Humber Pig in use by the Army.
Ray sent me this photograph that he took during National Service in Germany, during the 1950s. It shows a Humber "Pig" that went off-roading (literally), down a ditch, and crashed into a tree - perhaps a Silver Birch? the front wing on the Humber has definitely come off second best to the tree, which shows a few gashes from the impact but otherwise seems undamaged. The camouflage netting on the roof seems to have shifted a little, but everything else, including the two jerry cans on the back doors, seem to have stayed in place ok.
The Humber Pig, as it was unofficially known, first saw service in the 1950s and maintained a presence in the armed forces until the 1990s. Perhaps their most 'visible' use was during the troubles in Northern Ireland during the 1970s, their sturdy build enabling them to tackle any unpleasantness that the Royal Ulster Constabulary might come across. The Pig was originally designed for the Army, and was based
on a 1 ton truck to which armoured coachwork was fitted, an interim measure while properly-built armoured vehicles
were still in development. Once the Army had finished with them, many were retired from active use, only to be
pressed back into service in N. Ireland as already mentioned. Their official model name was FV1609 or FV1611 (for the
Mark 1 Pig), and just FV1611 for the Mk2. Run-flat tyres were fitted to the 20" rims.
Many variations on the Pig theme were created, to cope with different scenarios. Some had tubular rams fitted to the
front, whereas others had a box section beam. Some came with a water cannon, whereas others carried crew members. There is a photo of a preserved Pig used for bomb disposal here.
Return to the old transport photos - Page 5.
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