----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Stallwood" <tankcity@globalnet.co.uk>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2000 3:20 AM
Subject: Re: [MV] Re(2): [MV] Morris Minor
>
> A look in Vanderveen from 1945
>
I think its only you and me that have the three "Bibles", pre WWII, WWII and
from 1945.
>brings forth such military gems as the Mini,
> Humber Hawk, Ford Zephyr, Austin 1800, Vauxhall Victor, Hillman Husky, and
> Austin Countryman. With the exception of the Mini and Morry Minor it
> suggests that the War Office sustained the British motor industry of the
> time in producing some pretty mediocre motor vehicles.
>
Hey ! Steady!
I drove a Hillman Husky as a temp MT Driver in 1964 for 28 Cmd REME
Workshops Hilsea, Portsmouth, the late ol' chap was the boss. (Major H M
Notton REME, how do you think my full initials came to be RPM [Notton] ?)
The Husky was his official staff car but there was no actual need for
off-site duty and it did some 50 miles a year, the driver previously, old Mr
Endingnapp had nothing to do, so he polished it, as you do, with 1960's
gloss DBG. Didn't take long to have the outside with a 6ft deep shine, then
the inside, tail gate, bonnet (hood) inside, backs of the wheels, then the
fitters noticed and sneaked it into the shop on the pretext of a fault.
With it apart like an illustrated parts list Mr Endingnapp and the
apprentices set about polishing it, wheel arches, fuel tank, brake and fuel
lines, unions, axles, suspension arms/wishbones, the carb with cotton wool
buds (Q Tips), fan, rad, the whole underside of the body, even the lead
battery cell interconnects; the machine shop did the engine block with those
cool overlapping circles. Mr Endingnapp died and I got the job as a temp,
the mil had by then started to cut down on waste. . . . . . .
Down here at that time they were cutting a slot through Butser Hill to
up-grade the A3 to motorway (interstate) standard using the spoil to
re-claim some of Portsmouth Harbour, now Port Solent. Butser Hill is all
chalk and the lot was trucked down the old A3 for years, on a very wet
November morning I collected the two small arms inspectors and headed up the
A3 as commanded in the eat-your-dinner-off-it-anywhere Husky through the
worst of several miles of chalk layered, wet road. Mr Endingnapp will be
turning in his grave.
When you get up there, ask for Pinwheel Endingnapp, he'll tell you of the
once polished Husky.
The 28 Cmd Scammel was 00 BD 91, I wonder where that is now as the workshop
finally closed mid 70's.
Richard
Southampton - England
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