early british ww2

1943 Morris C4 WT under restoration. I have 2 bodies of the type III and 2 C4s both MkII and one is stamped WT. Rory ballard has a 8cwt Morris WT all fitted out which is superb, There is Bob, who has taken over Rory's original resto, of the early wooden type wireless house, which is nice.

 

My dad was a signaller in this type of truck in normandy, then went to Palestine 45-47 where, to his annoyance, they were supplied with the earlier pre-war truck!

 

Don't know of any other Morris C4 WT with all the interior. there's a BBC marked up version in Holland. But that's an early warning body i think not WT.

Simon

Hi Simon , Have you any pics of your morris's esp the wireless truck and the cs8 ?

The Genny in the back cupboard on my Guy is a wartime dated bsa 300 watt generator / battery charger and is wired into the switchboard etc in the wireless body - The truck is in for repairs at the mo but hope to get it back out next summer:coffee:

Hi , Ive decided to start this thread in order that I can guage how many of the WW2 15cwt House Type Wireless bodies or more affectionately "Gin Palaces" have survived into preservation and where they all are ?

I own a 1942 Guy Ant Wireless Truck as part of my own collection and wonder how many other Wireless Trucks survive and on what chassis they are on and where in the world they all are , whether complete with internals or whatever - Please get in touch

Here are a couple of photo's of my Guy in various guises over the years :coffee:

HI Glyn,

Interesting thread between you and jules (hi Jules!) I am doing a C4 W/T with the same wireless house as yours. Have you a pic of the genny on yours, or tell me what make etc it is? I have a pic of my Dad in Normandy with his wireless truck and the genny is in the background, with the batteries out on charge. Any help appreciated.

 

thanks

Simon

Hi Simon ,

The Genny in the rear compartment of my Guy is only the standard Wartime BSA Charging set - The Larger type (fitted to pigs etc postwar) with the wire cage round it rather than the 80 watt small suitcase type which I have as a back up . You will be fairly safe fitting most wartime gennys in the rear compartment as they fastened to a slide out metal frame which I have finally sourced and will take most incl the lend lease Onan etc Is your truck fully kitted in the rear with all the cupboards and brackets , operating table and seats etc . Some pics would be good at some stage if you have any - Either post them up here or pm me cheers

I suppose I should start a new thread about the 15cwt Wireless bodies ?? :coffee:

Hi Glynn

Very nice Vehicles, Have you got any Radio kit in your Guy ?

I would love to come and see them sometime, seeing your CS8 really makes me want to get on with mine, I hope to start in January and have her ready for May/June.

I will be very pleased if mine looks like yours by next Summer.

 

I'll PM you.

 

Jules

Hi Jules ,

I have , after nearly 20 years ownership of the Guy , finally got most of the kit for the inside of the Guy Wireless Truck - It is kitted with ws19's and all the associated kit incl a Genny and the awning for the side of the wireless body - It is in dock at the mo but hoping to have all works completed for next summer ... so keep in touch - I 'll await your pm

Cheers:coffee:

Here are some photo's of my 1940 Morris Commercial CS8

This may be a welcome return as there have been auctions at War and Peace before - Many may remember the auction back in the early 90's which seemed to go down ok - I don't remember how much sold but there seemed to be a good selection of vehicles to whet the appetite .

I have been to a few auctions over the years at various Steam Fairs up and down the country and even bagged a few bits and yes even the traders had a good time as someone else has said on here - Only to see "said" items for sale on their stalls the day after .

Could be interesting ? ... Only time will tell ... Roll on 2010 and hopefully some decent weather for once!!! :coffee:

Glynn,

Would love to see some photos of your Guy Ant, also your CS8, as I am about to start work on my project.

 

Jules

Hi Jules - Hopefully there should be a couple of pics of my 1942 Guy Ant wireless truck which were taken a number of years back on one of the Normandy do's It has changed a little since then but only in minor details - I will post more later and some of my 1940 Morris Commercial CS8 - I also have a 1939 model which I will hopefully start work on sometime next year .

What model is yours and what body etc has it got ? Some pics? either post them up here or pm me if you like

Cheers

Hello Runflat

 

Thanks for that, having compared the photo's you're right, it is now in the Shuttleworth collection.

So I am still right in thinking that with mine, and this one, there are no more with this type of body.......................................unless anyone knows different?

 

Jules

Hi Jules , I think you are fairly right with your assumption that there aren't a lot of 15cwt vehicles around with the "Gin Palace" or "House type" bodies on them as I fear a lot will have been removed post ruddington auctions etc and used for chicken sheds and the like as I remember an old school scrap yard many moons ago near where I live that had one as a brew cabin which was lost when the yard was closed and cleared .

