643 Army Water Tanker (195864)

United after 36 years! I found an almost perfect box recently, for this almost perfect Army Water Tanker which I bought unboxed in August 1986. I do not often buy separate boxes but this was an exceptional opportunity to create a perfect match in the end.This military Dinky Toy was presented in Meccano Magazine in January 1958. In 1961 it was fitted with windows, but given the last adjustment of the assembly drawing in January 1960, that might have been slightly earlier. The blue-yellow markings on the front and back are of the Royal Army Service Corps (R.A.S.C).The model had a 1:87 scale counterpart in the Matchbox Series. This Matchbox Austin 200 gal Water Truck, No. 71, was available from 1959-1964.The real Army Water Tanker was a four-wheel drive Austin Commercial adapted for military purposes. The water tank capacity was 200 gallons (approximately 900 l). See illustrations below: