military vehicles in Northern Ireland

[fv1620]

Nobody has ventured an opinion on the Shorland:


I know it is very difficult so say anything that appears in the least bit critical as it may offend the owner. Well I am the owner of this ex British Army Shorland seen above & I feel free to be able to criticise!

The most striking feature is that is painted in high gloss Deep Bronze Green but with disruptive matt black. When I first showed this vehicle 17 years ago I frequently had this defect pointed out to me. The criticism was that it would never have been painted like that. Well I have never seen another British Army vehicle painted in this manner & I have a large number of documents relating to painting of vehicles & the Shorland restoration seems to be at odds with all of this.

However it is painted exactly as I found the paint underneath layers of IRR NATO Green paint. The black markings are within half an inch of where they were originally.

This was originally a police vehicle, a Mk 1 Shorland built in 1965 & issued to the RUC in 1966 with the registration 3547PZ. It was painted satin finish "Rustoleum Green".

In 1970 it was withdrawn from police service & was issued the Ulster Defence Regiment of the British Army with the registration 27BT68. At that stage it was liberally coated with Deep Bronze Green (including the road springs). It then acquired disruptive matt black, then over the years successive layers of IRR NATO Green paint. It was struck off in 1977.

Of the 16 Shorlands originally issued to the RUC only two survive. Mine & that one incorrectly painted grey seen earlier. The armour from most of these was recycled by Shorts to make new Shorlands.