One year at the IMPS show at Beltring, I spotted a Morris-Commercial C8-AT for sale. Regrettably my sales over that weekend did not enable me to make an offer. but sombody had been harassing the seller as to the price and the exchange rate. Eventually David Bellhouse came over and we had a talk. He mentioned his bottom price and with the exchange of some money as a downpayment, the Morris was mine. We agreed on one year to make the rest of the payments. But as September approached, I found the money and we went to the UK to collect the ex-portee.
On the way back, from the ferry to the Netherlands, one of the oil pipe gave way and we stranded in Zuid-Beveland. After trailering the ex-portee home to Tilburg she got fixed, and come September and the Arnhem commemorations, off we went.
After nightfall, on arrival in Oosterbeek we parked outside the Schoonoord. When we walked towards that bar, a Arnhem veteran 'speeded' out and stated: "That is a Morris!" Afterwards we were told that just hearing the engine, he left his wife and fellow 2 Airlanding (Oban) AT Bty member inside and went to look for this Morris. He had clearly recognised the unique (?) noises of an ex-portee!
Anyway back to my Morris: David Bellhouse tells all about it in a MVCG newsletter on how he bought her, got her taxed and driving and on to Normany. In Bayeux he painted the outside in a more WW2 matt colour, than the post war gloss dark green she came in.
Morris C8-At (ex-portee) chassis number 1961 C8AT 7648
David Bellhouse bought the Morris in 1988, and she came with a taks disc dated 1953. History when he bought her was as follows: built in 1941, converted in 1943 when the 2-pndr anti-tank gun became obsolete by REME (?). Sold off by the MOD (?) in 1946 to a major sea-brook from Lams Green near Horsham. In 1997 David decided to sell the old lady, where my story starts.
In 1997 I got her to the Netherlands, cleaned up some loose ends, and took her to Arnhem for five years running. My divorce found the Morris then in somebody's elses shed. It took until this year that we could work something out, but the keeper proved himself to be a real gentleman.
Now for the future: do a decent paint job, but what colour? I guess I could go for a mid-war green. New tyres probably and some maintenance and inspection on brakes and electrics, and an awful lot of those little jobs, and we hope to have her ready by August 2017.
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