Friends' Projects

The Friends have recently acquired several items for the Museum, including: 

  • One of 3 Diesel Motorcycles that were trialled by the British Army, complete with the original trials report from CSS TDU.  See the motorcycles gallery. 
  • A Harley Davidson 350 motorcycle which served with 3 Close Support Regiment RLC from 1994-2006. 
  • A cookset trailer that saw service with the Allied Command Europe (ACE) Mobile Force (Light) (AMF(L)) Logistic Battalion.
  • Loan of an armoured Snatch Landrover VPK, which saw service in Northern Ireland with 57 Logistic Support Squadron RLC.

We are very grateful to WO2 Simon Gray for his efforts in helping to secure these items.

We have 2 vehicle restoration projects underway - the restoration of a Leyland DAF 45 'Wedgewood' bomb disposal van (below) that formerly served with 11 EOD Regiment RLC and a Humber Pig from Northern Ireland.

THE WEDGEWOOD EOD VAN

The Wedgewood project was initiated by the Friends through the Commandant of the Defence Explosives, Munitions and Search School (DEMSS), Colonel Steve Smith MBE, who had delivered an evening lecture to the Friends in September 2006.   He agreed to act as 'champion' for the project and enaged the COs of 11 EOD Regiment RLC (Unit Friends) and the Army School of Ammunition to assist with the project. 

We hope to restore the van to its former glory complete with equipment, and to present it to the Museum later this year.  It should be a fitting tribute to the courageous men and women who serve as RLC Ammuntion Technicians and Ammunition Technical Officers, and as their crews and support staff.  The pictures below show the van as it is now and, below, as it looked in service.

We are indebted to Colin Welsh from Penman's Engineering and to David Wright from DE&S for their help in making this project possible.

 

Project Update - 9 May 2007

Defence Supply Chain Operations and Movements (DSCOM) arranged for a low loader from Donington to collect the DAF from Penmans Engineering in Dumfries.  It arrived at 11 EOD Regiment in Didcot, Oxon on 2 May and was dropped at the REME workshops.   As you can see from the photos above, the van was pretty filthy having been standing around yards since the end of last year. 

It was given a good scrub inside and out, which has already improved its appearance.  The technicians are now replacing parts like the blue lights and fluorescent stripes which Penmans had removed only a few weeks earlier!  Unfortunately, whilst this might seem to have been a waste of time, the law requires ex-emergency vehicles to have their blue lights, sirens etc decommissioned before the vehicles can be disposed of, so we were left with no choice.

The next stage is to try to remove a small amount of rust at the back of the vehicle and make good the paint.  Otherwise, it is in surprisingly good condition considering it entered service on 9 March 1995.

After that, the Quartermaster's team and the detachments will start sourcing kit to fit out the back of the van.  This will be quite a detailed job as we are hoping to restore it to as close to original condition as possible within the constraints of operational security.

THE HUMBER PIG

10 Brigade Support Squadron RLC, based in Northern Ireland, is restoring the Humber Pig.  Despite previously being a gate guardian in the appalling Ulster weather, the Pig is in surprisingly good condition.  It is a Mk 2 hybrid - a 'Kremlin Pig' (with later bar armour to defeat RPG strikes) and 'Holy Pig' (roofhatch installed with perspex sidescreens to protect the top cover sentries which resembles a popemobile). 

As you can see from the pictures below, 32BK92 is being stripped down.  The Rolls Royce B60 straight six petrol engine is complete and looks to have been left in working order.  We are hoping to get it running soon.  The vehicle will not be prepared to roadgoing standards, but will be capable of manoeuvring itself on site and on and off a lowloader. 

The plan is to have the Pig complete and presented to the Museum by the 40th anniversary of the start of the troubles in Northern Ireland in 2009.

If you are interested in vehicle restoration and maintenance, join our growing band of oily brothers.  Contact the Museum for further details.