Stuart ID

Now, I'm not at all well up on Stuart light tanks; these pictures are from a private collection and possibly taken in the 70's.

The barrels are a puzzle to me, being de-milled are these possibly artistic licence dummies, replicas of a real gun-fitting or indeed de-milled genuine articles. I can't say I've ever noted a Stuart with a muzzle brake.

R.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Yes, totally silly. It's an M5A1 Stuart, but someone with a little too much time on their hands (and possibly a little too much beer in their belly) fabricated that gun. The mantlet is good, everything forward of that is ridiculous.

If they had any sense of decency, they'd pull the turret and make a Canadian high-speed recce vehicle...

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by FV623
Now, I'm not at all well up on Stuart light tanks; these pictures are from a private collection and possibly taken in the 70's.

Not sure about the gun, but recognise the chap with the beard and glasses in the top picture.......probably not much help to you though.............

Richard

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
Yes, totally silly. It's an M5A1 Stuart, but someone with a little too much time on their hands (and possibly a little too much beer in their belly) fabricated that gun. The mantlet is good, everything forward of that is ridiculous.

Ah, that's what we thought when poring over them earlier today with both Ballards and Ron Pier. I have only scanned two of the images available, in fact at this show there were two Stuarts with identical and strange barrels.

If they had any sense of decency, they'd pull the turret and make a Canadian high-speed recce vehicle...

Now, now.

R.

Originally posted by Richard Farrant
Not sure about the gun, but recognise the chap with the beard and glasses in the top picture.......probably not much help to you though.............

Well, interesting all the same, so, anyone we know and a stab at the year - I have no idea.

R.

[Richard Farrant]

R,

You have a Stuart expert in your locality. Talk to Pip at Ower, he will probably sort you out.

Richard

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by FV623
Well, interesting all the same, so, anyone we know and a stab at the year - I have no idea.

R.

Richard Anstey from the Fleet area of Hants. He has been a member of MVCG / MVT from the very early days and would guess the photo was taken at a show in the south of England. As to year would say 70's to early 80's. It may well have been done for a film, as producers were not bothered with authenticity then.

Richard

Originally posted by Richard Farrant
R,

You have a Stuart expert in your locality. Talk to Pip at Ower, he will probably sort you out.

Of course, just off J2/M27; I was round there recently sorting out my friends FV102 Striker. Good tip, tnx.

R.

[tankbarrell]

They are ex- Stuart gun towers. These were a post war British Army conversion for towing 17pdr anti tank guns. The front hook is the giveaway. On the conversion the entire hull roof was removed, including hatches, so everything above the hull top is repro. Pounds had a lot of these at one time, all gone now though. Several have been converted back to gun tanks, some more convincingly than others.

[Gunner]

I had the pleasure of playing with John Marchant's back in '82 while in the UK on an AMF(L) NATO exercise (took a few days leave to vist John and other icons of the hobby). As Tankbarrel says, there wasn't much past the glacis plate on the tractor version. Amazing what can be done with plywood and papier maché!

Cheers, Mike

Originally posted by tankbarrell
They are ex- Stuart gun towers. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .Several have been converted back to gun tanks, some more convincingly than others.

Many thanks Adrian, and Mike in Canada, it is as we thought a liberal helping of poetic licence.

R.