VICKERS MK6B's resto

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

I don't think tanks carried semaphore flags, as these were in pairs on poles about a metre long.

Mike

There are smaller ones, the flag maybe 10" square with the wooden poles 18" or so. There were signalling alphabets and numbers designed for either one or two flags. I stand to be corrected but think these were what was referred to in later AFV stowage diagrams. At least I hope I'm right as that's what I have stowed in my Fox.

[colin jones]

Thanks for the info as that does make sense. So would they have been wooden handle flags and have some kind of code that I may be able to look up and maybe get their design
Mike, unfortunately I don't have vol/ces list as that would be of great assistance. Since I started I have now accounted for about 75% of stowage and ces but things like that rack in the turret had me a bit stumped. Once again MLU to the rescue

[BradB]

I will note, modern tanks still use flags on ranges to indicate safe/fire status.

Is it possible this was used during ranges or training to indicate when the tank was doing live firing as well perhaps?

A concept/idea.

Love the work, it's amazing in detail.

Brad

[David Dunlop]

In your photo of the original Signal Lamp, Colin, I wonder what little gems of information might be hidden on the metal tag fastened to the lower right side of the assembly?

Also curious about the wiring. It looks cloth loomed that has experienced a number of aluminium paint over sprays during it’s lifetime, but is it possible it was a braided wire loom?

Nice to have photos like that to help sort long gone electrical fittings, clips and brackets.

I suspect with a project of this magnitude, if you kept a logbook of ‘Things to Revisit in More Detail’ for all the photos you have accumulated, it would be one very large book by now! Must be a great help a scattering of surviving Vickers are still about that can be visited and photographed for you.

Funny... an Xmas Rhyme just came to mind: ‘And visions of Vickers danced through his head!’

Cheers,

David

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Also curious about the wiring. It looks cloth loomed that has experienced a number of aluminium paint over sprays during it’s lifetime, but is it possible it was a braided wire loom?

Nice to have photos like that to help sort long gone electrical fittings, clips and brackets.

Hi David,
When I was called in to do all the electrical work on Platypus, there were scraps of wiring which were in braided wire sleeving. This sleeving is still available and I have used it on other British WW2 armour restorations. The hull and turret had been blasted and painted, with silver inside. While sitting inside with a lamp, I could see marks visible in the hull and turret where the cabling had run, and been clipped. This was where the metal had weathered over the years but the narrow area under the cable had not. A form of detective work! This helped me lay out the route of the cabling.

I did take a lot of photos, but unfortunately they were in a computer that failed.

regards, Richard

[Russell Boaler]

Great work there Colin.
Looking at the photo in post 1007, and continuing with the signal flag them, it looks like there's a series of rivets down the side and along the bottom of the bracket as well as the remains of what looks like canvas. Could I suggest that there's meant to be a canvas pocket that the flags dropped into to protect the flags from damage or getting dirty and the clips at the top held their wooden handles in place?

[colin jones]

Thanks for your comments Brad!

David, I would love to know what it on that tag and I assume it would still be there somewhere in the US in the Collings foundation Vickers. I certainly have collected a lot of photos over the last couple of years and still find wonderful info every time I go back over them. Sometimes you don't know the information is there until a certain need arises and it has happened many times. Some of the photos that have been sourced by some MLU members has been of paramount importance for accuracy and knowledge.
I don't know the Xmas Rhyme you mentioned but it certainly fits with in my sleeping pattern

Richard, it is a real shame you lost those photos on your computer as I'm sure there would have been a lot of extremely valuable information there. AS far as the braided wiring loom, again, I am very lucky to have a couple of feet of some original braid in the turret basket and I have just ordered some which should be here next week.

Russell, you are spot on. I do have a photo showing a leather bag that is riveted underneath the flag clips. Now that I know that it is for flags, the leather bag underneath makes a whole lot of sense.

I made a pin system for forming the clip bracket for the flags.