IN response to the letter asking for information on the FV1200 recovery vehicle (Citizen, February 13), as far as I know, when it went into production it was called the FV1100.

I saw the 1100 when I worked at Leyland Motors in 1958 as a driver.

Anybody who worked for Leyland Motors at the Farington works would know the building; it was an old aircraft hanger that the firm must have bought after the war.

If there was a shortage of a part, the vehicles that came off the production line used to be towed round until they had found the parts.

There was a row of the FV1100 waiting for delivery, about 20. The real name of the fighting vehicle, as it was called in the late 50s, was the Leyland Martian.

It was made for military use mainly and there were several different models of this truck made.

They were six-wheel drive and I can remember them being lined up outside the hanger.

Dinky Toys made a model of this, it was called recovery tractor and the catalogue no was 661. Really it was a mobile workshop and tank recovery truck with a massive winch on the back for hauling tanks.

Ken Pearson, St David's Road, Leyland