Chieftain build by Phil Woollard.

[Mark Heaps]

Another benefit of having the track guards ( Bazooka plates ) fitted was that if an inner circlip on a track-pin broke and the track-pin started drifting outwards, you would hear it hitting the track guards. You could then stop and rectify the fault before it drifted all the way out and you lost the track.
Mark

[Mark Heaps]

Great banter you guys we are learning much, Mark I envy your experience with the AFV's in service but wouldn't have put up with the long, cold, dirty, skinning knuckle, back breaking work that you talk about,

The comradeship you had when serving with a good unit made it all worthwhile and the banter made it fun and enjoyable. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the tank crew when you got them operational again, and they could motor off to rejoin the squadron whether on ranges or on exercises was so satisfying that it gave you a morale lifting boost. You approached the next tasking not as work but as the next challenge to be overcome.

[Mark Heaps]

not applicable to Chieftain, but Challenger 1 & 2 had different track guards with a cut out in the second from rear that you could use as a step to assist geting onto the vehicle. If the tank was at action, you climbed on behind the gun trunchions. On Chiefy, that meant using the sprockets on the final drive and was a p**n in the a**e at times.

[John Clarke]

Stephen
In that last pictures showing the engineers working around the road wheels with the Bazooka plate removed.
Are those stacked green and white boxes tins of special road wheel hub oil/grease ?
...or two 12x packs of Carling Premier now that's my kind of job

[Stephen White]

If Carlsberg made engine oil..... (other beers are available).

[Adrian Harris]

So, to function at its best, a Chieftain was lubricated by four types of oil and three types of beer...

Adrian.

[John Clarke]

Soooooooooo.... the banging headaches weren't all due the lack of or the fit of suitable headgear and an unstable ride.

I'm starting to get a picture,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, a "vague" picture of what it was like on these arduous exercises.

Next you'll be telling us it was safer to drink beer than the local tap water.

[Stephen White]

Essential lubricants and on stand-down days only, honest. When I first arrived in Germany to join my Regiment, it was claimed that it was cheaper to run Tilley lamps on duty-free gin than kerosene and a lot less toxic. The original dual-fuel solution.

[Richard Goodwin]

Unless you actually served on a Stillbrew with TOGS and wish to recreate that vehicle or want something different to the standard Chiefy model, why do it ?
They were limited issue and covered until production of the Challenger 1 could be ramped up to replace the Chiefy. The first unit I was attached to, QRIH in Münster early 1987, we were sending back Chiefys without Stillbrew or TOGS and getting Challengers as replacements. If I remember correctly, the Stillbrews with TOGS went to the Berlin Squadron.

All,

The reference book i have for the Berlin Sqn says the following:

'Since the urban camo was introduced, the Mk9/C was used by Berlin forces. However, from 1988 the Mk9/C was replaced with the Mk10/C, a version equipped with Stillbrew. The last improvement programme which included TOGS, was not introduced to Berlin forces.'

Does anyone have an opinion on this since I'm planning on building a Berlin version, probably a Mk10/C

[John Clarke]

The Berlin Camo Version should be great looking Chieftain, a real crowd pleaser.

How many Chieftain's have been ordered, enough for a company, battalion or a parade

Managed to get another metal jerry can today, two down one to go.

[Phil Woollard]

Hi John, have you found any of the black plastic water jerry cans? Iv'e not seen any of those for sale as yet but I am looking.

[Stephen White]

Mr Dibb does them:

https://www.armorpax.net/post-wwii-parts

[Stephen White]

Mr Dibb does them:

https://www.armorpax.net/post-wwii-parts

[Phil Woollard]

Good old Armorpax! Thanks for the link.

[John Clarke]

Mr Dibb does them:

You'll have fun hollowing them out

What was the official colour of the Chieftain Jerry cans