Tubby Binns

I'll pop down to my MW at some stage this weekend (it's overdue a visit) and take some pictures in the back body... I understand that it's mostly original... I hope anyway... Saying that some of the hooks aren't 100% correct and additional hooks were put on the side panels above the wheel arches!

Nice find - Im looking for both the 5 and 5a myself... No luck so far!

Hey Bish - the nickname is the name of John Mills' character in the 1958 film 'Dunkirk... Sorry - only just seen this post... Sorry to clutter your build post, Dave...

Hello Richard - I've no idea how I missed this... I had no idea until recently that my Z number was a rebuild number... I am presuming this is the ID it got with it's 1945 rebuild plate! I do know the contract number and will dig it out... Pity I don't know the original Z number...

I'll ask John Rippo Paul... He's not on this forum but he knows a bit about Bedfords... Did you get a chance to check out the tool layout in your cab? Pete

Send us a picture of your bracket, Martin...

Hello Martin, I'm not sure if there was an alternative for the rifle rack... I suppose it would have just been omitted for commercial vehicles... And I'm unsure whether there was a bracket for the first aid kit, was there? Never seen it mentioned? Is it in the OY manual? The wire cutters fit... Regards, TB

As an update... I now have one of the larger wheel braces from Chris Morter... It doesn't fit in the clips behind the passenger seat and I suspect that it is not the same large brace as is shown in the early drivers manual... This is because if you look at the back end of the brace, the one in the manual is tapered to a chisel tip / tyre lever and is longer than the brace photographed next to the wheel of the OY... The large brace I have is MELCO made and dated 1954... It fits the split rim nuts only... Not the hub nuts... The mystery continues... Any further leads out there?

Nice to meet some of you at Stoneleigh today... I picked up a few useful parts... But I managed to find another set of wire cutters thanks to Rippo digging around which look identical to my existing ones but are dated 1940 and are made by a different manufacturer... The rivets / bolts holding the wire cutters together are much smaller amd more flush with the main body of the cutters... This reduces the thickness by a good 1/4 of an inch if not more. I'm thinking these may now fit the bracket in my full cab MW...

If you look at the Jack in that early BEF MW it's a different type to the 2 ton Britool... I think it's a Lake & Elliot 2 ton S183... Picture attached... Also for Rippo, interesting to note what appears to be a wooden block on the floor of the cab to help hold the Jack in place... And there also appears to be a side piece in place on the edge of the cab floor...

Nice photo of that BEF MW! Interesting picture of the speed brace for the split rims there! You can see what a buggers muddle of a fit it is... Nick - In some of my manuals that adaptor for the split rim nuts is a deleted item from inventory... Mystery! The photo shows the larger wheel brace is issued and this fits in with early drivers handbooks... And the smaller brace must also have been issued... Perhaps they then used the adaptor for a while and left out the larger brace... Then reverted to the wheel brace only and stopped worrying about drivers touching the split rims and left that to workshops...

Peter - I think you've got it 100% right... The bracket is for wire cutters... No argument... The planning at Vauxhall fell apart a bit though... Because although the early aero screen MW has this bracket (and the wire cutters fit), the bracket had to be shifted inwards towards the battery box in full cab versions. This is because the Jack stowage was moved from behind the passenger seat to behind the drivers seat... The new jack position displaced the shovel bracket which in turn displaces the wire cutter bracket... The problem for the new position of the bracket in the full cab MW is that it sits over a long row of coach bolts in the wooden body behind... And the bolts stop the wire cutters fitting properly. This must never have been fed back to Vauxhall... The bracket on mine looks like its never been moved and appears on other full can versions in exactly the same place. It's a definite bracket for wire cutters though. Vauxhall didn't issue items of GS stores like shovels or picks or wire cutters with their vehicles - only the specific items of kit unique to the vehicle or produced by or for Vauxhall (like starter handles and wheel braces). The GS stores would be put in by the Army / RAF etc... So they just moved the bracket and thought no more about it... The wooden 'round' floor mounted bracket is a puzzler as I have one in my MW cab. My understanding is that the oil can was a 'square' 1 gallon type similar to the 2 gallon POW cans used by the British and Canadians... I'm sure they were not round... I wondered if it was for the oil dispensing can... But it would wobble around a bit in there with nothing to secure the top and everything else seems to be well thought out... I keep my oil can in the canvas stowage bin... Well done one on figuring the wire cutters out!

