Military Vehicles
For some years now the Sandstone Heritage Trust has worked closely with the Armour Museum in Bloemfontein to identify historically significant Classic Military vehicles to rescue them and to restore them to working order. From time to time special events are held which showcase these vehicles to the general public. This is in line with the Defence Force's desire to be seen as a valuable contributor to society in many different ways. We are currently working on an expansion of our relationship with the museum and this will be reflected in more news on Classic Military Vehicles on our web site.
Our pictures give an indication of the vehicles which are jointly owned and operated by the School of Armour and in association with our Narrow Gauge railway and in association with some of South Africa's top vintage and classic aircraft, many of which have a military origin. Our photographs show both a Tiger Moth and a pair of Harvards which joined us recently for one of our joint military vehicle displays. It is our intention to further develop our relationship with organisations such as the Harvard Club of South Africa and the Tiger Moth Club of South Africa.
Sandstone commences restoration of rare 3-axle Oshkosh Tank Transporter
Last year we announced the fact that we had located a Oshkosh Tank Transporter in a scrap yard near Johannesburg. This item was duly moved to our Military Vehicle restoration facility where work has commenced. Jan Fouche and his team have given us the first update...
Battery box badly rusted and bent
All parts to be rechromed loaded and off to Jhb
Removing gear to stip winch
Rear winch roller removed
Rear end with roller removed
Rear end showing damaged roller and plates
Radiator showing visible leaks
Radiator connect hose showing sludge when removed
Radiator and front bumper removed
Pieces of broken teeth removed from winch gearbox casing
Old hoodlining removed
New airsprings received
Grillpiece to be re-chromed
Fuel tank being cleaned
Fuel gauge removed to repair
Front of truck after being stripped
Front fender badly rusted
Bonnet rusted and section to be replaced
Doorpanels removed and windows removed
Cab interior being stripped to rewire
Cab front showing rust and damage to bonnet mounts
Winch spiral showing damaged teeth
Winch showing oil leak
Winch drum after some cleaning
Winch being stripped to remove broken particles
Right hand step plate rusted and needs to be replaced
Removing rust from fuel tank
Aircleaner removed showing rusted mounting points
School of Armour Bloemfontein
Our relationship with the School of Armour Bloemfontein continues to go from strength to strength.
Once again the Sandstone Heritage Trust has supported the School of Armour at the prestigious annual Bloemfontein Show. This year we sent an 88 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun and a Moffel. This is the Police version of the famous Buffel which demonstrated such versatility and reliability in Angola in South West Africa during the conflict years.
Here is a report from Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Hohls of the School of Armour Museum in Bloemfontein...
Brand new Spitfire aircraft engines thrown into the sea near Port Elizabeth
Charles Viljoen, a great friend of ours, sent us these pictures from his father's photo album taken at the end of the Second World War. These are brand new Spitfire aircraft engines which the men were instructed to throw into the sea near Port Elizabeth as being surplus to requirements...
Crusader Tank Follow-Up
We reported earlier on the fact that a Crusader tank, built just before the Second World War, had been offered to the Sandstone Heritage Trust. It had stood for years outside the MOTH Club House in Olifantsfontein. As a result of a cooperative agreement between the School of Armour in Bloemfontein, the Sandstone Heritage Trust and the people responsible for the tank to date, we have agreed to take it into preservation...
Click here to download the PDF
Follow up e-mail
From: André RetiefSent: 02 December 2008 15:03
To: 'Chris Gildenhuys'; 'Mike Myers'; 'raymond hohls'; Wilf red E. Mole; Shaun Carroll; Heinrich Janzen; Frik & Sienie Jankowitz; School of Armour
Subject: CRUSADER FROM MOTHS - OLIFANTSFONTEIN
Dear Mike, Gen and Raymond,
Excellent job done and nice article.
Just something regarding the Crusader article.
The one pictured in the article is probably a Mk VI Cruiser (A15) Crusader) (76.2mm/6pdr gun). The one moved to Sandstone (and typical of other in RSA) is probably a Mk I (A9), a Mk II (A10) or a Mk III (A13). It will be worthwhile to investigate these to know the real story.
Keep up the good work!
Kindest Regards
André
Something Different....A Buffel extraordinaire
The Sandstone Heritage trust in association with the SA Armour museum have completed the restoration of a 70s/80s era land mine protected Military vehicle known affectionately by the Troops as a Moffel...
It is essentially a Buffel infantry support vehicle with extra protection for the troops on board. Modified for urban use during the apartheid era this vehicle was deployed in anti riot situations with the protection providing some insulation against projectiles such as petrol bombs etc. The army were not impressed and described the Police version as a Moffel... for a hint of the translation click http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/moffie
Like the Buffel the vehicle was of Unimog origin.
The well-known Unimog chassis is widely thought to be the best 4-wheeled offroad vehicle in the world. 'Portal' axles with reduction gears in the hubs give a combination of huge power transmission potential through a smaller differential and crown-wheel and pinion. Both these add up to give exceptional ground clearance. Coil springs allow each wheel to travel through a large arc, making sure that each wheel stays firmly on the ground. Selectable diff-locks prevent any slip between left and right and front and back, for when the going gets really tough. Into this chassis, the ADE (Atlantis Diesel Engines) equivalent of the 136 BHP OM 352 6-cylinder Mercedes Benz engine is built, which means there's no shortage of power to get away, and to achieve a top speed in excess of 90 km/hr. Thousands of these entered service with a number of armed forces.
On to this chassis is mounted a locally produced state-of-the-art two-cell mine-resistant body, specifically designed for Police use under the South African 'unrest' situations of the '80s and early '90s. What is immediately apparent is the all round visibility afforded through the enormous bullet-proof windows in both compartments. The vehicle's empty weight is 5.14 tonnes, hardly surprising that this is more than the 3.9 to 4.5 tonnes Tare for the 'normal' bodies! This allows for a 2.36 tonne load, to stay inside the 7.5 tonne design Gross weight.
Also noticeable is the lack of any wire-breaking steel upright in the front to prevent any crew-member foolish enough to ride with head or body protruding through the top from being decapitated!
Crusader Tank
Crusader Tank donated to the Sandstone Heritage Trust.
An interesting addition to our classic Military vehicle collection is a pre World War Two Crusader Tank which has rested for many years at a MOTH Club which is no longer able to continue to maintain the unit.
The MOTH's are immensely proud of their achievements and went to great lengths to create an environment where members could get together and socialize. The front gate.
Creative iron work.
The Nuffield engine in the Crusader totally complete but showing signs of having slumbered for a long time.
The interior of the tank is messy but restorable.
The tracks and wheels are in good order.
Waiting patiently to come alive again.
