Anyone have a pic of what a Matilda's suspension access door looks like on the inside? Especially the latch.

Gary

If you search for the first of the "Inside the Chieftain's Hatch" videos on the Matilda II, at about 4:30 the Chieftain (Nicholas Moran) opens one of the suspension access doors on the Bovington Matilda II, commenting that you never see photographs of the inside. Basically, you've got the heads of the four hinge bolts, a chain from the rear hinge bolt going up to a ring above the door on the inside (keeps the access door from flopping down and slamming against the side plate), and a rotating latch behind the wrench hole in the access plate that twists up behind a flange plate at the top of the opening to hold the access door closed. Unfortunately, you don't get a good look at the locking bar as he pulls the door down -- it's not a close-up shot, and the door drops open quickly before they cut to a close view; you get a brief look at the rotating latch as he closes the door again, and if you slow playback, you should be able to pause it while he's lifting it back up and get as good a view as possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mavg4UqSlso

If you go to the Tank Museum youtube channel they have several videos on the restoration of their Matilda MkII.