Bedford MW's in service gallery

[goanna]

Found this piccy : its a vehicle park here in Aust. WW2. I believe the the line of vehicles in centre background are British 15 cwts ... the three on the left are Bedford Mw's. The 3 cars in foreground are 1940 Ford staff cars .. and a chevy 3 tonner . The row behind the staff cars are a mixture of the civvy pattern light commercials, the army here used them in vast numbers .. Dodge , International, Ford and Chev etc.

 

Pic is from the AWM archives ...

 

Mike

[rippo]

Thanks Richard, Judging from the contract number of the MWV's these came after my own V3733. Is there anyway to put a date to the contract numbers? I'm trying to work out where mine came in the early production. I've found may 1940 stamped on a leaf of the spring.

The canvas setup on the early mw's is somewhat of a confusing subject. Like you say, I always thought early MW's were supplied without hoops, and bart vanderveens book also confirms this, but i was talking to maurice, and he has, or has seen an aerial picture of the bedford factory and you can see the hoops lay in the bodies. From the pictures of the early beute MW's (presumably captured a dunkirk, so making these the early early MW's), they show a few with hoops and canvass. The setup of the hoops is certainly different to the later mw's and the canvass seems more like the dodge weapons carrier, with roll up sides. The hoops i've seen, have only the uprights, no horizotal pieces conecting them. The early bodies have a guide for the hoops above the locating rings and i don't think the later ones did, but it would seem they were designed for hoops and maybe it was only one contract that were supplied without. Is there any way to find out what was specifically ordered on each contact?

[rippo]

I'm liking this topic.. Some Bedford MW's did make it down here to the antipodeas.. Aust. and N.Z. Over the years I have seen around 12-15 of them .... never seen a early aero screen version , only the later type with the metal doors and full windscreen.

 

Steady on!! the red one is a very early mw. In the picture of the bulkhead you can see the pressing for the Ox/Oy cab vent (Ox/OY bulk heads were used for early production) and the arm sticking up from the pedal area is a bracket for the early air filter. So you have seen one!!! :idea: I've seen this picture somewhere else. I wonder if it is still there? Its a shame to see it lying there, i've only ever seen one other as early as that one.

Edited November 24, 2008 by rippo

[Richard Farrant]

The original Z number is almost readable .

 

 

 

 

Rippo,

 

Mike's picture shows a MW from Contract No. V.4157, listed as a 15 cwt with Tank, so could have been a water tanker.

[Richard Farrant]

Is there anyway to put a date to the contract numbers? I'm trying to work out where mine came in the early production. I've found may 1940 stamped on a leaf of the spring.

 

The canvas setup on the early mw's is somewhat of a confusing subject. Like you say, I always thought early MW's were supplied without hoops, and bart vanderveens book also confirms this, but i was talking to maurice, and he has, or has seen an aerial picture of the bedford factory and you can see the hoops lay in the bodies.

 

Rippo,

 

A lot of these surviving Bedfords, carried on into postwar service and went through rebuild programmes. Authenticity was not important, so long as a truck came out the other end, so early and late features often crop up, such as the Vokes air cleaner, I know of a Vokes bellows air cleaner on a later MW with full windscreen and half doors. I wonder if the hoops in the photo taken at the factory, were in fact the cab hoops? Think I have seen a photo like that, will try and find it. I do have a list of chassis numbers to year, from Bart's book and the contract numbers are listed with census numbers in a repro book produced by Groucho Publishing.

[rippo]

Hmmm Maybe thats not the right bonnet then. From the style of the bulkhead it should be before mine, that bulkhead is the same as maurices, shame we can't see the steps.

[Richard Farrant]

Hmmm Maybe thats not the right bonnet then. From the style of the bulkhead it should be before mine, that bulkhead is the same as maurices, shame we can't see the steps.

 

 

The instrument panel would help date it too as that changed later on. I suppose it might well have had a bonnet swapped sometime in its long life.

[rippo]

I'm sticking to the hoops on the early one's!! If you look at the group of pictures in post 7 it shows some captured MW's with canvass and hoops i've seen a few others that support this to. i'll dig some more out later.

 

 

 

 

Can you tell me what the groucho publication says about contact V3733 please.

[Richard Farrant]

 

Can you tell me what the groucho publication says about contact V3733 please.

 

 

Rippo,

 

Cont. No. V3733

Z4173216 to 4176715 GS and Water Tank a mixed contract.

 

I did find reference in Bart's book to MWT, an Anti Tank Gun Tractor, that had full canopy with windows in the side for carrying gun crew. This would be an early war vehicle and probably with aero screens, so might well have been captured at Dunkirk area, hence the German photos.

 

Minefield is'nt it?

[rippo]

Thanks richard, there is a picture of an mw coming off a landing craft in barts book, that is out of the same batch as mine and that has circular hoops. :yay:

 

I'd be intrested in the overhead picture of the factory if you can find it.

 

It certainly is a mine field. I use the captured durkirk mw's as reference as at least you can put a rough date on the picture and hopefully they won't have been to messed about with.

 

Now maurices MW has different front hoops to mine. His are the same as the later mw, with a spacer in the keepers and a dimple on the upright, used on the later mw's for securing the side screens. On maurices the dimple secures a flap which comes from the rear canvass onto the cab canvass. This flap stops the water running between the to into the cab. Later MW's have the gutter inside the cab which both canvass's sit in. If you look and the captured pictures you can see the flap and strap quite clearly.

So they must have been designed and built that way. Now my front hoops have no dimple and fasten straight to the body, maybe mine was one of the no hoop type, as with them having no dimple there is no way to seal the canvass's, as maurices dose. :idea:

 

I suppose most of the early pre dunkirk mw's would have been left there, mine was more than likely produced after dunkirk, so maybe thats where the no hoops comes in, but i'm near as certain the very early ones have hoops and canvass.

