alan turner (RIP)

Radiomike is correct with the Wynns description this image has gone to John Wynn via Pat Ware after their joint series in Classic Commercials, it is taken about 1953 in Woolwich Arsenal and is loading a a railway gun chassis presumably for scrapping. john wynn confirms the drag is the biggest they had and had been used to take the steam engine to the festival of Britain in 1951. The rest I had no idea what they are so thanks all for your input.

andy are any of these of interest?

there are hundreds od different trailers in the Rawhs collection here are some for comment

thanks guys these are scans of glass plates that were salvaged and its guesswork as to the exact date taken plates in 5806 range but do know that a view 4029 of 2 matadors was taken 15/2/1951. so its after that. Lets have a couple more.

In my intro when I first joined I stated that I have been producing images for the Royal Arsenal Woolwich Historical Society from its uncatalogued thousands of negatives, they had been skipped then rescue took place. I was asked to show some images of the pig production in Woolwich Arsenal from the early 1950's xo heres hoping these come out.

only just joined forum but having worked for the RA Museum I can assure you that they hold no history records for any sort of vehicles, including their own nor any of their Guns, hence there are no unit marking on any item displayed. See my introduction item, I have access to a nice but griming glass plate negative of 2 such vehicles inside Woolwich Arsenal post war.

only just joined this forum so am working way through the threads. I am of an age when I can remember the 1960's and first came accross the Anson story in a copy of the old flying review magazine a mate lent me, they only had an artists impression of the incident, but I feel sure that it actually happened in the UK not OZ. Look at the trees around the field more Uk as is the car, plane registrations and RAF uniform.

Thanks for all the words of welcome. Snapper, Mark Smith is a decent chap, but the one to get to know is PAul Evans Librarian, Archivist, researcher and general factotum, it was him that I logged all the photo albums for. many are by officers during WW1 and official ones going back to 1857, items for WW2turn up from time to time. Ah Grasshopper it was me at the wheel of the quad when the bump start was attempted backwards, never explained to staff how tow rope was cast asunder. I had asked one of the other drivers, who still works at the museum to put a charge through the battery that week, but someone had blown the chargers fuse, poss squaddies with idle hands. Richard, down in Ashford, although we have never met your name carries a lot of weight with me for knowledge and mechanical expertise, sadly Les never taught any of us to drive tracked items, mainly cos the site owners had spent so much money laying nice paviours all over the place, would have loved to try both the Abbott and Sexton around the area, sadly the Arsenal tank testing track built in 1952 disappeared under the spine road through Thamesmead towards Erith near the roundabout that leads to Morrisons and Argos beyond HMP Bellmarsh. I would also have loved to be able to drive the Morris Bofors SP which seems to have a complete engine and gearbox. By the Way do you know any of the History of the quad as we drivers could never get any info to pass onto passengers from the museum registrar on the subject, although his knowledge of items held is second to none. Long winded as usual alan

Hello to all My name Is ALan Turner age per my profile but don't feel it, never been in forces,overweight, bad eyesight and very flat feet, but always been interested in vehicles miliatry and commercial and anything basically mechanical. Married for 32 years to Margaret who I drag around mil museums, she doesnt mind her late dad served with 2nd Manchesters from about 1923 to 1947, lucky to get out of Dunkirk in 1940. Two lads Martin 29 and Keith 26, both with letters after their names. After 28 years with Nat West took early retirement package in 2001 and then joined RA Museum Firepower in the old Woolwich Arsenal grounds took to both as family history shows over 100 years within the Arsenal and 2 counts of artillerymen. Hold the record for the number of yards driven around the site in their 1942 Chevvy quad, solo or full train, and am the only driver they had to slalom round the lampposts in either condition.I know Richard Farrant has had some dealings with the old girl in the past. Met Pat and Lizzie Ware when they moved onto the site. I also met a couple of guys, after I left the museum as paid staff, who were mebers of the Royal Arsenal Woolwich Historical Society, they introduced me to their site Archive which contains handbooks, maps, plans,artefacts and thousand of OHMS envelopes containing Negatives of everthing photographed after WW2, bulidings,people and things with wheels and tracks. So since 2002 we have been gaining images from these either by backlight the neg and using a digital still camera or scanning, The results are passable and have recently been shown to David Fletcher at Bovvi and Simon Dunstan for a future project. There are about 20,000 vehicle images only 2500 of which are in the Arsenal. ever seen images of Humber pigs under construction c1952, refurbing Centurions, 1st 50 built at Woolwich and 50 at Leeds, FV432 wooden mockup and pilot models,02DA17-22 overhead exhausts no air con or boxes at side, first proper mk1 civilian regiustered at Sidcup 1964, Chieftains, and early Challnegers. This is probably too long but I shall try and place some of these images in the relevant headings Live long and prosper (can you do that with military vehicles?)