FV 430 SERIES AFV

Well done Shelldrake. Engine revving, 105mm shell clip in place over end of exhaust pipe. Should be with you soon. We once had an artillery type who managed to fill a stalwart full of fuel up to to half way up the load space before the German pump attendant queried him. Luckily he didn't try to start it!
The night club was still there in the late eighties and was a real den of German lust. Last I heard from an adventurous colleague of mine was that it is now a place to meet like minded couples. No it's not a caravan club.

Excellent Steve - got any "Babies Heads"?

steve1226 wrote:

Well done Shelldrake. Engine revving, 105mm shell clip in place over end of exhaust pipe. Should be with you soon. We once had an artillery type who managed to fill a stalwart full of fuel up to to half way up the load space before the German pump attendant queried him. Luckily he didn't try to start it!
The night club was still there in the late eighties and was a real den of German lust. Last I heard from an adventurous colleague of mine was that it is now a place to meet like minded couples. No it's not a caravan club.

I think joint honours should go to RUCJock and Shelldrake, two serious faults there. Remember how a column would halt to allow the Stalwarts a little romp around on a convenient bit of rough ground to release "wind up" ? Good swimmers though.

(Gunner type, filling half a cargo bay with fuel ? Could you elaborate ? Poss. Urban Myth ? Should that go on the same page as "the Irish Rangers MFO crate leaking blood" story ? )

Nope, that is a true story because me and a mate had to get the bloody fuel out. On investigation it was found to have a hole in the fuel tank and had been waiting for spares as they say. Needless to say we all had lots of petrol for our cars for a while. Yes wind up was the other problem.Hows about the guy who stole a stalwart and tried to get across the channel? Urban myth or true?

The miscreant who (allegedly) nicked a Stalwart for the Channel Crossing was from the Greenjackets/Woofers/RWF/(insert the regiment of your choice). It would be some sort of kamikaze pilot to risk a channel swell in an amphibian designed for river crossing !

As an ex-eagle I ask, when were you in 2Fd Sir ?

Yes I was brum. N battery LAD 1971 - 1972 when I moved all the way to Menden. I know 2 fd were in NI for an ops tour in 72 but I managed to wangle my way onto the rear party due to having done 2 tours of NI already. Best few months of my career they were. No one breaking Abbots or our RECCE Centurions. Some poor gunner wrecked one of the hangers playing with a centurion or was that an urban myth too?

We had a German guy on the pumps and another one who issued stores out of a Fordson binner. Great lad he was. Very good at making poor young oiks wait around for the turret spanner they had been sent for. The RSM at the time gave me notice that I was safe within the LAD confines but if I stepped outside in working hours I was fair game to be marched off for a haircut. Weren't N battery the Eagle squadron?

I remember the sergeant who was killed on op banner very well but not his name.

I came back to 2Fd in '71.
Loved Hemer, my best ever posting.
Strangely, I can't remember who our RSM was in those days but our BSM was Arthur Hood.
Close, "N" Bty were known as the Eagle Troop.
The Sergeant who was killed was ex-REME, his name was "Chas" Coleman.
He was shot in my vehicle.
I was MT/D&M, we must have rubbed shoulders.

Yes we must have brum. I was in contact with a guy from 2fd LAD for a while but now we have lost contact again. The worst thing about that posting was the accommodation, dreadful. The Town itself was a great place and I had some good times there.
Chas Coleman, yes it all comes flooding back. He was a really nice guy and I remember him well.

All in all a good place to be though even if as a full screw I had to share a room with 3 others. When I went to 5 OFP I had my own room, luxury.

I used to go to the cinema on Sunday evenings when they always showed a very patriotic film like Zulu. It was right by the main gate if I recall and very handy for the Schnelly!

You may remember, Chas was one of two REME Gun Fitters who transferred to the RA.
If so, can you remember the name of the other bloke ?

Yes, it was OK the old SKC wasn't it ? It was in Barossa Bks, where the Irish Rangers were. (We watched "Jaws" in there).

Can't remember his name sorry but Chas I do. I saw lots of great films in there too. I am sure they used to show the patriotic ones on Sunday to make us feel more military after the weekend!

brum wrote:

The miscreant who (allegedly) nicked a Stalwart for the Channel Crossing was from the Greenjackets/Woofers/RWF/(insert the regiment of your choice). It would be some sort of kamikaze pilot to risk a channel swell in an amphibian designed for river crossing !

As an ex-eagle I ask, when were you in 2Fd Sir ?

I think this has been covered before on here, as you can see, no urban myth.

Well found brum. Now I can finally prove the story to my disbelieving mate.

brum wrote:

The miscreant who (allegedly) nicked a Stalwart for the Channel Crossing was from the Greenjackets/Woofers/RWF/(insert the regiment of your choice). It would be some sort of kamikaze pilot to risk a channel swell in an amphibian designed for river crossing !

As an ex-eagle I ask, when were you in 2Fd Sir ?

Somebody told me that there are loads of factory condition Spitfires, crated up, and buried somewhere in Burma.

steve1226 wrote:

Well found brum. Now I can finally prove the story to my disbelieving mate.

No credit to me mate, that's one up for the RTR.
(Still an unbelievable story though, what a prat !).

He was neither a prat or RTR, I had not long arrived at Hohne with the 11th Hussars from boys school when this event took place. After he had done his time at Colchester, we did a picquet at 28 Field Ambulance together and he told me the full story how he managed refuelling, got fed and how he managed to cross the various border points to get to the sea where he only failed because the hand throttle broke and he was unable to steer and maintain momentum at the same time. Those familiar with Stalwart will know that you have to keep moving to ensure you are heading in the direction of your choice.
Far from being a prat, he was a highly articulate individual who was congratulated on his initiative by the officer leading his Court Martial. My information is that he went on to make a successful career out of the army

I must nip this one in the bud csqnblackhat.
I was giving you, mistakenly thinking you were ex-RTR, the credit for finding the story. I missed the fact that you were, in fact, REME.

As to someone driving an amphibious truck across the channel - I'll say no more !