Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

HTN 63 - Army spec Bedford found along the Garden Route in the Cape - to be fully converted

While the Sandstone Heritage Trust is not concentrated on old commercial vehicles, we do have some interesting old items. For example South Africa’s oldest commercial vehicle – a 1910 Peerless is part of our commercial vehicle collection. We have spent a lot of time looking for a suitable army spec Bedford. We found this one along the Garden Route in the Cape. It is a military spec that has been converted for use in a mining application. During 2006 it will be re-converted to a full spec Military Bedford.

Below is a picture of two of our military commercial vehicles already restored – a Diamond T and a 1942 Dodge Power Wagon.

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

HTN 91 - It goes around Earphones and Helmets.

22nd May 2006

Anybody who was in the Armoured Corps at that time, knows that wearing earphones (for both the radio and the Armoured Car's intercom) at the same time as a steel helmet, consisting of a plastic liner 'mosdop', and the steel outer 'staaldak', will tell you that it's somewhere between very uncomfortable, and impossible. Parade ground photos of men in tanks and armoured cars, wearing black berets and shiny silver badges, with earphones on top, look very smart. But these photos were taken under operational conditions on the Northern border of South West Africa, now Namibia, where wearing a helmet was an unpleasant necessity! The earphones had to be squeezed in under the headband of the helmet, with the strap which was supposed to be over the top of your head, hanging down behind your ears, which in turn were being pushed downwards by the rubber mouldings of the earpieces! Our Sergeant hit on the idea of 'borrowing' aircraft type helmets from the lads in light blue, and supported his suggestion to the top brass with these photographs.

These were taken in the days before these locally made Armoured Cars were called Elands. This was called a VA Mk3 / 60, equipped with a 60mm Breech Loading Mortar as main armament. Crew Commander (Cpl Selfe) sits in the turret on the left, his Gunner (Trooper Bezuidenhout) on his right, and Driver (Trooper Kleynhans) in the hull.

Looking much more comfortable and professional are Cpl Pretorius's crew in a VA Mk3 / 90. This is the same model as the one in the Sandstone Heritage collection, with the 90mm DEFA gun. Just to show Armoured Cars run in the blood, attached is a photograph of my father, also as Crew Commander (below, in the middle) in May 1942, outside Gazala in the Western Desert. They are sitting on a Marmon Harrington Mark 4, one of 5 746 which were also made in South Africa. Andy Selfe

BTW, do you know how the School of Armour / 1 Special Service Battalion works, or used to? School of Armour is the place where Officer and NCO 'material' was sent, like an Army Gymnasium, a few months prior to a normal intake into 1SSB. The unsuccessful candidates were 'Returned ot Unit' to us in 1SSB. Those who 'made it' came down to us as our officers and NCOs. Some of us who showed promise, were promoted 'out of the ranks' from 1SSB itself. 1SSB had mostly Armoured Car squadrons, and less Tank Squadrons. Much rivalry existed!

1st March 2010

The photographs give a good account of the work that is involved.

