Cheers for the heads up. will look into those 
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The travels have been terrific thanks. I have seen so many amazing things. I am glad I took the plunge.
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And your vehicle history
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Johnny, here’s the link. I have them, they look great but I still haven’t tried assembling them, got sidetracked… again.
Or just search 1/35 Challenger 1 tracks ZS Model
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Wow I like all the details that your adding to it.
Cheers,
Ralph
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Thanks Ralph, kind of you to say so, and glad you enjoyed the build
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Cheers Russ, they do look nice … I will message them about cost and shipping to UK
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Ah good old Chieftain. An automotive nightmare of the highest order but you knew anything hit by that gun was dying. Really good job on this Johnny, lots of little items that bring the basic kit up to a high standard.
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Cheers mate … It takes people like you and I who lived in them to give them there bit of glory. I get wound up by people who slag them off without knowing a thing about them… And you are so correct about that L11 … if you got hit by that … Game over
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this one now in New Zealand is one of the oldest still running (possibly the oldest) it started life as a Mk0 Prototype and is now a Mk10/11. owned by the Waikato Armoured Museum Trust.
managed to get my wide load into the drivers seat
same tank in Berlin, picture sent from former commander
a former commander (left) visiting
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Hi Mark
When I photographed the vehicle back in 2008, the ERM painted on was 80MS23 which isn’t recorded in the Merlin Archives, nor mentioned in the Haynes production lists.
That earlier photo you’ve got shows the ERM as O4EB43, which Merlin Archives records the in service date as 1/4/68. There is a big blank in the vehicle history until 18/2/87, Disposal 17/6/93.
The Haynes lists say it was a batch of 355 Mk2 produced between Apr 66 - Aug 69 at ROF Leeds.
When I visited Des’s shed, I was deep into NZ 30549 research (M41), so didn’t take many shots of Chief -
One of the odd things about it - weld marks on the left skirt
Mal
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That Veh reg is nothing to do with UK Vehicles.
And ref the partial VRN on the side plates, dont put to much into it as crews would swap over plates all the time without realising or it could be just a spare from when the Chief was sold on etc and was all that was on hand.
I would also be very sceptical of it being a prototype chassis as well.
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Those internal pics bring back some memories having occupied each crew position at some stage early in my Army career.
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yeap, cramped, dirty and smelly … But I loved it !!
and its nice to see a standard gearbox oil leak lol
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Hi Johnny
Yep, figured the 80MS23 was someone’s ‘Artistic License’.
I’ve heard of the T plate being marked like that, but hadn’t heard similar for the skirts, though I’ve seen more than 1 example.
Des mentioned they weren’t sure of the vehicle history, I’d applied to Bovy for a check of their records pre Covid, but everything stopped come Covid & haven’t heard back.
Without seeing the internal name plate to confirm the identity - we’re just guessing.
Mal
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I have never seen a T plate being marked. I honestly cant see the need to ? it only ever comes off for a pack lift and has to be craned off … so its not something easily stolen by another crew …
Kit is only usually marked to prevent it going walkies.
As for the skirts being marked up, most of ours in the Regt if not all would be marked up in one way or another. Spot welding the the last 4 of the VRN was a bit of overkill, we normally painted the inside or used large lettering/number stamps on the outside.
And I am still sceptical of it being a prototype vehicle … they just differed way to much … possibly one of the few pre production tanks maybe ?
It was nice to see that image of Marks and the actual Veh Comd, pity it doesnt say his name as I may of worked with him in our Regt when we had a Sqn of 14/20 attached to us and they had our tanks as we were getting Cr1.
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Great pics of one of my favorite tanks and camo schemes. Interesting how the interior doesn’t seem to be painted much white.
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Chieftains / CVRT and Cr1 are mostly silver on the inside. Same for most 70s through to 90s UK AFV’s and wagons.
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Wow even into the 90s? Didn’t know that .
Weren’t Centurions silver on the inside as well ?
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