New Member from the UK

[RichardT10829]

Hello all at MLU, i thought i would introduce myself within the carrier forum as this is my main interest on this site.

I have been obsessed with Bren Gun Carriers for some time, and only after researching my grandfather did it really sink home how fantastic these machines really are ! I never got to sit down with my Grandfather and ask him about the war before he died back in 1989, And it was some time last year that i finally inherited his box of army bits and bobs, including his AB64, stable Belt, Binoculars, field compass, Glenn Garry hat which I had to replace the regiment badge for, and a whole load of photographs, one of which he is stood infront of his carrier (T10829) he is the chap stood next to the sgt.

Having pestered lots of people on MILWEB I had been offered countless T16's and a whole bunch of absolutely wrecked carriers full of holes off the ranges, all wanting over the top prices !! I bit the bullet and emailled every single business on the MILWEB page, including John at Midwest Military; John kindly put me onto Don Barrie, who is hopefully sorting me out with a carrier ! Both John and Don have been very helpfull Don in particular ! Since opening the box of WW2 bits I seem to have immersed myself into carrier's I have even bought the book written by David Fletcher, and purchased a carrier service book so I can start reading up, as the carrier I have been looking at needs a whole bunch of TLC...Armour......Bits.... great stuff !!!

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searchi...tml#post122158

i have attached the link to my research of my grandfather if this is ok, if not please let me know and i will remove it.

here are some pics of the carrier i have been looking at its probably well known or not......



Cheers

Richard Harrison
Cullercoats
UK.

[Adame]

Welcome

I am new as well, your project looks like a lot fun ahead of you.

All the best
Adame

[RichardT10829]

Yeah, it is so frustrating that people cut the armour off, i know why they do it, i just wish they wouldnt, or at bare minimum keep the section of plate with the ID number on. I am not looking forward to having to try and remake the armour, i have seen people that have welded it up and i would prefer it to be riveted but that will be some task methinks.

[Justin Pollard]

Welcome to MLU Richard,
There are some very helpfull people here.
Good luck with the carrier.

Justin.

[RichardT10829]

Thanks Justin. I have clearly joined the right forum, I was reading Horsa's thread on his T16 and i only hope i can do the same level of resto to this one what a fantastic job he has done !!!!.

My carrier service book has arrived today so I have been reading up big time. famous last words but the mechanics of the carrier seem pretty straight forward for what i am used to dealling with, and in comparison to modern items such as the FV432.

I think the nightmare will be locating drive train, sprockets, linkages, steering mechs and tracks etc. That said I live 5 minutes from Vickers Amrstrongs who designed the first proto type of the carrier (VAD 50) when they took over carden lloyd... wonder if they still have any patterns etc etc. may have to drop them an email !

[RichardT10829]

having looked at other pictures on here of carriers the tracks on the one i have been looking ar look bar tight, there is no sag at all along the top section ? is this normal or is this a sign that the sprockets / tracks are finished ?

[Keith Webb]

Hi Richard, great to have you join us as part of a very enthusiastic knowledgeable body of people.

Keith

[RichardT10829]

thanks Keith, does anyone else have any knowledge of this carrier ? and is the track tension going to be an issue ?

[Rob Beale]

The carrier bug knows no national boundaries, and is not curable!

The tight track on your carrier will be due to rust in each link and pin. Note there are about 168 of them each side, so it doesn't take much in each link.

If you tow it around, carefully, much rust will wear away from them and the track will loosen off relatively fast. You may find some seized links which will not bend or fail to straighten out, but with care and a lot of effort they can be freed. Read thru the forum for the various methods used.

I had to fit two extra links just to join the ends on mine but it took about a kilometre to free up so that the track was slapping on the underneath of the guards. (Kiwi and OZ carriers have about 4 inches extra clearance under the guards!)

