The Oldest Shorland - by Clive Elliott

This is a RHD export LWB Series 2A Land Rover built in November 1965. It has its original 4-cylinder petrol engine with ENV differentials and pre-dates the 1-Ton chassis by some 3 years. It is Serial No.9 of a batch of 10 vehicles made into Shorlands by Short Bros & Harland supplied during 1966-67 for service with the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary).

Not only do official records match up with the chassis and engine numbers, but the serial number from Shorts was identified from under the bonnet armour AC/4P/RH/9, signifying Armoured Car, 4-cylinder Petrol, Right Hand Drive, Serial No.9. This Shorland entered service on 17/6/66 as Fleet No.264 and issued to No.2 Platoon, Reserve Force, Mountpottinger, Belfast.

Unlike other RUC vehicles, Shorlands were never painted grey. Records suggest that Shorlands were painted Olive Drab, but there was no trace of Olive Drab whatsoever on this vehicle. It is matched to a colour I have closely copied from extensive areas of paintwork found all over the vehicle. The final match was taken from an area under one of the screen demisters, a place hidden from any effects of sunlight.

It was withdrawn from Police service on 15/1/70 and went into storage. It subsequently entered Army service with the 5^th Battalion of the UDR (Ulster Defence Regiment) in July 1971. It was registered as 27 BT 68 and was struck off census on 15/10/77.

It is the only survivor of the original batch of 10 RUC Shorlands.

The colour may look awful, but it is a very very close copy of the original colour I found over the entire vehicle. It seems RUC Shorlands may well have been painted Olive Drab , but I can find no trace of OD on this vehicle.  Therefore, I can't falsify history if it was never that colour on my particular vehicle.

The chalk marks are copied from a B&W photo I saw of 3 Shorlands in a convoy similarly marked.