S is for Still Going Strong

This set of three AFV's (677 Task Force Set) was really in Dinky's swan-song years, and with their simplified detailing, lack of consistent scale and plain decoration remind one somewhat of those clockwork railway 'starter sets' Hornby and Tri-Ang offered, they are only missing some track and a locomotive!

They are also some of few non-figural toys which have survived from childhood, I can well remember getting them, but I can't remember who gave them to us, however I do recall the instruction "You'll have to share them with each-other", so they must have come from a friend of the family, or a distant relative with no idea of children!

Of course - the fact they are still in MY possession, might be taken as evidence of a nefarious theft from my little brother! A big-wheeled Ferret, a Stalwart (Airfix did a bigger one, but you all know that!) and a DUKW. And while technically all 1:43rd, they seem to be a bit 'box scale'...'ish to me!

I believe the reason it's blue is because post-war, the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) retained a few for harbour work at NATO-resupply ports like Fleetwood as part of the Army's 'navy', they were actually fitted with built-up superstructures - if memory serves; looking more like the yellow ones which were doing duck-tours for tourists in London, I don't know if they still are, following the fire/sinking a few years ago?

The reason the Ferret has a burnt-out passenger compartment is down to the fact that my brother and I found it made an excellent crucible for the disposal of left-over black-powder after whatever other nefarious (twice in one article?) use for the stuff we'd previously been indulging in!

Three generations of wheeled AFV from Dinky, I painted the one in the middle as a child, it came from a church-fete stall and its factory coat was quite chipped, although looking at it, it could do with a third go!