25 Pounder info needed.

[Niels V]

https://www.bva-auctions.com/auction...r.pageNumber=8
you probably want to take look here

[Private_collector]

Good evening,
It's been one hell of a long time since I've been active here, and although this year hasn't been great for me, it hasn't been great for most of the world either, so I won't moan. Suffice to say I'm still alive! Who was it that said "rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated!"?

Although I've not felt up to working on any heavy project, I have been tarting up an old Land Rover Defender that belonged to my Wife's late Father. We've taken it from a tray back ute, to an enclosed canopy for reasonably comfortable overnight camping. Naturally, it's camo green in color, and has a decidedly 'retro' appearance. Have been away for a couple of brief trips in recent months, with hopefully many more in the future. The other thing I've been amusing myself with, and I can't really explain why I got into this, is the building of movie props. Most significantly, Dr Who props! I built a full scale Dalek that was to be my costume at a work function which sadly had to be cancelled, thanks to COVID-19. So now I have an almost 6ft tall Ironside Dalek sitting in my dining room. I built it on an electric wheelchair base, and it's driven from inside. Obviously, no Dalek is complete without that iconic voice, so it won't come as a surprise that mine has that too.

In the past couple of years I've been in the workshop (where my CMP and 25pr build are waiting) about 5 times in total. Two of those were in the past couple of months, after having the roof replaced due to hail damage. None of those times were to actually do anything, but it is my plan to return to the 25pr in particular, fairly soon. Just haven't had the stamina to do anything that is strenuous. The CMP won't get a look in for a while yet, but after being in hospital recently, I came out more determined to get the 25pr back on track. Then I got a huge motivation boost by stumbling onto a particular part I've been searching for, for years.

After exhausting all avenues for a correct No. 5, Illuminating Apparatus, I found one advertised just a few hours away from my place. It was listed without description to it's purpose, and it appeared the seller did not know it was 25pr application. He obviously knew WHAT it was, hence the high price he was asking, but I suspect it would have been much more if he knew how rare it was. When I got it home, I opened it up and found it was absolutely complete, with exception of a battery. Even the spare parts were in their boxes labelled "A" & "B". After all these years I couldn't believe I finally had one, AND it was complete. I've just finished 2 weeks of renovating, to as good a condition as possible, including color change to match my shield. See attached photos, if I can remember how to upload them. Let me know if it hasn't worked! I will endeavour to add the 'before' photos now, and the 'after' ones in next post.

[Private_collector]

Some photos after I refurbished the unit.
Ended up having to make one of the labels inside lid of the spare part boxes (box A) from what was readable on the old, unsalvagable one. A quick soak in strong tea/coffee mixture aged the paper a little!

Now, if anyone has a set of trails for sale, we need to talk!!!

[rob love]

Great to hear from you again, and that you are on the top side of the grass.



What a great find. Certainly it is one of the holy grails for a 25 pounder, and on my short list of 25 pdr items to find yet. I do have the apparatus, but not the container. Your photos will go a long way towards making one if I have to go that route.



I have a spare 25 pdr carriage here, but postage to your end of the world would be ridiculous.

[David Dunlop]

Nice to hear from you again, Tony. Great find for the 25 pdr!

All Best Wishes to you and the family for Christmas!

David

[m606paz]

Good to hear from you Tony!
I have missed your progress on the CMP as well as all your comments. Merry Christmas and may we start to see that CMP more assembled next year!
Best regards!

[Ken Smith]

Tony, wonderful to have you back. Looks like you haven't lost any of your restoration skills.
That box looks perfect.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Ken

[Lynn Eades]

Welcome back Tony. and Happy Christmas!

[Private_collector]

Thanks Folks, and Merry Christmas.
I have no current plans to restart CMP work as yet. That one's a bit too heavy duty for me now.
T

[Mike Cecil]

Welcome back, Tony.

Nice find, and an Australian-built No.5 set.

Nice job with the restoration, too.

Best regards

Mike

[Private_collector]

Well, I didn't get the illuminating apparatus onto the shield as expected.

