not so much a classic car.....Can anyone identify please?
Discussion
Hi,
not sure if this is in the correct forum,
I was digging through my old pics on the PC and came across some I took at work about 10 years ago. My military vehicle identification is poor at best, this was alongside a Sherman, but I have no idea if it was an Allied vehicle or not (suspect it was), nor do I know what became of them.
If anyone can ID it then great, and maybe from there I can find out what happened to it by doing a bit of research.
Cheers
Pete
not sure if this is in the correct forum,
I was digging through my old pics on the PC and came across some I took at work about 10 years ago. My military vehicle identification is poor at best, this was alongside a Sherman, but I have no idea if it was an Allied vehicle or not (suspect it was), nor do I know what became of them.
If anyone can ID it then great, and maybe from there I can find out what happened to it by doing a bit of research.
Cheers
Pete
Nice pics!
It's an Archer - or Valentine 17 Pounder Self Propelled Gun. The hull is from a Valentine gun tank with a 17 pounder anti-tank gun mounted in a limited traverse mounting.
The odd thing about the Archer is that the gun points backwards! The driver sits facing away from the gun and the vehicle drives along with the gun pointing backwards - apart from one unit where it's said the CO preferred the look of them driving around in reverse.
Advantage being if the gun found itself in a sticky situation it could just drive off without having to turn round first.
Edit: Looking at the pics again it's broken - the gun is at full recoil and should stick out a lot further. Some Archers were used by the Egyptian army so as this one is sand coloured, it could be one of theirs.
It's an Archer - or Valentine 17 Pounder Self Propelled Gun. The hull is from a Valentine gun tank with a 17 pounder anti-tank gun mounted in a limited traverse mounting.
The odd thing about the Archer is that the gun points backwards! The driver sits facing away from the gun and the vehicle drives along with the gun pointing backwards - apart from one unit where it's said the CO preferred the look of them driving around in reverse.
Advantage being if the gun found itself in a sticky situation it could just drive off without having to turn round first.
Edit: Looking at the pics again it's broken - the gun is at full recoil and should stick out a lot further. Some Archers were used by the Egyptian army so as this one is sand coloured, it could be one of theirs.
Edited by 16VJay on Wednesday 2nd October 20:03
Hi Jay
thanks for the detailed reply mate, you know your onions!.
The Sherman was in the same colours, so yes, they might well have come from Egypt (they were sat on the "import" area). I'd be interested to know what happened to them, I've asked about and someone seems to think they went on to Bovington, The Archer *might be this one, but not sure:
http://www.tankmuseum.org/ixbin/indexplus?_IXSS_=_...
(Jesus what a link)
Not sure what happened to the Sherman, but I've a good mate who was a "tankie" and will no doubt give me the full gen when I speak to him.
Good ID'ing fella!.
Cheers.
thanks for the detailed reply mate, you know your onions!.
The Sherman was in the same colours, so yes, they might well have come from Egypt (they were sat on the "import" area). I'd be interested to know what happened to them, I've asked about and someone seems to think they went on to Bovington, The Archer *might be this one, but not sure:
http://www.tankmuseum.org/ixbin/indexplus?_IXSS_=_...
(Jesus what a link)
Not sure what happened to the Sherman, but I've a good mate who was a "tankie" and will no doubt give me the full gen when I speak to him.
Good ID'ing fella!.
Cheers.
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