Humber armoured cars in service in Myanmar?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

In a thread on vintage armour service today on TankNet I read:
"Myanmar is probably the only remaining operator of Humber armoured cars".
Does anybody have more info, pictures?

H.

[Neil Ashley]

Hanno

The figure quoted for many years by Janes Books was I believe 40. Quite if Janes are still listing them you would need to check in an up to date edition.

Burma were also listed at the same time as having Comet Tanks and Carriers. I have a copy of a demands request from their army dated during the 1980's listing Daimler Dingo spares they wanted to buy. This was addressed to the now defunct ECM Company of Poole England, who post war rebuilt many of the Army's Dingo's, and maintained large stocks of spares into the 1980's. All now gone.

More recently within the last fifteen years, I spoke to some one who had seen a warehouse full of carriers in Burma. Subsequently the rumour was that they had sold all the V8's and presumably scraped the rest.

Through contacts I have tried twice to contact their goverment, but without success.


I would personaly doubt if any vehicles are still in service due to the spares problem, but does any one have any more up to date information?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Neil Ashley
More recently within the last fifteen years, I spoke to some one who had seen a warehouse full of carriers in Burma.

Neil, thanks for the info. Similarly, I've heard rumours of scores of Sherman tanks in India.

Subsequently the rumour was that they had sold all the V8's and presumably scraped the rest.

Such rumours can be true: less than 10 years ago a number of turretless Grizzly tanks were scrapped in
Portugal. These days you will have to watch out for the Chinese as they have an insatiable appetite for scrap iron.

H.

[Richard Hughes]

On the subject of Humbers in Myanmar I can remember being at Chris Wilkinsons yard a few years ago and him saying he had been approached by the government of said country because they were after spares for Armoured cars which were being used for internal Policing duties.

Also up until recently Myanmar was using Scammell Pioneer Tank transporters for logging because they were the only vehicle that could get through the mud in the rain forest.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another post-war (1950) user of Humber armoured cars was the Italian state police. Judging by their converted Staghounds, these Humbers had machine gun(s) fitted instead of the main armament.


Source: Foto Storiche Reparto Mobile

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Neil Ashley
I would personaly doubt if any vehicles are still in service due to the spares problem, but does any one have any more up to date information?

Here are some more quotes from The Irawaddy News Magazine: The Kiev Connection:

Before the 1980s, the Burma Army’s APC fleet consisted of obsolete Ferret, Humber and Daimler armored cars provided by the United Kingdom in the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the regime developed a range of locally designed armored vehicles, built by army engineers using Japanese components. Since the armed forces took back direct political power in 1988, they have purchased about 250 Type-85 and around 55 Type-90 tracked APCs from China.

Before 1988, the only tanks in the army’s inventory were about 20 obsolete Comet medium tanks, provided by the UK in 1954.

and from Burma News, No.3, Volume 4, March 1993 :

It was reported that China gave SLORC a gift of 60 APCs in 1991 and 100 more were purchased in 1992. Prior to this, Burma had only 20 APCs manufactured locally by Hino, 30 locally manufactured Mazda reconnaissance cars, 40 obsolete British `Humber' armoured cars and 45 obsolete `Ferret' scout cars. SLORC has to date acquired from China 30 T-69II medium battle tanks and 30 T63 light tanks. Previously, the Burma Army had only 26 `Comet' medium battle tanks [Focus930103, BA93].