Tank Chats #89 | Universal Carrier | The Tank Museum

David Fletcher takes a look at the Second World War Universal Carrier, a light tracked armoured vehicle and the most produced armoured fighting vehicle of WW2.
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[@NetTopsey]

1:38 "Except that without an engine of course the thing's absolutely useless" Another Fletcherism to throw at my friends.

[@chaz8758]

Without an engine they were used as trailers to carry supply's (towed behind tanks on the attack) and even for one of the first mine clearing line charges - the Conger.

[@AirsoftReviewArgentina]

The sense of humor in this man is just priceless

[@belchnasty]

Fletch has spoken. All other opinions on the subject matter are now null & void

[@iatsd]

Given he's frequently wrong, you'd have to be a fool to take anyting he says these days as gospel.

[@davidlyon1899]

@@iatsd Yeah,but,they,can,do,ANYTING.

[@QuizmasterLaw]

yes, i used to think "this looks useless". thus am i schooled!

[@jasskeeper8152]

@@iatsd he's human being, it's normal.

[@daviddevries8242]

@@iatsd Please give me examples.

[@jasoncarswell7458]

David Fletcher drives to work in a Universal Carrier. He needed something heavy enough to carry his mustache.

[@zxbzxbzxb1]

Must say I rather envisioned the 'Tasche-man travelling to work on a Challenger 2 and leading a convoy of 12 Centurian tanks and 40 support vehicles carrying teams of special forces bodyguards

[@Rutherford_Inchworm_III]

Loadout (standard): 1x Bren gun, 1x PIAT, 2x crew, 2x riflemen. Loadout (Fletcher variant): 1x Fletcher, 1x mustache

[@Gj23jk2]

@@Rutherford_Inchworm_III They should stick a bagpiper in the back to provide suitably British traveling music. It's only fair, really. Think of all that mustache has done for us!

[@TheCimbrianBull]

@@Gj23jk2 Ask not what you can do for your country but ask what your mustache can for your country.

[@orangejoe204]

David seems to have trimmed his Frontal Bristle Armor there. I can actually see the lad's mouth!

[@herrrobert5340]

I want David Fletcher to tuck me in at night and read me bedtime stories of WW2 AFVs.

[@LMSILVIA]

Weird but understandable...

[@spamuraigranatabru1149]

I can relate.

[@jacobq.2204]

You just want the mustache tickles that come after ;)

[@chrisbullock3504]

dont we all?

[@allanstott6999]

Thought it was just me.

[@afmb9096]

I love these things; Are they any good at fighting? Nah Are they powerful? Nah Can they traverse anything? Nah So what do they do? *anything!* Carry stuff, pull stuff, transport people, brew tea, transport stuff, It's like giving a soldier a crowbar It's not a weapon, but ain't nobody is gonna complain about having a crowbar!

[@TheLastSterling1304]

Are they any good at fighting? Ask the Germans if they like Wasps. Are they powerful? Is a bullet proof, self-propelled 50.cal mount powerful? Can they traverse anything? Can a jeep do better? Never underestimate the power of a "utilty" vehicle. Given enough time, and the PBI will make some 40k~esk modification that even the factories start properly building them.

[@jaykayguns]

😂

[@Listless_Robin]

To be fair they were *universal* carriers. They were actually made to traverse pretty much everything from the mud of Normandy to the sands of north Africa all the way to the snow on the Eastern front!

[@danthesupplyman4113]

Gordon Freeman would like to disagree with your statement of a crowbar not being a weapon

[@pheels]

The universal carrier is like an enlarged tracked jeep in many respects was interesting to see the jeep trailer in the video

[@jakedee4117]

Farmers around my home town bought these universal carriers as war surplus. They used them as tractors and general utility vehicles on boggy ground. Then I guess in the 60s and 70s they dumped them as they broke down and better 4X4s became available. Then in the 90s and 00's collectors dug them out of the swamps and started to restore them. It would be interesting to know the price of this vehicle when it was first produced, its price as war surplus and its price today as a restored running vehicle.

[@stephenjones6500]

@mandellorian £45,000 ish i still want one 😀

[@Alan.livingston]

Same in Australia. Lots of surplus ended up as workhorses on farms.

[@richardo36]

In BC they were used as sliders for pulling logs out of the bush.

