WW2 British Home Guard Improvised Vehicles

[dcrfan]

Kingsman great minds ........  My 1/48 Bedford OXA is nearly finished naturally based on an Airfix Bedford MWD.  I'll post a photo later today.

 

And my 'HG copy of an Armadillo' is next planned build based on a 1/48 Tamiya Opel Blitz kit bash.  Here is another slightly different version of a HG Armadillo with a nice ex aircraft Lewis gun mount.

 

 

Edited February 23 by dcrfan

[Kingsman]

6 hours ago, europapete said:

This is great stuff, but where's Corporal Jones???

 

[europapete]

FOUND HIM! LOLOL

[dcrfan]

I need the photo for a wanted poster as just can't seem to find a 1/48th scale Cpl Jones anywhere!  He must be practising his camouflage or he's locked in the chiller at his butchers shop.  

[dcrfan]

Kitbash of Tamiya 1/48 SS-100 Heavy Tractor has begun.  Chassis extended and rear chassis/axle /mudguards significantly narrowed to the bus width.

 

[Circloy]

On 16/05/2019 at 06:33, dcrfan said:

I understand trucks were selected for conversion to an Armadillo if they were still mobile but effectively worn out for continued prime use as a lorry. In this picture of the production line it appears that no two trucks were the same at the time the picture was taken.  So while I have no evidence this type of Albion was ever used but it does seem like a viable chassis to use.  Actually the third truck back on the right hand line just could be an Albion😉

 

1024px-MkIArmadillos_on_Wolverton_production_line_1255A4 by tankienz, on Flickr

Wolverton was one of the main rolling stock workshops of the LMS railway so these are very possibly ex-railway delivery vehicles. Looking at the thickness of the shelters on the rear of the vehicles they could be using (old?) sleepers which would explain why in the pictures posted by @Kingsman the vehicles look to be well loaded.

[Kingsman]

The Armadillo box was a double layer of planking filled with aggregate or pebbles in between. I'm sure I remember reading that the planking was 3" thick and the fill was 6", making a total wall thickness of 12". The Beaverette I and II were also 2" or 3" planking with mild steel plate on the outside.

[dcrfan]

Chassis ready for bodywork

 

[dcrfan]

Body assembly has begun.  She is no thing of beauty.

 

[Kingsman]

Slightly off-topic but I saw this brilliant drawing of the Dad's Army characters in a small gallery in Southampton a couple of years back.  It now lives on the wall in my stairwell.  Apologies for glass reflection.

 

[dcrfan]

1/48th scale Campbell Fordson F armoured tractor progress. Anyone have any thoughts on the colour scheme? Photos of prototype on first page of this thread.

 

[Pig of the Week]

I'd think a "splodgy' camouflage pattern, done not very expertly, would be the way ahead, I don't suppose HG units would be issued with "official" paint supplies so more likely to be whatever was available, or that their own Pvt Walker could scrounge! 

A mate of mine has a pre war period Fordson tractor, I've driven it a couple of times, the clutch/brake arrangement is interesting to say the least. It's a pig to start too..!