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Some Vehicle Identification Help


Dave Fleming

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Found this interesting site about Britsih Forces in the Suez Canal Zone in the late 40s/early 50s - not being an AFV expert, can anyone tell me what the armoured cars and especially the Half Track in these pics are:

http://www.suezcanalzone.com/pics10.html

I'm presuming the HT is an M2 or M3, but I don't know enough to say for sure!

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Hi Dave,

The half track is most probably an M5 (lend lease M3 with welded armour).

Armoured cars are a mix of Daimler Mk II's (smaller ac's with rounded turrets, some of which seem to have the littlejohn adapter fitted), AEC armoured cars (larger slab sided turret), along with a ferret and a dingo.

Hope that helps

H

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I reckon the halftrack parked between the Dingo and the QLD(?) GS truck could be an M14 with the Maxson turret removed. The rear plate and tilt arrangement suggest an M14. All M14s had winches so the halftrack shown in the front view could be an M14 or an M5, M5A1 or M9A1 (unlike the M2, the M9A1 stowage lockers had internal access).

What a great collection of vehicles! I wasn't aware that the AECs soldiered on for so long. I suppose they were well suited to the Canal Zone landscape.

Cheers

David

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  • 1 year later...

Hi,

Great thread, and that Suez site is very interesting.

Does anyone have any more info on the AEC armoured cars?

Steve

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Ah yes, but the M14 didn't have the rear door. And I can't see the line of the hinged top section of the side plates. I do recall reading that half track MGMCs supplied to the UK were converted for other uses as we had no need of the AA capability, so a rear door could have been a retro-fit. A lot of half-tracks were retained for a long time post war as REME fitters' vehicles, ultimately evolving into the high-roof conversion with the front A frame jib. I think the tall tilt is perhaps to allow standing working space inside. Or it could potentially be a command vehicle: high tilt for the same reason. But there would be multiple antennas rigged for that role.

On the other side of the Bedford is what looks like the back end of another half track with the rear stowage racks.

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