Best wishes on your new addiction.
Rob

[RichardT10829]

Thanks for that Rob, hopefully if the sale goes through she should be back in the uk for early spring (saves nightmares in the snow at the Canadian side) If anyone else is selling projects i am interested its nice to keep options open, i would prefer a MK1 as per Royal Scotts Fusilier Harrison but would consider almost anything so if you guys can spread the word it would be great !

thanks for the warm welcome folks it makes all the difference.

I have measured up the garage and rigged up a block and tackle system on a gantry for the heavy lifts.

[Gunner]

Hi Richard:

Welcome to the forum and to the world of carrier collectors. I recently shipped a Windsor Carrier from the UK to Canada in a 40 foot container with a CCKW "Jimmie". All up with taxes, inspection fees and overtime costs charged by the trucking firm while we waited for the customs inspectors, was over $6000 (Canadian) from an original estimate of $3500!

Do your homework carefully and ensure you have a written estimate from the shipping firm so that you have something to fall back on when they start adding fees. Ensure that they are responsible for wood dunnaging as you might get nailed for un-inspected/approved wood.

Due to concerns over formaldahyde fumes the Canadian government changed the rules on ventilating containers this summer and mine sat on the dock with a big fan on it for several days before inspectors would go in. I don't regret the safety concerns of the chaps that have to do the inspections but it cost me over three weeks in delays and the carrier missed its debut at the big airshow show in Ottawa and I got tagged for a $1000 inspection fee!

I am working on a project that might see me shipping something carrier sized to the UK in the late spring. I would be interested in collaborating with you to save shipping costs.

Mike

[Neil Ashley]

Richard

It is obviously going to cost a huge sum of money to restore this Carrier without including the transport. You will find next to nothing in the way of body parts / armour and everything will have to be fabricated from new. Unless you are doing all the work yourself you are also unlikely to ever recover the cost of restoration when you sell. Pay particular attention to the tracks because if they are worn out you will need a new set cast and machined plus track pins.

Having said this if you if you plan on keeping it long term you may not worry about this. Carriers do come up for sale in the UK occasionaly but they do sell very quickly and prices for good complete examples are going up all the time.

[Ledsel]

I can't believe that they would chop it up like that and still leave the front skirts on!!!!

[Ledsel]

Originally Posted by Adame

Welcome

I am new as well, your project looks like a lot fun ahead of you.

All the best
Adame

Adame, What the heck are you riding in that picture?

[RichardT10829]

it looks like a goliath RC tracked bomb designed by the germans. Gunner i am very interested in your proposal matey so count me in !!!

Neil yes there is lots to do, but i would be keeping her long term. from what i have seen from the greedy brits £4500 will get you a shot up S**T heap got offered two T16's a while back off Kevin Wheatcroft both range wrecks both full of holes from the armed services using them as target practice with javeline missiles, no engines no linkages tracks wrecked sprockets wrecked ! a joke !

If folks can keep eyes out for me it would help greatley i do appreciate all your feedback and advice so thanks again and keep it comming folks.

if i can find someone close to fergus it would help as they could speakwith the owner and get me a full list of what is and is not present, plus lots of close up photo's on the bits that matter.

[RichardT10829]

still on the Hunt, Don has got his hands full at the mo so cant get in touch for a wee while i believe this is the same carrier that Chris Vickery knows about, i needed pics and as much info on the carrier as possible, Chris can you PM me its address i also need it for shipping quotes etc (if the sale goes through and i get this one)

[malcolm erik bogaert]

Richard if you care to PM me I will give you the name and address of a carrier restorer here in North-Northumberland(not to far away from you)compliments of the season.best regards malcolm

[RichardT10829]

Thanks Malcolm, is it the lad from Rothbury who is restoring a T16 by chance ? or was that you i cant remember now was quite a while back now...

will PM you buddy cheers

Richard

[malcolm erik bogaert]

Richard have replied to your PM regards malcolm

[colin jones]

Hi Richard and welcome, Is that an original carrier esky I see in the engine bay there?
Colin.

