Knockers

**Sir Rowley Birkin QC** · 29-11-2005, 19:07

One for the drivers & suppliers, rather than ATs (mostly)

Knockers. No, not large lovely pendulous breasts, but knockers as in AEC Militant Mk 1 10 tonners. Does anyone remember these? I was telling someone that we still had these 40 year old trucks with no power steering and the engine in the cab when I got to my 1st working unit (1988 - before I was an AT, so some might say my only working unit). The fcuker didn't believe me.

**Tuna_Head** · 29-11-2005, 19:12

Yep we had them at 28 Amph Wksp stores platoon in 88 too. Remarkable beasts, relaible and I'm told only side effect was their ability to give you convoy cock. So I've heard....

**Tubs** · 29-11-2005, 19:27

Originally Posted by Tuna_Head

Yep we had them at 28 Amph Wksp stores platoon in 88 too. Remarkable beasts, relaible and I'm told only side effect was their ability to give you convoy c***. So I've heard....

Sorry, IS that a side effect? Surely a feature?

**Tubs** · 29-11-2005, 19:28

Originally Posted by Tuna_Head

Yep we had them at 28 Amph Wksp stores platoon in 88 too. Remarkable beasts, relaible and I'm told only side effect was their ability to give you convoy c***. So I've heard....

Sorry, IS that a side effect? Surely a feature?

**bobtheclog** · 29-11-2005, 19:41

By god - my mind goes back. The smell of diesel, the freezing draughts on Ex. Ice Breaker, the mind-numbing boredom of being flat out at 2000rpm and doing 32mph, changing gear at precisely the right moment to avoid the piss taking that accompanied a good gear crunching change, the lack of power assisted steering, clutch, brakes, transfer box change levers, the nightmare of replacing the spare wheel on the carrier, the height you fell when you slipped camming-up (unless you got caught in the net and had to be cut down), that resounding "clunk" as you released the handbrake, the pain of trapping the web of the forefinger and thumb if you held the handbrake too high when releasing, clogging down Bielefeld Hill at 62mph (hence the nickname) out of cog and hanging on there like a screaming dervish praying that no slower Eric pulled out in front of you, taking 18hrs to travel from Iserlohn to Munich, the luxury of tinned stew after an hour on the exhaust manifold, the smell of the batteries - - - - oh, and the superiority we exercised over drivers of Bedfords who hadn't graduated to HGV 2 - ahh yes - it all existed. Seems like another world. There were still two in Grantham only a few years ago. 294 Sqn used them for stores vehicle training along with the other dinosaur of the era - the kalamazoo binder! Wonder how todays female drivers would have coped? Before the trog truckkies get in the act, I speak as an ex RAOC Driver! "Sua Tela Tonanti"!

**Sir Rowley Birkin QC** · 29-11-2005, 20:02

Bob, you pretty well summed it all up. You must be bigger than me (most people are) as I could never get the spare or the side/tail gates up on my own. I remember seeing one come around a roundabout in Colchester with the driver pulling the wheel round and the passenger pushing it. When co-driver really meant what it said.

Good point about modern girls in their power everything auto box DROPs. How would they have managed? I reckon anyone who passed their HGV2 in one of those could drive anything. Me? I passed in a big girly 14 tonner. And I was an RAOC Sup Spec/Driver - 42 Ord Coy.

**Flyer** · 29-11-2005, 20:06

Theres me thinking I was gonna get a nice link to see breasticles.

Damn guess not.

**shape5515** · 29-11-2005, 20:10

You are meant to kick the handbreak off not use your hand, also the way to get the spare down was to stand on it and run, you soon reached the ground. Also swapping drivers over the roof. Great truck great memories. Tilley lamp on in the cab when driving in Germany to keep you warm. I'm filling up at the memory. My first one had indicators on an arm, great days.

**jagman** · 29-11-2005, 20:34

Had an AEC Matador (1944) as a toy for a while, the predecesor of the Militant.
Even more primitive, steering could not be moved unless the vehicle was moving, but it did have air brakes!

Spike Milligan reckoned you could always spot the drivers because they had tiny waistes and legs but torso's and arms of a giant

**bobtheclog** · 29-11-2005, 20:52

Originally Posted by jagman

Had an AEC Matador (1944) as a toy for a while, the predecesor of the Militant.
Even more primitive, steering could not be moved unless the vehicle was moving, but it did have air brakes!

Spike Milligan reckoned you could always spot the drivers because they had tiny waistes and legs but torso's and arms of a giant

The "Gunbarrel" wagon was the same - 4 Chieftain and 2 Centurion Gun Barrels took it to max load and required max effort to shift - but by f*ck it could clog downhill!!! - much to the screaming horror of a newly posted in MTO who sat on the engine cover with his eyes glued to the airtank gauge! So many memories of summer '74 when just about every soldier in Germany wanted Holland to win the world cup!!

**bobtheclog** · 29-11-2005, 20:56

Originally Posted by Flyer

Theres me thinking I was gonna get a nice link to see breasticles.

Damn guess not.

Sorry Flyer - this is pure nostalgia of the rubber wheel kind!

**Pith_Dorf** · 29-11-2005, 20:59

Is there scope here for a "Knocker Drivers" reunion?

**bobtheclog** · 29-11-2005, 21:02

Could be - eligibility would have to be the production of photo's preferably with the individual driving.

I remember learning in 17ER23 and the gun barrel wagon was 41 EL 30 - i've just found the photo's.

**jonny_bored_bollox** · 30-11-2005, 10:08

While serving as an Air Despatcher around 90-91 we had six knockers
We did have Foden 15 tonners untill they broke down and as a stop gap got six knockers to replace them.
Every detail I went out in them I broke down without fail.
Red Hot in the summer, Freezing in the winter.
35mph top speed
Crash G/box
Air Conditioning (front opening windscreen)
Slam the door to switch the engine off!!!

Enjoyed every minute driving them beasts. You can have your DROPS theyre boring.