Phil Loder headed to Kent for The Weald Foundation Members’ Open Day, including the unveiling of their latest restored vehicle
In late June, around 70 members of The Weald Foundation gathered at the charitable trust’s workshops near Maidstone for the unveiling of the team’s latest restoration, an original SdKfz 223 light armoured reconnaissance vehicle – or Leichter Panzerspähwagen (Fu) (SdKfz 223) Ausf A 3.Serie, to give the armoured car its full German name.
The SdKfz 223 follows many previous restorations, including the Foundation’s Jagdpanther and Sturmgeschütz III Ausf G from World War Two and Renault FT and Renault TSF tanks from World War One. The first live viewing of each new restoration is eagerly anticipated by the members, who follow a vehicle’s progress on social media and via articles in the Foundation’s Inside Track e-journal.
The day began with a presentation by Hilary Louis Doyle, Panzer Tracts founder and Weald Foundation trustee, who discussed the latest findings of research into the design, development and production of the SdKfz 223 before and during World War Two. In particular, he explained the structure of German reconnaissance units at the start of the war and their differen…