 

Yeah the dash is an indication but i've seen cabbed versions with early clocks. The best way is the early step out runners. The bulkhead looks right but as you say, we never know the full story even that coulds have been changed.

 

Again you are educating me, the VOKES bellows air cleaner, i'm still looking for one of these do you know of any?

Edited November 24, 2008 by rippo

[Richard Farrant]

I'd be intrested in the overhead picture of the factory if you can find it.

 

 

Again you are educating me, the VOKES bellows air cleaner, i'm still looking for one of these do you know of any?

 

 

Rippo,

 

Vokes filter would be as rare as teeth in a hen :-D........saying that and someone on here will have one!

 

Attached is a factory shot of early MW's, but cannot see anything in the back. What is odd, is that some sort of board is attached to the sides of the body...........and as I write this, it has suddenly come to me, that they are ramps for the Anti tank gun :idea:, so it makes these A/TK gun portees. The photo is from Bedford's wartime history book and I saw another aero screened MW in the desert with full rear tilt. I still say that the majority of 15cwt trucks prior to Dunkirk, did not have full rear canopies, just a cover over them. There will be exceptions to the rule no doubt.

[Richard Farrant]

Rippo,

 

Here is an interesting shot, from the Bedford book again, an early MW with Vokes filter. Students on a maintenance course by Bedford.

[les freathy]

Here a couple in Korea could be part of a H.Q section

[sirhc]

Where else were MWs used? The MWR which I am taking to bits has 3 coats of paint, the original factory green, sand, and then deep bronze green. The sand paint seems to have been applied on everything, including all the hard to reach places. The truck is a late 44, early 45. Any ideas?

 

Chris

[No Signals]

Is it just poor definition on my monitor/the pic or does anyone else think the radiator bulkhead on the last pic in post #14 looks very square on the corners? Not at all like the later models which the rest of the vehicle suggests to me? A rebuild of an early one?

[rippo]

Richard,

Are you teasing me? Nice picture wish i could find one of the air filters, the early MW from lover still has it's original Vokes filter on, wonder if father christmas has one!! Think i've got more chance of seeing him!! Whats the other bedford book your getting these pictures from?

 

Looking at the picture of the MWV again do you think the canvass is in fact tin?

 

No signals, i think its just the poor ouality of the picture, the squarer corners front panels were on the prototypes which i believe there were only one or two, but i could be wrong.

[Richard Farrant]

Whats the other bedford book your getting these pictures from?

 

Looking at the picture of the MWV again do you think the canvass is in fact tin?

 

 

Rippo,

 

The book is called "An Account of our Stewardship" by W.J. Seymour and published by Vauxhall after the war. You do see them come up for sale often. The Morris one is also a good read.

 

 

I would say the MWV is definitely canvas, not tin, looking at the excellent colour photo posted earlier.

[sirhc]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Account-Stewardship-War-Time-Activities-Vauxhall/dp/B001FT24HW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227565945&sr=8-1

 

Ouch!

[Richard Farrant]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Account-Stewardship-War-Time-Activities-Vauxhall/dp/B001FT24HW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227565945&sr=8-1

 

Ouch!

 

:shocked: and it says "Low Item Price"

[sirhc]

I found these while browsing...

 

Chris

[goanna]

Ok and great input to this topic.

 

Not being a MW expert, I'm learning though - I've only taken a few pics over the years of the relics around . I actually just missed one on a farm not far from here ....it was purchased around 1946 and stayed on the farm til about ten years ago... I know who bought it as he's got another 2 of them.. remains of . At least it was saved from the scrappy.

 

That red one may have been a tanker: I know of a single surviving water tank from a 15 cwt tanker ... it is in QLD and could be from a MW . I'll try to find some more pics of them.

 

Here's another one I pictured last year :

 

http://www.class-five.com/~mlu/forums/showthread.php?t=10070&highlight=mike+kelly

 

Mike

[goanna]

Richard,

Are you teasing me? Nice picture wish i could find one of the air filters, the early MW from lover still has it's original Vokes filter on, wonder if father christmas has one!! Think i've got more chance of seeing him!! Whats the other bedford book your getting these pictures from?

 

 

Until about 10 years ago.. a surplus yard in Coburg, Melbourne , had a huge pile of those WW2 Vokes concertina air filters .. they had been out in the weather for many years and they were all rusted through where water had been sitting in the cylinder... the ends were Ok however . Would have been hundreds of them there. They were all scrapped . The Aust. L.P. bren carriers use them.

 

I've got 3 new ones ..I grabbed them for the Morris' .. stuff like this was around 20 years ago, but you don't see it anymore these days . The original felt filter material tends to break up after 50 years.. when we had the WOT2 on the road, we used a modern round filter element from a air compressor or something, it fitted inside the round Vokes cannister perfectly.

 

Mike

[goanna]

Pic from the Australian war memorial archive : North African bogged MW .

[les freathy]

If thats the asking price for the Bedford war time book then whats the value of the Large size AEC contribution book. In my collection i have the Timkin Axle book with tinted colour photos and a hard back Metropoliton vickers contribution plus a H/B GM Holden war record and then of course the large Bridging to berlin book produced by the Royal Engineers and so on makes you wonder or is it speculation

cheers

Les

[rippo]

I've got 3 new ones ..I grabbed them for the Morris' .. stuff like this was around 20 years ago, but you don't see it anymore these days . The original felt filter material tends to break up after 50 years.. when we had the WOT2 on the road, we used a modern round filter element from a air compressor or something, it fitted inside the round Vokes cannister perfectly.

 

Mike

 

Three new ones!! :shocked: .. I'd be made up with a rusty one. Would you like a new best friend :-D

Edited November 25, 2008 by rippo