VICKERS MK6B's resto

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

What saddens me is all the information we have lost or didn't seek out when our veterans were still with us. We can sit in and operate these old beasts but there must have been hundreds of little 'tricks of the trade' that are lost to time. That said, there are times when you are operating one of these old vehicles and reach for, step on or otherwise do something and say to yourself "eureka, they must have done exactly the same thing back then!!"

The lamps...my 2 cents. I can see some red tab officer in his polished Sam Brown insisting on the lamps so he could more easily watch his troop of Vickers tanks keep in perfect, textbook formation while on maneuvers.

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Thanks for posting the diagram, Richard.

I think the problem we sometimes experience today, in understanding vehicles designed and built 80 years ago, is we evaluate them with far more experience and knowledge than the people who built and operated them 80 years ago ever had available to them.

We can look at a Signal Lamp like this today and wonder why you would want to use a Signal Lamp that is obscured in a very large radius by a part of the vehicle to which it is fitted, why said lamp would not be directional to minimize detection by the enemy in the field and probably a whole host of other observations. When this vehicle was designed and built, these issues may very well have been oblivious to all involved until the concept was put into real life practice. And things evolved from that point.

An interesting example of us being lucky enough to be where we are today, because of all the things that came before us.

Great to see Colin’s work in keeping all the amazing little details of these fascinating little tanks, alive and well today, and available for future generations to appreciate.

David

[Bob Carriere]

'twas a British design........

'ray for the good old days!!!!!

Colin you should consider publishing a book or CD on your restoration.... certainly attracted a lot of followers on MLU.

Bob C

[colin jones]

Thankyou all again for your comments and thanks Richard for the clarification of the signal lamp. I'm sure it was probably used for an interior light sometimes too as it would have been quite bright inside when lit. it has a toggle switch just to the left which I'm waiting on and next to that is a rack of some kind. I have shown a photo of an original but I am at a loss as to what it was used to store. It can't be for ammunition as it was too big. The flare rack is located next to it so I need some help with it's purpose.
Bob, yes it has attracted a lot of followers probably because of it's rarity. Nothing like leaving a legacy with your name on it.

[Mike Cecil]

Signal flag rack??

Do you have a VOL/CES list for the tank? That might provide a clue.

Mike

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Signal flag rack??

Do you have a VOL/CES list for the tank? That might provide a clue.

Mike

That's my guess too, located where it is between (signal) flares and what's more than likely a (signal) lamp. Later tanks and armoured cars had provision for signal flags so it's likely the Vickers had them somewhere, and flags also makes sense as the Vickers was designed in an era before reliable radio sets so signal flags would have been used in their stead. What may be different and needs to be investigated, is that this rack (if that's really what it is for) has several slots presumably for signal flags of different types. Later on they were the red/white semaphore style.

Just had a re-look at the wiring diagram. Not only does it call the lamp a signal lamp, the switch is called a signalling lamp key. That to me means a morse key for morse code signalling.

[Mike Cecil]

I just remembered I had a copy of Hopkins' 1938 report on exercises with the Royal Tank Regiment in England in which Vickers MkVIA featured.

Concerning the Vickers Mk6A:

Page 4, para 11 (a): R/T: Light Battalion (ie with Vickers 6A) is equipped with No.7 sets...'

Page 4, para 11 (b): ' Lamp signalling: Used for sending messages in morse. The present type is fitted at the right rear of the turret of the Mk VIA light tank and operated by a Morse key. Not being of the shutter type, careful and slow sending is necessary since the filament takes an appreciable time to fade after the key has been released. A further disadvantage is evident in drill formations when vision is often obscured by other tanks. '

Page 5, para 11 (c) Flag: Flag signals shown in TTI 1930 page 170, have been cancelled. A new card of flag signals is now in use in mixed and 'I' Bns. Flags are unsuitable for use in the Light Bn.

Page 5, para 11 (d) Hand Signals: Flag signals are often employed when tanks are close ....

So, now to work out what 'TTI' is and find a copy to see the flag signaling instructions, as these were extant when the Vickers MkVIA was being designed. I don't think tanks carried semaphore flags, as these were in pairs on poles about a metre long.

Mike

[Richard Farrant]

I did mention signalling flags earlier and recall finding the details of them when we were working on Platypus, yes, that is what the rack is for. Have a feeling the morse key was in the turret, but no sign of the signalling lamp or parts.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

I don't think tanks carried semaphore flags, as these were in pairs on poles about a metre long.

Mike

There are smaller ones, the flag maybe 10" square with the wooden poles 18" or so. There were signalling alphabets and numbers designed for either one or two flags. I stand to be corrected but think these were what was referred to in later AFV stowage diagrams. At least I hope I'm right as that's what I have stowed in my Fox.