Carrier Scout Mark 1 L

[Philliphastings]

Hello Tony, yes I can email you the comparison shots if you PM me your email address. Still can't post direct to the site unfortunately.

The Fort Capuzzo shot appears in a number of publications I first saw it in my old copy of 'The first Victory' about the early battles in war in the desert.

What would really help put the matter to rest is if the original ledger of Hull numbers and registered numbers ever came to light.

Cheers

Phill

[Lynn Eades]

My trip to visit Phillip allowed me to learn a bit about the Scout.
The first pic shows that this Scout (possibly all of them) had no ice scrapers.
The second shows what the pedals were like in Scouts (and real Bren) carriers before universals. Much like Aust pattern carriers.
The third pic. shows the Scout front gunners apeture, different to anything else, in that it is narrow like the Brens, but the holes are placed for the Boyes rifle mount. Phillip is looking for one if anyone can help.
The forth pic. shows where the right rear folding plate should be. Note the curved air ducting common to the pre universal carriers, and the holes to the battery box, noting that the top of the rear hull is lower than a universal, and the battery box would meet the top of the engine covers. Bren and Scout carriers have a dog leg in the top of the engine cover.
The last picture shows the "Arens" fuel change over valve particular to the Scout. (I dont know if the Brens had these?)

[Lynn Eades]

Next is a pictre of the cold start cable, mount bracket, and instruction plate.
The is located in the air duct , behind the drivers left shoulder, as per the Bren carriers, and was adopted in the Aust. pattern carriers.
Second pictue is a close up of the plate.
Third is a box, that I haven't seen before,the description I will leave to Phillip.
Fourth. The wiring exit for the horn. (horn is incorrect)
Fifth. Muffler still in place. (after 70 years)

[Lynn Eades]

Here a top veiw of part of the engine cover.
A closer veiw of where the rear folding plate shoud be. one half of each hinge remains in place. The picture also shows on the left, the bracket for the jack handle stowage, and on the right, for the crank handle.
The original British steering wheel. Anyone have a spare?
My veiw of what I saw, Is that Phillip has a very tidy, almost all there, surface rust only, easy to restore, one off in the world, Scout carrier, with a history. I am extremely jealous!
There is some work to be done in repairing/replacing plates, sorting out the power unit etc., but a sand blast, and and paint will bring her up beautifully.

Colin Jones, would a man of your skills be able to patch those holes in the sides, or would you replace the plates?

I have questions for Nigel (Watson)

Q1. Nigel, the plate on the carrier states clearly enough that the T number is
T5329. The 74th in a batch of 296, that started at T5255, RMY609. If the were numbered consecutively This would make this carrier RMY682.
As RMY681 was built with the low front idler, Does this make this the first Scout built by Aveling Barford with the High idlers and later front guards?

Q2. The contract number on the plate is clearly C879 How does this fit into contract no. T6024? (what would tha prefix letter relate to?)

Q3 When were Nuffields contracts let, in relation to A.B. (before, after, same time) and how many did Nuffield build with low/ high idlers?

[Lynn Eades]

Re our discussion about gear levers, gates etc. Here is a couple of pics, showing, at bottom, the standard universal front end, and above is the one from my N.Z. LP (1) which is the same as the pre war Brens, and as I remember is the same as your Scout. (The gate is from my LP as well)
The Bren, Scout, and the NZ LP used a much shorter gear lever, which had a shorter effective length, in as much as the front bracket in the picture connects to the gear lever much higher up. With the short lever this would mean a stronger arm would be required, but the throw would be shorter.

[Philliphastings]

Hi Lynn,

Thanks for posting up those pics. I got a bee in my bonnet on saturday and manufactured both Battery box replacement side armour plates as well as the rear folding armour plate. They need only be drilled and sand blasted and ready to go !

I had no luck sourcing a local steel fabricator/supplier to manufacture the replacement side plates so I will gather quotes in Perth and have them done professionally. Even adding the cost of freight it is cheaper than trying to get work done local.

The unusual mounting box you have posted up images of is, I believe, the stowage for the Wireless set remote control unit and spare valves box. At least that's my best guess and as both units fit perfectly, and the box mounts perfectly in the right place in the Scout, then that's where I intend to put it.

On the subject of engines, the one you saw is out of a 1937 Ford Coupe Utility and is in fact the engine which was replaced by the original Scout engine. It need a replacement piston fitten and it will need to be carefully drilled for the carrier oil cooler outlet but seems to be ideal to fit to the machine.

It is amazing how small parts keep turning up and yesterday I found one of the pivots with grease fitting for the antenna mounting. Sand blasting the stripped down hull will be a major landmark in the rebuild and will have to be done in Perth as well. From that moment on the rebuild will begin in earnest.

I have satisfied myself that olive drab lustreless paint was applied at the factory and have ordered a batch in the exact same colour tone and it turned out to be surprisingly affordable. I have found evidence of the dreaded re-lead primer in a few spots low in the hull and wonder what was likely to have been used at the factory. I have opted for red oxide zinc primer at this early stage.

Cheers

Phill

[Lynn Eades]

I need some carefully measured dimensions please;
1. a to b. Hull div. plate out side to air duct cut out (is a to b the same as the opposite side?)
2. a to c. measurement down,
3. a to d. top of div plate to top of guard
4. i to j. depth of radiator hole
5. f to g. depth of front gun slot from top edge (f is hard to see)
6. f to h. width of gun slot
7. e to c. width of air duct cut out.
8. over all width of div plate (b to far side)

You will have to enlarge the picture to see the letters.