Tony Lawrence

Dare I say I'm taking a jeep? Admittedly a genuine ex-airborne one and the folding BSA bicycle but I promise to hide in the background.

It is a 10 cwt 4.2" mortar trailer with the tow hook mounted upside down but interestingly it is the variety with the combination of both opening headboard and tail gate that only seem to appear with the box type tow ring housing. I would be interested in purchasing this, having restored an Orme Evans version last year as seen in the 10cwt trailer thread). Judging by the photos a lot of the bits and bobs appear to still be present but the timber would have to be replaced (not cheap using ash)

I had a boxed canvas made for my mortar trailer by Worthings some 25 years ago. The sides are too shallow compared with the drawings in the manual but back then I had nothing to go on. It can be seen in the background of my previous Brockhouse trailer photos. The lightweight trailers had a sheet canvas cover folded at the corners.

Here is the advert

The chassis looks very similar to a pre-war Brockhouse 5 cwt trailer I have. They came in three sizes, mine has spoked wheels but the same split chassis bar. I believe the idea was to have a piece of wood inbetween the chassis bar sides to help reinforce the floor. I have seen a pre-war advertising leaflet for these as well

The wood is ash - the data plate on the chassis member behind the lifting arms is the only way of confirming an ID. Much further back in the thread are WD number ideas but if you do not have a manufacturer then it is pot luck. Post some photos of your trailer - it may offer some clues.

Hi David, My plate has rotted out in the same place but going by other plates (from different trailers) I have seen, the number 2 has been used rather than the Roman numerals ll. This is logical as it is simpler and easier to use one stamp instead of two. I would be interested in one of your plates so please keep me posted. Tony

According to the Daily Torygraph the St. Albans collection contained a British flag, uniforms, helmets as well as a Lee Enfield rifle and a machine gun and according to their excited reporter all were destroyed in a controlled explosion. I have yet to see an unexploded British flag or uniform!! So much for responsible reporting.

Oh dear!! I feel a new subject for Wednesday pub nights is going to hit us. seriously, why not ask James G. who has done it previously.?

the drawer bar up to the dolly wheel is from a GS Mk1 trailer (i.e. lightweight) with the early tow hook mechanism and grab handles on the drawer bar. the dolly wheel has taken the place of the front stand. The rest could be the remains of a Murex welding trailer which could have had the same type of drawer bar. Look on the Trailer forum for John Corden's restoration. Whatever it is it has been severely messed about with. Have you found a data plate on the L/H side of the drawer bar between the grab handle and dolly wheel?

No doubt of interest Saumurs Panther at Mont Ormel

I remember the diving frog painted on the side of his truck in Normandy (1989?) after a disagreement with a French car. RIP

The costs of bringing any vehicle from Saumur would be immense - ferries alone would run into four figures plus road transport costs, etc. - they are not a voluntary organisation. Many years ago at Beltring we got Bovington to bring up the WWl mark V tank. The costs nearly bankrupted us and it didn't increase the footfall at all as far as we could tell. As far as I know there are three main Axis vehicle collections, SdKfz Foundation, Kevin Wheatcroft and Bruce Crompton. All have exhibited vehicles in the past but I believe there have been some disagreements between Rex and the first two and Bruce was there this year but promoting his TV career and the new Fury film with the two tank 'close up' models. If you studied the crowds by the arena, the main attraction was the battles (or anything that went 'bang') followed by the armour (any armour). Before we introduced battles to the arena events the armour was the main attraction for the public. Note I said public, not enthusiasts. The public want anything that is big or different but would not care what it was and it is the public in the end who pay for the show for us enthusiasts to enjoy.

