billh35

Many thanks Rupert! I have found them on his own website. Both ordered! Can't wait to get them!

Thanks Rupert! Is it possible to find a listing for civilian buses impressed into military use?

Many thanks for this......

I think the fact is that no one is 100% sure what is in the Dyke as all sorts of stuff has been dumped there over the years. This article from the Irish Times (which is primarily concerned with nuclear waste) https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/beaufort-dyke-reveals-its-deadly-secrets-1.86927 shows how "economic with the truth" the government has been.

The area that Wally Dugan is referring to is the "Beaufort Dyke" which is a trench which runs along the bottom of the Irish Sea roughly around the entrance to Belfast Lough. The Dyke is 50km long and 3.5km wide. The gases which were recovered from the Germans were initially stored at Caernarfon before it was discovered that they were perishing and these were subsequently moved by sea for dumping into the Dyke. Surplus vehicles and all sorts have been dumped there since. Even today the area is quite dangerous with random explosions coming from the sea bottom as decaying munitions explode. Since 1995 incendiary devices have been found on the coast of west Scotland believed to have been disturbed by pipe-laying. https://www2.gov.scot/uploads/documents/ae08beauforts.fh10.pdf

Was it not the normal practice that vehicles involved in fatalities were scrapped/destroyed and were not sold on? If I am reading this thread correctly, I would have thought it highly unlikely a vehicle involved in a fatality would be sold.

Apologies for the poor images. This vehicle was described as a "military bus" which was involved in a serious accident which the authorities deemed as uneconomic to repair. The Northern Ireland Road Transport Board offere to build a "budget" body on the chassis which allowed the vehicle to become multi-purpose. It was shown off to the press in such condition. Can anyone tell me any more about it? I am not sure if it was an RASC vehicle or not. Were there other such examples? (UPDATE: A check of the Central Census simply lists it as part of a batch of impressed vehicles 1260001-1263027 "Various types"

Seen in Belfast during WWII is this what I think is a Morris mobile information bureau. Can anyone tell me any more about it?

GLE 54 isn't a K2/Y

Sorry to be so long in replying but many many thanks for this! The DVLA and the original brown tax book both show the year of manufacture as 1941.

GLE 54 has chassis number 27575. Hope this helps.

Certainly the Royal Observer Corps were active (although that is not a ROC uniform). I am sure the uniform is the key. The cap badge does look similar to Civil Defence badges worn during WWII.

Can anyone shed any light on this County Armagh registered Morris J2 which I believe was a military vehicle in the early 60's? It is not an RAF J2 which were quite common in N.I. at the time moving staff to bases and remote radar stations but they all had sliding doors. I wonder what uniform the woman is wearing? It has been suggested she may have been Royal Observer Corps but the cap badge is different. Any help would be welcomed?

I think there may also have been a Hawson bodied Bedford and a Commer Walk Thru both of which were standard and highly recognisable to the locals as they looked so out of place.

It looks like a triaxle decker as used in Berlin.

Without wishing to be rude....here is your Codpiece....seen in action so to speak......

This would suggest the number was used? I have emailed the RASC/RCT website as suggested.

Please can anyone identify this vehicle? Are there any RASC veteran groups?

I have sent a message with the error code as the .doc file won't open.

I can't access the file? I would be interested in seeing its' contents.

Eberspachers are still widely used on buses. Most Council buses for disabled use have them fitted as well. Most companies that do Sutrak air conditioning can also look after Webasto and Eberspacher kit.

Do you have the history of this vehicle? Do you know where it was used initially?

https://www.eberspacher.com/dealers.html

Ted The first name on the old tax book is Holland War Agricultural Executive Commission. Boston. Then it changes in 1949 to Lincolnshire Holland AEC (Agricultural Executive Committee), Station Road Kinton. A further change in 1951 sees it registered to Secretary of State, Home Office. Then Belfast Fire Brigade in 1969 and then Fire Authority of Northern Ireland in 1975. It seems to have a curious career "appearing" to be used to serve tea to farm workers? Or were these just "front" organisations? I am assuming that between 1951 and 1969, it was stored in a central government like so many vehicles held in reserve. I have had no replies from any of the organisations I contacted about GLE 54 except the LFB.

Now in preservation and being extensively restored, it was believed that this was originally a London Fire Brigade vehicle but the LFB have confirmed that it wasn't? I suspect it may have been a centrally purchased War Ministry or National Fire Service vehicle. Can anyone tell me its' history OR point me in the right direction to find its' story.