Military Vehicles, May 1997,: Re: [MV] Roll Call
Re: [MV] Roll Call
Colin Brookes (colb@xtra.co.nz)
Thu, 15 May 1997 18:47:52 +1200
In message <970515011431_1557006425@emout17.mail.aol.com>,
Tanker06@aol.com writes
>In a message dated 97-05-14 06:06:05 EDT, you write:
>
>> I seem to remember one of them was restoring a T16. I
>> took one with me to Normandy (along with 5 other
>> vehicles in 89). I threw a track on the road from
>> Bayeaux down to Arromanches.
>
>Colin,
> Noticed the above passage in your note to Daryl about
>Beltring, et.al. You may have seen my posting to this
>group a few months back about a T16 that I had found in
>my wanderings here in the States. I was wondering if you
>had ever seen another that had been modified such as this,
>or if you had ever run across any photos or reference to it.
>(I've considered buying it, but I wasn't sure.)
>
> The big modification was that the gunner's position, that
>sticks out on the left side of the glacis had been cut off flush
>with the glacis, and flush with the upper front plate as well.
>(IE. it made it look as if there never was an MG position at
>all.) The resulting hole in the armor was then plated over, so
>that it looks original. The resulting "crew compartment as
>then enclosed with an armor plated roof, into which two
>hatches were set. The black-out lights and the spotlight were
>moved to the "hull top", and the radio antenna was moved to
>the right side of the hull.
>
> I'm not sure when this work was done, time-wise, but from
>the data plates, it had had to have been done in German
>service, as the plates are in German.
>
> The owner was asking $6000 U.S., but I think he'd take
>less if I waved cash in his face. Plus, he has about 50 new
>track links & pins to throw in with the deal. I doubt that it
>would run right now, as it's been sitting out for a year or
>two, but it ran when parked, and had all new tracks. Plus
>a few extra roadwheels as well.
>
> Any ideas on this vehicle's possible source, or history?
>
>Jerry Miller
>Ashburn, VA
>U.S.A.
Hi Jerry,
Sorry I didn't see your posting, it may have been whilst I was on the
move from England to New Zealand here.
As you probably know there were five basic types of universal carrier in
production in 1944 (discount all minor variations, and LLoyd carriers
which I believe had already ceased). The five were made as
follows....a/ British. b/ Australian patttern. c/ New Zealand
pattern. d/ USA pattern T16. e/ Canadian pattern (the extended
Windsor was introduced later).
The T16 was I understand only supplied to Britain during the war, with
some going to Switzerland after the war. The T16's now in the US I
believe all originated from Switzerland. Which would account for why
they are very different to the versions used by the British. I have
seen 3 T16's in the US. Two were known to have come from Switzerland
and were extensively modified. And the third was from England,
originaly restored by myself.
I have often heard comment that the T16 was not used during WW2. For
any disbelievers......there is some brilliant film of them in action in
the 'Bocage', during the battle of Falaise in Normandy 1944, in the BBC
documentary series 'World At War'.
regards
Colin Brookes
Invicta Military Vehicle Preservation Society (IMPS)
colb@xtra.co.nz
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