[@spudgunn8695]

I was brought up in Hampshire in the UK, near the South Downs, and there were two farmers still using these to get feed out to livestock in the winter in the 1980's. They also did a sideline in military reenactments. They might still be using them for all I know, I moved away in 1990...

[@jamestheotherone742]

That "armor" was a lot of extra weight to lug around. Did they cut the side and front plates away and just use the hull and running gear?

[@lemonflavouredquark]

My favourite variant was used by the NZ division. What you did was loot an automatic 20mm cannon from a crashed plane and attach it to the carrier.

[@simonmorris4226]

I want one!😈

[@MakingMoneyyy857]

Ive seen photos with 50cals and piats but not a hispano cannon! The Nz brigade were the best scroungers in the african campaign so not surprised!

[@thoughtful_criticiser]

My father spent his entire war in one. Across North Africa, Italy, Normandy, through Western Europe and into Germany. He loved it. Beats walking!

[@ResaFMkII]

'Armoured vehicles need engines.' Cheers Fletch.

[@bigblue6917]

Now you know where you went wrong. 😄

[@potatopants4691]

Armored bicycle says hi

[@BluJean6692]

this has only been true for 100 years so it's worth noting lmao

[@Zorro9129]

I thought it was pedal-powered?

[@kenclements3001]

All across Canada, you'll see these vehicles parked out in from of Legion branches and armouries as a static display commemorating WW2.

[@MrAnticlimate]

Rommel mentioned in his memoirs the advantage the British infantry had over the Axis, by the fact that it was heavily mechanized*. Even if they had to give up their positions they could retreat withou heavy losses, thanks to such vehicles as this one. *or at least motorized

[@alecblunden8615]

There was only one fully mechanised army at the outbreak of war - it wasn't the Germans, the Americans or the French. It was the British.

[@Marc83Aus]

@@alecblunden8615 Which was shortly afterwards donated to Germany. The war wouldn't have lasted as long if they hadn't been able to prop up their appalling logistics with captured British, French, Czech and later Russian Vehicles. The Czech was so important they might likely have lost the invasion of france without it.

[@Angrybogan]

The Italians got badly defeated by the British because they weren't mechanised /motorised and the British were.

[@ironheadr3]

When I was about 8 or 9 years old my parents owned a petrol station and there was one of these in a paddock beside it. One day some army blokes came and worked it and actually got it going. A lot of the kids in the area had a ride. One of my best childhood memories.

[@Rednukegaming]

' and also in Canada .... which is another country.....' greatness

[@Giloup92]

But the same queen 👸 !

[@byebye1813]

@@Giloup92 unfortunately.

[@PatGilliland]

@@byebye1813 Oi!

[@MrCyphermonkey]

Taken out of context.

[@sandgrownun66]

+Rednukegaming Did you actually listen to what David said in the video? He said, to quote: "And also in Canada, which is another country that turned out a huge number of them".

[@Lennart_Jensen]

Now I know what I can wish for christmas. A cute little Universal Carrier.

[@Wolvenworks]

preferably with an AT gun mounted on it?

[@bigblue6917]

If you see a rather large box under the Christmas tree do not say I wonder what that is. We all know what that is. 😄

[@thatguyoverthere9634]

I prefer the top mounted 1917

[@paulnorris8291]

I'd love one too, one of my top five tanks though its not exactly a tank but its got to have a 50cal on board.

[@jamestheotherone742]

You'd bust your shins on the steering box and curse it by New Years.

[@markjennings2315]

My great uncle went to war in a bren gun carrier in the BEF aged 18. He had to leave it at Dunkirk and swim for it. Then fought The Africa corp in in his universal carrier in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. Then Anzio and up through italy, before being returned to Britain to take part in the D-day landings. His war was ended when he was killed by machine gun fire from the SS panzer corp on the outskirts of Bayeux. Great vehicle for flanking gun positions, trenches and even armoured units.

[@larsschroter6994]

I want a David Fletcher miniature figurine to put next to things in need of explanations! Would also look quite nice next to model tanks.

[@bgoth1435]

Now there's a business idea, I'd buy one!

[@williamcarrington61]

War gamers would agree , l'm sure ?

[@gordonlekfors2708]

and people seeing it would ask you why in the world you have a maniature of a homeless man.

