ChrisR

Came across this picture the other day, taken by a chap in RAF Bomb Disposal.

Came across a couple more photos of RAF BD vehicles -

And one taken between Potenza & Salerno Jan 1944. -

Thought it might be of interest.

Another old article mentions a tank at Gibraltar Point near Skegness that I believe was also a range.

That's true - but not seen any that look so phallic.

Can't help thinking of Dad's Army now -  “Open two-three. Out-two-three. Bang two-three. Bang-two-three. Bang two-three.”

No sniggering at the back! - Anyone found one of these in the back of a Vauxhall staff car?

These photocopied pictures were among a bunch of wartime bomb disposal equipment photos, but I don't think its related. - Any ideas? (Keep it clean!)

 I wondered if it was an inflatable jack to put under an aircraft with collapsed undercarriage?

A selection of miscellaneous bomb disposal vehicles -

Distinctive Maltese camouflage.

Dutch.

Belgian.

RAAF BD New Guinea 1942.

German.

Ministry of Supply with civilian driver Fred Hards.

This lorry was used in support of Bomb Disposal experiments by the Earl of Suffolk who was employed by the Ministry of Supply's scientific arm.

Didn't end well. The Earl, his driver Fred, and his secretary, Eileen Morden, along with a number of Royal Engineers, were killed on Erith Marshes when a bomb they were working on exploded.

Men of the 9th Australian Div Engineers making mine rollers out of concrete filled oil drums in Egypt. 1942.

Australian EOD Vietnam - Base at Cua Viet 1970

And lastly a bouncing bomb, also known as an Austin/Morris.

Yes - unfortunately not many records are digitised. The series of files AIR 81 are still being sent from the MoD to The National Archives, they have only sent the early war years, but a couple of accidents relating Aberporth are already at the archives under this class-  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=air+81+aberporth Sometimes these AIR 81 files have witness statements by fitters/mechanics as Court of Inquiries wanted statements about the air worthiness of aircraft involved.

The National Archives holds this war diary; -     

AIR 29/880/10 - 1609 Target Towing Flight, Aberporth; became 1609 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Flight, February 1943. Part of 70 Group (TT AAC UK). With appendices

1609 Target Towing Flight, Aberporth; became 1609 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Flight,... | The National Archives

That record only goes up to 1943 when 1609 disbanded, so won't cover the period of being in Europe after D-Day. However, it might be worth looking at War Diary - AIR 27/2056 - No 595 Squadron: Operations Record Book. 1943 Dec.-1949 Jan, as first page says the Squadron was formed at Aberporth when 1609 disbanded. It might give clues to units he may have later been a part of?-

3 hours ago, rog8811 said:

A fantastic set of photo's, thanks for posting them. Would I be right in thinking that all the small stuff in the foreground of this photo are butterfly bombs?

 

Yes- horrible things. Close to where I live some BD guys were killed in the war while clearing butterfly bombs. An officer came in the next day to finish the job and borrowed an armoured vehicle from a training area nearby (Headley Heath in Surrey). He sat in this while undertaking controlled explosions, but one of the bombs was either blown into the armoured vehicle where it then went off, or a piece of shrapnel came through the viewing slit (sources vary in detail). He was instantly killed despite the precautions taken. Yeah - brave men indeed.

Various US forces BD vehicles -

Above -USAAF vehicle from Stanstead helping RAF BD at Hallingsbury, August 1944.

M.E.I.U.s are Mobile Explosives Investigation Units.

Above -Australia 1945 – US Navy MEIU 1

Photos of Royal Navy bomb disposal vehicles from WW2 are a bit elusive. Probably this is due to the fact the Navy's BD responsibilities in the UK was for their own properties, so Dockyards, where a vehicle or lifting equipment could no doubt be found as and when necessary. The other ordnance worked on was UXBs lodged in ships, or in coastal areas, and for nautical weapons such as German parachute mines or our own depth charges at Coastal Command aircraft crash sites, etc.

Generally a staff car would take the BD officer to the site and the Royal Engineers would provide a vehicle for any heavy work needed. On the continent Port Clearance Naval Parties would have their own transportation, but not much in the way of photos about.

Anyway here are a couple of RN BD vehicle photos -

Just look at that dangerous thing! - I mean the trip hazard broom waiting for a Tom & Jerry moment.

Above - Brighton, England. Informal portrait of three members of the Enemy Mining Section (EMS) of HMS Vernon standing at the rear of their work van. The three had just taken part in the retrieval, rendering safe, and removal of a German anti-shipping moored mine.

Lieutenant Commander Leonard (Leon) Verdi Goldsworthy GC DSC GM, RANVR an Australian member of the Rendering Mines Safe (RMS) Section 

Ordnance recovered in Malta. One can only imagine how light the steering felt driving with this thing hanging off the back!

Couple of more modern shots -

Far East Clearance Diving Team

Some Royal Engineers -

1935 Morris (?)

Folkestone 1941

UK Sept 1943.

Following few are from training film released in 1942.-

Above - 177 BD Platoon Dorking March 1945

Above -18 BD Coy – Oct 1943

Token gesture 'BDS' on headlamp blackout -

Above - August 1941

1983

That explains a lot! - Thanks for posting that.

Some post-war in no particular order -

Apparently one of these Cuthbertsons got well and truly bogged down at Orfordness and had to be winched out by 71 MU. They got a surprise as it was up to its windows in water and looked like a normal Land Rover until they started pulling it out!

