Mr Smith,
The AEC Staghound would have been out of service in 1970, I went sking in The Cedars in Lebanon. A ordnance depot on the road to the slopes, had at least ten AECs located there. And I told by a Christian officer that they had been replaced by AMX-13s in service!
It was quite common to see the standard 37mm gun Staghound in Lebanon at that time, in quite large numbers. Film footage some years later of the Israeli daylight raid on Beirut International Airport, shows four Staghounds advancing to the rear!
When with the UN Mission (UNTSO) in 1984, it was common to see de-turreted Staghounds in Beirut and the surrounding country areas down to the UN Zone of UNFIL. These in the hands of the various Militia's, Christian and Muslim, and were all in a different armament mode. US M40A1 106mm being popular, along with SOVBLOC 82mm and 107mm recoilless rifles, with mix and match collections of all forms of machine guns. US 50 and 30 cal, all varieties of SOVBLOC MGs from 14.5mm-7.62mm, British 2inch and American 60mm mortars, and again a variety of anti-launchers such as RPGs, 3.5inch RL, and 84mm Car Gustav. I remember reading an Observors Daily Report stating that one had been seen in Tripoli with a 6pounder or US 57mm Anti-Gun (complete with wheels) mounted!
Depending upon what Militia they belonged to, and what paint that was available was the paint schemes, blood curdling messages in Arabic festooned them, while various forms of flags flew or were hung from the vehicles.
In two later tours with UN Missions in the region in later years, you would still see them frequently. Still in the same sort of armament, bizarre attempts at camouflage, et ect et ect.
Oddly enough I cannot ever remember that there where hull MGs fitted!
Steven Zaloga's Staghound Armoured Car 1942-62, New Vanguard 159, is a excellent text. Good photos and colour illustrations, one of a AEC in Militia use in 1975, giving colours of sand grey and light tank.
Mr Zaloga's makes a very slight error in relation to the Staghound in Australian Army service, saying they out of service in 1970. They were still in use with the armoured reconaissance regiments of the Citizens Military Forces (Army Reserve today) in 1972, with the Hunter River Lancers handing their last three (and five White Scout Cars - all runners) over to 2 Base Ordnance Depot Detachment Singleton in August, 1972. The Lancers and the South Australian Mounted Rifles both kept one Staghound for use a turret trainer until both were equipped with Scorpion 76mm gun turret M113A1 Fire Support Vehicles. And in each case the Staghound became mascot vehicles, and are now museum items held by them.
The British armed forces have never used a colour called 'Desert Pink'. In the electronic book that I have offered in another message, I discuss in one of the Chapters, this colour and the use of the term "Pink Panther" which had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the vehicles colours.
Yours,
G/.
G.A.MACKINLAY
