Next UCW MkIII project

[Adam Bech]

Some pictures of carriers from the 15th Poznanski Lanc Regiment. Italy 1944

[Michael R.]

Welcome to the carrier forum of MLU.
I gather your welded hull MK-III is of British manufacture, going by the casting marks on the hub. Great! You will not be doing any riveting when you restore the upper armour plates.

The assorted pictures you displayed with carriers associated to the 15th Poznanski Lancers appear to be a mix of riveted hull MK-I's, in desert equipment stowage. Do their Lucas headlamps suggest British manufacture? Are you able to date the images?

The final picture appears to be a British factory production mortar carrier. I say British production based on the double bogie suspension arm design, and factory production indicated by the original MK-I hull upper protection plate bolt holes being riveted closed at the redundant accessory locations. A portion of a six-sided, 3” mortar base plate is visible, along with the factory base plate stowage rack and retaining strap.

Notice the rock placed in front of the single bogie wheel to prevent the carrier rolling forward while the service is being performed?
Field expedient?

[Petr Brezina]

Good to see you here on MLU, Adam!

[Adam Bech]

Thank you for the first answers. I dreamed about Mortar Carrier MkI or Mk II, due to the fact that such vehicles were in my regiment. A few years ago, my friend bought MkIII AOP, and later MkI* - he made me an appetite for my own vehicle. Both of his Carrier are being renovated right now. I helped him by collecting documentation. Recently another friend bought MkI* for himself. The vehicle is also already dismantled for refurbishment and we are looking for parts. My MkIII is the fourth in the "family". It will be a difficult project due to the lack of suspension and tracks as well as the drive and steering system. I know that, unfortunately, Mk III was not a carrier for the 3rd "mortar." I still have to rebuild the vehicle as a standard UC with Bren MG.The preserved equipment suggests that the vehicle left the Ford factory in this configuration (a grenade box 2 ", a box on the part to Bren, base for WS19 radio, crew weapon holders, etc.).
There are leftovers of the T 33XXXX number on the side, so I have almost 100% confidence in the manufacturer and the series. I am looking for missing numbers. I hope I find them while cleaning the hull. However, I was hoping that the number of the vehicle was mechanically marked (with a numerator), which would be visible despite the corrosion and destruction of the paint. Unfortunately, the rating plates have been broken. Only their fragments remain.

[Niels V]

Yes Adam you are correct, it was originally fitted with the bracket for the 2" mortar.

[ajmac]

Adam,
Your MkIII looks to have survived very well, as not much has been cut away to improve civilian usability as is usually the case for the carrier wrecks found today. Where did it spend its retirement?

[Adam Bech]

Scandinavia. Everything is well preserved there.

[Adam Bech]

Archival photos of 15PU were taken in the summer of 1944 in Italy.

[Adam Bech]

Renovation work is slowly moving. For now, I carefully dismantle the preserved elements and start copying and repairing them. I managed to buy a few more wheels. They are in a surprisingly good condition. Original axes have also been preserved. The wheels are dated to 1944.
Does any of you have accurate drawings of the missing elements of the front armor with their dimensions?

[Ron Pier]

Adam there is a Mk111 at the Tank Museum (about 12-15 miles from where I live) It's was configured with some experimental equipment post war. See the added shafts above the wheels. I can go there at some point and take measurements (with their permission) if you show me precisely what you need.
Out of interest, the motorcycles in the series of pictures you posted are Ariel W/NG's (usually known as Ariel 'Wings') Ron

[Tom Millward]

I think there is also a Mk111 in the Tank Museum at Munster in Germany, although nowhere near as complete as the one Ron has pictured in Bovington. I pass Munster about once a Month so could take measurements if you need them.

The Bovington one was in their storage hanger when I went there last year. They said they also have another one on the way from another museum. They didn’t seem terribly happy about it and referred to it as a ‘a pile of junk’! I should have offered to take it off their hands...

[Adam Bech]

I would gladly take this problem off their heads ...
The vehicle in the picture appears to be Mk II. The hull is riveted ...
What do I need? At the beginning the dimensions of the armour plates that have been cut from my carrier's hull. Look at the first photos in this thread. I can take the dimensions from Mk I, Mk II or Mk III AOP, but I'm not sure if there are any differences.