Percy the mine sweeper.

A few people have asked about the 'UNIT' Minesweeper/Personnel Carrier in my loft thread pics so I thought I'd do a thread.



I got 'Percy' for xmas 1969 from my grandparents and it became my VAM's mainstay transport. They rode it into battle and on all thier secret missions!



The 'UNIT' name was obviously lifted from Dr Who although my cousin and I didn't see it as an acronym. Our VAM tean was 'Unit A', part of a larger formation. UNIT B accompanied our guys on missions now and then (VAM numbers permitting) and we'd often imagine Units C and D went on missions too.

Like any combat vehicle, Percy gained a few battle scars and graffiti.



'Road Hogs' were quite a thing in the early 70's!



Percy had a few modifications over the years. I don't remember who realised a single track section fitted around a wheel perfectly but it certainly improved Percy's speed!



Younger kids used to sit on Percy and ride it down the road so after a while some repairs were needed!



This pic may look wierd but...


...after getting a boxed Life Guard for my birthday and a carded Blues and Royals for xmas this is how my guys looked for a while around 1971.

Given Percy's long and illustrious service I thought I'd get the guys to give it a T-cut and polish.


A few hours of elbow grease later..



Only joking! Percy 2 came from Ebay. The original Percy wears it's battle scars with pride!

Holy cow you scared me...
Hearing such great history about "Percy" than all getting wiped
out by a clean job...

Anyhow superb!

You had me going too, Steve.

Percy 2, or UNIT B looks great, but UNIT A will, no doubt, always have pride of place in the collection...

Terrific stuff Steve!. The vehicle itself has a colourful history just like Joe, Hank, Cliff and all the skj boys! Whats a group of vam without their trusted vehicle??, for me my lads bombed around in a cherilea jeep! and a vam stripped down fire engine (long since gone now ).

Our best friends' children are obsessed with Thomas the Train, so I half-expected to see a little green train blown off the tracks by a mine!

What a great little multi-purpose vehicle! It's good that you kept him in his adventure-worn condition! The intact one shows how well-loved he has been. Can't wait to see what future adventures await Percy!

-Nate

Like the crude but effective axle repair.

I too got a bit alarmed when you said you had repaired it.

It would be a crime to erase all that history.

Great childhood vehicle Steve , I've still got a few of mine in the loft all with battle scars.
As kids we all used to ride down the street on them too , I think the half track was always the quickest without tracks f coarse.

Just caught up with this thread, great pics Steve!

Two great vehicles there mate, glad you left the original as it is.

Pics repaired!

Terrific to see Percy again Steve

Here here, terrific pics.

That "new" one is used by those snobs over in UNIT B.