Belgian Vickers Utility Tractor
 

This is a thread I start on behalf of Jan Roelse, to aid in the restoration of his Vickers Carden Loyd Utility Tractor.

Some background in very short chronological order:

1) This tractor was bought in the late 1930s by the Belgian army as a gun tractor for their cavalry troops.

Attachment 62295

2) After the fall of Belgium, this tractor was captured and used by German troops occupying the region. They left it in a ditch after they fled for the advancing Canadian troops in 1944.

Attachment 62296

3) It was recovered by a garage shortly after the liberation of the region in late 1944. They converted it for agricultural use and a farmer bought it. It was last used in 1959/1960.

Attachment 62297

4) Jan acquired this cut-down tractor from a farmer in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen in 1984. See Wheels & Tracks magazine.

Attachment 62298

5) Jan donated this tractor to a local war museum and started it's restoration.

Attachment 62299

Jan is mocking up the superstructure, trying to save as much of the original metal as possible.
After everything is measured up and made to fit, the parts will be cut from metal and fitted up.

Attachment 62307 Attachment 62309

Attachment 62310 Attachment 62311

Jan Roelse needs some info / possible source for the following parts:

1) Gas cap: it has a 2.5" ID and 3" OD. Note: mechanicals of this Vickers Utility Tractors were based on A- and/or B-model Fords.

Attachment 62302

2-4) Headlamps

Attachment 62312 Attachment 62313
Attachment 62314

Who can help? Please drop Jan an email by clicking on this link, or leave a message here.

Thanks in advance!

Hanno

W & p
 

Hi there, Do you think it will be finished and will come to our carrier display at War & Peace 2014 ?

Happy CHristmas,

Andy

Would anyone else have any pictures of these small armoured tractors, especially those built by Vickers rather than the slightly larger ones built by the Belgian company of Familleureux?

Hello Mark and welcome to MLU!

Besides the magnificent picture of the Dutch Vickers Utility tractor which I copied in the thread Vickers Utility Tractors in the Netherlands East Indies, this website http://tankdevelopment.blogspot.co.uk/ contains a number of images you are looking for:

Vickers Carden-Loyd Utility tractor, 1928: http://tankdevelopment.blogspot.de/2...ctor-1928.html

Utility Tractor 1932 Standard: http://tankdevelopment.blogspot.de/2...-standard.html

Though one of the pictures is actually the same on both pages, they differ in printing quality.

Attachment 75544 Attachment 75545

PS: are you aware that one of these is currently offered for sale on MilWeb?

They were certainly vehicles of their time, the one illustrated looks very similar to a picture in 'Making Tracks' except with a Bren rather than a Vickers Berthier MG. More suitable for hauling light guns and their crews rather than blasting away with an MG!

Some more pictures of this tractor in as-found condition:

Attachment 117581 Attachment 117580

Now that’s an awesome piece of kit Hanno !!

It sure is, Robert! Though I am not sure where the restoration stands at the moment, I'll check with Jan.