[RichardT10829]

hehehehehe no idea never had the privilage to even touch the damned thing

[RichardT10829]

Originally Posted by colin jones

Hi Richard and welcome, Is that an original carrier esky I see in the engine bay there?
Colin.

colin whats an Esky ?


anyone know if the front angles#d plate is armoured ? and secondly if it is, i guess i cant weld mild steel onto armoured with a mig ? just for the section which runs beyond the second angle bar accross the front (where the steering wheel mounts onto), anyone able to tell me what gauge steel it is also so i can start pricing up sheets

[Lynn Eades]

I'm not sure that its armoured but if it is, you can weld it with stainless.
The carriers are made out of metric plate ie 3mm 8mm. If you are talking about the front plate that un bolts to give you access to the pedals etc. just cut a new one out of mild . If you going to join it, cut it back so the join is hidden under the angle. When you take the plate out you'll be able to measure it.

[RichardT10829]

well how freaky is that, after putting out an massive amount of adverts on the web looking for carriers, explaining the backround of why i want to restore one, i was contacted by a UK based carrier restorer Shaun Hindle, Basically i recieved "CAN I RING YOU PLEASE! " needless to say i said yes and give my number to him, moments later the phone rang. "CAN I ASK WHERE YOU SAW THAT CARRIER NUMBER T10829" i explained, and before i could finish Shaun had described the exact photo that i had, pointing out that the bloke half way down looking at the camera was his grandfather !!!!! it appears that there must be a 2nd Batalion Royal Scots Fusiliers 5th Div Bug in that grandsons of serving members own or want to own carriers !!! what an absolute mind blow it has been. Shaun is going to send me some pics of his grandad stood on a bridge with some fusiliers, from what he has described it could be the same pic that i have of my grandfather and his closest mates how strange it would be that even though they were part of the same platoon, they were infact close pals !!

I will update as time goes on, but what a story to be told ! UNBELIEVABLE

it would be great to re create the photo of the carriers at the training Depot in Ireland with a load of carriers and the next generation of families.

[RichardT10829]

Mal, i spotted a picture you provided to Nigel for Vol.1 of the carrier book, it is on page 226 and shows a bloke stepping out of the front of the gunners aperture on the carrier, the carriers number is T11510 which is from the same batch carrier no1 Mk1 by wolesley as my grandads (T10829) i have photos of his carrier next to another T11480 so yours is pretty close. secondly i noticed the 46th Div oak tree insignia on the side of the carrier in the photo you provided, can you tell me where the picture came from ?

[RichardT10829]

some more pics are these sprockets finished ?





just incase i need to get another set wink wink........I suppose the sprockets and tracks should be changed as a pair ie not new sprockets on old tracks

[carrierbarry]

Richard

I would say the sprockets and track have got some life left in them. Remember how many miles do you think you will go in a carrier?. After 100yds your be deaf, your bum will be num and your probable have cramp in both legs.

I have a drawing to have sprockets made, not expencive or difficult.

Barry

[RichardT10829]

ah lovely stuff then Barry.

so your not up for a trip up through Italy with me landing at Salerno ending at Monte Cassino ? would be good if Kevin, Martyn, Shaun, Nigel, You, and me could get all the carriers in convoy...... i reckon the Italians may get a sad on over it though.

[ron]

Hi Richards,
I have been following your various threads with interest, but am a little puzzled,have you got a carrier as yet? I am still chasing up leads for you, but we are a long way from you here,
Regards Ron

[RichardT10829]

this one looks to be a go'er but await the track count before full funds transfer (i have paid deposit which will be returned if the tracks are caput) so yes it looks like i now have a Mk1 carrier (pending the results of the above enq) basically it is a bare tub but a pal has scourced me a load of stuff for it. Shuan was mentioning that the track looks to roll in over which suggests its finished (worn pin lugs)