[@Mad_S]

I can't believe 222,000 people forgot to like this. I absolutely love your presentation. Laid back and proffesional with a good sense of humor.

[@VitaminsB1212]

The universal always struck me as basically an armored jeep, so incredibly versatile like the jeep but now armored up and tracked

[@timengineman2nd714]

Exactly! I wonder why they just didn't just run the exhaust system up and back and put heat shields around it to protect the troops....

[@idanceforpennies281]

I met a New Zealand farmer who had several as work vehicles. It was common there into the late1960s. No better advertisement, farmers are totally pragmatic and don't use junk that loses them money.

[@melorange1678]

Also used in the big forestry industry. Not mentioned was a lot produced at the GM Factory in Petone, New Zealand.

[@CybershamanX]

David once again makes my day! Not to get into specifics (I'm in a bad way medically/physically), but every time I listen to this man talk I just feel better. I don't know what it is, but I just feel like everything is going to be OK. Thanks, David! I hope things are going better for you than they are for me! ;) Btw, if I may speak on behalf of everyone here, I hope he knows he's well liked (well, more than that, really!). I gather that he might not go in for all of this "high tech nonsense", but in my opinion that just accentuates his charm. While I also have the feeling that he might not "get it", I at least hope he appreciates it on some level. I wonder if he tells the boys down at the pub about how he's a big KZbin star now... ;) Anyway, thank you so much for having him be part of the whole team (you're all great,too!). I always love what he has to say and the depth of his knowledge just astounds me sometimes. Here's to many more years of Tank Chats with David Fletcher! :D

[@TornadoADV]

I consider them as more capable Jeeps rather then direct armored vehicles.

[@jamestheotherone742]

Except the were used for far more than just a light truck. They really did use them as APCs and as self-propelled MGs during assaults.

[@F4Wildcat]

@@jamestheotherone742 And they were armored. Okay, just enough for rifle calibres, but armored none the less

[@daviddevries8242]

I wouldn't say they are objectively more capable. They have some advantages over the Jeep but the reverse is also the case.

[@ptonpc]

They were not supposed to be used as armour. Some 113,000 were built up till 1960.

[@daviddevries8242]

@@ptonpc More of these built than jeeps? According to what source? Or did you just assume?

[@tutnallman]

I was privileged to spend some days with Sidney Jary. During this we discussed the use of the "bren Carrier" by the infantry. typically it carried their Kit- Large pack equivalent, resupplied ammunition, ferried hot food forward- even in contact, and removed casualties to company aid post . It enabled the infantry to fight more effectively. It was very reliable and they felt they couldn't function without it. Sidney was a wonderful man by the way.

[@stutzada]

"They didn't *like* them, but they used them."

[@johnalan6067]

Reminds me to Rumsfeld's quote when asked about Humvees in the second Iraqi war.

[@andreww2098]

I think the US built an extended version the second axle was made the same as the front one with 2 wheels instead of one, and an extended cargo area called the T16

[@tomb7642]

@Tom Sanders tell Fritz, I don't give a damn! *Boing boing boing*

[@tomb7642]

@Klantvinder.com they don't like 🦋 butterflies?

[@MrFleem]

@@tomb7642 That's right, monarch butterflies taste terrible. I've never found any that I liked.

[@thetourettesgamer8851]

The god of all Tanks and various other armoured fighting vehicles has spoken

[@SgtMjr]

My Uncle CSM W.E. Bird RWR was KIA in one of these 25 Sept '44 near Calais. Bringing up ammo he was directing the driver where to go when he was shot by a sniper. There was a warning message sent to avoid the lanes near the orchard where the action was but sadly Uncle Bill didn't get the note. In a scene much like in Saving Private Ryan the sniper was caught and almost executed on the spot but was spared. Turned out he was a Lithuanian not a German and was kept as helper and servant before eventually being sent to the POW cages.

[@zenzen9131]

My father drove one of these for the 2nd Btn of the Monmouthshire Regiment who went over to France about 10 days after D-Day I think. They got as far as Antwerp when he was shot through the arm and was on a DC-3 back to Blighty the very same day. Subsequently the regiment took massive casualties in supporting the Americans during the Battle of the Bulge. All officers and most of the NCOs were killed and not many returned home at all. Lest we forget !

