Mark IV Spud Box - more complex than it looks ...

[Chris Hall]

We could just have hit paydirt .....

I too hope that we're not going to upset Bovington, but it's not like we're doing this for personal gain or profit. Our collective aim is genuine historical research, which I'm sure they'd applaud. I had a brief chat with the Curator on Wednesday, and he seemed very interested in what we were doing in this Centenary period.

[Daniel Scholefield]

I am learning so much reading this thread

Looking at the various pictures I noticed that some of the tanks appear to have a pistol port on the lower glasis, is that something that was only on the earlier marks or should the Mark IV have it too?

Also, regarding the holes on top of the driver's compartment my own limited reading has these as ports for a periscope so should they have a similar cover of were they blanked off from the inside (or at all)?

[Steve Stuart]

I have fitted a port on the front of the Glacis as I have found that the existing Mark IVs have them:

Flirt Front Glasis Pistol Port

The modification is straight forward as all is needed is a round hole to be drilled and a plate fitted to the inside to finish off.
It is not easy taking pictures of the top side of Mark IVs and there are very few about, so here is one I have managed to take of the Cab Top of the Bovington Mark IV:

Cab Roof

The thing to note is that they are standard pistol ports and both open in the same direction.....
The nice thing about Mark IVs is that rivet counters loose count, I certainly did a long while ago, and we are then left to work out the reality through learned investigation and discourse
I hope these photos give confidence!
Steve