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Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit RAOC


LCplCombat

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I can remember seeing the units pictured in the centre and top right in the 1950s, as my Uncle owned a Laundry business. You put the washing in bags in the long cylinder units to wash, and then transfered the wet bags to the short vertical cylinder to be spun dry. This last unit had to have a Very secure base.

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Can anyone identify the vehicles in these WW2 drawings of a Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit in Europe? I believe they are based on 3ton 4 X 4 GS, 3ton 4wheeled laundry trailer 2 wheeled generator trailer but I dont know the make/model etc

 

 

 

There are no vehicles in the illustration, they are all trailers. A mobile laundry consisted of nine trailers. The generator trailer was a 22/24Kw Lister. Two boiler trailers to provide the hot water, which fed into a Washing Machine trailer, complete with soap tank and hydro extractor. Alongside these were the Dryer trailers. The Washing machine and Dryer trailers were positoned back to back alongside another pair. Platforms were mounted between the trailers, with a canvas canopy over the top, this can be seen in the centre of the picture.

 

There were 38 mobile laundries working in overseas theatres during WW2.

 

Richard

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As far as mobile laundry units go in the 1960s they were almost exclusively on 5-Ton 4-Whld Brockhouse trailers. Bath units were less plentiful & would seem to offer limited accommodation being based on 1-Ton trailers.

 

Brockhouse

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted from Mk 1 to Mk 4

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted , Drying Room, Mk 1

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted , Drying Room, Mk 2, LH

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted , Drying Room, Mk 2, RH

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted , Drying Tumbler

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted , Drying Tumbler, Mk 1

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted , Washing Machine & Extractor

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted , Washing Room & Extractor, LH, Mk 2, Type A

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted , Washing Room & Extractor, RH, Mk 2

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted , Washing Room & Extractor, RH, Mk 2, Type A

 

Cleaver Brooks, 5-Ton, 2-Whld

Laundry, Trailer Mounted

 

Eagle, 5-Ton, 2-Whld

Laundry Unit, Trailer Mounted, Boiler & Hot Water Storage Tank

 

Brockhouse, 1-Ton, 2-Whld

Bath Unit, Trailer Mounted

 

Sankey, 1-Ton, 2-Whld

Bath Unit, Trailer Mounted

 

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I'd have thought this cams under RASC not RAOC. The Royal Army Service Corp are now part of Royal logistic corp. This forum does go up some strange paths. Have you any photos of the bath set up? Would be fun to do a recreation at a show.i

 

 

What are you proposing Tony, a living history display of a soldier having a bath? Well volunteered then!

 

 

 

Below is an extract from Administration within the Division 1951:

 

width=640 height=589http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/fv1620/RAOCBath.jpg[/img]

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Things seem to have been a bit more basic with the BEF during the phoney war period. British Pathé has a nice (silent film) showing an operation involving unloading a tent and a dangerous looking boiler from a 3 ton 4x2 Bedford and drawing water from a dirty pond !

 

http://www.britishpathe.com/product_display.php?Search.x=27&Search.y=21&searchword=BEF+mobile+bath

 

Here are a couple of stills :-

 

width=150 height=120http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/9697/bedford4x2gshp9.th.jpg[/img]

 

width=150 height=120http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/3678/boilervj7.th.jpg[/img]

 

 

Pressure Up !

 

width=150 height=120http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/9482/afterburneroy2.th.jpg[/img]

 

We have Ignition !

 

width=150 height=120http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/7259/mobilebathgl6.th.jpg[/img]

 

If this picture was for sale on eBay, it would be listed as "gay interest" !

 

width=150 height=120http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/5427/mobilebath2divtx0.th.jpg[/img]

 

 

This one interested me as it shows the 2nd Infantry division "Crossed keys" The Arm of Service marking "30" (on black ?) indicates Field Hygiene Section. Does this mean that bath facilities were RAMC in 1939 ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This one interested me as it shows the 2nd Infantry division "Crossed keys" The Arm of Service marking "30" (on black ?) indicates Field Hygiene Section. Does this mean that bath facilities were RAMC in 1939 ?

 

Yes if it involved disenfestation, delousing etc

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