A rusted section of the bonnet to be cut out

A section of the other side of the bonnet cut out

A spot cleaned up to remove rust and repair with body filler

Air compressor housing with a crack leaking water

Air compressor piston and conrod removed to repair stripped conrod bolt

Air compressor water supply hose completely blocked causing overheating

Another angle of the bumper

Another angle of the diesel pump

Another angle of the steering box

Another photo of the oil leaks

Another photo of the old air lines

Another one of the brake boosters that have to be replaced

Another shot of the repaired steering cylinder

Back part of water pump removed from engine

Ball joint removed to remove steering box

Beneath the diesel pump near the bell housing showing oil leak

Carry axle air suspension mount was bent - here being repaired

Close up section to be replaced

Complete diesel pump removed for oil leak repairs

Compessor water supply also showing rust and blockage

Compressor back in place

Compressor casing cleaned up showing the crack

Compressor removed to repair cracked casing

Cooling fan removed to remove water pump

Damaged steering cylinder oil hoses to be replaced

Diesel pump refitted with new packings showing the red sealant

Diesel pump with many visible leaks

Engine with diesel pump removed

Front of engine with cooling fan removed

Front part of waterpump removed showing the trail of leaking water

Just in front of that, another place

Left hand side of cab rear with a section of bad rust

More of the cab dents repaired

New diagram for one of the brake boosters

New front bumper fitted

New plate also welded in here

New plate fully welded

New steering cylinder hoses fitted

Oil cooler cleaned and new packings installed

Oil cooler removed to clean rusted water ports and repair oil leaks

Oil cooler showing the oil leak

Old front bumper with pipe cut out

Old PVC air lines removed

One of the ball joints with a lot of dirt in the grease

One of the relined brake shoes

Other places on the bonnet to be repaired

Refitting the compressor after repairing the crack and conrod

Replacing winch brake drum

Right hand corner with plate replaced

Rusted section replaced with new plate

Some of the new air hoses and fittings to be installed

Some very deep rust grinded out to stop further decay

Steering box being cleaned

Steering box opened up showing some water mixed in the oil

Steering box refitted

Steering box with all parts cleaned ready for seals and packings to be fitted

Steering box with clearly visible oil leaks

Steering pump removed to repair oil leak

Steering cylinder back from hydraulic repairs showing where they welded it

Steering cylinder refitted

Steering cylinder removed to have new seals fitted

Steering cylinder with dust seals replaced

Steering clylinder with torn dust seal

The carry axle air suspension mount top piece showing how much it was bent

The compressor with piston removed

The corner in process of sanding down

The left hand corner with body filler applied

The new plate tag welded in position after all rusted parts were cut out

The new water pump impeller with the old one on the right

The old steering cylinder hoses removed

The rear of the cab with dents repaired

The reverse side of the impeller

The right hand corner showing a hole rusted in the plate

The right hand corner also totally rusted away with old body filler coming off

The spot above the air vent repaired with body filler

The steering box spiral removed to fit new seals

The water pump shaft with cracked seal and worn impeller

Water pump splitted to remove leaking seal and worn impeller

Winch brake drum completed and outer cover replaced

Winch brake drum shoes relined and fitted

Winch brake drum with inner part refitted

Feedback on this subject has come from an unlikely source; Godwin Hampton wrote in from Malta with startling news! 

The article about the War Train is most interesting, especially since I now know that I have something made by the South Afrcan Railways!

The bipod taken from the Small Arms Training pamphlet No.9, 1939 and 1943 editions.
 
Well, about a year ago I bought a 3" Mortar bipod over the internet from a guy in Greece, and when it arrived and I took it to bits for blasting, the South African acceptance mark (a crow's foot mark inside a U) appeared.

Crosshead, marked ML (Muzzle Loading) 3" MOR MK II*. SAR 1942
 
Now I know who made it.....and why it has the letters S.A.R hand stamped on it. The forgings have a mark which was a female on the die and so appears a male on the part. The mark consists of a capital B with the letter F inside the top half and the letter X inside the bottom half of the 'B'.

 
 
Now all I need for it are a base plate and a barrel!
 
How's that for GLOBALISATION...interesting to see how it is all coming together....
 
Thanks for providing interesting information,
 
Best Regards
 
Godwin Hampton

 The forging mark can be clearly seen, and near the bore, a 90 and the Union of South Africa Government Equipment sign, a pheon in a capital U.

Can anybody give any clues as to the forging markings? Can anybody help Godwin with the rest of his mortar? He has sourced a sight in the Netherlands.

The full Mortar, taken from the Small Arms Training pamphlet No.9, 1939 and 1943 editions.

In fact, the ‘crow’s foot’ is actually a broad arrow head, or ‘pheon’, used for around 500 years, maybe even longer, to identify government property. 

Andy Selfe

February 2010

All along we’ve been referring to the Sherman in the Sandstone Heritage Trust collection simply as a 'Sherman Mk4'. Apparently, it’s not as simple as that, according to William Marshall, who knows his Military Vehicles well! 

