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British Centurion Tanks in Suez


SaintsPhil

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Good Afternoon all,

I'm after some info on the British Centurion Tanks that took part in operation musketeer during the Suez crisis.

I have the AFV club kit along with a bunch of extras, including the bison decals which I want to start soon, I may even put it up as a WIP.

I have scoured google but info and pictures are quite few and far between so I thought I'd open it up to the BM knowledge base to see if anyone else had any useful bits of info.

One thing I think I know, but could do with clarification on is the overall colour of the tanks. Google suggests BS light stone, which seems to be reasonable.

Any info greatly received!

Thanks in advance

Phil

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Bison Decals did a set

1/35 Suez 1956 ( 1) - British Tanks -35119

http://www.olddogmodels.com/decals/735119-bison-decals-1-35-suez-1956-1-british-troops-35119.html

(I have no connection with OldDogModels, it was found using Google looking for "Bison decals Suez")

Cancel that just re-read your post, sorry no other information. You could try emailing the owner of Bison about any references he used - [email protected]

Edited by Baggers
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Been thinking along these lines myself recently. This British Pathe newsreel has some footage of Centurions in Port Said shortly after the end of the fighting. (The unfortunate Lieutenant Moorhouse died when his captors imprisoned him in a chest and he suffocated. His body was repatriated in I believe 1957.)

Here are stills from the video: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/stills/search-for-kidnapped-officer

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Thanks, I came across the British Pathe news reel a while back on a previous search but you've reminded me about that one again!

Ah, blast! There are more from this video, anyway: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/stills/e-day, including some good images of Nasser's Nightmare, the tank I'm hoping to do.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Light stone sounds right...I have only seen black and white images. They appear to be the same colours/spec as the Aden and Libyan deployments and I have colour pics of those.

I have half a dozen Suez images, one from Getty, the others probably from regimental sites. PM me if you would like them.

Dave

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Is it possible to build a british centurion from the afv kit of the shot kal ?

IIRC, Brits Centurion at Suez were Mk.3.

Original Israeli Sho't comes from the Mk.5, and the Sho't kal is a modernised version with a new engine (among other details), giving it a different upper rear hull.

So it's not the best way to go.

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Thanks chaps,

PM on the way Dave.

I have the 1967 boxing of the Shot centurion, I believe this represents the Mk5 standard that the IDF received, prior to any modifications so I think I'm good to go to make the Mk5 with the 105mm gun, although I have a feeling the 20lber might also be in there but I've not checked...

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IIRC, Brits Centurion at Suez were Mk.3.

Original Israeli Sho't comes from the Mk.5, and the Sho't kal is a modernised version with a new engine (among other details), giving it a different upper rear hull.

So it's not the best way to go.

Thanks for that,anybody wanna swap a shot kal centurion for a mk3 or 5 british one?

Edited by Arachnid
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  • 2 months later...

If you're on Facebook, there's a rather active Centurion group there, with lots of members being ex-crew or descendants thereof. Might be work a look.

wh-a-a-a-a-a-at? Linky?

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  • 4 weeks later...

I was just considering tackling a Suez Centurion myself - its surprising what a complicated proposition this seems to be, as no one seems to agree on even on what kit to base it on. What I can offer, from another life restoring series 1 land rovers and other 50s machinery painted by the War Office (mainly ex-Cyprus) is that the surviving colour I've seen was very 'restrained', almost cream - light stone sounds just right. It was also, in my experience, always gloss, just like the deep bronze green on NW European vehicles in the same decade. How much you choose to replicate a gloss finish is of course entirely up to you, but mine will reflect a little bit of light!

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