[@landarjohnson5741]

“We gave a lot to the Russians; God knows what they made of them.”

[@QuizmasterLaw]

I am still researching this but the obvious go-to move is the 76mm cannon.

[@tomb7642]

Russians: ah good they sent us more flat packs so we can make more T-34's!

[@QuizmasterLaw]

@@tomb7642 2500 were sent in total though ru wikipedia doesn't say much more than that. ru.qwertyu.wiki/wiki/Universal_Carrier

[@RGDcommentnode]

I'm sure some of the Russian soldier appreciated having a vehicle to ride on.

[@dukenukem8381]

they just stored them in Siberia and later sold them to western collectors for profit and bitched about how much lendlease did not help them

[@mikea683]

Sir David:"If you find that you like t.." Me at the top of my voice: "YES I DO DAVID, YES I DO!" Other passengers on the train: :-/

[@sandgrownun66]

As well as the UK and Canada. These were also built in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

[@bipolarbear9917]

My dad was a WW2 D-Day and European Campaign veteran. He was in charge of 2x Universal Carriers each carrying a 3-inch mortar. I think there were 11 guys in his crew.

[@dirus3142]

Maybe Mr. Fletcher could do an audio book reading for The Chieftain's book.

[@Ed-ty1kr]

As a former infantry soldier, I like the thing. Anything to save my knees is useful. Even today they are talking about cumbersome exoskeletons to help carry loads... when they could just bring this thing back, and save their backs.

[@neillh]

Australia and New Zealand both made universal carriers as well

[@traceybest8047]

My brother and I rebuilt 3 T-16 Universal Carriers purchased out of Southeastern Equipment in Augusta Georgia. Found there were 2 types of track, 3 types of bogies (solid, straight spokes, curved spokes).They'd do about 35 mph on concrete roads, a little less on grass. What fun! My brother hit a patch of ice on the road and ended up going sideways. Youza! Right hand drive, steering rods, brake rods outside of them. Ex Swiss modifications including these cute little turn signals that popped out as needed.

[@pcka12]

During WW1 horses and mules were used in vast numbers to haul everything including artillery around, in the 20 year interval between the wars the use of equines in peacetime activities fell drastically and the British Army changed into a mechanized force (interestingly the majority of the German army did not become mechanised). The British used lorries (trucks) artillery tractors and these things which follow on from the use of some WW1 tanks as freight vehicles to support the rapid advances made possible by those tanks which were fitted with guns. Whilst as always in war men suffered at least the carnage suffered by horses in previous conflicts was greatly reduced since horses have been just too vulnerable in war once 'modern ' weapons were developed.

[@gregmottl9782]

My grandfather in Canada after the war. Purchased a Bren gun carrier. I know a little difrent then the Universal. He cut all the armor off and turned it into a flat deck tracked vehicle to use for moose hunting. With a winch set up in the back to winch a moose on. And to be able to get into the swampy areas while hunting. He used it right up into the 70s. Always wonder what ever happened to it. I am sure most likely was scrapped sometime after he stopped using it.

[@TheLastSterling1304]

The Carden-Loyd Tankette, arguable the most sucessful tank design. No Joke. You have designs based of it from Great Britain to as far as Japan.

[@richardm3023]

Calling that a tank is like calling a Fiat a Limousine.

[@Weisior]

@@richardm3023 Technicaly it was a tank goddamit

[@olivierr.5752]

Yea, and in Canada too... which is another country... :)

[@Paciat]

The first allied tank ace of WWII E. Orlik got his kills on TKS 20 tankette witch was based off Carden-Loyd. But back in the 20s Britain and France were the only designers in the world and Britain was selling to anyone. Thats also why the 6 ton Vickers E was a success.

[@gurtsmunta1]

Fabulous talk on my favourite tracked vehicle thank you.

[@mrfahrenheit3867]

I've seen a few on farms in New Zealand back in my youth, I guess they were cheaper than a tractor after the war :)

[@alicecooper5533]

goverment deer cullers used them to get acess into river valleys in in alps

[@JLSMaytham]

The only thing my Dad ever told me about his war experience (Essex Regiment, North Africa and Italy) was that these things were useless for anything beyond bringing up supplies!

