Foggy with a Land Rover - but not Wesley's!

imitation700mb said:
Well, this photo came from a Land Rover history book I have, and I'm hoping you all can make this out from the quality of the photo, but who is that driving the Land Rover out of the plane? It looks like our very own Foggy Dewhurst!
Click to expand...
Does the book give any indication of the era during which the photo was taken. The uniforms look like World War II, but Brian Wilde was only 18 the year the war ended, so either he had an older doppelganger or it's a later era than I'm guessing. More likely the first possibility than the second.
 
I like the picture very much, it could be Foggy as he did not like to talk about it, which was his way of saying he was also in the RAF
 
Marianna said:
Does the book give any indication of the era during which the photo was taken. The uniforms look like World War II, but Brian Wilde was only 18 the year the war ended, so either he had an older doppelganger or it's a later era than I'm guessing. More likely the first possibility than the second.
Click to expand...

The caption on the photo says: "The Land Rover was light enough to be transported in an RAF Andover, but it was a tight squeeze within the aircraft." The chapter of the book containing the photo is about Series II models (1958 to 61) which came before Series IIa Land Rovers (1961 to 71). The text in the book mentions what types of Land Rovers the RAF used at the time, and how they were modified to suit their military duties. I can see no mention whatsoever of any dates, although I'm guessing the photo was taken in the very late 1950s or early to mid 1960s when the Series IIs would have been used by the military. I'm also wondering if the Land Rover's military registration would help to date the vehicle just as a civilian one would?
 
Last edited:
Don't the number plates over there stick with the vehicle? Maybe one could look up the 85AA86 to find out when it was assigned to this vehicle. That would help with narrowing down the date for the photo. That info may not be publicly available due to privacy issues.

I'm no expert on the Land Rover's but I thought with the Series 2A version the headlights were moved off the center grill to the outside fender area. Due to conforming to European lighting rules, so they could sell more easily in Europe. The one in this picture looks like it has holes for that but they are covered and the headlights are still on the center section. Also, with the Series 2 weren't the set of smaller lights ( turn signal and unsure of other) positioned horizontally? With the Series 2A the smaller lights were positioned vertically to make room for the headlight. This seems to have a mix of Series 2 and 2A components.

I'm also wondering if this photo was taken before or after Foggy's sniper training. :29:
 
RickAns said:
Don't the number plates over there stick with the vehicle? Maybe one could look up the 85AA86 to find out when it was assigned to this vehicle. That would help with narrowing down the date for the photo. That info may not be publicly available due to privacy issues.

I'm no expert on the Land Rover's but I thought with the Series 2A version the headlights were moved off the center grill to the outside fender area. Due to conforming to European lighting rules, so they could sell more easily in Europe. The one in this picture looks like it has holes for that but they are covered and the headlights are still on the center section. Also, with the Series 2 weren't the set of smaller lights ( turn signal and unsure of other) positioned horizontally? With the Series 2A the smaller lights were positioned vertically to make room for the headlight. This seems to have a mix of Series 2 and 2A components.

I'm also wondering if this photo was taken before or after Foggy's sniper training. :29:
Click to expand...

According to the book, it was only the very late Series IIa (1968 on) and Series IIIs (1971 to 85) that had the lights on the wing fronts, as you say to comply with European lighting regulations. Any Land Rover earlier than 1968 had the lights alongside the grille. The turn signals and sidelights were usually horizontal on Land Rovers of this age. This one may have been modified for military use as they do look larger then the norm.

I also Googled the registration, but came up with nothing. Usually British registrations stay with the vehicle, although personalised registrations are sometimes moved to different vehicles if the owner buys or sells a vehicle. Then the old vehicle would have it's original registration returned to it. Of course I'm not up on military methods.
 
Last edited:
So given Brian was born in 1927 if this was around 1965 that would make him 38 , the glasses do age the guy in the photo but by 1965 he was already an actor with a large number of shows under his belt so sadly whoever this person is he is just a Doppelganger for Brian .
 
captain clutterbuck said:
So given Brian was born in 1927 if this was around 1965 that would make him 38 , the glasses do age the guy in the photo but by 1965 he was already an actor with a large number of shows under his belt so sadly whoever this person is he is just a Doppelganger for Brian .
Click to expand...

Well, as Compo once said: "Everybody's got a double"
 
I really like this picture, I hadn't realised it could be as recent as 1963 - but thinking about it the glasses look more from that kind of era.

Technically it could be him, but realistically it can't be.

...can it?
 
Sadly not WSTOL Mr Wilde had started acting in 1952 in a TV Film The Man with the Gun and continued to gain work and through the 50's and 60 more and more work came his way by 63 he was a well established actor . Closest he came was in 1954 when he starred in Forbidden Cargo where he played a Smuggler at the Airfield but his Contraband was definitely not a Land Rover :)
 
Foggy? Mmm. I'm more interested in the other guy with glasses on, the one on the right-hand side. Could that be 'Seargent Bilko'? :cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top