Hmmm... No further advances with clips and stowage this weekend... The large speed brace is definitely for the split rim nuts... The smaller one for the main hub / wheel nuts... The large brace doesn't fit in any of the clips behind the passenger seat... The majority of clips there (3 out of the four) are positioned horizontally and only one vertically... Still scratching my head...

Here are some shots of my inventory kit and me trying to figure out what goes where... Some stuff is obvious... Some isn't... That mysterious bracket which appears to be for the fuel dip stick behind the drivers seat can't be... My MW has holders for the dip stick in the passenger foot well... And from discussions with Rippo, he says its present in the QL as well... I don't think its for the dipstick. Some people mention the machete but it's not on any kit layout... The jack on the aero screen is behind the passenger seat... But it's moved to behind the drivers seat on the full cab version... Because it would be impossible to access with doors on... Held in place with a 20" extension strap... The shovel bracket is is self explanatory as is the pick axe one... My standard GS pick is the infantry type and I think it's possibly too large... There were, I believe, smaller variants for vehicles. It's not incorrect to cram a large on in though... Ooo errrrr missus. Looking at Nick's I see you have the pick handle the other way up... I'll try that... Theres a mystery curved wooden bracket on mine on the floor between the shovel and pick... I was thinking it could possibly (?) hold the small oval oil funnel in place (?!)... I'm stumped... The mystery of what the clips behind the passenger seat are for is bugging me... Starter handle? Larger wheel brace? if I put the starter handle where Rippo stores his, the bottom clip nearest the floor on the nearside seems utterly redundant... If I put the most basic wheel brace in it doesn't fit... As can be seen... Rippo explained the stowage for the T-piece of the Jack handle on his aero screen... The side handle of the T-piece clips into the spring clip on the stowage bin behind the drivers seat... The one closest to the battery box... One end of the handle rests in a circular hole in a wooden block on the floor... My 1943 MW has the clip on the box but not the block on the floor... But it's possible from inspection today that this panel of the floor was replaced on mine and the wooden block (and rear most two clips for the Jack handle extension pieces) lost. My thanks to Rippo for his ongoing help and advice...

Hello chaps... This is the wheel brace... Although there were two types... See pictures of the manuals and the braces... I'm still scratching my head on the locations of the kit... The Aero Screen layout as John Rippo has it is the starter handle behind the passenger seat... This fits on his and on mine... I had clips for what I thought was the starter handle on the passenger side of the battery box... But this doesn't fit if the jack handle extension bars are clipped in on the floor... So I think perhaps the Jack handle (the top t piece with the side handle) is supposed to go in here? The question is, what are the rest of the clips for? John Rippingham has a wooden block for one end of the t-piece Jack handle... With one of the clips on the canvas stowage box behind the passenger holding the side handle to keep it in place... But if the starter handle uses 2 of the last three clips by the nearside door, what is the other clip for? The basic wheel brace won't fit... unless the longer wheel brace (like the speed brace) is supposed to go in there... But if that is the case, where does the starter handle go on the aero screen version? I'm pulling my hair out! Photos to follow from me experimenting this weekend... Pete

Hi Dave - quite often the RLC have nothing more than the Z number, year of manufacture and contract number with disposal date... My understanding is that it's quite rare to have more detailed information on where the vehicles went. I think these docents were actually disposed of...

Sounds like a sensible idea and I know plenty of people who do that... It's just sensible road safety and you could hardly be criticised for it... The original lighting on these things is pretty low grade and no more than a red glow the size of a 5p piece... It's just not worth getting ploughed into at night as you pootle along at 45mph... So a trailer board seems a sensible way to go. I'd like to have the original lighting but have the rear landy lights able to fold away as the indicators do at the front... Not as simple as it sounds though...

