Carrier found in Norfolk yesterday 21/12/2010

eddy8men · #1 27-12-10, 23:09

just had an idea of the carriers whereabouts, nothing more than a vague recollection but is it on an island off the coast of canada ?

shaun · #2 28-12-10, 00:52

spot on mate ! fire for effect .

kevin powles · #3 28-12-10, 01:05

Shaun, Thanks for showing us the carrier today, I have already half finished that linkage cover, curious to know if the grenade box wood inserts are the same for both the lid and the base?. you opened that box yet?.

Oh, On the way home through the hedge I spotted these, took a picture thinking they were carriers, turned out to be german junk so get on driving.

kevin

shaun · #4 28-12-10, 01:23

they are not worth doing ! ha ha ha

good to see you today, just waiting for the grenade box to defrost before i try and get into it.

RichardT10829 · #5 28-12-10, 02:14

was that through the bush of Narnia that leads straight to poland

i would love a panzer or Stug woah yes

colin jones · #6 28-12-10, 08:43

So ! is that it? 1 photo of over the fence then ask us if we want some lollies and then say you aint got any. How about post that german junk to adelaide please.

Colin.

eddy8men · #7 28-12-10, 20:16

the german tanks were burried as a static defence line in southern bulgaria and pretty much forgot about until an enterprising bulgarian major and 2 german civvies dug one up and flogged it, they then went back for another and got caught. the major got 4 years in the klink but the 2 germans did a runner, following this the bulgarians dug up the tanks and sold them at auction in 2007 but i'm sure there's plenty still over in bulgaria, i often wonder what you could find if you went into some of the mountain ravines, the kind of places were it would be uneconomic to recover scrap !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfR-iDufq8Y

eddy

kevin powles · #8 18-01-11, 14:16

Shaun, I have finished the cover and re-furbished yours, The original cover is basically three pieces of metal, The main contoured part is pressed out on a machine, the protruding flap arrangement is welded on as is a small piece of metal on the inside of the handbrake cutout.

If you are going to make this you need an original in your hand to copy. The cover is held in place by four bolts, one of those bolts also attaches through one hole for fixing down the brake pivot triangle floor bracket, hence a counter sunk 3/8" goes through. I have rounded over the protruding flap since taking the pictures

I can see why so many carriers dont feature this cover as to remove and replace it, you need to have two men one to stop the bolts turning as you tighten the nuts under the carrier.

I will bring yours back over next week once the grenade wooden holders are finished.

thanks for the loan, kevin.

RichardT10829 · #9 18-01-11, 15:35

so when does the reproduction run start Kevin

kevin powles · #10 18-01-11, 17:09

Rich, As soon as you borrow the cover off Shaun!,

Love to make more but got just to much else to do on the mortar carrier.

Kev.

shaun · #11 18-01-11, 21:41

Kevin, nice job on the cover. I think there is a que forming to borrow it. did not realize how rare they were.

Anyway i dropped the hull off at the blasters yesterday, it was a tad on the wet side so i hope its dry when i get it back next week. Here are a couple of photos of it looking all loanly awaiting blasting.

shaun · #12 31-01-11, 21:04

Picked up the carrier hull from the blasters, next is to cut out the metal moth and make good. only 200 rivets to do !!!!

RichardT10829 · #13 31-01-11, 21:06

I has been a busy bee when it comes to rivetting PM me your mobile and i will send you a cheeky pic....I has a cunning plan that may save you a lot of time !

Marc van Aalderen · #14 31-01-11, 22:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichardT10829

I has been a busy bee when it comes to rivetting PM me your mobile and i will send you a cheeky pic....I has a cunning plan that may save you a lot of time !

Now you've made me curious mate! Come on, show us you're cunning plan!

Cheers,

shaun · #15 01-02-11, 00:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichardT10829

I has been a busy bee when it comes to rivetting PM me your mobile and i will send you a cheeky pic....I has a cunning plan that may save you a lot of time !

Richie, the photo came through fine. an interesting idea. Ben has found a good riveter over his way who thinks a carrier is an easy job compared to the stuff he normally does so im going to get him to smack the 200 in for me.
i do like your thinking though, veery tidy job ( i bet thats got the rest of you guys pondering - its up to Richie to blow the cover on his machining)

shaun · #16 07-01-11, 01:01

Started to clean the carrier down today, searching for any markings before i strip it for blasting, found some very interesting stuff. There is Pea green paint on all 4 side, on the side it is a strip about a foot long and 3 inches wide just bellow the armour edge near the gunner, on the front just bellow the mirror bracket the is a 4 inch pea green circle and a strip on the rear armour on the drivers side. i think ( and i stand to be corrected) this vehicle had been used for training and it was part of "Green Force" and the aposing guys would have been "blue force" we had the same thing on our exercises and had coloured patches on our vehicles but they were just tied on.

On the gunners side armour bellow the CT112596 are some half inch high numbers stamped into the armour 292 with another 2 stamped directly above the 9 as well.

also on the gunners side armour in the middle of the vehicle is a triangle ( you can still see the pencil line that the guy who painted it drew on first) this would normally be for "A" coy or sqdrn. as well as "sling here" near the front lifting eye that had been painted white.

One more thing to point to it having been a Ronson is that the rear lifting eyes have had the to cut straight to allow room for the rear tanks.

shaun · #17 07-01-11, 01:05

correction ,on the stamped numbers the 292 has the 2 over the top of the firsts 2 and not the 9.

Lynn Eades · #18 07-01-11, 02:32

I believe the carrier would have been built and left the factory as a Universal. Later it would have been converted to a flame thower.
My understanding is that the flame thrower equipment came in transit cases. there were two sizes of CO2 bottles, and an adapter used under thge smaller bottles. The bulk head (division plate) will have been cut as well. I have a book. "
Handbook for the Flamethower Transportable, No2, Mark 2c. The book shows a picture of a MkI* carrier, with headlight brackets, but no headlights.
The general description starts; "The equipment is fitted in the MkI or Mk2 Carrier after certain fitments have been removed and modifications made to the vehicle". The number plate is special, and is mounted to the tank. The drawing in the book has the number "CT114060" on it. Not too different to your number. A tow link like a long "D" shackle is on the two cut lift eyes. In the text it covers installation in MkI, Mk2, or Mk2W (windsor?) carriers. The gunners seat is modified, with legs welded to it. The flame thrower can fire just fuel, without ignition, or both.

Maurice Donckers · #19 07-01-11, 08:59

I have seen several carriers with the brackets on the side and rear mounted on the inside , but these carriers also had the blocks for the deep water fording kit welded on the outside, so maybe had someting to do with that .

shaun · #20 14-01-11, 21:59

The strip down started this week and is nearly finished ready for blasting. All the controls are in lovely condition, the gear leaver was even flopping about. the cam plate and followers are like new even the little screws holding link rods on unscrewed !!! lots of shiny metal came into view as the grease was wiped away. also signs of a cammo patern has emerged on the side armour, there is the standard factory green and the patches of a darker olive green. another hour tomorrow and its off to the blasters, but it is a real shame to remove all the history in the original paint, but hey i have taken loads of photos.