My 1942 Guy Ant has a House Body on it which is a different variant of the one seen on the Wot2's in the pics as it is the standard wood frame with hard board to the interior and tin sheet to the exterior with a canvas oversheet to the roof but mine has all the fixtures and fittings for use with the ws19's - It has a window over the top of the soft cab and spare wheel mount to the roof as well as the fold down map table on one side and the tube carrying rack to the other . I do fear that these trucks are fairly rare in there own rights and I have been told mine may be the only surviving Guy Ant with a wireless body on it - There was another , a tin top , but I have been led to believe it now sports a g.s body on its' back ? Unless someone can tell me different ?

Cheers

that was taken at Winkleigh in the mid 80's, I did read somewhere that it had moved on, and when it was moved, the chassis broke.

 

I would like to think it will be/was restored, would be a great addition to the circiut!!!

 

Mark

Interestingly enough , quite recently I advertised in the wanted section of this forum asking for a Commer Beetle - Obviously I didn't get too many replies nor offers of Trucks unfortunately but a chap did respond telling me that he knew where the one in the Photo was but he would not tell me his name or indicate where he lived but did say that either the chassis had been repaired or a new chassis had been made for this one and progress was being made .

Needless to say I would still love to see one in the flesh and would still love to acquire one eventually no matter how rough it started out to add to my collection of early British ww2 15cwt trucks - Any leads please give me a shout:coffee:

Guy Ant. Excruitiatingly slooooooowwwww......

That I will give you but weren't most things British !!!! , except the Bedfords of course as they had things a little better sorted than most

The main thing going for the Guy Ant's was that they were rugged , reliable and would go most places and didn't suffer from fractured manifolds like other ww2 creatures but they just took a little time to get there!!!!

Cheers:coffee:

Welcome aboard mate from the Yorkshire Dales , Perhaps we'll see ya at Cark Airfield July next year for the Cumbria Steam do ??

Cheers:coffee:

Glynn, have you tried the Tank Museum ? They have a lot of ex-Chilwell duplicate contract cards, including softskins.

 

They don't have everything and the amount of information varies but is generally more complete for early war contracts. I have seen early cards with chassis number info on.

 

Rob van Meel's reprinted Chilwell list indicates that V.3733 commenced at MW1001-on but there only seem to have been 3500 census numbers issued.

 

Whether the census numbers / chassis numbers were 'married' is likely to be difficult to prove. My experience with the 1940 motorcycle contract that I've looked at in detail is that they tried but didn't always succeed.

 

The ideal would be to gain access to the Key Cards with the RLC because in addition to post-war registrations, they should show chassis number and the census number from which it was converted. Many of these numbers will be later-war rebuilt numbers in the Z1600000 - Z1699999 range but if the motorcycle practice is similar then about 15 % could have survived the war with original number and provide at least a basis for assessing any links.

Many Thanks - Haven't tried the Tank Museum yet but have done a lot of research over the years with various census numbers etc .

A lot of the chassis numbers seem to have married to the Census numbers in the main and most of my vehicle collection have there correct census numbers etc - The Bedford because of the larger numbers made is proving to be more of a challenge - My Guy Ants have been somewhat easier especially my wireless truck as one of the doors and bonnet panels still had the original numbers on them from many moons ago .

Both of my CS8 Morrises still need checking so will see what these turn up - My 1940 Morris is proving to be a bit of a nightmare as the contract number T8955 seperate listings for G.S. or Office , Compressor , wireless and as yet I cannot locate any corresponding chassis numbers for them :coffee:

cheers

Hi Guys,

 

Many many thanks for the posts,iv'e got an advert running on wilwebb under wants and av put the word out but so far nothing.

I don't know anyone so far who's got one!! may the search continue.

 

HAPPYDAYZ

 

cheers stu

 

ps i would also like to own a morris CDSW or a morris Quad with the no5 body if there out there.Well in mi dreams

Hi and welcome from the Dales , Yorkshire Dales that is!

On the front of the Fordson WOT2 There was a guy at W&P @ Beltring this year who was advertising one for sale - It needed some work and he wanted £2.5k for it - I have seen some of the Morris Quads with No.5 Body turn up from time to time but the CDSW'S lIKE THE CS8'S are a different story - There have been a few 4x4 Morris c8's advertised lately and quite nice too!

Good luck with the search!:coffee:

Does anyone have any production information on Early Bedford MWD's built under Army Contract number V3733 - I believe 3499 15cwt 4x2 were made under this contract number from 1939 to 1940 but could do with knowing what the starting chassis number of the contract is and the end contract number if anyone has any production information .

My Bedford MWD has the chassis number of MWD12170 and was built mid 1940 - I am trying to trace the correct census number for my truck and know it is in the range of Z4173216 TO Z4176715

CHEERS:coffee:

Not quite at Blackpool but across the bay at Southport this photo was taken a couple of years ago. The contraption is used for fishing.

Any ideas what is underneath the body?????

Definitely a Morris back axle and 20 inch wheels - It is only short in stature so would presume it was based on a 15cwt Morris c8 4x4 .