Hi Dave... You can't beat keeping it simple and the brown will look great... I am still into minds about Mickey Mouse cammo... It's very nice looking but is very restrictive on what you can use the vehicle for once it's done... 3rd Div South Lancs? Nice! Was your dad in the assault wave? They landed wearing the special canvas assault jerkins... I'm wondering what the original colour of mine would have been... I've got all the info on its original contract and its carrying its original Z number... But I've got no more info on it than that... Built in 1943 it came out of the army in 1961! So 18 years of service! It went to Normandy this year done up in 43rd Wessex Div markings (4th SOMERSET LI) and is currently marked up for 3rd Div East Yorkshires... But it'll be changing its markings again this next year a couple of times! The desert cammo you found is very interesting... It must've been overseas at some point... I'm surprised it ever made it back as most transport would've been taken up into Italy and Iraq / Persia...

Hello there - Did you get answers as to where to place the holders for the starting handle? I have an army spec MWD so happy to help with pictures etc... I am am currently trying to figure out the use for all the clips and brackets in the cab. I can also assist with images of the correct Jack handle and Jack if need be...

Ah! I stand corrected! I know the Shelley Jacks were often used... But until today I had no idea they were the ones on the OY inventory... The handbooks I have (admittedly MW ones) show the 2 ton Ern Lake / Britool type... I had assumed the OY used the 4 ton variety of the same design... But you know what they say about assumption! i actually have one of the larger Britool types spare (I plan on carrying two of the 2 ton jacks on the MW just in case) so if you find your 2 ton is surplus to requirements, do let me know... I've been dragging all the bits together for my inventory... Quite enjoying it! if you need any pictures of anything on mine... Measurements or whatever, please give me a shout!

John - And Davey... Any luck on sourcing these lights? I currently have Land Rover lights fixed on mine which I'm happy with... But ideally I'd like them to be able to fold away (I've got fold away indicators on the front)... any my decent pictures of a correct rear light configuration with some detail would be very much appreciated... Also, do I need lucas reflectors on the rear? Sorry to clutter your thread, Davey...

Hello there... I've been reading this thread with great interest... Just got onto HMVF and I own an MW... You asked about markings on the MW in your initial post but I'm unsure if you got a response... If you were doing it up as late war British Army... Then you'd need the Divisional markings front and back... Mine has removable metal plates on the back board for markings... The Z numbers go along the top of the doors (or along the bonnet - both are correct) and there is also a Z number on the rear... by late late war it was stipulated that all vehicles were to have a large five pointed star (in a solid circle for British - this appears most common) on the largest horizontal surface... Usually the bonnet... It would be as large as physically possible... Also so stars on the doors... No circle... I actually haven't marked mine up with any stars as yet... Apparently drivers didn't like stars on the doors as they created fantastic aiming points! There is also the question of whether to paint it 'Mickey Mouse'... Have you decided what you are doing about a tarpaulin and canvas? Have you got the correct 2 ton Ern Lake / Britool Jack? Kind regards, Pete

Your restoration is looking top notch, Peter! Fantastic attention to detail! Where are you based? Just one thing on the Jack... Is it not the Britool / Ern Lake type of Jack you need for the OY? The 4 ton type? of the same design as the one you gave pictured earlier in the thread? You may know more than me on this...

Hello Nick - No - I haven't yet... I've sourced all three parts of the Jack handle and I've been scratching my head about what goes where with those three parts and the wheel brace... I seem to have a full set of clips in place but I'm no closer to figuring out what is supposed to go where... I recall at Victory spending hours greasing her up... Most of the time was spent underneath cleaning numerous layers of paint off the greasing nipples...!

Hello there... Thanks for the warm welcome... Sorry for the delayed response... I'll post some pictures up of 'Bessie' as soon as I can figure out how to attach them... I'm not sure if my permissions wil allow pictures at the moment... I am hoping I have managed to post some up... See attached... She's a pretty much standard 1943 GS MWD... I'm just collecting all the bits and bobs for her inventory at the moment... Like a jack and handles, tow chains, hooks and shackles, Spanners, tool kits and such the like... Both her fuel tanks are working although the nearside could probably do with a clean out and internal reseal... She needs a new set of half shaft hub seals... Got those just waiting for an opportunity to fit them. The timing needs a bit of tinkering as well... Got a list of fiddly jobs to do. She's got fold away indicators on the front... And I'm going to see if I can make her back lights and indicators fold away also... And re-instal the 'original' lighting at the rear... shes a a good runner and did Normandy for 5 days this year really earning her keep as one of our 3 tonners broke down... She also did a 360 mile round trip to the Victory show... Regards, TB