Question about a rack commonly seen on British vehicles

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Chris C, Aug 5, 2018.

  1. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    What did this rack next to the stowage box hold?

    I was recently going over the stowage list for the Valentine SP (aka Archer) and I think I may have misinterpreted part of it - possibly collecting together what went in this rack and what went in the left hand side stowage bin.

    Thanks in advance!

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Old Git

    Old Git Harmless Curmudgeon

    At a rough guess POL cannisters, most likely a couple of flimseys!
     
  3. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    Don’t know it’s size, maybe for a compo ration crate?
     
  4. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Is the rack an official fitting, or a local addition?
     
  5. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I am pretty sure it's official... I'd swear I've seem it on another vehicle but I may be confusing it with the rack thing that was used to hold several track links.
     
  6. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Were those even in use in 44-45 in NWE?
     
  7. Old Git

    Old Git Harmless Curmudgeon

    Yeah, you do see them on racks such as these (as well as 1 Gallon cans) on the backs of lots of MT, like Morris LRC and other such vehicles. But thinkng about the Archer rack I have a stirring memory of having seen photographs showing a wooden box, maybe a tool box, in that particular bracket.
     
    Chris C likes this.
  8. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    I think OG nearly has it. All I can find is an indistinct photo and a good resin model, The model shows the rack with wooden jacking blocks. Similar, but not identical, racks appear on Crusader 17pdr tractors. It is not clear why these RA vehicles have them when RAC vehicles do not seem to. Royal Artillery do things their own way.

    A Victorian staff officer famously said 'I don't know why I bother writing orders. The infantry don't read them. The cavalry can't read them. The artillery make their own arrangements.'

    Mike
     
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  9. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Since answers were a bit uncertain I thought to ask on a historic vehicles forum and the reply I got matches Trux's response - two wooden jacking blocks, 3" thick.

    Aaand now that I've gone to look at more photos, this one illustrates it well. They were on the Valentine as well, as you can see on this tank (in the Caunter scheme!). You can really see there are two things in the rack by the division between them.

    If the RAC didn't use them in NW Europe maybe they were replaced in the function by some better bit of kit. Or the racks weren't used but they stil

    [​IMG]
     

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