I had a slow start to the day, and spent too long installing a slide out hot water system to the canopy of my old Defender (AKA 'Overlord') and just plain ran out of daylight. Maybe tomorrow. On the positive side, now we dontneed to be dependent on grotty old amenity blocks in order to get a hot shower. In fact, as long as we can find toilets somewhere, we're now independent on our travels.

I did make another acquisition today though. I bought a dial sight from ebay. My other one had a case which had damage to the leather straps, meaning it couldn't be attached 100%. It wouldn't have stayed closed, and could have bounced out while travelling. I will take steps to get it repaired some day. The one I bought today, comes in a case which is fully intact,........and it was made in Australia!

[Mike Cecil]

Tony,

FS Ltd = Ford Sherington Ltd, of Sydney. Also made other leather products such as Vickers MMG spare parts cases.

Mike

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Tony,

Great to see you back!

I just stumbled upon this thread as I never get far past the Soft skin
and Restoration forums.

Same old, same old, here. Mainly "old" with the accompanying issues that goes with it. Cataract surgery next month will improve things. Doing anything that requires working in dim light or precise work has been a problem for the past year. LED headband torches and magnifying glasses are standard equipment at present for almost everything I do in the shed. Hopefully not required as often in a few weeks time.

Take care, stay healthy, and Best Wishes to you and your family for 2021.

Cheers,

[Private_collector]

Hi Jacques,
Good to hear you're OK down there! Years ago I worked with a couple of opthalmic surgeons who did cataract surgeries. Even 20 years ago it was fast, safe, and very successful. I imagine it is now much better still. I gave up my clinical work a few years ago and took a position in education and infection control. It seemed like a good idea at the time,.......then 2020 came along. My hair is considerably more grayed with 12 months of dodging the Sword of Damocles. This year I'm scaling back considerably, and intend to be working only a couple of days a week, by mid february. We want to take more short trips away from home, while still able. That's assuming there aren't more lockdowns coming. Not convinced the virus is done with us yet. I imagine the goings on of 2020 would have seriously affected your Sons career, and continue to do so? I suppose you've had quite dramatic restrictions affect you folks in the sdouthern states, no matter whether working or not!

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Tony,

Sure has been a year to forget. But being alive still beats the alternative!

Yes my son is out of flying for a long time as he joined the Qantas International fleet 6 months before it all came to a screeching halt. Presently working in a freight depot in Dandenong. Not using his piloting skills in it but at least providing for his family by doing so.

With international travel unlikely to resume to any great extent even by the end of this year we are not being too optimistic about the future.

I hope I am wrong and the vaccine is a silver bullet but I feel everything will take time to reset after such a massive hit to the world.

Cheers,

[Private_collector]

Yes. I feel the same. Do have my doubts about degree of success from any one vaccine, though. It's the way, and rate that the virus is mutating that alarms me. That, and reflecting on some comments which were made early in 2020, that in hindsight give cause to believe there was a lot more known about it, well before in-depth study could have been achieved by civilian medical research. Also concerning was the statement from our Prime Minister, regarding need to increase military budgets because 'a post COVID world will be a very different place'. He has insight in the situation, far beyond that known to the rest of us! I don't subscribe to the conspiracy theories. I do think we still know very little about how things unfolded!

What broke my heart was the inability to celebrate ANZAC Day in the traditional manner. That was hard to take. Many were far worse off than missing an ANZAC Day ceremony though, so in perspective, we got off lightly I guess. I did create and broadcast an audio Dawn Service, played on the car stereo via bluetooth. Like many, we marked the event from our driveway. I did so with bowed head, wearing WW2 style outfit, and with a deactivated L.E rifle. I hope it was a one-off! Standing still for 40 minutes is harder than it wouls first seem.

