Relic from the troubles?

[Peter Laidler]

Those Humber pigs all started their lives as the Humber 1 ton XX BK XX serial number trucks that are shown elsewhere. Converted to semi AFV's by the big Base Workshops. Not a new idea as we had some similar, but Bedford QL's and RL's converted for use in Malaya and Aden.

Eventually the Humber pigs became just too heavy for the engines to cope with all of the extra armour - especially the bar armour to defeat (?) the RPG's. Mechanical spares were almost non existent and they soldiered on by stripping the wounded pigs for spares. That's why so many carcases ended up as hard targets on the firle firing ranges. I say 'hard' targets. They were hardly hard but they would easily stop small arms stuff.

Never drove one or even the truck version. A lot of these 50's era 1 tonners plus the 3 ton Commer tippers (XX BH XX type numbers) were taken to Australia and left there during the 60's clear-ups at Maralingra. I saw a couple that had been civilianised

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[bigduke6]

There was a reasonable priced Saracen on ebay not long ago, unfortunately I had no funds at the time, in fact no funds for anything at present........ this is me trying to smuggle a Chieftain out of Bordon

"were you going with that tank"
"what tanks that then Sgt'

These were the last days of Bordon, they were firing everything up and getting ready for the move to Lyneham, quite a lot was getting sold off, scrapped etc.

[Peter Laidler]

Not strictly related to the Humber Pig but...... There was another vehicle we used at our big workshops called a JUMBO CRANE. Front jib crane on a rear wheel steer chassis. These were also made on Humber 1 ton chassis as well as re-worked Morris commercial chassis Good little mobile crane for use in and around the workshops for engine-outs and ins, turrets off etc etc. Not for the hands clean Armourers of course. But the VM's and gungy gun fitters as a rule

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Is this her?

[Peter Laidler]

Same meat, different gravy. It looks as though that one has been built using a UNIMOG chassis and cab with front wheel steer. Our Jumbos were rear wheel steer

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

This one perhaps? You have my curiosity sparked.

[Peter Laidler]

Talking of restoration projects from the troubles, there is a group in Northamptonshire embarking on the restoration of a cold war 'troubles' Conqueror tank. Here's my comments........

Post by Peter Laidler » Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:15 pm
Ho, ho, ho........, but lovely to see......... A bundle of trouble from the word go!. An absolute mechanical nightmare for the C category mechanics, the gun fitter, the tels techs and pretty much anyone else that set eyes on them. Especially so, those that had to move them from their barracks to the training areas in BAOR as they were too wide and point-load heavy for the German railways and post war 'erzats' bridges* and even more so for the old Diamond T (and a bit later, the Mighty Antar) Tank transporters.
* post-war cheapo steel girder bridges quickly built to replace the bombed out ones

Recovery was a logistical nightmare too especially in the boggy ranges of Nrthern Germany because if the Conc was stuck (they used to bed-out in spite of the track width) the old Churchill recovery and Centurion recovery tanks could GET to them but a staraight-pull was absolutely out of the question - UNLESS you could get THREE of them to the site

Salvation came in the form of the up-gunned, 1945/6 era gentlemanly Centurion from 17 pounder to 20 pounder and then 120mm gun that was more than a match for the Soviet tanks - and remained there to augment the Chieftain until the Challenger. By this time, MILAN and JAVELIN had made tanks obsolete. Whhen the Concs were withdrawn there were no buyers..... They languished in open ordnance until the late 60's and used as hard range targets. Alas, even a few years of tank and anti-tank hits couldn't destroy them

Made my day to see one

[browningautorifle]

there is a group in Northamptonshire embarking on the restoration of a cold war 'troubles' Conqueror tank

We heard about those...when one backed out of a hanger in Germany and did a pivot turn it dug the cobbles down to the plumbing. Too big, too heavy and too much was what we heard. Good luck the restoration.

[Flying10uk]

Is it this one Peter?

[Peter Laidler]

Exactly........ Now imaging one bogged, belly down on the ranges, miles from anywhere. Unditching, using another Conqueror was forbidden because if the first Conc was bogged in, then as sure as little green apples proved time and time again, the second Conc would follow the first. Total nightmare. I think that the 3rd Carabineers were the last users