Odd UC Modification
 

I was chatting with an elderly neighbour down the lane on the weekend, who had noticed the departure of my M38 a couple of years ago. Thought it was an MB from the distance.

Anyway, turns out he drove carriers during the war with the Canadian Army. He recalled their unit on a road move in late 1944 in Europe and being halted at a crossroad by MP's while another convoy was allowed through. He was intrigued to see several UC's in the passing convoy which had the armour extended, he thought roughly doubled in height from the driver's right side cutout all the way around to the corresponding cutout at the left side of the vehicle. If I understood him correctly, the heightened armour ran all the way around the vehicle from the vertical front plate assembly. He never saw them again after that and no one else in his unit recognized them.

Thought I'd pass it along in case it means anything to anyone.

are you refering to the wading plates that were fitted to some carriers ?

Sounds like a deep wading kit indeed. Show him the picture below and ask him if he recognises it.

Sorry Hanno i wanted to but was at work (on my break of course) when i posted up :)

Hello Hanno and Richard.

Ran off a quick print and you were correct. That was what he saw on the move, but he was somewhere either side of the Belgium/Holland border at the time. My neighbour was pleased it hadn't been his imagination, but I am a bit puzzled. It seems like a rather long time for this equipment to have maintained those mods if they were only intended for beaching at Normandy, or would there have been some use for them in the flooded regions of Holland?

Thanks for the quick turn around with those pix.

David

anywhere where they had no bridge capability and wading was required some carrier crews retained the wading screens and i have seen some pics of crews using them to suplement front and side armour....suppose every little helps as they say.

Richie