[@beckster181]

My Dad was in the Aussie 7th Div Cav Regt in WW2 and they had these things that were sent to Egypt and then grounded as not serviceable and required parts to be swapped to make them work ok when Japan entered the war they were recalled to Australia and after training for jungle fighting they were sent to Port Morsby in Papua New Guinea still with their carriers all grounded and once they arrived the carriers were all chained to some trees on the outskirts of Morsby and the Regt was sent to the north side of Papua New Guinea to a place called Sanananda Road where they fought as Infantry and when pulled out officially 9 months later the Regt consisted of less than 100 members all the rest had been KIA WIA or evacuated with serious illness and after that the unit was never sent as a whole into combat again and technically ceased to exist

[@paulwallis7586]

The Boyes anti-tank rifle got a new lease of life among the Aussies at Tobruk. Useless as an anti-tank weapon, but with "a lot of stopping power" against infantry, according to my old man.

[@Zoydian]

I totally love Mister Fletcher's tank chats! Not only they are very informative, but I must admit I also use them as a means to relax. His voice, together with the soft hum of the airco in the background are a recipe for inner peace... thank you, Mister David Fletcher!

[@ADVtheMISSIONARY]

a bunch of Aussies in Carriers charging across a field with guns blazing.......yes Aussies loved them

[@sneugler]

I’ve always loved these and kettenkrads, they’re so fun

[@michaelvalenzuela2528]

I`ve called the "Bren Carrier" ever since I built the AIRFIX kit around 1970.

[@minuteman4199]

A lot of these were used as farm utility vehicles in Canada after the war. You used to see them for sale occasionally into the 80's and 90's.

[@AlistairAi]

That's adorable

[@theromanorder]

2 years ago i came into my class room and my techer introduced me to this great chanel but because of the blocker at that school many videos in the playlist were skipped making this my first tank chats video Since then i have learned so much and hope one day i will be able to go to Britian and see all the many museums including the tank museum hope to see you there

[@lavrentivs9891]

A private group vehicle collection in northern Sweden has one that was used by a power company for maintenance in areas without roads.

[@johnsabini3351]

Like the way he ends his presentations - no fuss "thank you very much" Old School British Gent!

[@jameswright3932]

David Fletcher... what a gent.. a star! Thank you sharing all your incredible knowledge.. captivating!!!

[@darrenchard2221]

“If I listed them all I’d be here all day” . . . Well I’ve made a cup of tea, I’ve sat down I’m ready to hear the list please

[@r0guestorm964]

Mind if I have a seat next to you? I will gladly give Mr Fletcher all day or as much time as he wants.

[@darrenchard2221]

R0gue Storm I’ll put the kettle back on, tea or coffee?

[@nukemman]

The Universal Carrier was the "jeep" of tanks!

[@kevinstewart449]

Dad went through Sicily/Italy with RC Sigs. He always referred to it as a bren gun carrier. It was many years later that I heard the term universal carrier. Somehow carrier seems more appropriate that AFV: what could that 10mm stop?

[@jamestheotherone742]

When your alternative is walking, anything will do.

[@Bird_Dog00]

Unless it's a Matilda 1...

[@Celebmacil]

The worst ride is better than the best walk.

[@allangibson8494]

@@Rabhadh Canada had trucks (about one for every three Canadian soldiers were made).

[@jamestheotherone742]

@@allangibson8494 Most of them were carrying logistics and none of them would get them across that last 500m.

[@allangibson8494]

@@jamestheotherone742 Without logistics you don't get to the last 500m. That was the Axis powers one uniform failure - all of them without exception had lousy logistics and as a result had troops starving without fuel in the field. For examples, on D-day the German troops hadn't had food for four days. About 10% of the Canadian trucks wound up armored (they were converted to armored cars).

[@TheSpritz0]

I'd like to add I DID get to sit in a Bren-Gun carrier at CFB Shilo when I was in the Army, it seemed to be built for a smaller world- I'm only 5 foot 11 and in the Army I was BARELY 160lb soaking wet but damn it was very difficult to get seated... and I could get into all the "supposed" tight fitting sports cars like Fiats and MGB's that were so popular back then (1980's).

[@Jonahch2v9]

Canadian War Museum in Ottawa has a flamethrower version. (I think it was called Wasp)

[@billestew7535]

Just 2 of these vehicles armed with Vickers.303 machine guns as well as Bren guns could give smaller infantry units withering fire support, but my favorite version is the wasp flamethrower vehicle, as dangerous for the crew as it was to the enemy seeing as it had a large fuel tank in the back of the vehicle, the Germans hated it.