I think I'd already told you the Defender was finished, and think you may have even seen the Dalek before (made for an event that 2020 would eventually cancel!), but the lack of physical ability to carry on with the CMP has resulted in me turning to other smaller, less demanding projects, like a 1970s Dr Who era K-9 for example. Don't think I was doing that one, last time we spoke. He's finished now, and I'm playing around with a B9 robot these days. Gives me something to do in the evenings! I don't like to be bored.

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Tony,

FS Ltd = Ford Sherington Ltd, of Sydney. Also made other leather products such as Vickers MMG spare parts cases.

Mike

Thanks Mike!
Few people have your wealth of knowledge, and I'm always grateful to benefit from that.
T

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Tony, wonderful to have you back. Looks like you haven't lost any of your restoration skills.
That box looks perfect.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Ken

Hi Ken.
Happy New Year to you & your family.

Thanks for your kind words. I know some people disagree with full restoration of historic pieces like that, but I see it as restarting a clock that should keep going now for another few decades. At least it keeps it presentable and looks worth keeping when in good shape. I wonder how many interesting pieces of history got chucked away by someone who thought it was just junk, after the owner was no longer around to vouch for it's significance.

[David Dunlop]

Very nice tribute, Tony!

David

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by rob love

Great to hear from you again, and that you are on the top side of the grass.



What a great find. Certainly it is one of the holy grails for a 25 pounder, and on my short list of 25 pdr items to find yet. I do have the apparatus, but not the container. Your photos will go a long way towards making one if I have to go that route.



I have a spare 25 pdr carriage here, but postage to your end of the world would be ridiculous.

Hi Rob,
Might not be as ridiculous as you would think, if a freight forwarding company brought it in with other things. That said, closer to home would save a lot, no doubt.

Would you like me to send you more drawings to aid your construction of a case? Happy to do so, if it helps. Possibly doing a seperate thread on MLU might benefit others also, if anyone is interested. It really is a most over-engineered little box, in reality. Quite complex. Without detailed photos an measurements, it would be almost impossible to replicate convincingly. I might have tried, some years ago, but the lack of available reference materials (or a real one to study) put me off.
T

[rob love]

There was a fellow from down under a few years ago that was after some 105mm artillery items I had. He mentioned that a neighbor of his regularly imported farm equipment from Saskatchewan via seacans, which is the next province over. He felt his stuff could hitch a ride in one of those. The deal never did come to fruition however...he kind of dropped off communications.


The box certainly merits a thread on it's own, with plenty of photos. It looks like some of the hinges are actually where they rolled the ends of the sheetmetal rather than simply adding piano hinges to the appropriate spots. Photos of all sides and back would be mucho appreciated.

[lynx42]

Tony, Happy New Year, it might be for you. There was, or still is, a 25pdr. trail hidden in scrub on a property just out of Bright, Victoria. I am sure that if it is still there that the owner could be talked into parting with it. Don't remember their name but will go and check it out if I am in the area, Won't be for a while as it's on my way to the Corowa for the Swim-In and 2021 has been cancelled for the correct and obviously reasons. Cheers Rick.

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by rob love

There was a fellow from down under a few years ago that was after some 105mm artillery items I had. He mentioned that a neighbor of his regularly imported farm equipment from Saskatchewan via seacans, which is the next province over. He felt his stuff could hitch a ride in one of those. The deal never did come to fruition however...he kind of dropped off communications.


The box certainly merits a thread on it's own, with plenty of photos. It looks like some of the hinges are actually where they rolled the ends of the sheetmetal rather than simply adding piano hinges to the appropriate spots. Photos of all sides and back would be mucho appreciated.

I understand, deals have a way of going cold before completion. I will start taking measurements and photos of the Illuminating Apparatus this evening, and make a seperate thread to put them in. We're going into town today. I will go to the hardware store and look for a ruler or two that have marking easiest to read clearly in photos. Most my existing ones are quite worn, and some marks are getting hard to read.

