military vehicles in Northern Ireland

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

" I can certainly tell you that if you wish to take no notice of sleeping policemen (speed humps), a pig is the thing to do it in. You simply do not notice them."

here is a bit of the Pig showing of it's ride capabilities, not to mention some other very interesting vehicles at Chertsey

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=42513

Also some Irish Pig Stoning,

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=73125


Rich.

[malcolm erik bogaert]

Originally Posted by chrisgrove

Clive

Can't answer that one. As I said, I joined the resident battalion (2 Queens) about 3 months before they came back after a 2 year tour. The Bedfords were that colour too, with apple green (fireproofed) tilts with windows and an elevated (about a foot) centre bar on the tilt frame intended to get molotov cocktail ingredients to run off the sides. Have some pics of them too. Can't remember what colour the Rovers were. The point is that all those vehicles had been there some time, not imported from BAOR, but I have no idea when the brown bits were painted on, Tac signs were interesting too - red squares with 39/9 in white (39 Brigade), plus callsigns all round.

Chris

the Queens(diehards) where in residence at palace Barracks when I was at 39Bde & Inf Sqd at Lisburn...I seem to recall they alweays hammered us at the rugby! as the resident signal Sqn our 39 Bde sign was a green square with 39 on it..all our vehicles and those of NI Command HQ where standard landrover bottle green..never seen any brown althought the vehicles of the B Specials where a type of light blue I think...hope this helps...by the way the B Specials where still using the 19 sets and our FOS and techs used to repair same! best regards malcolm

[chrisgrove]

Malcolm

2 Queens, who were indeed at Palace Barracks in 1969, were the Kent battalion, formerly the Queens Own Buffs, the Royal Kent Regiment (3rd, 50th and 97th of foot). The Diehards were the Middlesex Regiment (57th of foot), who, until disbanded, were 4 Queens, While both regiments and battalions celebrated Albuhera Day (the battle where the 57th earned their nickname), 2 Queens would not have been happy to be called the Diehards.

I don't think we ever reckoned ourselves to be experts at rugby; there was no time for that in the few months I was in Holywood. A few years earlier, our 2IC spent 2 years avoiding rugby against the Welch Regiment who shared our time in Hong Kong - very hard on the knees was rugby in HK!

Clive

Pics of Bedfords attached.

Chris

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/RL-NI-01.jpg

[malcolm erik bogaert]

Vhris your right of course I was refering to 1968 just before the troubles kicked off..resident battalion was indeed the middlesex rgt as I once had to take a sus to there guardroom which was quite full of worky tickets...I think the Kings where at that time at Ballykinler! RE's where at the bridging camp at Antrim whilst the lancers where at Omagh..and the reme at Kinnegar...however myy memry might be playing tricks after all those years...cheers malcolm