plant and C vehicles

[Nick Balmer]

Hello Les,

Have you got pictures of the First World War French trenchers? I was surprised how quickly they were developed, and how powerful they were. I will look my photos out.

I bought and operated a number of Vermeer and Ditchwitch trenchers in the Middle East in the early 1980's.

Because they are quite rare, I thought that my order for three on one occasion must have been one of the biggest the rep must have been getting.

He said "Oh no, I have just sold a couple of hundred to Iraq!"

Saddam had apparently been using them to put in telecom cables underground. He was putting in duplicate and triplicate lines, to avoid using radios which he knew who be jammed or intercepted.

John Marchant had a lovely restored WWII Allen trencher a few years ago. I believe he was selling his collection, does anybody know where it went?

Regards

Nick Balmer