On 28^th January 2009, Friends of the Rail stalwart, Nathan Berelowitz wrote in: 

Hi, look at these amazing photos from a guy I met in Pretoria, whose dad was in the sixth armour and fought in Italy! Then and now!! 

Nathan

 The photos speak for themselves!

Jan Fouche has provided the following photographs with captions on the ongoing work to the Oshkosh.

Winch spiraldrive with gear and broken segments of brass gear removed

We had the drive gear pressed to remove it from winch spiraldrive to replace oil seal

Right front fender being stripped of all paint and torn plate welded

Replacing broken winch mounting bolts

Repair kit for 4way valve

Rear end of chassis with stop segment plate replaced

Radiator back from cleaning and repairs

New brake booster fitted to rear diff

Left front fender removed to repair bent mounting

Left front fender ready to remove paint

Leaking 4way valve stripped for repair

Front view showing both fenders removed for cleaning and repairs

Floor cover plate removed to repair oil leaks and leaking splitter valve

Broken handbrake override valve on the right and new replacement on the left

Broken brake booster stripped and found that it had to be replaced

Bottom segment plate also replaced

Sherman Tanks played an important part with the South African troops in the World War II campaign in Italy. The following information is taken from the book South Africa in World War II, A Pictorial History, edited by John Keene of the SA National Museum of Military History.

'During November (1943) the (6th) SA Armoured Division was ordered to rest as many troops as possible in order to prepare for an attack on Monte Sole. Field Marshall Alexander visited the division on 4 November. The armoured regiments were re-equipped with Sherman tanks mounting 76mm and 17-pounder guns and 4th/22nd Field Regiment, SA Artillery, was equipped with Sextons (self-propelled 25-pounder guns). The warning order for the division to prepare for operations against Monte Sole was received on 30 November......'

Sandstone Heritage Trust has recently reached an agreement with the Armour Museum, Bloemfontein to restore an M20 Diamond T Tractor Unit and an M9 Rogers trailer , the combination being designated the 'M19 Tank Transporter'.

Between 1941 and 1945 about 6,554 M19 tank transporters were built to British specifications by the Diamond T Motor Car Company. The USA and the Soviet Union also used these vehicles. The combination of M20 tractor and 40/45 ton Rogers M9 trailer was capable of transporting all tanks then in use, so that even 30 years after the war these vehicles were still in service with Western armies including the German army.

The Diamond T was initially a marque of touring car with models up to 70 hp. The company later became known for its trucks. During World War 2, Diamond T produced a classic heavy truck in the model 980/981, a prime mover (tractor unit) which was quickly snapped up by the British Purchasing Commission for duty as a tank transporter tractor. Coupled with a Rogers trailer, the Diamond T gave sterling service with the British Army in North Africa, where its power and rugged construction allowed the rescue of damaged tanks in the most demanding of conditions.

By 1967, as a subsidiary of White Motor Company, Diamond T was merged with Reo Motor Company to become Diamond Reo Trucks, Inc.

Two Diamond T tractors with the correct specification trailed low bed units have been delivered to the Sandstone Heritage Trust workshops for restoration. This is in terms of an ongoing agreement we have with the Armour Museum in Bloemfontein to assist them with collecting, restoring, demonstrating and displaying Classic Military Vehicles with a South African historical background.

We have been fortunate in being able to trace manuals on the combination which have been purchased so that our technical personnel can restore them correctly. See this link.

On the following web site...

http://www.mheaust.com.au/IDF/Research/TT/DIAMOND%20T.JPG

...there is an excellent photograph of a restored Diamond T and Samson & Rogers trailer (identical to the one that we are restoring) which gives a good indication of what they look like when they are restored.

A model kit is also available for the M20 Diamond T low bed and M9 Rogers trailer on link: http://www.revell.de/manual/03226.PDF.

At the same time, friends in Malta are tackling the restoration of a similar trailer, rescued recently from the scrapman. Here is a dramatic photographic sequence of the rescue:

We hope to compare notes during the restoration!

One can already imagine Sandstone Heritage Trust's Mk IV Sherman loaded on the M19 Tank Transporter!