"My Stuart Honey Tank... as I remember it 65 years later"

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by Ron Goldstein, Sep 27, 2010.

  1. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Slaphead-
    Your suggestion that I might start a thread entitled "My Churchill 65 years on" would be similar to the famous inside left of Sunderland and England - Len Shackleton when he somehow wrote a book and his chapter nine which was dedicated to the "average knowledge of football Directors" - the page was blank !

    Only ever had two MkIV's - one was lost in the middle of a battle when we pulled back to refuel- reload and maintain etc - somehow the bleeder tube on the main brakes was dislodged and we watched the Tank at ever increasing speed hurtle down the side of a a mountain to end up in a big ditch and flattening a jeep on it's way - the jeep driver asking us for a green envelope with which to send his now flat jeep home to his "Mum".....

    The replacement was then lost in battle and had carried all my photographs etc along with my fountain pen which I had won for coming 4th in a 440 yard race at the Dundee Police Sports in 1938 - that was a sad loss - the pen I mean !

    My next vehicle was a Sherman followed by a Greyhound Armoured Car- eventually a Morris 10 !

    Cheers

    Tom,
    A great story about your runaway tank. I bet the Jeep driver was glad to escape the same fate as his vehicle:)

    Regards
    Tom
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  3. slaphead

    slaphead very occasional visitor

    Blimey, has it been two months since I thought I would be finished within a week?!?

    7650 new posts would suggest it is!
    No time t read them though as work is a bit hectic at the moment.

    Well, I am nearly finished with the outside of the Honey. I'll get that sorted a.s.a.p. so that if anyone wants to have a go they can. I'll then move on to the detail kit that includes the pram lid canopy, machine guns and a basic interior ;)

    Here are some images (from the computer model) to show what I have been up to. The last image shows the untextured extra bits...

    Ron, if I could ask a few more questions...
    Does the pram lid looks reasonably proportioned?
    Is it in the correct position?
    Is there anything "wrong" about what has been done so far?

    Best wishes

    Andy
     

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    Smudger Jnr likes this.
  4. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Andy,

    Fantastic work, simply Amazing.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  5. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Andy

    You clever bastard !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Brilliant !

    You want comment ?

    1. The canopy needs about 5 spokes, all the same size and no central "rigid" spoke which would prevent it from folding completely back when not in use.

    2. The colour is about right but it always appeared lighter because of the continuous dust/mud

    3. The guns are about right but where is the driver's hatch ?

    Despite all the comments the model is just super and I love the div sign :)

    Finally, keep in mind the photo I showed at the top of this thread and repeat below ...... that's how I remember it !

    Best regards

    Ron
     

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  6. slaphead

    slaphead very occasional visitor

    The drivers hatches!!! I knew I has placed the markings on the top of the texture map for "something" ! (the markings dont show up on the finished image as they are just on the "guides" layer)...
     
  7. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    This is simply great, I never had the skills for this so I do admire people who can do work of this quality :)

    By the way, how can you expect Ron to evade the Nazis when he's missing a bogie? :p
     
  8. slaphead

    slaphead very occasional visitor

    Andy

    You clever bastard !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    I'll take that as a complement then! :p:D:D

    Fantastic work

    Thank you, it has taken a little while but I am enjoying it... just hope the paper model looks half as good as the computer model!

    By the way, how can you expect Ron to evade the Nazis when he's missing a bogie? :p

    I knew there was something else missing!... but if you think that is bad you should see the complete lack of running gear and tracks on the right hand side! :rolleyes:

    Well I managed to get an hour in yesterday so the driver and radio op now have holes to pop their heads out... Me thinks they may need hatches next!

    Thanks for the comments folks, much apreciated!

    Andy
     
    CL1 likes this.
  9. slaphead

    slaphead very occasional visitor

    Well here are the latest updates...

    The hatch recesses are now textured and the rest of therunning gear is on.
    Still not happy with the rear end so might redo that.
    New texture on the tracks, they look better.
    Just do the hatches and then I'll break it apart ready to turn into a paper model... hopefully sooner rather than later... :D

    Comments on anything that needs improving are most welcome :rolleyes:
     

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    von Poop likes this.
  10. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Stunningly good mate.
    Will there be stowage?
    Not really a British-owned tank without a brolly, bucket, or bicycle hanging off the back ;).
     
  11. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Andy

    Adam's right I'm afraid. you are definitely going to need to put lots of stowageable, unidentified bundles at the back.

    Remember we used to travel with all our kit aboard and the inside of the hull was taken up with Busty (quite a big chap) me, the 19 set and ammo for the two brownings and the 2" mortar.

    This old bearded git is most impressed with your efforts to date :)

    Ron
     
  12. slaphead

    slaphead very occasional visitor

    Eeeeeeerrrrmmmmm stowables... (gulp)!
    Do you mean like this?
    M3 Stuart Light Tank Walk Around Page 1
    I think the motorbike would take as long to create as the tank has done so far!

