wally dugan

RUPERT in your post 15 april you say the bridge plates were fitted by the army and l replied that was not the case and there was /is photographic evidence to show the plates on vehicles while still in the factory you now are talking about the painting of the bridge classification number not as far as l can see the same subject

l think you are right my visit to that area was to another public official body in connection to several incidents concerning a ex military land rover that was using military style plates at several locations in Scotland at that time as far apart as Edinburgh and Oban

from my list the following were at some time in bell street 51st highland RASC and RAMC ROYAL ARTILLERY up to post ww2

the headquarters ROYAL ARTILLERY TA

Was the building in BELL STREET

I think this debate can go on what l will say that l cannot comment on vehicle been sent overseas wether they had details applied even less so on austrailian forces but what l can comment on those british forces in 1991 l appealed to local ex military associations for a ex army sign writer one did volunteer a recently retired sign writer his CV was as follows born 1924 started his apprenticeship 1939 called up 1942 RASC due to his previous trade he went in as sign writer what he did say was he did complete sign writing on vehicles when they arrived and on some only final small details . He came to the museum in 1991 and left in 2002 the last vehicle he did was a bedford portee his work can be seen in a number of museums in the uk including the NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM As with anything to do with the military there will be exceptions to the rules

If l understood your post you say the bridge plate that is the round metal plate was fitted by the army what l said is that there is photo graphic evidence that the plates were fitted in the factory and the lettering was done in some cases. by the unit but there is photographic evidence some of which has a appeared on this forum of motorcycles already lettered up awaiting to be delivered to there units WALLY

it was held in a training material park at taunton a place were a number vehicles are held for use by a number of units including TA before being sold at RUDDINGTON

16 B VEHICLE DEPOT WAS AT OLEN in BELGIUM the place it was held for sale

NOEL If you were to do any thing on longmoor there a number of good books by my old boss COLONEL DAVID RONALD on the railway we had no end of plans and pictures at the museum before it closed the ROYAL ENGINEERS MUSEUM may hold what was at beverley. To add to the subject of VRNS all new vehicles purchased between 1945 /49 still had the wartime census style numbering starting with a pre fix letter these vehicle were renumbered in 1950 with the two number two letters two numbers the first been 80 inch Land Rovers in the BC series purchased in 1949

valves stuck open

You are right to assume that a document listed VRNs from the period 1945 to 1950 that listed vehicles and equipment by make and type seventy thousand registrations from the R* series were allocated for this purpose the first list showed blocks not taken up but the second list showed that some of these had been used there was a short fall in the R* allocation so VRNs in the Y* X*and Z* registration were used . From 1950 to 1961 a more complete and detailed list was kept from xxBC xx to xxDLxx these lists for both periods. were in ledger form These lists only covered B vehicles not A or C types

this may help as beside radiators they also repair fuel tanks including metal tanks they are NORTHERN RADIATORS LEEDS ON O8OO 002 9625 OR 0113 243 5051

The two numbers two letters two numbers came into use in 1949 the civilian type registration numbers on vehicles come into a number of types pre ww2 ie HMX can be see early ww2 civilian ie FLD impressed vehicles used by government departments retaining issued civilian registrations this a brief explanation

viewing is on sunday 30th of may at lords farm SHEET NR PETERSFIELD