Tony Lawrence

Apologies for the last two photos - they refused to be deleted!!!!!

At long last I have been able to process the negatives of my mortar trailer as when I got it in may 1986. As you can see (compared with my previous photos of my first attempt at restoration) the woodwork appears to differ somewhat from the illustrations in the manuals. The major difference is the uneven sizing of the floor panels and the strakes around the top. The tow hitch still remains a mystery and does not compare at all with any modern Bradley hitch ( as suggested previously). The lifting handles are definitely original. Over to you for further observations

I do not know the exact year of manufacture except it must have been wartime to be part of contract 23/4302

Good try, John, except for the fact that my plate is steel and the lettering is litho printed in reverse i.e. the lettering is bare metal and the surround would have been black as are the areas where the chassis, WD and trailer no. are stamped. Your illustration is all stamped into the brass sheet (post-war?). the electrical repair is interesting as it means that there may have been different references depending on GS No. 2 and Mortar.

Morning Tony,

 

Thats a good constructive thing to do. I've put mine next to it and I can confirm only some of the wording.

 

Top Line - Only a dash between "10" and "CWT" to add. Otherwise same lettering

 

Second line - I have a rusted out hole at the beginning so I can't see the vacant square shown as white.I think there is the number "2" on a plain background however underneath the "L" of trailer in the top line.I can't see "OEC" too clearly , otherwise in agreement with you.

 

Third Line - Same as you but I think that the word "number" is written in full.

 

Hi David, I will add a dash on the first line. On the second line the white square is natural metal with a stamped '2' in it. The third line on my plate does have No. instead of 'number' for both chassis no. and WD no.

There should be enough detail photos of my trailer as it is at the moment - as you can see it is certainly in need of some TLC. next step, wood off and to the sandblaster

 

David, this is what I think the plate should look like based on what I have gleaned from various sources. It needs tweaking with regard to spacings but the dimensions are the same as my damaged plate. I did a similar thing for my lightweight trailer based on information provided to me by Richard Farrant and Rob van Meel. I get the design printed onto vinyl and lay it over brass plate and then stamp numbers and letters where appropriate. they look very good and are long lasting (at least two years so far). I know it is not the steel used by OE but it is practical unless someone knows a source of steel plate of similar thickness.The only thing I do not know is if the mortar trailers were differentiated on the data plate - mine has a large rust hole in exactly that place

OK Tony - I may stand to be corrected. I associate the lifting handle brackets mounted on the draw bar as being the typical of the No 1 trailer. This is the case with the Reynolds and SS made No1s for example but they have rounded mudguards which I also believed to be the shape of all No1 models regardless of manufacturer.

 

If you have the census number or contract number of your Orme Evans still legible on the data plate, I should be able to tell if it was constructed as a No1 or No2 trailer and whether therefore, by inference the brackets welded to the drawbar are original. Our Orme Evans (with angled mudguards and lifting arms integral with the tow hitch ) was made under contract S4302 a mixed contract for almost 2000 No2 GS and Mortar trailers numbered X5421421 - X5423417 .

David.

 

David, After staring at my damaged data plate for ages in varying light I think that I can make out a '2' at the end of where the contract no. should be...therefore it reads 23.........2 which should no doubt be contract 23/4302. This was printed on the plate, not stamped as with my lightweight trailer thus probably meaning that the GS 2 and mortar trailers were made for each contract and were not randomly added to contracts.

Another thought - all these years I have assumed that my trailer was a mortar trailer but I suppose it could also have been a trailer, 10-CWT., 2-Wheeled, G.S., No.2 which, according to the ID list for these trailers was identical except for the interior fittings. Would the census number identify this? I do not know if this also applies to the tyre size as my trailer definitely has (and had) the larger tyres fitted to the 6 stud wheel rim. This is becoming worrying - am I turning into an anorak?

so if I need a replacement towing hitch no doubt he will let me have his spare at a very reasonable price!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Evening Anthony,

The one on Ebay recently was for £299............so "very reasonable" would be £250. Ok?

 

If we drag the trailer out of your shed next month, I'll take some clear photos for this thread. We can then have a close look at the welding of the handles and whether the Bradley hitch body fits the orignal holes in the chassis or whether there are other signs of the conversion.

 

Also, you didn't answer the earlier question about what state your body was in. Think we should know.

 

John,

To answer you last question first, my body is fairly rotund (as you know) but the trailer is rather tatty. I will be pulling it (the trailer) out this weekend and taking several photos to show relevant features (again, the trailer) and hopefully I will have a set of photos in about 10 days from the negatives I took when I first got the trailer in 1986. There are about 12 so they should be a fairly comprehensive selection. I seem to remember that my original timber was t&g but as it differed from other timber sections shown in photos in this forum (such as the top strakes running around the sides) I do not know how original it was. Another thought regarding the towing handles and the census number sequencing.....what if my trailer was an early production but not released to the war office until later (when it would have received it's number). I am still hoping somebody has a mortar trailer plate. I am trying to replicate one but I do not know how correct it is.

I'm glad that you have identified the hitch Carleton,it's a new one on me.

 

Tony - your trailer is definitely from the same contract as ours which would place it quite late on.1944/45 at least.Looking again at your picture of the drawbar,the welded-on brackets do look different to the No1 trailer and I would think that they are a modification,probably contemporary to the fitting of your tow hitch. If you wanted to be correct,they should come off and an (expensive) cast hitch fitted of the type which we spent ages to find ,see early on in this thread. Have a word with John Corden or Ian Litchfield who may have spares.

