BlueBelle

Here's ANOTHER Bedford RL with 13 armed and extremely dangerous REME personnel. Has to be a Station Workshops, Tripoli or Benghazi outing, given the number of them together all at once. I don't think it could be an Ordnance Field Park 'jolly' as they tended to have more RAOC Veh Specialists than they did REME.

Oops, I mislead you. I meant the other East, the West - sorry. The workshops were on the Azizia road, heading West out of the city. I remember Prinn too, lots of on-base quarters there.

Ah, did 'we' ever pass an army Map Reading course, Class One? :-D Let's try GURGI Barracks as 'home' for 5 Medium Wksps which became 61 Staition Wksps. Ring any bells, anyone? The next photo and lots more to come, could have been taken by our unknown REME photographer in Gurgi Barracks?

Could that be a Morris Commercial MRA1 in the background? Pretty sure it is not a K9

Yes, it could be, even the welding truck version though the plant generator can’t be seen! The tilt ‘looks’ more MRA1 ton than it does K9 and I’m sure that looks like the prominent body strake rail of the MRA1 Ton.

I was in Tripoli at the end of that era and lived near to the REME workshops on the Azizia road, to the South-East of the city (well away from the other barracks). I'm fairly sure it was the only workshop then.

 

I was a pupil at the Army Children's School and on Wednesday afternoons (I think) a few of us were taken to the workshops where, under the watchful eye of 'Q' Hayward (fading memory but I think that was his name) we were allowed to play with all sorts of lovely stuff. It was the first place I drove a car - an Alfa Romeo 2600 straight six (probably worth a fortune now) which one of the school teachers had rolled and we (with much help) stripped to the chassis to drive around in/on.

 

Happy days.

Phil,

The army school in Tripoli used to be in Azizia Barracks until the barracks were handed back to the Libyan army (under terms of the Treaty of Friendship 1953, the British Army had to remove themselves from the centre of Tripoli to outside a 5 mile radius by 1958) and moved to, I believe, Miani and the location also it seems, of BFBS radio. So you wouldn’t have had to go far for your day with REME. Interestingly, the car you mention may have been ‘liberated’ by the British Army REME in 1942/3 who occupied the ‘near to Miani Barracks’ Lancia and Alfa Romeo car factories (assemby plants and workshops) for some time afterwards.

I went to the Army School, a regimental one for children of all ages, in Homs, 80 miles or so East of Tripoli on the coast. 1959 to 61. The regiment there were the 2^nd Royal Tank Regiment where my Father was the WO1 (ASM) REME. 2^nd RTR vacated Homs in Oct 61, with Cyclops going to Medenine Barracks, Tripoli and the remainder from Homs and D’Aosta Barracks, Benghazi to Wavell Barracks, Benghazi.

Here's another Bedford RL, this time in Tripoli as I can see two Tripolitania vehicle flashes. A REME chap and some, I take it, locally employed civilians, one who seems infamously familiar. No, surely not?

Richard, Austin and Phil,

Thanks for commenting, you drive me on to post more.

Austin K9s? None in current tranche but the stuff I’m presently posting, wait for it, should be eye candy enough to overcome the K9 shortages! Besides, this is history, isn’t it? :-D

The barracks you’re geographically alluding to Phil, is I suspect Prinn Barracks. Going north, north west on the Azizia road, from the bottom end of Tripoli (outskirts, very rural in 50s/60s) there was a smallish barracks called Miani Barracks (so named after an Italian Colonel Antonio Miani) on the right hand side of the road, immediately followed by the much larger Prinn Barracks (Muaskar Birin in Arabic) to the left (another arabic word for ‘Barracks’ seen on maps is ‘Hamiyat’). Prinn housed, it seems, a multitude of units though if that included 61 Station Wksps or not I don’t know, yet.

I have a series of 1943 (some updated around 1962) Royal Engineer/US Army large scale maps of Tripoli (and Homs, Misurata etc.) that show barracks everywhere! Some old Turkish, the remainder, Italian and all occupied by the British Forces, primarily the army. I can see (the outlines) of all but two or three of the Tripoli barracks on Google maps and satellite view. I’m not going to ‘guess’ which Tripoli units occupied which barracks until I am able to corroborate the ‘fogged’ memories that are to be found on the web with facts..... may take more effort than I have the strength and willpower to proceed with! There, set everyone on a ‘barracks hunt’ in Tripoli now! :cheesy:

Now for .....another photo. Here’s an RL that’s come a cropper shewn as belonging to The Welch Regiment who were based over at Benghazi 1958-60. Either the truck was visiting Tripoli for the photo to be taken or, the truck was actually in Benghazi and ‘our’ intrepid photographer, whoever he may have been (suspect a REME bod), was there as well as being in Tripoli where most of the other photos were taken (proven by being able to see Tripolitania vehicle flashes and not those of Cyrenaica District. Who knows? Getting closer though to Scammells all the time....

I know you're all as keen as Richard to see 'those' Libya vehicle photos that I wrote about, so lets start with this: (All photos belong to me unless otherwise indicated/accredited, and where this is the case, I have express written permission to show them. so please, no copying).