    Seriously though, I was wondering whether the tank would have had one of those "bum bag" style storage containers on the back which would not take too much to add...

    [​IMG]

    Erm as for the rest, maybe I'll give anyone who makes the model the chance to personalise it themselves... ;)

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Somewhere on ww2talk there is a pic showing all the spare parts of a tank (I seem to remember it was a Sherman M4 ) laid out for inspection.

    I'd be most obliged if someone could find me the link.

    Many thanks !

    Ron
     
  14. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Somewhere on ww2talk there is a pic showing all the spare parts of a tank (I seem to remember it was a Sherman M4 ) laid out for inspection.

    I'd be most obliged if someone could find me the link.

    Many thanks !

    Ron

    Ron,

    I thought that you may like to see what went inside and outside the Honey!

    Hard to believe what it held:D

    Image from Osprey publication on M3/5 Stuart Tank

    Regards
    Tom
     

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  15. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Thanks Tom, very interesting, even if it's not the photo that I originally saw.

    What I do remember is that it was always the poor bloody driver who was responsible for any shortages as he was the chap who had to sign for the vehicle. When I was in Light Ack Ack I was the authorised driver of the 15cwt Bedford and remember having to sign for the vehicle and all it's spares,

    When, after the war, I became Tech Cpl for "A" Sdrn of the 4th QOH I had to do these kit checks before I signed for the vehicles myself.


    Ron,
    I thought that you may like to see what went inside and outside the Honey!
    Hard to believe what it held:biggrin:
    Image from Osprey publication on M3/5 Stuart Tank
    Regards
    Tom
     
  16. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    Sherman Equipment
     

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  17. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Jed

    Just picked up this last comment of yours, for which many thanks.

    Yes, that's the one and, if my memory serves me right it took ages to set it all up for inspection.

    Ron
     
  18. slaphead

    slaphead very occasional visitor

    Well I have managed to do some of the unwrapping of the model so here is the progress on the paper Honey so far.
    I will finish it, honest I will !
     

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  19. Martin King

    Martin King Junior Member

    I was intrigued and, I confess, a tad touched to get a PM from Andy AKA Slaphead regarding a piece I had written about my life in the 4th QOH and in particular about my Honey tank.

    Purely because I just hate carrying on lengthy conversations via the PM circuit. I persuaded him to let me start a new thread and carry on the conversation here.

    This was Andy's letter, which he has permitted to quote from:



    To start with a few answers:

    The turret ring was most certainly circular and according to my memory once the turret had been removed the body of the tank had been adapted to achieve the maximum interior space so that we had plenty of room in the interior for the tank commander (Busty Thomas) and myself.

    The 19 set was fixed to the rear of the tank just below the .50 Browning and the .30 Browning was permanently on it's swivel on the front of the turret ring. A 2" mortar was fixed permanently on the right hand side of the turret ring looking foreward.

    The pic below, as I've said before, is the dead ringer of what my memory tells me was "my" Honey.

    The Tac signs were pretty definitely painted on the mudguards.

    At the time when we did our "Cavalry Charge" http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/veteran-accounts/23593-there-were-some-amazing-times.html I'm also pretty certain that we were part of 1st Armoured Brigade but I will have to check up on the 4th QOH Regtimental Diaries. War Diary of the 4th Hussars in 1945

    That's enough for starters, dont hesitate to ask further questions but please remember that we are talking about events of 65 years ago :rolleyes:

    Best regards

    Ron

     

    Sir, I haven't actually communicated with anyone who drove a Stuart Honey tank. Would you be kind enough to tell me more about that experience and the crew you served with?

    Best regards Martin
     
  20. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Martin

    Welcome to the forum and good luck with your research.

    If Stuart "Honeys" are of interest to you, you could do worse than go to another thread here:
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/weapons-technology-equipment/8169-%22honey-tank%22-turret-less-otherwise-4.html

    It's pretty lengthy and if you manage to get as far down as comment #124 you will see that I finally met up again with one of the beasts on a trip to Latrun in May this year.

    To clarify, although at one time or another I had to drive many vehicles in the Army, imcluding Bren Gun carriers, Shermans etc., etc., my official "job" was Driver/Operator (Wireless) in the LAA and Loader/Operator (Wireless) in the RAC and it was in that role that I served for most of my Army career.

    Like other "vets" on this forum I have posted an obscene amount of articles on this site, easily found and sometimes (I hope) informative.

    If you find anything that particularly interests you by all means come back to this thread and ask away.

    Don't leave this forum without trying to contact Gerry Chester who, I think it is safe to say, is acknowledged by all on this forum as being the most knowledgable of all tank experts.

    As "someone who was there" he is in much demand but, if you can make contact and if he is willing to give of his time. you would be in for a treat.

    Regards

    Ron
    Blogger: User Profile: Ron Goldstein
     

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