[@billb0313]

I see Fletcher's mustache I click. The tank discussion is just a bonus.

[@MrSGL21]

this guy is one of the best personalities on youtube.i feel like i have an old British uncle who works at a tank museum.

[@elistickband]

I once drove that one when I worked at MVEE/FVRDE Chobham. Always wondered what happened to it.

[@graemer3657]

My grandfather drove one of these in the North West Europe campaign. He said the main cargo was usually bringing drinking water and rations forward. He was REME attached to the Highland Light Infantry.

[@moose2577]

I see mustache, I click video. It is my purpose.

[@logoseven3365]

Chris You are not alone

[@TheCimbrianBull]

His mustache is my spirit animal.

[@alcoles9660]

These long videos are excellent. Some previous Tank Chats episodes were too short and left out so many details. Not to mention that I could listen to Mr. Fletcher talking about water tanks for hours and still be amazed. Thanks to the Tank Museum staff and David Fletcher MBE.

[@roboaten6931]

"Without an engine, the thing's absolutely useless." Why do I feel like l have been told off? What an absolute legend.

[@Skorpychan]

They look like they're really fun to drive.

[@CharlesvanDijk-ir6bl]

"They were not supposed to pull AT-Guns but they did." So the carrier and the 6 pounder combo was not approved of? Thanks God rules are meant to be broken.

[@bigblue6917]

Needs must when the devil drives, and all that. Plus if you tell a group of men not to do it you know that they are.

[@kirotheavenger60]

He might mean that towing guns was not oart of the original design intention, rather than being generally discouraged.

[@Rhubba]

The official towing vehicle for the 6pdr was the Lloyd Carrier which is similar to the UC. If the Lloyds broke down, then any UC would do.

[@ptonpc]

The carriers were used for just about anything that could be thought of.

[@chaz8758]

The troops did what was needed, the British used tanks at times to tow the Infantry AT guns during an assault, this meant they had their AT guns ready right away for the inevitable counter attack rather than waiting for them to be brought up by rear echelon often by trucks.

[@gusgone4527]

Thank you Mr Fletcher for bringing your own unique British style to the world of military vehicles. I salute you!

[@drbedlam9786]

Imagine if David Fletcher built a tank..... could we even stop him if he built such a weapon?

[@nacho71ar]

Great... Now I WANT him to build one...

[@drbedlam9786]

We're talking about a weapon to surpass weapons that surpass Metal Gear here.

[@tomb7642]

Just ask him to tell you all about it. Should keep him busy for a while ;)

[@byebye1813]

But would you want to stop him?

[@drbedlam9786]

Mister, we all know what happens to those who defy Fletcher. Remember that historian who said the Valiant was a good tank? Me neither, and we all know why.

[@gunner678]

Superb vehicle. A post Great war experimental tank had similar steering, the Johnston light infantry tank, snake tracks!

[@muchasgracias6976]

That moustache seems to have grown a David Fletcher!

[@gordonhoran4373]

I think the Canadian army had the highest percentage of these, the Canadian 1st division in Italy used them to great advantage and yes we towed everything with them, they were a very light vehicle with a lot of power and huge drawbar potential, I drove one years ago and really you couldn't have more fun unless you took your clothes off

[@isengard1500]

The universal carrier was a war winning machine. Why? Logistics!

[@Legitpenguins99]

Just that word melts my brain

[@poisonousteapot2394]

Germany: logistics is judenphysik!

[@davidquak4398]

You can basicaly have every platoon outfitted with a cheap support vehicle

[@davidquak4398]

@@poisonousteapot2394 lol. That's hilarious

[@Cancun771]

@@poisonousteapot2394 And goes on to steal wooden, horse-drawn _panjewagen_ from poor Russian peasants after their own "modern" horse-drawn carriages with rubber tiers have broken down and their own racially superior horses have all died.

[@mackenshaw8169]

Excellent battle taxis for going forward to OPs and doing suopply runs and the like without being vulnerable to pesky snipers.

[@andrebartels1690]

8 people are disappointed, that David Fletcher didn't list _all_ the purposes, the universal carrier was put to.