The year is 1959/60 or summer 1961. The car photographed is parked up at a barracks in Tripoli, Tripoli it is as (I know it’s not Homs Barracks or D’Aosta Barracks, Benghazi) I can see the Tripolitania Dhow flash on the Bedford RL and on the Landrover (can you?). There’s also a Ferret Mk? and a couple of 1ton trailers (Brockhouse or Sankey – I can’t make out the panel x ribbing?). I’m guessing this was the Tripoli Station Workshop? I also know who the car belonged to (a 2RTR officer) and that it did end up in Tripoli Station Workshop. In which Tripoli barracks though, were the workshops located? The workshops were known in the early 50s as 1 Base Wksp, then 1st Infantry Wksp, then 5 Medium Wksp, then Station Wksp and finally, from 1960 to 1966 and withdrawal of British forces from Tripolitania by March 1966, as 61 Station Wksp though trying to find ‘official’ corroboration is not easy or as yet, complete. The question also is, were the workshops always in the same barracks? Don't be shy in coming forward as I don't know and can't find the answer anywhere, yet. Besides, the REME Museum don’t want to play as they’re busy reorganising their furniture and polishing exhibits having recently moved from Arborfield to Lyneham.

An accredited critic once said of this car that it was the most ineffective bit of engineering since the Maginot Line. The metal was so thin and rickety that you could hear rusting taking place. Its most salient feature was its slowness, a rate of acceleration you could measure with a calendar, frequently losing in drag races with vintage farm equipment. The car was made world-wide and over 2 million of them were sold, thus proving how desperately people wanted cars. Any cars. The car is, of course the Renault Dauphine.

very interesting intro. welcome to the forum

Hello Rick,

Thanks for your welcome. I hope the forum finds everything I get to post of interest, including any persistent calls for information!

Kind regards,

Lizzie

As your Forum title suggests Lizzie. I agree with Richard, you served with THE Corps?

 

I also like the RL, I had one until 3 years ago. Manufactured in 1953 & Saw action in the Suez 'Crisis'. Lovely vehicle to drive & work on. Which I also did was I was in the Corps myself! :-D Also owned three Ferrets as well, which you also like, you say?

 

Welcome to the Friendly Forum! :yay:

Hello Ferret Fixer,

Thanks for your welcome. Ferrets! Great, now let me guess, your 1953 one was with .....hmmmm, 6RTR? That regiment scuttled out of Suez for Homs, Libya with a squadron going to Cyprus. Not many photos or accounts of their time in Libya, unfortunately. WRAC/REME yes, not so sure about the Arte et Marte though! A BIG hand wave back to you! :yay:

Kind regards,

Lizzie

welcome in, we'd all love to the family photos.

Hello Tony,

Thanks for your welcome. No, no family photos, just ...... vehicles!

Kind regards,

Lizzie

Welcome on board.

Yes a big intro but very informative

Rob

Hello Rob,

Thanks for your welcome. Information is everything. Trouble is, what to do with it all! :laugh:

Kind regards,

Lizzie

Hi Lizzie,

That is an interesting profile. I must say, the 1950's vehicles are of interest me (as well as my WW2 British vehicles) and the Explorer and K9 are particular favourites, along with the RL of course.

 

I am guessing you served in REME?

 

regards, Richard

Hello Richard,

Thanks for your response. Nice to know that we’ve similar vehicle interests. Your Dingo; well I shall put up some post-war Libya Dingo photos soon that should be food for discussion or just enjoyment. As I’m sure you and all forumers (is that a ‘proper’ word?) well know, many WW2 vehicles soldiered on in great numbers well into the late 50s and beyond. I have to say that I’m really inquisitive about the vehicles that are subjected to my attention, forming questions about VRNs, units, unit locations (barrack names), unit markings (and subtle differences), colour schemes, dates in service/photo taken, quantity on strength and....what happened to them!

Yes, Bluebelle was indeed, WRAC/REME! Well travelled too, both as a child and when in service herself. My brother was REME/QDG/REME, our father was first an RAOC Boy Soldier became a REME Boy Soldier though into adult service (tiffy big guns/vehicles), his father was exactly the same (AOC/RAOC/REME) and his father too, was an AOC Armourer S/Sgt with the 4^th Rifle Brigade (1887).

Kind regards,

Lizzie

Hello Folks,

Having lurked around on this great forum for a considerable while, I thought I should let you know who I am, especially the 200 or so that have peeped at my profile to see who I am and found..... nothing! Fixed now.

I’m a Brit business woman in Calgary who is mad about British Army vehicles in service between 1950 and 1990, particularly those that were utilised in Libya up until 1970. I’m also an amateur military historian focussed on that period, again with a Libya focus. Why? No idea though being an army brat may have something to do with it, having lived and gone to school in Libya (Homs) where my father was the WO1(ASM) of the REME LAD attached to The Second Royal Tank Regiment 1959-1962. I, and my brother also served in HM Forces, hence the handle, BlueBelle ...now there’s a clue to those in the know! My name otherwise is Lizzie Taylor and I originally hail from deepest, darkest Wales. The village of Fairbourne to be precise.

From an historical perspective, my favourite vehicles of the period are (with a Libya focus again), the Scammell Explorer, the Diamond T Tank Transporter, M5/M9 Half Track, Cromwell (still in use in 1955/6 with 3RHA Homs and their Sexton SPGs), Comet, Centurion, Saladin, Saracen, Ferret, Champ, Ford Thames E2/3/4 truck, Morris MRA1, Austin K9 and, wait for it, ...... the Bedford RL Binner! I’d love to own a vehicle that survives from that era. The LAD Binner brought us children our tortoises when the troops came back from desert schemes! The LAD Half Track was sometimes our school bus! My father’s big Mercedes saloon (ex-Wehrmacht) substituted as an ambulance to ferry us poorly children to BMH Tripoli when hordes of us fell ill with dysentery and the army ambulances were fully over-engaged! Halcyon days!

I have vehicle photos that I’ll be posting whilst also some time soon, requesting information on certain aspects of army vehicles, particularly of those used in Libya.

That’s a BIG intro! Isn't it? :wow: