Rhine crossing in 1945
continues. Daniel Abbott, chairman of
the Crowland Buffalo LVT Association
(CBLA), said more markings had
recently become visible on the vehicle.
“One marking we’ve discovered on
the front is a US Marine stamp along
with an anchor on yellow paint on the
armoured front plate,” he said. “We’ve
also found another 79th Division
triangle, which appears to have
been hand-painted. While these are
interesting finds, they do lead to more
questions as to when and why they
were put there.”
Daniel said the finds had made them
rethink how far they wanted to go with
the restoration. “For now, we’re looking
at restoring it to the point where we leave
the Buffalo in the state it is in as we feel ‘We believe
that will preserve the history of the vehicle
better than if we were to fully restore and
the only way you’ll
paint over all these markings.
“If we restore it, we would not be able to
really capture people’s
paint these markings back on how they
are. We believe the only way you’ll really
attention is leaving it in the
capture people’s attention is leaving it in condition it came out of the hole’
the condition it came out of the hole.”
Daniel said they hoped to have the He said the gearbox restoration had been underground since 1947 so you’d
engine which came from the US running continued to prove challenging as it was expect corrosion and rust in places.
by Christmas, albeit on a pedestal and found the aluminium had corroded in “I was quite amazed that it was the only
not fitted. “We have lifted the original places and there was a hole in which you hole and don’t think we’ve done too badly
engine out of the Buffalo and we’re could put your fingers through. then. The repairs have now been completed
comparing what bits are missing and if “The repairs were delayed while the and it looks like new, they did a great job.”
anything can be used to make one engine engineering team at David Brown Santasalo The gearbox is now in the paint shop
complete,” he said. “The original engine is came up with a solution to repair the casing ready to be resprayed. “All the bearings
unfortunately too far gone to save and will and then carry out the work. But these and seals and gaskets have arrived from
go on display in the museum.” things are to be expected – the Buffalo has the US, so they’ll soon start putting it
back together,” said Daniel.
The team with the original
engine which was recently He said they had also ordered paint
removed CBLA to start work on restoring the Buffalo
cockpit. “We got the reference colour
from The Tank Museum, so we’ll do it in
the same colour. There are no markings
in the cockpit so we’ll get on with
restoring it. We’ll also start work on the
engine bay so that’s ready for when the
engine needs to be fitted.”
The CBLA has been hard at work
attending shows and events to raise
funds for the restoration work and a new
museum dedicated to the 1947 floods.
“We’ve also had to buy materials like steel
so we can replace the floor panels which

74
Work on restoring the Crowland Buffalo
Crowland Buffalo
Update
continues ANDREW STONE

The damage is clear to see

DAVID BROWN SANTASALO

are rusted through,” said Daniel.

The finished product
looking like new “We have a team working on that and
again DAVID BROWN we’ve got to remake the front mudguards
SANTASALO and wheel wings because they’re totally
knackered. We’re still on track to have the
engine fitted and running in time for the
1940s Crowland Weekend later this year
(2022), but I don’t believe the Buffalo will
move under its own power.
“We’re still struggling to raise funds for the
new tracks and unfortunately the fundraising
is not going as well as we hoped – we have
so far managed to get £8,000.
“We’ve contacted so many people
asking for assistance without much luck.
It’s not every day you pull a vehicle like
this out of a hole, so we’re all feeling a
little disappointed, but we’re pressing on
with repairing what we can.”

Donations
Anyone wanting to contribute towards
the restoration of the Crowland Buffalo
should visit: www.gofundme.com/f/crow-
land-buffalo-restoration-museum

75
words and pictures Robert U’Ren
Robert U’Ren from Willys Jeep UK
shares some of his helpful fixes and
tips on buying, selling, repairing
and recommissioning WWII and
Hotchkiss Jeeps
Robert U’Ren
is a self-taught
mechanic with more
than 40 years of
experience working
on everything from
vintage motorbikes
to combine
harvesters. His
passion is military
Jeeps, which he has
bought, sold, and
restored since 2014
W
hen I bought my first ever
Jeep at auction, seven
years ago, I was a bit rash
and didn’t even go to view
it. I was told of the Jeep coming up in a
classic car auction more than 250 miles
away from where I live. Not wanting to
travel all that way with the likely possibility
of being outbid and having to come home
empty-handed, I found someone who was
going to the same auction.
For a small charge would give the Jeep
a looking-over and bid on my behalf. At
this time neither of us knew enough about
Willys Jeeps and many issues on this Jeep
went unnoticed (and I paid over its value).
Over the next few years, every Jeep I
purchased seemed to have something
different that needed fixing. Generally,
these were small things, like a badly-
tuned engine, leaking fuel lines, electrical
faults, blowing exhausts, and almost
always very poor or non-existent brakes.
Back then, I could have saved myself
money and stress if I had had some
advice from other knowledgeable
enthusiasts. If you are thinking of buying
your first Jeep, here are some handy tips
gained over the years.
Finding your Jeep
I have tried buying at auction more than
once and it didn’t work for me – ‘bidder’s
fever’ sweeps across the attendees
and sometimes even faulty Jeeps sell
for high prices, often higher than good
quality privately-offered Jeeps. You can’t
even test-drive a vehicle offered at these
auctions, so you are buying blind.
I prefer to find Jeeps through the
internet car sales sites. As I have dealt in
Buying
1 for a late relative and not an enthusiast
Jeeps for several years, I get quite a few
privately offered to me, but I have also
found some crackers online (picture 1).
When communicating with a seller online,
here are some important things to find
out before you drive potentially hundreds
of miles to look at the Jeep
• Registration documents and
chassis numbers – do these all match
up with the V5 document? Is the owner
willing to email you a scan of the V5 (very
important)? (picture 2)
• Reason for sale. Ask why is it being
sold and if Jeep still runs and drives well,
or whether there are problems that need
attending to. If there are, write them down
for reference. Also, ask yourself if these
are easily fixable problems?
• How long have they owned it?
A long time is usually a good sign.
• Can you test-drive it if you were to
come and see it?
• Ask the seller to send you as
many clear pictures as they can,
from different angles and highlight
any corrosion or issues they have
mentioned.
It is of course worth bearing in mind that
the seller is trying to sell the Jeep, so will
be trying to paint as positive a picture
as possible. But the more questions you
ask, the better idea you will get of if this is
worth going to see in person.
2 A seller might be evasive when
76
Viewing the Jeep
You’ve travelled a few hours on the
motorway and you are finally viewing the
Jeep in person. The last thing that you want
to hear is that the battery’s flat or there’s
no fuel in the tank. This is also a sign that
the buyer could be a bit dodgy and doesn’t
want you to drive it very far – or they could
be perfectly genuine, perhaps selling
themselves. I always take a good battery (of
the correct voltage) and a small Jerrycan of
petrol just in case this happens.
Road testing the Jeep
3
Road testing the Jeep is beneficial and
if you have never owned a Jeep before or
are not mechanically minded, do not buy
a non-runner, it’s much too risky. On your
road test, try to drive it at least a couple
of miles to warm it up and expose any
serious issues (ie engine boiling over or
running badly when warmed up). While
driving, pay attention to the smoothness
of the gear change, and the clutch,
listening for any extreme noises or rattles.
A light whine in first gear is perfectly
normal, but all the other gears should
sound as quiet as a modern car. After
a decent run in the Jeep, going uphill
and down dale, any mechanical gremlins
such as second gear slip-out, oil or water
leaks, clutch and gear noise should show
themselves.
I would also advise that before you buy
a Jeep, you also drive one or two other
similar Jeeps to get the feel of what they
are actually like (do you have a friend that
would let you try their Jeep, or even come
with you when you look at one for sale?).
Examining the Jeep’s bodywork

your first Jeep
answering some mechanical questions,
but you can’t rely on their opinion anyway
as you need to be able to judge the Jeep
for yourself. A genuine seller will give
you plenty of time to examine it, and if
they are not trying to cover things up,
shouldn’t have any problem with you
taking it on a test drive (with, of course,
them on board).
Once the Jeep is fully warmed up and
left idling, you can open the bonnet and
look for leaks (picture 3), look underneath
for any serious oil leaks from the engine
or gearbox that may be dripping down
onto the floor. The underneath of Jeeps
are always very oily, but it shouldn’t be
running on the floor. It may only be a
problem with the seals, but you can’t
be too careful. Many of these problems
can be fixed by a Jeep expert but are
not worth your time if you don’t have this
knowledge or experience.
The chassis on a Jeep is never usually
a problem, as they use the open channel
design so air can ventilate the entire
chassis. You should still get up under it
and have a good look for any damage
repairs, corrosion or plating.
Jeeps don’t like being outdoors in the
elements for decades, so look on the body
for corrosion. Look at the front inner floors
and directly under the front floors where
the strengthening channels (known as hat
If you have a workshop
question or query or
would like to share a tip
that will help others with
their own restoration
work on a vehicle,
please get in touch by
emailing cmveditorial@
keypublishing.com
channels) are fixed (see pictures 4 and 5).
Hat channels are also on the insides of the
bonnet and the front mudguards. These
can rust from the inside outwards as
they don’t ventilate very well. They aren’t
important to the safety of the vehicle as it
has a separate chassis. Also, look at the
bottoms of the toolboxes and fuel tank
guard. This is all repairable on Jeeps, but it
all comes at a cost – so bear that in mind
4 about this, but hopefully, this concise
5
77
Jeep Workshop
if making an offer.
Examining the mechanics of the Jeep
Look for frost damage cracks around
the distributor of the engine. Also,
front chassis crash repairs. If repaired
well, it wouldn’t put me off buying one
personally, but if it goes unnoticed, it’s
not nice to discover after you’ve bought it.
Start and stop the Jeep six or eight times,
to make sure the starter properly engages
with the engine with no horrible slipping
or grating. Again, all fixable but can be
very expensive if it’s flywheel damage.
Parts availability
It’s comforting to know that it is possible
to buy almost every part needed
(reproduction) for a Willys Jeep. Look
at the reviews and make sure you buy
good quality parts, as there is a lot of
very cheap, very badly produced stuff
out there. Any original parts that are
not broken could still outlast the new
reproduction parts many times over.
Buying a duffer
One comforting thought, if you
accidentally buy a bad Jeep and things
are wrong and broken – all military Jeeps
always rise in value and should continue to
do so, whatever condition they are in. As
time goes by, the value will creep up and
you may still be able to recover your loss.
Lastly but very importantly, remember to
take an enthusiast along with you if you
can to get their opinion, support, and help
to examine the Jeep.
Compare it to one or two others you’ve
driven. Check the documents are all in
order. Don’t pay over the odds, unless
you think it is truly exceptional (and you
can afford it). I could fill a book up talking
guide has been helpful.
Further reading
For more in-depth information about buy-
ing your first Jeep, I can recommend a few
good sources of information:
• Haynes Military Jeep Enthusiasts’
Manual by Pat Ware
• The Military Jeep Buyers Bible by Mark
Askew
• www.willysjeepuk.co.uk (my website
with lots of handy hints)
Behind the Scenes
Getting into the spirit: David Fletcher,
David Willey and his dog Fin on the set of
our Christmas advert
THE TANK MUSEUM
Online shop
saves the day
While the galleries are noticeably quieter around
Christmas, one team in particular is working hard
behind the scenes
I
n the months since the Covid
pandemic began, e-commerce
has become an important part of
our fundraising efforts at The Tank
Museum.
So, the wave of Christmas shoppers
ordering books, models and tank
novelties is particularly welcome - and the
retail team are furiously assembling and
packaging orders as I write.
This seasonal activity is a relatively new
phenomenon at the museum. It was only
because of the pandemic that we were
able to spend time developing our online
shop.
When we closed our doors for the first
lockdown in March 2020, we realised it
was the only thing we could do to raise
funds.
Since then, our online shop has
flourished and in November this was
recognised at the prestigious UK
words Nik Wyness pictures The Tank Museum
Ecommerce Awards event where The
Tank Museum won the Covid Continuity
Award.
The success of our online shop
undoubtedly saved jobs during the
pandemic and since then it has created
several new ones.
We have fully embraced the world of
Christmas retail as we look to find new
ways to support ourselves financially in an
uncertain post-pandemic world.
Perhaps somewhat bizarrely for a
museum, this included the production of
an elaborate Christmas video advert to
take on the likes of John Lewis… albeit
on a somewhat more restrained budget.
Produced by our media team and
featuring curator David Willey and
historian David Fletcher, you can see it
while doing your last-minute Christmas
shopping at tankmuseumshop.org
If you do visit the shop, I recommend
78
using the Wishlist functionality to ensure
you get the sort of gifts you want for
Christmas.
Some of the best-selling items in our
online shop this year have been new
editions of titles David Fletcher wrote for
the now-defunct HMSO more than 30
years ago.
This year, we have published new
editions of The Great Tank Scandal,
The Universal Tank, The Tiger Tank: A
British View, Landships, War Cars and
Mechanised Force under a Tank Museum
imprint.
This involved our archive team spending
many hours hunting through thousands of
files to identify each of the images used in
the original publications so they could be
re-scanned… I’m told this was far less fun
than it sounds.
These re-published titles were also
joined by a new English translation of the
World War Two Panther-Fibel, which we
released earlier in the year.
During the lockdown, Katie, one of our
archive officers, took on the daunting
task of translating the original German
Panther tank operator’s manual while
attempting to retain the rhyming verses of
the original.
The results were fantastic and we are
very proud of what we believe to be the
first English translation of this fascinating
historical title to be published.
With our online shop as the outlet, we
have an opportunity to publish more of
the fascinating material in our archive –
and we have a plan to do just that during
2022.
Meanwhile, our YouTube channel has
just passed 72 million views. This is a
staggering number, putting us in the
top rank of museums using the medium
worldwide.
Not only can we share our subject
matter with a global audience, but the
channel generates a healthy advertising
revenue to offset our production costs.
This leads me to conclude just how
important the internet has become in
helping us achieve our goals in general
and getting us through the pandemic in
particular.
While we’re optimistic that there will be
a return to some form of normality next
year, we will still be benefitting from these
new online fundraising streams.
So, as we stagger towards the end of
another year of Covid related
complications, we would like to thank all
those who have supported us this year
and all those who will be supporting us in
2022.
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81
Moore’s Manoeuvres words Craig Moore pictures as credited