David.

 

David, I would be surprised if the tow handles were a later modification - they certainly appear original. However, this has got me into the mood for restoring the trailer again and so I am after a few pieces of information: has anybody got a photo of a mortar trailer data plate............I have one for a GS trailer and a lightweight airborne trailer but my mortar trailer plate is too damaged to make out all the lettering? Also, I asked before, does anybody know what the three downward projections from the rear of the chassis are for? Some of the blame for getting me started on this must lay at the door of John Corden so if I need a replacement towing hitch no doubt he will let me have his spare at a very reasonable price!!!!!!!!!!!

The chassis no. is SOE 7175 and the WD no. is X5422735. I have found negatives to all my pre-restoration photo that were water damaged - I now have to get them turned into prints & hopefully I can sort out some post 'restoration ' photos over the weekend

Mudguards are angled, body is typically mortar trailer with forward facing drop side. Even the badly rusted data plate says that it is a mortar trailer (OE... Orme Evans) - I will try and sort out some old photos soon. My originals of the condition when I found it are severely water damaged unfortunately

I found my mortar trailer in 1986 and quickly established that there was not much information around at the time and that most people did not know what it was. I restored it to running condition around that time but it is now the next project after my Norton 16H. there appears to be more information available now, especially regarding the types of wood used and the construction. I could only base my restoration on what I was replacing and that has proved wrong judging by the current information to hand. My towing eye is also a mystery - it has the larger ring (as for 15cwt trucks) but a strange housing. The hand grips are welded to the chassis bar which suggests an earlier towing mechanism. Also what purpose do the three metal projections under the rear of the trailer serve? they appear to be original and not later additions. The photos are not the best as the trailer is buried in my garage at the moment but I will try and find some others that I have taken over the years. I have taken the trailer to many events over the years, (Normandy, W&P, Pas de Calais Libere, etc) so you may well have seen it around - if so, nobody has ever pointed out any errors in my 'rebuild'!!was. I restored it to running condition around that time but it is now the next project after my Norton 16H. there appears to be more information available now, especially regarding the types of wood used and the construction. I could only base my restoration on what I was replacing and that has proved wrong judging by the current information to hand. My towing eye is also a mystery - it has the larger ring (as for 15cwt trucks) but a strange housing. The hand grips are welded to the chassis bar which suggests an earlier towing mechanism. Also what purpose do the three metal projections under the rear of the trailer serve? they appear to be original and not later additions. The photos are not the best as the trailer is buried in my garage at the moment but I will try and find some others that I have taken over the years. I have taken the trailer to many events over the years, (Normandy, W&P, Pas de Calais Libere, etc) so you may well have seen it around - if so, nobody has ever pointed out any errors in my 'rebuild'!!

I trust a risk assessment has been carried out on the tree?

During the war they were issued to the Royal Marines and used by the members of 30 Assault Unit (Ian Flemings unit) and so presumably were issued after the war as well - this link to a modelling website has references

 

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/thread/1349605057/RN+C15TA

John, your garage is far too civilised

 

The whole garage is spotless but it is the nearly empty bottle of Talisker that is worrying - it was full last time i saw it.

Well done John, a superb restoration.

Happy Christmas and a Murex New Year!!

Admit it: you're just trying to collect the full set!

 

Seriously, very well done and I admire your skill and determination. The Electrical Repair Trailer rebuild was a work of Craft (not just Art).

 

Chris.

 

The expression 'anorak' springs to mind but then some of us have had to live with the week by week story of these trailers. Luckily he has a very understanding wife and family!!

Hi there,

My second go as the first seems to have disappeared into the ether!!

Having trawled around this site for a few years I thought that it was about time I signed up.

I have had a jeep for over thirty years, a Norton 16H for some fifteen years plus an airborne trailer and a 4.2" mortar trailer (not forgetting the BSA airborne bicycle). I am a little involved with the IMPS and War & Peace as well as trying to earn an honest crust from my shop, Dorking Models. A classic case of small inexpensive green machines leading onto the full size money guzzling article.:beer::beer:

I would suggest that the trailer itself was not 'Mickey Mouse' pattern camo as it would have been a lot of effort for very little practical result, whereas a canvas cover has a lot more visible surface area and so would benefit from such a pattern. However there is bound to be an exception to the rule so go with what you want - no doubt this can be discussed further over a beer!

My condolences to his family and the committeeand members of the MVT from the IMPS Board and members.

I well remember his help in the early days of my owning a jeepin getting insurance sorted out as well as his support with our early shows. Hesponsored the AC Miles trophy for Best Artillery and I still have an aerialphoto of a show from the mid-1990’s that he gave me as a souvenir/thank-you forallowing him to be there – it should have been the other way round as in thosedays we needed all the support that we could get.

I think that I can say without disagreement that our hobby wouldnot have progressed over the years without his enthusiastic input and as Imentioned earlier, his help in establishing an insurance regime that was theforerunner of all the various schemes now in existence was one of the rocksupon which our hobby has grown. Somebody who was sympathetic to our ‘peculiar’vehicles was essential and Alan was that person.

He will be missed.

Tony Lawrence

(IMPS Chairman)