Carrier Based Half Track Film Props

Chris Ballance · #1 19-07-09, 21:11

I am trying to track down information on a Sd.Kfz. 251 like film prop half track that I think was built sometime in the late 70s and used in the films "A Bridge Too Far", "Hanover Street" and "Force 10 from Navarone." I think the vehicle was built by combining the front of a truck chassis with a old Universal Carrier, but I am not sure. In the past I thought this vehicle was one of the vehicles that Guy Arendt built for his long gone Victory Memorial Museum in Arlon, Belgium. A Opel Maultier Panzerwerfer 42 replica from Guy Arendt's old collection, now on display in the States, looks to have a similar front end and a Universal Carrier back end.

Then my Guy Arendt Frankenstein House of Horrors Theory was killed when this picture below surfaced on a forum. Does anyone have any information about the origin, history, and current location of this half track monster?

Regards,

Chris Ballance
filmpanzer.squarespace.com

Hanno Spoelstra · #2 20-07-09, 11:18

Moderator´s note: off-topic postings have been moved to a separate thread: ex-Victory Museum Morris-Commercial PU8/4.

Hanno Spoelstra · #3 20-07-09, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Ballance

Does anyone have any information about the origin, history, and current location of this half track monster?

Chris,

The tracks and sprocket are surely of Universal Carrier origin, the road wheels probably too.

I think I have seen that picture of this movie prop on a Dutch internet site. The background in your picture surely looks Dutch to me. I´ll keep it in mind and see if I can find more info.

Hanno

Chris Ballance · #4 20-07-09, 17:21

Thanks, I will be grateful for anything you can dig up!

Chris.

martyn · #5 20-07-09, 17:45

Hi think the road wheels are off a carrier too as i have seen road wheels with holes in just like them, think they are off a loyd carrier? friend sold a hull that came out of a quarry had a pump in the back but had the same wheels on it we thort they were german at first then found a photo in the book making tracks.
good luck with your search
martyn

Alex van de Wetering · #6 21-07-09, 14:06

Quote:

Hi think the road wheels are off a carrier too as i have seen road wheels with holes in just like them, think they are off a loyd carrier?

Those wheels have been discussed on MLU before, as well. I think they came under Mr. Dodge's Loyd carrier in France. Anyway, if I remember correctly, those wheels had larger holes in them, so I recon the film prop company used " normal" carrier wheels and welded a thin piece of metal onto the spokes.
Although it looks out of proportion for a 251, it is fascinating to see the engineering!

Alex

RichardT10829 · #7 21-07-09, 17:00

in nigels book the very early lloyd carrier wheels look like that but they appear solid, i have also seen solid wheels on a T16 perhaps it is them with holes drilled through ?

carrierbarry · #8 21-07-09, 21:21

The carrier martyn refer's to, I found in a quarry in the midlands in 2001.
It did have a pump on the back and similiar wheels. I believe this must of been the last carrier working every day in the world. I will try and find a picture.

The wheels had round holes in them. They were made late in the war by a British car company I think Worsley or Morris, in the Midlands again I will check.
I have wartime pictures with them on carriers. I think they are slightly differant to the ones in the picture.

See you at W&P

Barry

maple_leaf_eh · #9 25-07-09, 22:53

Go the second last link in the list on the left side. ( http://www.geocities.jp/jipang_t1/tank-index.html ) Its all Japanese, but there are more pictures of the flat-idler German halftrack.

There are dozens of VISMOD tanks that some rivet counter has posted.

Chris Ballance · #10 27-07-09, 21:04

Yes, this Japanese site is a great source for film prop vehicle pictures. I have tried to translate a few of the pages with various degrees of success. The site in question also has links to Japanese Kelly's Heros fan site and a site about T-34/44/55/72 based Tiger VISMODs.

I have links to all these sites on my filmpanzer blog

http://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/filmpanzer-links/

Regards,
Chris Ballance

Radek · #11 27-07-09, 22:00

It is the japanies site now better?
http://translate.google.cz/translate...hl=cs&ie=UTF-8

Chris Ballance · #12 27-07-09, 23:26

Google's translator works pretty well. In the past I have tried to find a email address on the site without luck.

Chris.

maple_leaf_eh · #13 28-07-09, 02:15

Throw a curveball into a conversation amongst rusty old truckers, and film critique debate breaks out! Who knew?

Hanno Spoelstra · #14 28-07-09, 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

I think I have seen that picture of this movie prop on a Dutch internet site. The background in your picture surely looks Dutch to me. I´ll keep it in mind and see if I can find more info.

Actually, it was sent to me via a mailing list as one of those "what is this?" type of e-mails. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Hanno

Chris Ballance · #15 29-07-09, 17:11

Hi Hanno,

No worries, eventually I think the answer will turn up and I will post what I find here. I really need to get a hold of the After the Battle Magazine Special Edition on Market Garden. It has a write up about the film, and maybe I can track down someone still alive from the production who can fill in the gaps. RZM did not have this issue a year ago, but I have not tried lately.

Regards,
Chris.