Definitely a 4x4 also as you can see a front diff and the steering arm is in front of the axle (they were behind the axle beam on the c4 and cs8 4x2 models).

Similar vehicles were also seen on the front at Blackpool - If I can find the pictures I have I will post them up - These were easier to name as some still had the radiator and bonnets on with the tell tale "Morris Worlds" Rad badge - Bodywork was wooden - a simple platform affair and they were there like the old Nuffield and Fordson tractors for many years through the seventies and eighties until they simply rotted away!!

I have one as part of my collection - think they are great - used to take mine all over the place - Mine's a 1939 km20 deluxe with panniers but it is currently defunct due to a defective clutch!

Some web links:

 

Guy Ant Radio (ex Eddie Smith, I seem to remember): http://www.military39-45.freeuk.com/update03/pres005.htm

 

Another Radio bodied Ant: http://www.armyvehicles.dk/guyant.htm

 

Quad-Ant: http://www.armyvehicles.dk/guyquadant.htm

Many Thanks - The first pictures are of my own Wireless truck taken at a show here in the North West many moons ago

Here is a Guy Ant that was at W&P this year. According to the information sheets it was fitted with a full cab as it was originally destined for Norway ( I think ), and was originally fitted with a Wireless body

Many thanks Richard - Must have missed this one at w&p this year - I wonder if this is the sister ship to my own Guy Ant Wireless truck as that was a tin top whereas mine is the soft top version - Tell tale sign of a Guy wireless truck is the peaked bonnet - G.S versions etc were flat .

If it is the one I knew of , it was sold on e-bay about a year or so ago as a partly dismantled project - Many thanks for the photo Rgds Glynn

Guy was bought by Jaguar, so there may be stuff in their archives: http://www.jdht.com/html/Trust/services/archives.html

 

I think it then went to British Leyland, so you could try the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon: http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/

 

At one time Pete Gaine had various Guy bits. I'd be very surprised if he still has them - from memory he was going to scrap them unless someone took them away. He may remember where they went though.

Many Thanks for your reply - Jaguar did have some bits and pieces on the Generalised History of Guy Motors , but unfortunately they never have much for any Military types produced during the last war and Gaydon doesn't really have anything - They are both always worth a try when researching any vehicles History although Gaydon mailnly deals with cars and car based commercials . I did manage to research the History of my Guy Ant wireless truck but have never really managed to get any good material about the earlier Guy Ants especially the Aeroscreen types .

I did know about the Guy bits that Pete Gaine had thanks , but they were unfortunately mainly for the Quad Ants which although some components are the same , the bits pete had were for the 4x4 with larger wheels and different axles . To which end I think these will have been weighed in long ago now But please keep mentioning these bits and bobs as you never know we may eventually strike gold as they are such an odd ball vehicle with there cable brakes and Meadows engine etc - Speaking of which does anyone on here own the G.S. Variant restored a few years ago on the isle of wight ??

I am on the look out for as much information as possible about the early guy ant 15cwts - any production data for all guy ants would be useful .

I could do with as many pictures as possible of the early ant g.s. 15cwt variants or indeed factory drawings or copies of , if they are available . Any information would be greatly appreciated .

Also could do with a few key parts (early rear cab panel , aeroscreen bases , bakelite hand throttle control knob etc) or leads onto possible donor vehicles / parts - again pictures would be good !!

Also interested in any data / paperwork for the Guy Ant Production figures with chassis numbers , census numbers and order numbers - Any to do with Guy Ants really!!

Cheers

Not sure but it looks awfully similar to a jack that was one of a pair clamped onto the front of a rare jimmy that had a crane boom on it - This was at Beltring 2 years ago - more a sort of stabiliser leg than a jack??

I sold mine to JC Militaria. He is so expensive to buy from, he may well still have it!

Mike.:shake:

Hi Mike - How long ago was that ? - Was it complete with the box etc as they had one early in the year but it went straight away !

Cheers rgds Glynn

You can make a pretty good replica from drain pipe. The addition of hairspray and tennis balls can give a range of about 50 yards. :cool2:

Cheers Tony !! - I tried that method but the drainpipe kept breaking!! was I supposed to put the whole can in each time!!?:cool2:

Are you the chap who had a garage in Grassington? He had a WC 52 recovery truck.

Best regards,

Richard.

Hi Richard ,

Sorry that is not me I am afraid - You are thinking of a chap called Geoff Hargreaves and the wc52 ended up as a fully restored 3/4ton canadian apt version and very nice too!

It was used for lime spreading and a breakdown truck in the dales before being restored .

The garage is now closed as with a lot of village garages these days and Geoff has retired - He sold his early Leyland Retriever but still has a jeep , the dodge and an Albion By3 I think - Haven't spoken to him for a little while though

Has anyone seen or know the whereabouts of a ww2 British 3 inch Mortar?