military vehicles in Northern Ireland

[chrisgrove]

Nice to see a pic of two types of barrier removers. The mesh covers over the driver's hatches also varied a great deal (quite apart from the different shades of paint favoured by the opposition), If I can work out how to post pics, I'll try and show you what I mean. How about a Pig hit by a 3.5 RL (at about the third attempt)?

Chris

By the way, most of the Mk IIs I saw had a fold up hatch above the cut down rear doors, but I never saw transverse seats inside.

[chrisgrove]

First pig shows the roof of a Mk II, tastefully decorated.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/Pig-01-1.jpg

Second pig shows rear observation hatch on Pig Mk II, even more tastefully decorated.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...ove/Pig-02.jpg

Third pig shows another pattern of mesh screens.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...ove/Pig-03.jpg

Fourth pig shows one hit by 3.5 RL.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...ounded-pig.jpg

Chris

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Interesting Chris,
obviously some of the population hated the Pigs with a vengance. What did the crew think?
Rich.

[fv1620]

Chris those are interesting pictures thank you. I've never seen that particular grandious arrangement of mesh before.

Do you have a date? I would assume between 1972 (earliest Mk 2) & 1977 when wing mirrors were then moved to the front of the wings. I know there are no mirrors but there is one just visible on the O/S of the far Pig & that is halfway along the engine cover. The original place for a Mk 2.

The other very 70s thing is the aluminium painted wood on the O/S optically balancing the ERM plate on the N/S.

[chrisgrove]

Clive

Now you've got me. I have no certain reference about the date of those pics, but I reckon they must have been first half 1977; possibly second half 1976, but not desperately wintry that I remember. All my pics show Mk II Pigs with mirrors mounted halfway down the bonnet. And they were in Andersonstown in West Belfast.

Incidentally, there are various colour discussions here. When I first went to Belfast in Sep 70 to join the resident battalion at Palace Barracks Holywood, we had Mk I pigs which were painted in gloss deep bronze green and matt brown. Unfortunately my pics from this time are in black and white and do not show this well.

Rich

The local population were not too keen on us! However, my only personal experience was being in a Landrover hit by a brick in the Bogside a few years earlier. I can certainly tell you that if you wish to take no notice of sleeping policemen (speed humps), a pig is the thing to do it in. You simply do not notice them.

Chris

[fv1620]

Chris now that brown camo is very interesting. One can see as late as 1972 Pigs at that time being Mk1 still with a European green/black. I had assumed it was just the way the came, I didn't imagine that it was repainted once over there.

But this green/brown has fascinated me. I have just one picture of it & have on video some footage shot from the commanders seat of a Pig on patrol in a housing estate. Both sources looked as if it was freshly painted which seem odd trying to look "rural" in an urban situation.

What has foxed me even more is that at least two of the exRUC Commer water canon were at one stage painted green/brown. I realise in RUC service they were initially light grey then many became green. In later part of service with 17/21st Lancers they were plain green.

So I wonder what was the rationale behind this reddish-brown camo in an urban environment?

[servicepub (RIP)]

I have absolutely no interest in these at all! But what an informative and well illustrated thread. Many thnx.

(the other) Clive

[chrisgrove]

Originally Posted by fv1620

Chris now that brown camo is very interesting. One can see as late as 1972 Pigs at that time being Mk1 still with a European green/black. I had assumed it was just the way the came, I didn't imagine that it was repainted once over there.

But this green/brown has fascinated me. I have just one picture of it & have on video some footage shot from the commanders seat of a Pig on patrol in a housing estate. Both sources looked as if it was freshly painted which seem odd trying to look "rural" in an urban situation.

What has foxed me even more is that at least two of the exRUC Commer water canon were at one stage painted green/brown. I realise in RUC service they were initially light grey then many became green. In later part of service with 17/21st Lancers they were plain green.

So I wonder what was the rationale behind this reddish-brown camo in an urban environment?

Clive

Can't answer that one. As I said, I joined the resident battalion (2 Queens) about 3 months before they came back after a 2 year tour. The Bedfords were that colour too, with apple green (fireproofed) tilts with windows and an elevated (about a foot) centre bar on the tilt frame intended to get molotov cocktail ingredients to run off the sides. Have some pics of them too. Can't remember what colour the Rovers were. The point is that all those vehicles had been there some time, not imported from BAOR, but I have no idea when the brown bits were painted on, Tac signs were interesting too - red squares with 39/9 in white (39 Brigade), plus callsigns all round.

Chris