trevor pitman

When I met up with Mike and `Trudo` I suggested that the truck could have been an ex airfield fire truck as there was a military airfield at St Truiden

A couple more with similar attachment frames. I would guess for snow ploughs

You appear to have quite a bit of body to work from there

Have sent you a PM re Griffon

I have known 58 aero Griffons to go for up to £20K......no paperwork...to be used in surface applications..... I will ask and try to obtain a value

As I mentioned earlier Stanley Thurston operated 3 FWDs; FTM336 - Monty LPB625 - Churchill LPB626 - Commando Henry Thurston (brother, I think) operated; ANH673 - which went on to be a timber tractor with Michael Watson - timber? MPD767 - London Pride went on to J Appleton - another showman

Well spotted Russ....missed that altogether. Thurston`s did operate a 3rd FWD....named Churchill...currently at work...so no reg for Churchill......and never seen a photo of it either

FMT336 was still in use with Thurstons in 1963. I have just noticed that FTM also had beading either side of the grille along with a chrome bumper, so the picture of the FWD attached to wrecker could be either FTM or LPB!! Showmen tended to work their transport hard.....I doubt if many went on to have another life

The beading either side of the radiator grille is a sure give away. I will make enquires re the truck still being around

The FWD on the back of the wrecker appears to be LPB626, seen here in service with Stanley Thurston, showman of Kempston. It was in service with Thurston`s until at least 1963. My records show that it also served with Bagshot Sawmills at some stage. There is a suggestion that the truck still exists, but I do not know where or how much remains. LPB626 would of been initially registered around January 1947 in Surrey and CAN846 around June 1947 in West Ham. Sadly neither registration archives exist to view

Re the above pictures. The truck on the back of a wrecker appears to be an ex showmans (the extra trim either side of the rad, below screen). I am at work at present but will check later today when at home

According to the FWD manual just the trailer brake is attached to the steering column so it may be a mod. As for the one that was up for sale......as far as I know it is still for sale. The asking price may be the reason for this:D:D

Are the reg letters DUT? If so that is a Leicester reg from Dec 46. It appears none of the records from that period exist any more

Just had a look in the matador book. A couple of pictures in there with similar fitted to gun tractors. One appears to show some winch cable wound around.....so could they be for storing winch cable....as to keep the cable all on the winch drum would be too slow to wind it out in a hurry?

The general service, non winch version does not have them. Could they be a way of storing rope or similar?

As far as I know the winch was `boxed` in wood. As the gun crew lived with the vehicle the box no doubt served as seat, bed, workbench, etc. Not able to find a good view of the inside of the body, I know there were a few metal brackets holding down the ammo, shells, etc

Hopefully this shows the location of the winch. The floor of the body of the truck is over the winch cable. You can see the roller where the cable exits the rear of the truck. The cable can also exit the front of the truck via rollers

Currently at work so I do not have all my notes to hand. FWD su-coes were sent across from the US and Canada to the UK for final assembley. I have never been able to confirm those from Canada were any different than those from US. I did see in print that only those from Canada had the multi spoke wheels......I have a few pictures of those. The body on yours was a gun crews home during the war with metal fittings to secure the shells for the gun the FWD towed. The non winch version was described as `GS` general service. The non winch version is the rarer of the 2 versions in terms of numbers that served. The matador body would appear to be a `fairly easy` swap on to a FWD chassis....if you can find one! I have a full set of workshop manuals along with parts catalogue and driver instruction manuals should be serious in the restoration of this truck. Not too sure how much of the cab is left on yours now......

I have been researching the FWD su-coe and cu-coes, and any other info re FWDs for approx. 8 years. It started when Ray advertised for a FWD as a restoration project. Your info came from Essex Council archives. I have spent many, many hours wading through the council archives all over the UK that remain in the hope of finding FWDs registered after they were sold off during the years after WWII. It is very much a hit and miss way of finding them but as I have learned its about the only way that finds them. On a good day I can usually wade through 30,000-35,000 registrations in 7 hours. The beauty of FWD as a vehicle type means it usually leaps off the page at you!!!! I would guess, without looking at my notes, I have `discovered` approx. 110 that went to showmen, 40 to circus and around 150 to recovery/timber. Not sure how many more are waiting to be `discovered`....just 4 roadworthy su-coes on the road in UK at present. Along with yours there are a few more which are `possibles`. As you have mentioned they don't last too well due to many being left outside. The timber frame cab and heavy steel panels did not go together well. Along with the thirsty petrol engine the truck is not a restoration favourite

LVX965 was registered to Mrs E Phillips, White Horse Yard, Colchester on 14/5/47 as a showmans tractor. The council records do not give any details re the previous military registration. A Mrs Eliza Phillips also registered a Ford as a showmans tractor in 1949, by that time the address given was a Chelmsford address. Around this time C Presland was registering showmans vehicles to an address, also in Chelmsford. So you can see there is a link between Mrs Phillips and Mr Presland!!!! Your FWD does have a slightly modified front cab. As stated before if the military ID lives on it will be on one of the doors. The other FWD in the picture, now restored by Ray Cove, did have its ID under many layers of paint. I was able to rub the doors down to reveal its cenus number which fitted in a block used for the non winch su-coes. On the dash in the cab there may be a SM plate which will give a number indicating which contact the FWD was supplied under. LVX965 was somewhat camera shy and the picture of it pulling trailers was taken on 27/3/61 at Chingford is the only one I have of it in showmans use. Having said that the other FWD in the picture has even less history other than it was sold out of military in 1946/47 and next spotted next to yours in the mid 1980s. Please feel free to contact me via PM if you so wish

Many thanks

Fine example of a de-mobbed FWD su-coe. Can any one ID the unit badge on front of cab?

The BBC have footage of Range Rovers and others being driven off. They appear undamaged!!!! No doubt every vehicle will be carefully checked before a decision is made....good to see the Foden helping out

Lot 1562 of page 23 = KKN274 a Tilling Stevens truck reg 2/4/48 to H Forrrest (Jnr), Kent showman.

Wally, do you know when/where for the last 2 pages?