T
he Kubinka Tank Museum is a
75-minute drive to the west of
Moscow. The facility caused
a storm of comments after
photographs were released recently of a
Maus tank featuring its new historically
correct camouflage paint scheme.
Many people do not like it as it looks wrong.
The turret has a distinctive pattern of olive-
green and red-brown paint stripes, swirls and
blotches over a base layer of Dunkelgelb dark
sandy yellow. The hull is very different. It has
large brown wiggly stripes over a base layer
of Dunkelgelb dark sandy yellow.
The museum staff have highlighted
weapons damage to the hull by painting it
scarlet. The Maus did not see combat but
may have been used for target practice by
Soviet troops.
The new camouflage paint scheme
highlights the fact that the turret came from
a different vehicle. It is intended to shock
visitors and to make them ask the question:
“Why is the turret painted completely
different to the hull?” The simple application
The Maus paint job
Craig Moore discusses the
of paint has become an educational tool.
Only two prototype Panzerkampfwagen colour scheme of a Maus tank
VIII Maus (mouse) heavy tanks were built,

although 141 were ordered. They were

‘The power-to-weight ratio was so poor
that the design speed of 20km/h was
never achieved’
ABOVE:The rear of the Maus, painted in the
previous paint scheme
CRAIG MOORE
TOP: The Maus tank on display at the Kubinka
Tank Museum with its new paint scheme
YURI PASHOLOK
RIGHT: The previous paint scheme applied to
the Maus tank. I took this photograph in 2016
CRAIG MOORE
named V1 and V2. The turret was to mount
two guns side by side: 7.5 cm KwK 44
L/36.5 gun and the more powerful 12.8 cm
KwK 44 L/55 gun.
The V1 Maus prototype received a mock
weighted turret to enable cross-country field
trials to proceed without having to wait for
the finished turret. The V2 Maus prototype
was fitted with the first completed turret.
The tank’s armour was extremely thick,
ranging from 180mm on the hull sides and
rear to 220mm on the frontal part of the turret.
The roof armour was 220mm thick to cope
with Soviet Airforce Il-2 Sturmovik air attacks.
The power-to-weight ratio was so poor
that the design speed of 20km/h was never
achieved. In ideal conditions, the Maus could
reach 13km/h. The tracks were very wide,
(1.10m) to help decrease ground pressure.
As Soviet forces neared the tank proving
grounds, the Germans decided to blow
the two prototypes up so they did not
fall into enemy hands. The hull on the V2
prototype was destroyed, but the hull of the
V1 remained mainly intact as the explosives
failed to explode properly.
The Soviets placed the three-tone painted
turret from the V2 prototype onto the two-tone
painted V1 hull to conduct tests after the war
before it was put on display in the Kubinka
Tank Museum. If ever you get the chance to
visit the museum, make sure you take a look at
the Maus, it is an impressive tank.

82
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