T-16 S/N 5399 T.D. 97377 Restoration

[horsa]

I've seen a third version of the lower mounting point (pintle post?) designed for these Bren cradles for use on the heavier Vickers mount. It more closely resembled your lower but the post was like a shortened steel version of the post used on the Vickers Mk IV mount for the standard tripod.

I'm fairly sure that the lower on my example was made for use on the lighter bronze/brass carrier mounts. The unknown is was it a wartime mod or something someone did because they didn't have one of the heavier Vickers mounts that these were intended for when first produced? Being a modification, I’m considering the option of cutting the lower post off and welding in a short length of appropriate thickness steel rod. That would allow it to be used with a mount on the carrier’s side hull. My heavier mount could always be used with a standard Vickers setup if we put it on the Weasel. Can’t put that one on the T-16 as we have a lower locker under the sloping armor where the Aussie heavy mount would bolt onto a plate of steel that hangs down in that location.

[Lynn Eades]

The Vickers mount

[horsa]

Yep, that last mount is what I'm used to seeing for the Bren cradle when used on the heavy Vickers mount.

Did the Kiwi carrier have there as well or were they only on the Aussie carriers?

[Lynn Eades]

Apart from the first forty carriers which were a copy of the original British Bren MkII (I am rebuilding one) The rest of those built here, were of the Australian pattern.

[horsa]

Had the T-16 out for our local army base's annual open house and WWII public show battles this past weekend. We had decent weather for a change which was nice since the wife and kids came out and camped. They all dress out as part of a French FFI Resistance Maquis unit and used my wife's '32 Citroen while I ran around with the carrier stirring up the dust.

Probably only drove 10 miles total but burned up almost five gallons of gas, although we did idle quite a bit. And the tracks need adjustment again since they have stretched out a little more after driving over about a mile of rocky terrain.

[horsa]

A few more photos and some video clips from the same event this past weekend. Usually my group is British airborne but we opted to don black berets with Royal Armoured Corps badges this time since we had the carrier out. Not that the public here in America knows the difference.

Staging the vehicles before one of the show battles. We were tail end Charlie following up the two Shermans and a Stuart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd2Kfui8aTA

Video clip filmed from the gunner side as we follow a Sherman tank through a patch of mud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyJMw...ature=youtu.be

And this third video was shot by my younger 10 year old daughter. She did a pretty good job keeping it steady as one of the Shermans was approaching her about 45 seconds into the video clip. The T-16 isn't in the video since we were out to film so you'll see a jeep taking up the rear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-h51Gr3Eko

[RichardT10829]

Awesome David, great work