Oshkosh Tank Transporter all but complete...

Jan Fouche has provided the following photographs and captions on the ongoing work of the Oshkosh Tank Transporter.

6th May 2010

The new hoodlining

The repaired side panel refitted

Wheel hub removed and broken studs replaced

Wheel stud tips cover in red for the military touch!

Winch chain cover primed and refitted

One rim was broken and was repaired

Left hand side showing the side cover and bonnet refitted

New 24volt alternator fitted

New air suspension bags fitted

New tail lights and original registration plate fitted

Right rear view with rear arches repainted

Radiator grill refitted also showing the new front bumper

Rear winch roller and side cover plates repaired

Reinforcing frame welded into back of side cover

Right front hub partly repainted

Inside of cab, fully refurbished

All of the rechromed parts refitted

All the wheels were removed to clean hubs before painting

Bodyfiller applied to engine side cover

Front view with truck completely repainted, back to its former glory!

The bonnet now also in place

Side cover finished and coated with MS primer

Some wheel studs were broken Starter motor removed to fit new brushes and contacts

The air cleaner housing refitted

31st March 2010

Jan Fouche has provided the following photographs and captions on the ongoing work of the Oshkosh.

Alternator removed to repair broken mounting

Battery box repaired and primed

Battery box with floor panel badly rusted

Battery box with rusted floorplate cut out

Cab interior with old carpeting being removed

Cab top ventilator coated with MS Primer

Exhaust cleaned up and new flexible hose to be fitted

Front fender with body filler applied to small dents

Front of truck with radiator and fender refitted

Front of truck with radiator refitted

Instrument panel with some gauges removed to repair and be cleaned

Left front fender in position

Left front fender with MS Primer applied

Left front side now ready to be painted

New baseplate for battery box mounting coated with primer

New battery box cover which also acts as the step on the right hand side

One of the old gauges repaired and cleaned up ready to be refitted

Right front fender back in place

Right front fender coated with MS Primer

Right front side almost ready to be repainted

Some new gauges fitted

The battery box with one of the corners welded

The broken alternator mounting

The cab coated with MS Primer

The exhaust pipe with rusted flexible hose cut off

The exhaust welded together and refitted

The front of the truck now looking much better

The fuel tank cleaned inside and sprayed with primer

The fuel tank refitted to the truck

The other front fender being repaired with body filler

The rusted battery box floorplate

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

HTN 63 - Army spec Bedford found along the Garden Route in the Cape - to be fully converted

While the Sandstone Heritage Trust is not concentrated on old commercial vehicles, we do have some interesting old items. For example South Africa’s oldest commercial vehicle – a 1910 Peerless is part of our commercial vehicle collection. We have spent a lot of time looking for a suitable army spec Bedford. We found this one along the Garden Route in the Cape. It is a military spec that has been converted for use in a mining application. During 2006 it will be re-converted to a full spec Military Bedford.

Below is a picture of two of our military commercial vehicles already restored – a Diamond T and a 1942 Dodge Power Wagon.

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

HTN 91 - It goes around Earphones and Helmets.

22nd May 2006

Anybody who was in the Armoured Corps at that time, knows that wearing earphones (for both the radio and the Armoured Car's intercom) at the same time as a steel helmet, consisting of a plastic liner 'mosdop', and the steel outer 'staaldak', will tell you that it's somewhere between very uncomfortable, and impossible. Parade ground photos of men in tanks and armoured cars, wearing black berets and shiny silver badges, with earphones on top, look very smart. But these photos were taken under operational conditions on the Northern border of South West Africa, now Namibia, where wearing a helmet was an unpleasant necessity! The earphones had to be squeezed in under the headband of the helmet, with the strap which was supposed to be over the top of your head, hanging down behind your ears, which in turn were being pushed downwards by the rubber mouldings of the earpieces! Our Sergeant hit on the idea of 'borrowing' aircraft type helmets from the lads in light blue, and supported his suggestion to the top brass with these photographs.

These were taken in the days before these locally made Armoured Cars were called Elands. This was called a VA Mk3 / 60, equipped with a 60mm Breech Loading Mortar as main armament. Crew Commander (Cpl Selfe) sits in the turret on the left, his Gunner (Trooper Bezuidenhout) on his right, and Driver (Trooper Kleynhans) in the hull.

Looking much more comfortable and professional are Cpl Pretorius's crew in a VA Mk3 / 90. This is the same model as the one in the Sandstone Heritage collection, with the 90mm DEFA gun. Just to show Armoured Cars run in the blood, attached is a photograph of my father, also as Crew Commander (below, in the middle) in May 1942, outside Gazala in the Western Desert. They are sitting on a Marmon Harrington Mark 4, one of 5 746 which were also made in South Africa. Andy Selfe

BTW, do you know how the School of Armour / 1 Special Service Battalion works, or used to? School of Armour is the place where Officer and NCO 'material' was sent, like an Army Gymnasium, a few months prior to a normal intake into 1SSB. The unsuccessful candidates were 'Returned ot Unit' to us in 1SSB. Those who 'made it' came down to us as our officers and NCOs. Some of us who showed promise, were promoted 'out of the ranks' from 1SSB itself. 1SSB had mostly Armoured Car squadrons, and less Tank Squadrons. Much rivalry existed!