Military Vehicles

ARMOUR-MUSEUM--SANDSTONE BANNER

Keeping the working clothes!

The concept of preservation is pretty straight forward.  If it’s endangered save it, take it out of reach of people who might want to scrap it, modify it in an unacceptable way or possibly just abandon it for a long and steady decline to extinction. 

However once an item is in preservation many options exist.  The first reaction that most people have is to restore it to as new condition.  This is appropriate in many situations particularly if there are none in existence in that state.  However that is not necessarily the way forward.  The other option which is growing in popularity is to restore it or to bring it back to good, sound, working condition mechanically but to leave it in its original working clothes.  In other words for the patina to be exactly as it would have been when it was doing its job.  A very good example of this is our second Buffel.  We already have the restored Buffel so that is not an option but having obtained another one literally from the scrap yard of the Armour Museum in Bloemfontein we decided to work on it mechanically but to leave it in its working clothes.  As a result it looks very attractive, it looks very original, very genuine and arguably more at home in the South African veldt.  It would look more at home in the South African veldt that a brand new shiny one. 

More and more at Sandstone we are freezing the restoration process at this point and if it doesn’t look like it should we can give it a superficial make over and let time do the rest i.e. time will very rapidly bring it back to a state that it would have found itself in anyway.

Our gallery shows the Buffel as we found it at the Armour Museum and then after a quick clean up and check over in the workshop it was in service for firefighting at the Easter Steam 2023 event.
IMG 8868

IMG 8871

IMG 8872

1

2

Military Collection

We mentioned some new acquisitions to the Military Collection when we posted the latest military stock list.

Here is some more detail on some of them :
The Dodge WC54 Ambulance

The White M5 Half Track

The Land Rover Wolf Command Vehicle

The Diamond T-Tank Transporter Tractor

Sandstone Heritage Trust - Military Vehicles

MILITARY VEHICLES

 

Saracen (2)

 

Blesbok

 

Eland

 

Buffel

 

Caspir

 

1942 Dodge Power Wagon loaded on the back of Diamond T
Related article - MVH3 >>

1942_dodge_power_wagon_pic01

Samil 20 (Right)
Related article - MVH1 >>

samil_20_pic02

Samil 50 (Behind)
Related article - MVH1 >>

samil 50_pic03

Army spec Bedford Truck
Related article - MVH2 >>

aarmy_spec_bedford_truck_pic04

Diamond T and a 1942 Dodge Power Wagon loaded on the back
Related article - MVH3 >>

ddiamond_t_and_a_1942_dodge_power_wagon_pic05

 

  MAKER MODEL MARK DESCRIPTION REG NO COLOUR YEAR SERIAL NO ENGINE NO
1 MERCEDES-BENZ BUFFEL MK 1 A APC ACQ39633 BEIDGE      
2 MAGIRUS DEUTS SAMIL 50 MK 2 APC   D/EARTH   JU/035  
3 MERCEDES-BENZ BUFFEL(MOFFEL) MK 2 A APC   D/EARTH      
4 PANHARD AML ELAND 90 MK 7 ARMOURED CAR BFV S60 D/EARTH 1982 1037R81016  
5 CSIR / VICKERS / ALVIS OMC CASSPIR (EXHIB)   APC LFR 960 T CAMO 1982 3475 32769
6 Oshkosh HORSE   MECHANICAL HORSE   D/EARTH   65B11056 12594
7 Bedford RLC3   TRANSPORT (SOFT SKIN)   PVC GRN   378011  
8 MAGIRUS DEUTS SAMIL 50 MK 2 APC   D/EARTH   JU/056  
9 FERRET CAR SCOUT 4X4 LIAISON FV710V MK 1  MODEL B ARMOURED CAR   D/EARTH   37BA87  
10 LIMA LOCOMOTIVE WORKS SHERMAN TANK M4A1(76)W MAIN BATTLE TANK (MEDIUM TANK)   PVC GRN      
11 MAGIRUS DEUTS SAMIL 20 MK 1 TRANSPORT (SOFT SKIN)   D/EARTH 1986/87 0047/Y02001  
12 DODGE POWER WAGON WM300/126 TRANSPORT (SOFT SKIN)   GREY 1942 2469014378  
13 LandRover Car No:  16160896 Engine No: 860294            
14 JEEP LAMAL TOURNEE   TRANSPORT (SOFT SKIN) DUJ265B D/EARTH 1973 MB01080SA02005  
15 MAGIRUS DEUTS SAMIL 20 VARIANT 603-1 MK 2 TRANSPORT (SOFT SKIN)   D/EARTH   113402  
16 FORD     TRANSPORT (SOFT SKIN)   PVC GRN      
17 ALVIS SARACEN MODEL B MK 1 ARMCORED CARRIER 6X6 PERSONAL ACQ39630 D/EARTH 1987 81BA23  
18 ALVIS SARACEN MODEL C MK 2 ARMCORED CARRIER 6X6 PERSONAL   D/EARTH 1988 97BA10  
19 GRAD MULTIPLE ROCKET LAUNCHER   SELF PROPELLED ARTILIRY   OLIVE DRAB      
20 CSIR / VICKERS / ALVIS OMC BLESBOK   ARMOURED FREIGHTER ACQ39631 CAMO      
21 PANHARD AML ELAND 60 MK 7 ARMOURED CAR   D/EARTH 1982 2007  
22 CARR. (W.B. Co) 25 PDR MK 1/L FIELD GUN L 749 D/EARTH 1941 FL 6637/L/8165  
23 GENELCO LTD/ MOTOR D.C MTG.3.7' /  A.A.M          PAT NO: AN1268A MK 3 A ANTI-AIRCRAFT MACHINE GUN 8163 D/EARTH 1954 CEC430856  
24   25 PDR MK2/CMR11     D/EARTH 1943    
25 ALVIS SARACEN MODEL D MK 2 ARMCORED CARRIER 6X6 PERSONAL   CAMO 1988 97BA88  
26 FERRET CAR SCOUT 4X4 RECCE FV710V MK 2 MODEL B ARMOURED CAR   BEIDGE   86BA26  
27 MACK MACK   RECOVERY TRUCK(SOFT SKIN)   BEIDGE      
28   BULPERD   RECOVERY TRUCK(ARMOURED)   BEIDGE      
29 NUFFIELD MECHANISATION AND AERO CRUSAIDER   MAIN BATTLE TANK   BEIDGE