You are absolutely correct about the hinges. There aren't any individual hinges attached, as all hinges are rolled edges of plate. Takes me back to my metal-shop days at highschool! From a painters perspective, the rolled hinge type gives more clearance (when done properly, and these are) between the surfaces, meaning when you move the hinge, you don't scrape paint off the other surface.
T

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by lynx42

Tony, Happy New Year, it might be for you. There was, or still is, a 25pdr. trail hidden in scrub on a property just out of Bright, Victoria. I am sure that if it is still there that the owner could be talked into parting with it. Don't remember their name but will go and check it out if I am in the area, Won't be for a while as it's on my way to the Corowa for the Swim-In and 2021 has been cancelled for the correct and obviously reasons. Cheers Rick.

Hi Rick, thanks and same from me to you!

If you wouldn't mind, that would be great. Pulling off a find like that, would save me hundreds of hours of work and some swearing! Pity google isnt a bit higher resolution, or we could scan from the comfort of home, no matter what lockdown we find ourselves in.
Thanks again,
T

[Private_collector]

The Illuminating Apparatus box fits fine, but man it had close tolerances to the telescope tube on right side, and wooden block on left side. With top lid fully open, they are both missed by about 5-6mm.

I picked up my second dial sight and case on Saturday. Gave the leather some rejuvenation before sitting it in place on Sunday. As I had hoped, all the straps are present and in good condition. Now I need to make the two buckles that attach it to the lower brackets. I wasn't game to do so when I only had the one I knew wouldn't ultimately be used.

The sight itself is in very good shape but some of the black paint is gone. All glass is in great shape, though there are some dirty marks inside. I am VERY reluctant to pull anything apart. If I damage something, I would never forgive myself. Might touch up the exterior paint a bit, but nothing more dramatic will be attempted.

[Oliver Missing]

Awesome work, Tony!
Do you have some decent photos/drawings of the leftsided telescope/dial sight/Probert carrier that you could kindly post ?
Just struggling with my current 3D drawing in this matter…
TIA, Oliver
www.o5m6.de

[Damien Allan]

Hello everyone. The No.5 Sight Illumination Apparatus came in with the 18Pr Mk.IV circa 1918-1920. Has anyone seen any made pre 25 Pounder production?

The 18Pr IV and 18/25Pr on Mk. IV carriage Illustrated Parts Lists show the stowage box with a 1920 makers pate.

I have another Australian 1942 made unit that I picked up recently. I would happily trade for anything made in the 1918 to 1920s period. That may be of interest if someone with an early box but wanted something WW2 dated for a 25Pr Mk.II.

The No.5 units of any date are remarkably hard to find. I think I have seen three come up since I started looking in 1995. The ones I missed out on were in auctions but went for eye watering money at the time. Fortunately mine turned up in a Lloyds auction where typically they separated the apparatus from the trail storage box, but it was not cheap. Looks like the underbidder knew exactly what he was after.

[tankbarrell]

There were a few sets in the Lloyd auction of Rod Bellars stuff. That was a really poorly lotted sale with some amazing bargains to be had. Living the other side of the planet took the shine off somewhat!

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Damien Allan

Hello everyone. The No.5 Sight Illumination Apparatus came in with the 18Pr Mk.IV circa 1918-1920. Has anyone seen any made pre 25 Pounder production?

The 18Pr IV and 18/25Pr on Mk. IV carriage Illustrated Parts Lists show the stowage box with a 1920 makers pate.
.

I posted about a box a while ago that I spotted on ebay. I suspect this may be an early box that has been re-purposed: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=31908

[rob love]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

There were a few sets in the Lloyd auction of Rod Bellars stuff. That was a really poorly lotted sale with some amazing bargains to be had. Living the other side of the planet took the shine off somewhat!

I managed to get a box with the lighting kit off that auction. You just had to swallow your common sense and decide you were going to pay the price. I almost took a second one, but in the end gave it up so someone else could be happy. I am glad I paid the price. Money shows up every week or two, and I really don't miss whatever I paid for mine. But the boxes.....not so often.

The lighting kit that came with the one I bought wasn't perfect, but fortunately I already had a spare lighting kit I bought from one of the guys on the forum, so between the two I made a complete one.