It certainly has a presence 
… Probably won’t do any more images on this thread until the wagon is loaded on the Scammell…
Updates will be mostly on the Got Hitched thread until I do the last loaded images.
One chain set fitted
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Looks great!!
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Awesome! 
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Loving it John.
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Thanks guys … appreciated.
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it’s going to be a big old pairing once all done. Are those chains scratched? They look very good.
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I wish mate … -no, they are the AA transporter shackle set … A155 … I wish I had got 2 sets instead of the one …
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Yeah, you and me both. Said it before but someone needs to step in to fill the AA void. It’s the little things that need producing. I’ve been looking for decal producers recently for things with no joy.
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Michael Shackleton has number plates that could be adjusted to needs, under the ferret decals.
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Any good for you?
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Look on here for other options
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I’ve used some of Kingfishers stuff in the past but haven’t seen the Modelbau decals. I’ll give them a shufti.
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Ever used that term operationally?
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We used it all the time in its slang form either in barracks or in the field or in fact just generally.
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Me too - all the time - not least as an ostensible Arabic speaker(!) I had to endure the 12 week Arabic course before my 20 month sojourn in Oman - where of course, true to form, I discovered that nearly all the HQ staff spoke better English than I or Urdu.
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They are really top notch; I use them for my Bundesgrenzschutz efforts, and East and West German stuff.
Their service is pretty good too.
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Your Arabic was certainly better than mine. I took a continuing education class in it, hoping I’d get deployed to Iraq and use it. Then when we did get mobed I had exactly five one hour sessions at Fort Campbell. I arrived speaking like a two year old. I left speaking like an Iraqi two year old, as the dialect was different than MSA. But I remember shouting “shuf!” to my Iraqi comrades during raids, and pointing at what I wanted them to see.
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Well, I don’t know about that.
By the time I got to Iraq late (2002/early 2003) I’d forgotten most; after all, I ended up not using much at all in Oman as described. However, I knew the extensive and profusive greetings as second nature and that helped, not least on the day I stopped a riot. I will explain.
I was part of a so-called Governorate Support Team stationed in An Nasiriya, co located with an Italian CIMIC set-up and a Guard Force - at the time Bersaglieri (including some very attractive female soldiers). I digress.
We all operated in civilian clothes. One day, I was the only member of the team in situ. There was a demonstration of teachers, protesting beyond the wire as they had not been paid. Now, these were teachers, so the demonstration, complete with placards, was orderly, and the placards were in impeccable English, as one would expect perhaps.
However, they refused to disperse until they’d seen the senior British officer who was meant to be a sort of de facto province governor, but as I say, the Colonel was away back at Div HQ at Basra.
The Italian guards were getting mightily frustrated, not least in the searing heat and the constant chanting etc was getting to them; they only had one Arabic speaker amongst them and he was overworked, hot, sweaty and tired. Apparently he called them “Effing donkeys” and things got decidedly worse. Not that there was any real menace or threat, but the shouts certainly grew angrier. I was mostly unaware of this, to an extent, resting on my bed, not doing very much at all.
My reverie was interrupted by one of the Italians who urgently requested my involvement, on the lines of “You must come and fix this, or we will have to shoot them”, which was somewhat disconcerting.
I slipped on my deck shoes, placed my sunglasses firmly on my head, then removed them so I could ensure eye contact, and strode out to the throng in the searing heat and intense sunlight; the Arabic speaking guard was shouting at them still. When I appeared they all cheered as they thought I was the Colonel. I went up to them, only a single strand Dannert wire fence was between us, and shook hands with their spokesman, using the best Arabic greeting that I could remember, then asked if they minded that I continue in English “Tafhaam Ingleezi?" or something like that.
Luckily it worked and as teachers - the intelligentsia - albeit all members of the B’aath party (as they simply had to be) we continued in English. By now, they appeared to be more vexed by the insult than the lack of pay, so scraping the barrel of my diplomatic powers - which - let’s face it - were meagre, I suggested something on the lines of "But you are teachers, you are wise and experienced men; surely you can but see that this was not meant, it was merely the temper of a tired, dusty and thirsty soldier, who had clearly been on duty, that duty being to ensure the security of your ancient and wonderful country, Iraq, for far too long?” I continued not really knowing where I was going with this: “And after all, is not the donkey a noble and patient creature, long used to enduring the unendurable?”
I had to be a bit careful; I didn’t want them to think I was confirming that they were, indeed, donkeys. So I changed tack; I sent the Italian soldier away – which I should have done immediately, asking that he send another (male) soldier to replace him, but only to make up the numbers of those manning the wire. I thought he did indeed need a bit of a rest. Funnily enough, the Italian OC was nowhere to be seen, but in fairness, he could have been at nearby Talil.
I then ensured the spokesman that I would pass on their concerns to the Aqueed (Colonel) as soon as he returned, and that I was sure a solution could be found, but as with any new undertaking this might take time; I hoped that it would not and I as a Wakeel, (Warrant Officer) a man of military honour and his word, would ask my superior officer to come and see them soon.
After much shaking of hands, several “fee amanillahs” (May God protect you – basically a farewell) they simply dispersed. Phew.
I was of course, as good as my word, and reported to a less than impressed Colonel; I believe he did go and visit them but I cannot recall whether or not they ever got paid. I hope so.
And that folks, is how I quelled a riot, not that anyone actually knew(!)
And because this is a monstrous thread hijack, I’d better say once more, that John’s model is superb!
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Yes, in exactly the same context as you when speaking to the local police and army in Iraq. We had an absolutely cracking interpreter though called Abdul who was a 55 year old veteran of the Iran/Iraq war and so it wasn’t often we had to struggle with the language. He told us he had spent 5 years as a POW in an Iranian camp. I would imagine that wasn’t pleasant.
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Apologies, Johnny. Great build. But we always expect that. 
Now for one of my “stopped a riot” stories:.
KMTC - Kabul Military Training Center. Before going downrange we trained BANA 6 on mortars and other Soviet weapons, To do this we had several jingle trucks that would show up every morning to transport the troops to training - much like the cattle truck at Benning only with a better view.
One morning, there was mass dissention - the trucks had arrived, but the drivers were refusing to drive. I can’t remember if their contracts were expiring that day or had expired the day before. At any rate, they were worried that they weren’t going to get paid. (sound familiar?) The SF captain in charge of such things couldn’t speak Dari. And the drivers didn’t trust the terps for whatever reason. Captain S asked me to see what I could do.
You should have been an SF guy by the way - I could never convince them to take off their Oakleys - you see them in every photo.
So, like you, I greeted them them in Dari, Pashto, and Urdu. I’d have thrown in Swahili if I thought it would help. I introduced myseld in Dari: Nam i ma Rob ahss. Ma Zebat a Tolei wa Zabet a Howan astum.
Then through my intepreter I listened to their grievances, and thanked them for their services thus far. Then I assured them that as one of the richest armies in the world, we had no intention of stiffing them. The thing is, we need you guys today to help us train your army to help keep you and your families safe. And as we speak (looking in Captain S’s direction) we’re working on your renewed contracts. Right, sir?
Riot averted. Training could continue. Captian S. was my biggest fan after that.
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