Having read through this thread, there are some valid points raised that hopefully may be addressed in the future as well as some ridiculous ones. What people must realise is that it took the IMPS (and later Rex) some twenty years at the Hop Farm to bring the show to the level it was when it was then transferred to Folkestone. The early shows had an arena by the road (opposite the Bluebell pub) and the whole show fitted into what was eventually the stall area of the last shows. It gradually got bigger over the years but it was after 1995 that it grew dramatically. Every year we had complaints and whinges (too big, toilets, arena, etc - just as now) and every year we had problems trying to entice people to take part in arena displays instead of just driving their vehicles around the site as well as behaving in a responsible way. It seems to me that very little has changed. It must be remembered that the show has a dynamic of its own and it hopefully will evolve to suit most people. I can remember many complaints that the Hop Farm site was too big (as mentioned before, the original show was on the site of the final stall area) but we kept on finding further fields to accommodate the increasing entries i.e. the show site expanded to fit in all the people who wished to exhibit and also that the banks erected by Brent Pollard (then the owner of the Hop Farm) were too steep, too high or cut off the arena from the rest of the show. There were complaints when we had dust or the fields were too muddy, catering was too expensive, etc, etc. In other words, nothing changes. Rex cannot win but let us support his efforts after only two years at Folkestone. You can help by making sure you get involved with the show, don't just sit around drinking beer with your mates but enter the appropriate arena events to show off your 'green baby' or make sure your display is people friendly so that the public can hopefully understand your hobby. In a previous reply somebody mentioned that only three vehicles took part in the D-day vehicle arena event. True, so we had to commentate on all the D-day vehicles stuck behind the bus on the road through the arena. That gave us quite a variety but why could they not have entered the event instead of just driving around the showground? Let us hope that next year some of the sensible issues raised will be addressed and everybody will have a good time.

Three years ago - the bride is driving the front jeep!!

Having never heard of Templewood it is possible that the unique tow hitch was their design. The ID plate on the trailer in my photos is in the same position as Adrian's (and also Sean's) so it may be that their version of the GS trailer is this style. Therefore it may be a GS trailer, not a Mortar trailer. Also apologies for the upside down photos - I can only blame the fact that it was Monday morning!!

When She Who Must Be Obeyed was sorting through old photos so that she could chuck out a lot she came across these photos that I must have taken at a rally sometime in the late 1990's. I obviously took them as I assumed they were of a mortar trailer but in the light of this thread it is obvious that they are of one of the mystery trailers owned by Sean and Adrian with mortar trailer type mudguards, rare tow hitch and rear opening tail gate. Obviously not a lash up so who made them and when? Also what was their designation - answers on a postcard...

Many thanks - it was spluttering all the way down but after a rest at the seaside it started and ran home smoothly. It was probably muck in the fuel (hopefully!!)

The census number appears on each side at the front...3" high letter/numbers and a T plate attached to the rear right hand side (viewed from the rear). I have never seen any photos of other markings. Let's face it, although they are objects of our admiration they were just a trailer to transport mortars or ammunition and probably not worthy of any further claims of ownership.

Chassis looks good - did you have to do much remedial work once you had got all the rubbish body off?

Probably shrinkage - I gave my timber dimensions many posts ago and the consensus was that ash was used, not oak but who would be able to tell after it is painted!!

I fitted a convoy plate on my mortar trailer but only because I had a spare one. As there were apparently no electrics fitted I don't know if this would be correct.

Why, oh why does something have to come along and b******* up all our nice pre-conceived notions! Like Sean's trailer this appears to be a mortar trailer (mudguards, etc.) but with a rear drop down board and not the front drop down board as on a text book mortar trailer. Also it does not appear to be a bodge up but a professionally produced piece of kit. Were these converted after the war on a mortar trailer chassis by one company, possibly the one who produced the square type trailer hitch? This should keep us anoraks happy for some time. Regarding raves, somebody used the term in an earlier post and sheep-like, I followed. I mean the metal uprights welded to the chassis, whatever their name is.

Interesting that your mudguard brackets are welded to the raves. Mine were bolted to both the raves and mudguards and certainly no sign that they were ever welded.