Doug and all
>
>> Why didn't anyone name the Canadian C15TA Armoured Truck? Did the DD
>> Sherman and other specialty variants get their own names (as opposed
>> to
>> some borrowed from the Churchill Funnies)?
>
>Don't know.
>
The Sherman DD was simply and universally called here "a DD Sherman" or "Sherman
DDs". . . . .
>Whilst on the subject of names, there is still the oft repeated joke
>about
>when the English are going to finally have to choose another letter of
>the
>alphabet to name their tanks, they have pretty well worn out the letter
>"C". In the case of their latest MBT = Challenger, they have reused the
>name of an early unsuccessful vehicle. I wonder if they intend to follow
>the American idea and start at the beginning again (such as M1 Abrams,
>M2/M3 Bradley - there's that M3 again!). If this is the case, we will
>see another Crusader, Churchill and maybe even Centurion, it being quite
>possible for an "original" but updated, Centurion to end up on a
>battlefield with its "Centurion" great grandson.
>
We might, as an interlude in this dark winter for those of us in the northern
hemisphere, trawl the dictionary and attempt to guess the C name of the
Challenger replacement.
>Their light AFV's whether wheeled or tracked tend to follow the letter
>"S" eg., Scorpion, Saracen, Saladin, Scimitar, Striker, Samaritan
>(someone was on the ball when they chose that name for the ambulance
>APC),
>but changed to "W" when naming the current English APC "Warrior",
>perhaps this is because Infantry Fighting vehicles are regarded as a
>seperate and new class and thus "worthy" of a new letter?
>
No.
The S series of names were cornered by Alvis and I expect officially ring-fenced
for them, the listing omits the Spartan, Salamander, Samson, Sultan and
Stalwart, but you'll note they're all Alvis products. Knowing the role and/or
armament of these vehicles, reference to the dictionary will show some strong
connection to the name as you've already spotted with the Samaritan. (Only 5/10
for completeness Doug; do promise me you'll try harder.)
>
>Before anyone else says it, no, I don't know how the Ferret is supposed
>to fit in with the above naming conventions.
>
It doesn't.
Ferrets are a Daimler product, however, the name is probably the most apt ever
for a MV of this role, although you need to be aware of the uniquely British
alternative meaning of ferret as a verb, I have explained this previously.
>look at the products of the worlds car makers. Only Volvo and Mazda
>seem to persevere with model numbers instead of names.
>
British motorcyclists have many names for Volvos, none of them repeatable here,
owing to their disproportionate penchant for wiping you out at junctions or
anywhere compared with all the other vehicles, and supported by govt figures
too.
Richard
(Southampton UK)
===
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