Covenantor in New Zealand

[things_green]

some great images of NZs only Covenater Bridge Layer.
Mil Historian Peter Cooke tells me we also had a Val BL as well?

So this is the tank Andrew Rowe is rebuilding as a gun tank?

Please let me know if these images have been previously shared I wont bother uploading the hundreds of others!

Mark Priestly Collection
undated and unattributed.

[things_green]

I like the image of the partially open BL with val and M1.....

I don't know where the gun tank was taken....but assume it was NZ as all marks images pertain to vehicles used by Kiwis

[Andrew Rowe]

Yes, Brent, NZ had 13 Covenanters ,and my one is the only surviving example.
It has only done 100miles as this is what the original owner told me when he bought it from the Army in 1958, the other 12 were scrapped that he witnessed. Aussie had about 11. I am unsure of us having any Valentine B/Layers?? In all there are only 4 surviving examples of Covenanters ( above ground ) that I know of worldwide, 1 x NZ, 2 x Aussie, 1 x UK (Bovy ).

[eddy8men]

this covenanter was on otterburn range and ended up in nz. also at least one on pirbright range, I took the pic but couldn't get on the range at the time to get closer.

[David Hardway]

I can confirm the Gun Tank photo above was taken in England (There a label on the back of the original pic) i scanned these for Mark a few years ago

Dave

[things_green]

Thanks for that Andrew & Dave...that's 2 out of 3 queries covered...

Just wondering if the images have been posted here before?

I couldn't find them in a search?

There are many images of various vehicles but I don't wish to waste the groups bandwidth or my time if they have already been uploaded?

Brent

[David Hardway]

I've never posted all of them (Theres about 340 pic's) i tend to use them when replying to questions

Dave

[The Bedford Boys]

Originally Posted by eddy8men

this covenanter was on otterburn range and ended up in nz. also at least one on pirbright range, I took the pic but couldn't get on the range at the time to get closer.

So who in NZ got this one?

[Lynn Eades]

So who would you expect to have it Alex?

[tankbarrell]

Just to set the record straight, that Covenanter did not go to NZ, just some parts for a restoration that hasn't happened yet....

[The Bedford Boys]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

Just to set the record straight, that Covenanter did not go to NZ, just some parts for a restoration that hasn't happened yet....

At least he's still got it and didn't cave and sell it off like a certain Cromwell, Adrian

[tankbarrell]

Better to accept I have no time and sell it to someone who will restore it and make it available for others to enjoy.

I could have just sat on it for ever, telling everyone I was going to restore it one day until I die and my wife scraps it.
I've seen that happen too many times.

[eddy8men]

Adrian I've got to ask where is the hull ? it was steve osfield that told me it had gone to nz.

rick

[Mike Cecil]

So, Brent, please ask Peter Cooke if he can provide any concrete evidence of a Valentine BL in New Zealand. I'd be interested to know approx when it arrived, too, please, as I know would others.

Mike

[David Hardway]

From Jeff Plowmans books i believe we were supposed to have something like 11 Valentine Bridgelayers but i've never seen any photographic evidence to back up that number (Not yet anyway)

Dave

[Lynn Eades]

There were, a month or three back the bridging ramp parts (from what tank I have no idea) on trade me for a mere $15,000

[The Bedford Boys]

Did you save the picture from the listing, Lynn?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

Just to set the record straight, that Covenanter did not go to NZ, just some parts for a restoration that hasn't happened yet....

Adrian, I still remember seeing that Covenanter wreck and meeting Andrew at your place when he was over in the UK gathering parts. When was that, late 1990's?!? Time sure flies when you're having fun....

H.

[tankbarrell]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

When was that, late 1990's?!?

2001 Hanno. Time does indeed fly!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

2001 Hanno. Time does indeed fly!

I'd thought it was earlier, but I did indeed visit you in 2001 when David was still living near you and I picked up my F15A.

Must have mixed it up with the time when we were working on the Ram Kangaroo restoration back in 1993-1995 - that one was restored, albeit to static condition.

H.