Originally Posted by CaptainPlume

Slightly OT, but the NI stories made me think. My Parents were married just as the Troubles started out again in the '60s. They were due to go over to NI to see my Mother's family in the Province, but were advised not to "because there were tanks on the streets."

Bearing in mind that advice came from a little old Aunt who wouldn't have known one Army vehicle from the next I wonder what these "tanks" were? Family were mainly in Fermanagh.

Ferret, Saladins and Saracens were based in Omagh in the 1960's. In the early days they were quite active in the border areas.

I think the only `Tank´ ie with tracks that got used in NI was a Centurian AVRE with a large frame attached to a dozer blade,it was called a Paddy Pusher and was used during some very violent riots.I don´t think it got used very often and politicians didn´t like headlines with words like `Tank´in them.
Although the Fox was equipped with an automatic 30mm Rarden Cannon no 30mm ammo was carried,or at least we never had any,but the 10x Image Intensifier sight and a Coax Gimpy would have been a great asset if used properly,ie night time border patrols and monitoring illegal crossings.

Originally Posted by CaptainPlume

Slightly OT, but the NI stories made me think. My Parents were married just as the Troubles started out again in the '60s. They were due to go over to NI to see my Mother's family in the Province, but were advised not to "because there were tanks on the streets."

Bearing in mind that advice came from a little old Aunt who wouldn't have known one Army vehicle from the next I wonder what these "tanks" were? Family were mainly in Fermanagh.

Op Motorman 1972



There's a thread in here somewhere.

Originally Posted by PE4rocks

Op Motorman 1972



There's a thread in here somewhere.

Good song as well:

"Armoured cars and tanks and guns, came to take away our sons, and every man will stand behind the men behind the wire"

Originally Posted by PE4rocks

Op Motorman 1972

There's a thread in here somewhere.

Thanks for that. It was pre-MOTORMAN as I was born in '72 (on Bloody Sunday).

A lot of people think I'm a bastard but there is documentary evidence that the Parents were married before even my conception!

Originally Posted by bokkatankie

Good song as well:

"Armoured cars and tanks and guns, came to take away our sons, and every man will stand behind the men behind the wire"

The Cranberries - Zombie - YouTube

Originally Posted by CaptainPlume

A lot of people think I'm a bastard but there is documentary evidence that the Parents were married before even my conception!

I know my parents were married: I was there for the ceremony.

(It isn't true, but I do like the line.)

The North Irish Horse had Fox for quite a long time but in a Territorial role of course. The boys have recently refurbished (for free and on their own time) the one which stands outside their main building.

They just have to start a Churchill now.

And one with some dirt on it!The Quarry at Bellcoo NI in 1979.

Originally Posted by saladin

. . . . a question I've asked before was what happened to the Fox hulls when they stripped the turrets off for Sabre ? No-one seems to know.

“saladin”, the same question had exercised my mind, some time back

Although, I was just as interested in the location of all the ex-Scorpions' 76mm turrets . . . .

Originally Posted by RCT(V)

All the ex-Scorpions' 76mm turrets must be sitting around somewhere, waiting for someone to come up with a good idea of how/where to use/mount them ! (There are enough Saxon vehicles lying around ?!).

I understand because of the usefulness of a RARDEN 30mm equipped turret - and because of the instability of the top-heavy Fox - the Fox turret (with RARDEN 30mm cannon), were put onto the Scorpion chassis, to produce the SABRE.

Some years ago, I saw a number of Fox chassis without turrets, at Withams. Unfortunately, they had also been stripped of most of the running-gear (engines/gearbox), and internal fittings. I imagine the bare chassis will have gone for scrap by now.

It’s suggested that the Fox chassis (without the impediment of a top-heavy turret), would have been a very interesting recce vehicle - much like the original Dingo, and Ferret.

Hypothetical.... Would Scorpion of been ideal for Afghanistan?