[@willwallacetree]

My favourite is the one that a Canadian unit in the Netherlands lashed together as an experiment for harassing German positions and pestering sniper nests. It had 15 (maybe 20?) PIATs on a wooden rack, set to fire together in a high arc.

[@Hanfgurkenhasser]

@@willwallacetree Wtf :D

[@willwallacetree]

@@Hanfgurkenhasser it's a completely insane concept. Indirect fire gave a range of something like 400 yards, and they'd all drop out of the sky at the same time to cause great excitement. The creature was fired a few times for test purposes, then probably dismantled by somebody sensible. Picture here :) www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/attachments/1piat.jpg

[@SentaDuck]

​@@willwallacetree Probably dismantled when people started asking questions about where all the PIATs went.

[@Womble-freestation66]

I have some very fond memories of these great little vehicles. Firstly as a child at Steam Rallies where universal carries were used as paid rides around the fields. Later on in my youth & hitching home one cold fenland morning after a heavy night out & one of these pulled up. It was an amazing 20 mile drive & with my head in the breeze blew the evenings cobwebs away. An amazing experience & truly privileged to ride in one.

[@zxbzxbzxb1]

Would love to drive one of those to work each day, in summertime at least

Thank you Mr David Fletcher.. Your efforts are appreciated by many.

[@johnfisk811]

There was no need for one big load bay. Everything that went on was supposed to be portable by two men once unloaded to bring it forward to the battle line.

[@robert-trading-as-Bob69]

I now look upon this vehivle in a new light. Basically it was a tracked jeep before the jeep came along. Logistics win wars, and therefore getting weapons, ammunition, medical and food supplies up to the frontline is vital.

[@yellowjackboots2624]

David Fletcher identifies as a universal carrier. The man's a cultural zeitgeist.

[@TheCimbrianBull]

So true! 😀

[@Seafariireland]

Handy machine for the great men who manned them!

[@903strikerunit]

Did the British tried to shoehorn a tea-maker in this thing?

[@Wolvenworks]

no. this comes before that, sadly

[@bigblue6917]

What do you think the trailer was for. It's full of tea. Got to get your priorities right.

[@Trev794]

The teas made us never shoehorned in its intrinsic in every British tank design since the mark 4 boiled the gunner and loader

[@tomb7642]

They start with the tea maker then design the vehicle around that, obviously!

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

I believe it was originally designed as a tea carrier, hence the three compartments in the back (tea, milk, sugar) but they found it could also carry less vital things such as ammunition and other stores. 😉

[@kevcom2001]

My Grandfather commanded a Universal Carrier in WW2. Glad to see it getting some love and a tank chat! It would probably make him happy to see it.

[@MrDeadsr]

The Germans also used them, they even found some on the eastern front

[@PitFriend1]

My good friend in Canada had an uncle that used to train crews in Ram tanks during the war and had a UC to drive around his property for hunting and such. For some reason he painted the thing robin’s egg blue. Sadly it stopped working almost to the day his uncle passed.

[@lostinpa-dadenduro7555]

We didn’t like them because of the lack of machine guns. For sure you can get at least four .30 cals and two .50 cals mounted on it. 😀🇺🇸👍

[@peterwallace1398]

A bit like this? natlib.govt.nz/records/22840176?search%5Bi%5D%5Bsubject%5D=New+Zealand.+Army.+2nd+NZEF.+Battalion%2C+28th&search%5Bil%5D%5Bsubject%5D=Universal+carrier+%28Armoured+military+vehicle%29&search%5Bpath%5D=photos&search%5Btext%5D=battalion

[@peterwallace1398]

or this? www.pinterest.nz/pin/708261478870789735/visual-search/?cropSource=6&h=406&w=530&x=15&y=10

[@lostinpa-dadenduro7555]

Peter Wallace That’s the spirit! But surely there can be more. 😀

[@michaelmolloy365]

They can also carry four people with surf boards, Heaps of beer and steaks as well as any camping gear you need for a surfing weekend where nobody else can get to! lol

[@lostinpa-dadenduro7555]

@@michaelmolloy365 Hmm. Ok it’s starting to grow on me when you explain it like that. 👍

[@northernzeus768]

I have a close friend with a mighty tache. I call it Fletcher. He has no idea what I’m talking about but the mustache understands I’m sure.

