Airborne vehicles

[6thairborne]

From the book "Airborne Armour", Keith Flint.

page 47
" The tetrarch and Locust tanks did not require any significant modifications for airborne use, apart from the welding on of some attachment points for lashing the vehicles down for flight. Other vehicles required significant modification for transport in the Hamilcar. The airborne version of the universal carrier was lightened as far as possible, for example by replacing the armoured engine shields with aluminum and removing the back armour plate protecting the rear axle. The side mud shields and step, along with lamps and rear view mirrors, were also removed. (referenced to page 239, Tugs and gliders to arnhem, Van Hees) The Morris C8 30cwt tractor for the 17 pdr had numerous bits of sheet steel bodywork removed to save weight, and the canvas roof and roof supports werer taken off to allow the vehicle to fit into the Hamilcar load bay.

Page 46 list the following as operationally used Hamilcar loads:
Two Universal Carriers
Three Rota Trailers
17 pdr gun with tractor
Universal Carrier (3 inch mortar) and 8 motorcycles
Universal Carrier (slave battery carrier) and jeep
48 panniers containint equipment and ammo
D4 tractor with angle dozer

I will post more when I have time, hope this helps