Morning all from Estuary-Land. I finally decided on which Ruston to acquire, the one in Army livery and duly pre-ordered. Chris, I avoid the sock problem by buying a large number of identical pairs. I then even out the use by putting the freshly laundered ones at the back of the sock drawer and taking the ones to be worn from the front. Towards the end of the war in the far east my dad, a lowly lance bombadier was seconded to the US Army, he was a driver mechanic and the Americans had a dire shortage of drivers. His task was to drive a Diamond T tank transporter with Sherman tank up the Burma Road from India. For that he got the American rates of pay which corresponded with his trade/rank/experience had he been in the US army, Master Sargeant, about 4 times his British Army pay! though he lost about half of it after the Pay Corp had dealt with it, and he didn't get most of it until he was back home. This was in July 1945 and by the time the tanks reached their destination the war was all but over.