[@johnalan6067]

At 2:35, did the driver forget to put it into park? Stops car, gets out of car, goes into the store, see car slowly roll past down the little hill, runs after car.

[@adm0iii]

I think that was intended. To deliver his two passenger soldiers into an active firefight, the driver races the vehicle forward, the passengers climb out, and the driver backs out his thin-skinned exposed vehicle as quickly as possible, even to the point of switching into reverse before they've fully exited, all while simultaneously helping dismount the vehicle's gun to hand off to the soldiers.

[@jimdavis8391]

Good ambush or recon vehicle, I wonder if they were quiet though?

[@petegarnett7731]

@@jimdavis8391 They actually clanked a bit. You could pretend to be a tank if you had a solid ebough hedge to hide behind. Then you jumped out and hit their tank witha PIAT and finished of the crew with a sten. It's strange how effective all those inferior little British gimmicky weapons were.

[@tylermclim7806]

I helped my Uncle restore one of these, they are a fun little vehicle.

[@rokinz3270]

Um you forgetting New Zealand 🇳🇿. Over 1000 were built and we had never built anything like that

[@robertvoss6145]

A excellent tank chat once again. What a brilliant little workhorse the universal carrier was . So good , even the Germans used captured carriers

[@logoseven3365]

“The American didn’t like them” The Government, the brass, or the men? Ignore the first two, the third group is all that matters. I bet they liked them.

[@Predator42ID]

If he said the Americans didn't like them then it was the men. Trust me its usually the stuff that is still loved the bureaucrats hate. I can see why as well, the jeep provided plenty of mobility and firepower without tracks, the Alligaters and Duks were better and overall so much more tolerable.

[@demonprinces17]

Didn't we one called the weisel?

[@jamestheotherone742]

The men. The Universal Carriers really weren't a very good vehicle if you were used to White scout cars, halftracks, etc. It was tiny and stupidly... er... inefficiently laid out.

[@88porpoise]

LogoSeven Probably everyone. Considering the context in which they were used it isn’t surprising. A bunch were being shipped across the Pacific in early December 1941 to equip Canadian troops Hong Kong and the ship pulled into the Philippines because they couldn’t get to their destination when suddenly a large enemy navy was between them and their destination. So they were used by troops with no training or doctrine for them and no maintenance or supply system while facing a much better equipped and prepared enemy and used them in roles they weren’t designed for.

[@jamestheotherone742]

@@88porpoise A bunch were built in India too. I'm not sure where they went though, mid or far East.

[@TheFflynnie]

My Father joined the Middlsex regiment in 1936 and started out on the Vickers machine gun, he used to talk about these, and was probably referring to the older vehicle, and probably left it on the beach in Dunkirk. on d day he was a bren gunner with the Middelsex , and was probably in one of these, he latter joined the Ox and Bucks, again as a bren gunner he finished up joining a company called T force, the ones that went behind enemy lines to capture various German scientist and other bits and pieces. He was demobbed in 1946. we are trying to trace his military history, love these clips keep em coming.

[@hugoshobbies1688]

05:55 "and also in Canada... wich is another country..." I thought he would let it stand like that. Like: "there are other countries than Great Britain, but there's no need to talk about them at all"

[@kyle857]

You know Canada is spelled with a C right? Or am I missing a joke?

[@hugoshobbies1688]

@@kyle857 yeah, thanks. I knew something was looking odd. In germany we write it like I did. Some differences between languages are pretty small.

[@ws2228]

"....your knees tend to get in the way." I love this guy.

[@Splodge542]

I love universal carriers. They look so useful but I didn't know they were fun to drive. I used to hate carrying ammunition boxes in the cadets. They seemed the heaviest most painful objects ever. Much better to have lots of these little beauties doing the heavy lifting.

[@CNMikado]

David fletcher thank you so much for dedicating your time to bring us these videos and thank you to all the others at the tank museum for keeping these vehicles alive greetings from Canada 😄

[@axelrajr]

very nice. and i could probably sit here all day listening to David Fletcher list all the variations of the Universal Carrier he knows of.

[@donlavery5137]

Over 200 of these vehicles were used by the Irish Army, some for mortar crews. I recall seeing some of them " waddied" in a Dublin Army barracks in the 1960s.