Jump to content

RAF staff car gallery.


Rick W

Recommended Posts

Looking for pics and info on RAF staff cars WW2. Paint schemes, markings etc. Please feel free to post them up!

 

Hi Rick,

 

While looking for photos for details needed to finish a RAF staff car restoration, I found the attached (no idea where it came from, been in my folder for ages). It is a car belonging to 83 Group, Tactical Air Force, who moved with the advance through France, Belgium and Holland.

TAF83 staff car.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Rick,

 

While looking for photos for details needed to finish a RAF staff car restoration, I found the attached (no idea where it came from, been in my folder for ages). It is a car belonging to 83 Group, Tactical Air Force, who moved with the advance through France, Belgium and Holland.

 

Its one of the Canadian sqns in 83 group I think I scanned that to you to answer a query you posted Richard. the colour would be SCC 2 or SCC 15 I don't think too many cars of this period conformed to the camo rules by having a disruptive colour. If it did it was no doubt SCC14 a near black colour.

 

TED

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its one of the Canadian sqns in 83 group I think I scanned that to you to answer a query you posted Richard. the colour would be SCC 2 or SCC 15 I don't think too many cars of this period conformed to the camo rules by having a disruptive colour. If it did it was no doubt SCC14 a near black colour.

 

TED

 

Thanks Ted,

 

Sorry if it was from you, I thought I might have copied it of a website.......would hate to infringe some copyright rules :-)

 

Not sure if I sent you a photo of the finished car, but I have attached a photo of it. A genuine 1944 build, to a RAF contract, colour was olive drab, but later in its service life it was repainted to RAF blue grey.

july 09 pics 013.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This may be a stupid question, but what was the purpose of having the max speed so prominently written on that car?

 

Bernard,

 

I know Ted will be able to give the full info on this, but from what I gleaned, the lettering for all RAF vehicles were to be of a certain size, according to regulations, on the back of a lorry it was probably lost, but it does tend to domineer the rear of a car, especially with the TAF/83 as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bernard,

 

I know Ted will be able to give the full info on this, but from what I gleaned, the lettering for all RAF vehicles were to be of a certain size, according to regulations, on the back of a lorry it was probably lost, but it does tend to domineer the rear of a car, especially with the TAF/83 as well.

The TAF/83 and similar Command/Group codes were to be 5 inches high in white.. the Roundal 9 inches high. The reg number size was not given but seem to vary between 3 and 5 inches.

 

The speed limit was a road safety measure. Accident rates especially in blackout was very high. many of the vehicles especially cars did not have brakes that could match the top speed, by putting it in big letters it let following RAFP, Civillian police and RMP patrols the max. later it was stencilled on the drivers door Max speed and cruising speed to conserve fuel. Richard that car looked great on completion !!!

 

rEGARDS ted

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 8 months later...

 

 

I have found a couple of photos which may be of interest, they are from my fathers album.

163761 is being driven along Bismarkestrasse in Detmold, the original photo seems to be one of a set showing views around Detmold with captions in white on the bottom of the photo.

The other one is in The Hague, outside the Hotel des Indes and is dated, on the reverse, August 1945.

Interesting to see the variation in the markings, presumably the panel is in black with white lettering. I do not know the significance of DS, my father was with the RAF Disarmament Wing.

Can anybody accurately identify the make(s) of car and can anybody quote the registration block for these cars?

hth

David Molyneux

Resize of STAFF CAR HAGUE.jpg

STAFF CAR IN DETMOLDcloseupps.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, see this interesting tread,,

 

I have Vaux 14hp J-type 1939, but is in green- army marking,

 

but now make reconstruction small Austin 8, and want make RAF staff car, search pictures

 

orig.wartime this Austin in RAF service?

 

And here is two more Vauxs in RAF, maybe help you?

 

regards

 

Tomas

PL33509.jpg

HaroldWood(1).jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can't remember where these two came from, either Ted or Hendon. Trendy attire eh? :)

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]46436[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]46437[/ATTACH]

Hi No Signals,

 

These are very interesting photo's, i have heard of the vans supplied to the RAF and believe there was only a handfull made but i have never seen photo's of them. Do you know if these vans were badged Hillman or Commer ? Do you have any more pic's of them ?

 

Thanks, regards David Robertson.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes they were all badged Hillman, based on the Minx 10hp.. Initially there was the Utility (tilly) then the convertible Van ( Estate Car) as in the 2 pictures above with the ATA pilot, then a Ladder Van for the aerofrome lighting teams. By january 1944 the AIR MINISTRY had received a total of 5410 utilities and vans, 693 of these were Ladder Vans .

 

TED

Edited by ted angus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes they were all badged Hillman, based on the Minx 10hp.. Initially there was the Utility (tilly) then the convertible Van ( Estate Car) as in the 2 pictures above with the ATA pilot, then a Ladder Van for the aerofrome lighting teams. By january 1944 the AIR MINISTRY had received a total of 5410 utilities and vans, 693 of these were Ladder Vans .

 

TED

Hi Ted, this is all very interesting, i have been looking for information about Hillman utilities on the internet for the past couple of years but have drawn a blank. I have a Hillman "Tilly" and also a similar rolling chassis cab badged Commer. The Commer i was told served with the RAF as a van and had seats in the rear. I know my Commer was first registered in '47 (information supplied by Inverness archive centre) but i also have an old style logbook for a Commer registered '46 logbook marked previously used by the military. I have searched for a website to allow me to date my Commer because i have no way of knowing if it was new at registration, any ideas ?

Regards David Robertson.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi David, a good chunk of Rootes WW2 production figures up to january 1944 are published on the MLU forum; No vehicles of this size under the Commer badge for the Air Mionistry. I also have a first edition of the RAF MT regulations AP and the tillies and vans are all listed as Hillman ( Minx ) , the smallest Commers for the A.M. are the Q2 & Q15 15cwt variants. My Dad worked at Commer-Karrier Luton from 1940 until 1982 and used to tell me about wartime production - it would seem the only badge engineering that affected them at Luton was the Humber armoured car produced at Luton; originally to be the Karrier armoured car but rebadged to save confusion over the Carrier . Coincidental to the Rootes records on MLU only running up to jan 44, my Dad was called up early 44 for 3 years- It may be there was some badge engineering towards the end of the war ??????? I will dig further

 

TED

Edited by ted angus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi David, a good chunk of Rootes WW2 production figures up to january 1944 are published on the MLU forum; No vehicles of this size under the Commer badge. I also have a first edition of the RAF MT regulations AP and the tillies and vans are all listed as Hillman ( Minx ) , the smallest Commers are the Q2 & Q15 15cwt variants.

 

Ted,

 

Just been looking at Rootes government contract list for WW2 period, and the Royal Navy had several contracts of Commer 8 cwt vans and Utilicons, also a few Govt departments, but all Hillman named for RAF.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...