Above taken 1964ish - 6204 BD Flt - Nuthampstead bomb store.

1971.

Cyprus 1974.

little mishap - March 1982 - Theddlethorpe.

Larnaca Range, Cyprus - 1985.

Hopefully something for everyone in that little lot!

Will post some Royal Engineers photos later.

Above - July 1941 RAF and RE worked on bombs at the crash site of a Ju88 at Staithes.

Above - 6223 BD Flt

2 BDS RAF – May 1942

KIM is a magnetic clock-stopper.

BD staff car Holland 1944

Ford utility Staff car - Holland 1944.

The above photo was taken on Isle of Sheppey in Nov 1941, when the RAF helped the Navy work on an unexploded parachute mine. They found 4 wheel drive Bedford 3 ton lorries were the most suitable means of transport. They initially had to carry rubble to build a roadway. Numerous trips were made carry equipment etc, the total mileage of all the vehicles involved was 857 miles!

A number of RAD BD personnel were killed when an explosion occurred while they were unloading a lorry of ordnance at Welscap bomb dump in October 1945.

They were buried at Tilberg, Holland.

Germany June 1945

Thought for my first posting on this forum I’d bring this old thread back to the top. Not sure if this is the right place, as this post will cover a multitude of types of vehicle, but makes sense to me to have it all in the same place.

So - For years I’ve been collecting, researching and writing about WW2 bomb disposal of all three services. As a result have come across numerous photographs of the vehicles involved. Thought I’d share them here, as this seems to be the best place for anyone looking for reference material.

I have lots of photos, so will break them down into the different services. I’ve also included a few post war ones too, that hopefully will also be of interest. – Moderators – If I’ve over stepped the mark with too many photos, then please do delete the post.

Though many vehicles in the photos are partially obscured by people and bombs, hopefully there are details captured in them, such as camouflage patterns or unit markings, that may help anyone restoring a vehicle, or modellers that may use this site for reference. (To help I’ve included dates where known).

It’s interesting to see that the instructions regarding the bomb disposal markings, stated that ‘BDS’ was to painted on the front ‘other than’ on the windscreens, as this was clearly ignored on occasions by all three services.

And in answer to Bryan’s question, (of 9 years ago!), mention is made of red wings on an RAF Bomb Disposal Humber car in May 1942 in the book ‘A Cold Blooded Business’ by S/Ldr Haarer, so they must have followed the army’s lead very quickly, as they did when the BD insignia was introduced for the army’s uniform.

When it came to bomb disposal in WW2, all three services helped out each other, this included use of their vehicles.

For instance the Royal Navy’s ‘Land Incident Section’ that dealt with parachute mines dropped on land, had RASC drivers take them to the site of the unexploded mines in Admiralty staff cars, (I’ve seen mention of Humbers), and the local Royal Engineers unit would provide a suitable vehicle to carry away the ‘hopefully’ disarmed mine’s carcasses.

Below are photos of Royal Engineers delivering parachute mines to HMS Mirtle (South Downs at Buriton) for the Navy to steam out the explosives.

Civilian vehicles would also be pressed into service, such as local garage’s tow trucks, or local ‘Corporation’ lorries, etc, often with their regular civilian drivers behind the wheel.

Anyway, here are the photos of the military vehicles.

First the RAF, starting with a rather unusual one.  This French tank had been captured by the Germans, then in 1944/45 it was utilised by 6210 Bomb Disposal Flight to help in the clearance of minefields in NW Europe.–

6229 BD Flt with 2000lb British bomb recovered from Antwerp Fort and demolished at Leopoldsburg August 1945.

Hi All,

My name is Chris. Born 20 years after the war, I have had a long time interest in WW2, particularly the British Home Front and anything relating to aviation of that period.

I have written a number of books and magazine articles on the subject of wartime bomb disposal and have a collection of BD related memorabilia/relics.

Though I’ve always been into old cars, I don’t actually own a military vehicle at present. (I have a 1950 Mercury Coupe, and an early style hot rod Model A Ford). There is an itch, however, for owning a small wartime vehicle such as a jeep or Austin Tilly. Closest I’ve got currently is this! (Photographed at Kenley aerodrome):-

This ‘reproduction’ bike came about because of the recent introduction of the extended Ultra Low Emissions Zone in London, meaning I can no longer commute all the way in to work in my modern (but not modern enough!) hatchback. I now carry the bicycle in the back of the car and cycle the last few miles. I have tried to recreate this 1940’s style RAF BD bicycle to do the job.

I know the RAF blue colour went out around the Battle of Britain, though bicycles might not have been considered for repainting anyway, (if indeed they were blue to start with), and it’s unlikely they would have bothered to paint red wings on a cycle or the other markings. But as bicycles were regularly borrowed on air bases without permission, they might have done the red wing thing to show it belonged to their unit. I’ve marked it up as belonging to a unit that operated in the Kent/Surrey area.

I needed a box on the front to carry my work’s laptop and my lunch, so using a utilitarian ‘make do and mend’ approach, I’ve fitted a period correct light-weight aluminium container (actually a bread bin!) I know there are other inaccuracies, like 26” wheels and small frame, but at the end of the day it has to fit in the back of a hatchback as a ‘practical’(?) daily commuting bike.

Anyway, enough of the fake, (though I prefer the word ‘tribute’), bicycle.

I will post some proper wartime bomb disposal vehicle photos shortly.

Cheers

Chris