Carrier World Record Attempt

[Rob Beale]

The total number of carriers on site was 30.

We measured the course around the perimeter track and along the runway at 3.4km, but the Airshow people extended our run to go around the grass cross strip as well, so it was closer to 4km in total!
Alex and I re-ran the route in my ute to verify the distance run to each breakdown.
29 carriers attempted the run, and one had a water pipe loosen at the head at about 2.5km, and another had ignition issues at about 2.9km.
(The third was at 3.5 km, so well beyond the 2 mile mark).

Keith, we have Historic Aviation Film Unit working on a DVD which will be released later in the year. I hope to include historical info and extra features, as you did in your most excellent Year of the Carrier DVD.

The list is not exhaustive but we had:
The worlds only two Bren No2 Mk1 (I checked the data plate)
Four Universal Mk 1*
One 3" Mortar MkI
One AOP MkIII W
Three Loyd
Five LP2
and a large number of LP2A including
One MMG and three 6 Pounder tractors.

Five Carriers came from the South Island, and the rest ranged from Wellington to Waikato and Gisborne and points between.

I was on site with Alex and Steve for five days and have the suntan to prove it! The Warhorses display included Re-enactors and a WW1 trench, 18 pounder and Krupp field guns and the Mk IV WW1 replica, a team of horses towed the 18 pounder, and a 6 pounder was used in the mock battle to knock out a Stuart and a halftrack with quad .50 cal. All told the vehicle count was about 90 including the carriers.

Well done to all who participated. It was a great weekend.
Rob

[Rob Beale]

of the carriers present in 2003, we had 9 of the 10 on site in 2015.
(The other was scheduled to come, but other issues intervened).

Rob

[eddy8men]

well done fella's and thanks for posting up the video's, the second one showing everyone charging down the grass strip is my favourite. there's nothing like a bit of carrier racing on a sunny afternoon

[Andy Mitchell]

FANTASIC guys !!!!!!!

[colin jones]

Wow, that looks like a great time had by all and excellent carriers. So where's the next challenge going to be held

[Dale Jordan]

Looks like you guys had a blast . More photos please . Did any one take photos of each carrier one on one ? It would be nice to put a name and face to each carrier . Dale

[David Hardway]

For those that can there are more pics here

https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Z...05628582806071

Dave

[Rob Beale]

The record is likely to stay in the antipodes, so what about another YOTC over your side of the ditch eh Colin? A lot of us would like to come over to see.

Pic below shows 10% of the fleet heading home to Gisborne.
The one in the dumper body is a farmer's conversion of an LP2, and is due to have a timber deck installed. It is am example of 'Swords to plough shares"

The rearmost UC1* carrier on the trailer is waiting on the side and rear plates. I hope to get them soon. It has so many borrowed parts to be returned!

The carrier's first run was at the motor camp after fitting the steering box, fuel lines, battery leads, solenoid and making the seat squabs and backs! It towed the AOP onto a transporter for the run to the airfield, and had a brief drive on unloading. The major test was the record run around the airfield, so I am very happy with it. There are a few adjustments to make, but the steering is precise.

The other pic shows the horse team waiting to pull the limber and 18pdr out onto the airfield. They will be doing the ANZAC Parade in Wellington this year, so it was a good try out for them in front of crowds. The big challenge will be the steel wheels on sealed roads!

Rob

[Ben]

Hi Robin

I'm even more impressed that as well as help organise the event you managed to get your MK1 running. It was a long way off when you sent me the pictures.

Was Shaun involved with the horses? I remember him showing me some pictures when you were all over at W&P.

Ben

[Rob Beale]

to use the Aussie vernacular! but there was a great group of carrier owners there. A lot of work happened on site in the days leading up to the show. We had many willing helpers. Alex did a sterling job bringing it all together.

Another carrier was subject to a lot of work on site to get it going, and it too completed the 2 miles. For mine I just followed the critical path to get it mobile and presentable (from the front at least!)

There were two NZ LAV III on site, crewed by the successor to the Mounted Rifles regiments. The two Bren carriers MkI were the start of the mechanisation of the mounted rifles, and the Gisborne Museum LP2 served with the Wellington East Coast Mounted Rifles in WW2.

Shaun brought his LRDG jeep to display this time. (He does Mounted Rifles rather than horse team). Many of the Kiwis in the LRDG were from the Divisional Cavalry, who were drawn from the Mounted Rifles.

Post war the NZ LP carriers were used largely by the support weapons platoons of the Infantry Battalions. This was a return to the role carriers were designed for!

The pics show the Bren's maker's plate, and the tool stowage for a post war LP2A conversion, and the replica Mk IV with it's realistic painting. Pics from Dave Hardway

Rob

[Ben]

Original Brass plates on British carriers/tanks are rare enough but to see one that hasn't had the makers name removed is wonderful. Nearly all the ones from Bovington have had them ground or hacked off. I've always assumed it was done as the vehicle went into frontline service. Later on they were much simpler just showing the type and T number.

[John A. Rippingham]

Hello Ben,

The makers plates had the factory address's removed after dunkirk. Most vehicles had the big brass plates pre-dunkirk, post dunkirk the bedfords had a smaller plate with no address on, or as you say the larger plates had the address machined off.
The plates i have seen with the address milled or ground off, were done at the factory, post dunlirk, judging by the type of machining used, and the age of the vehicles i've seen them on. The vauxhall factory was heavliy bombed in august 1940, and quite simpily we had given them the address to do it. I'm not sure if other manufacturers suffered the same.......

Sorry back to carriers now

John

[The Bedford Boys]

Here's a couple more vids for you guys:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TohG9UVKHfU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcVZqTSsg7w

[Larry Hayward]

Shame that more Carriers were not saved post-war and in to the 1950s when this photo was taken.

[Dale Jordan]

Dam shame . Just think how cool it would have been to be a young worker with foresight at that yard and talk the boss into you taking some home for a rainy day .. Dale

[Jan Thompson]

At Corowa in 2017 we were going to have the theme as Year of the International and now we have seen what has been done in New Zealand we will have a combined theme incorporating Year of the Carrier. There has recently been a number restored and out on the road and there are many more which should be complete by then.

Let us know who will have one restored by then?

[Rob Beale]

Alex just sent me this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M8ELV0Fa_0

which shows many of the carriers in January driving around the airfield perimeter

Can't see my one in the clip

Rob

[Rob Beale]

For the record here are all the carriers in one long shot.
Look out for the tally in the top left corner of the screen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvzKYaTJEj8

enjoy
Rob