rupert condick

Hi Peter, I went for alloy pistons which I had made, and one cylinder resleeved. I can Guess your Austin was one of a batch ch.no.'s 26151-26200, registered Jan-Apr. 1942, London. regs Rupert.

hi out of intrest I had a look at this,in Bart Vanderveen's book, all i found was Q2 30cwt. wheel base 10'00" RAF Q2 15 cwt wheel base 10'00" as van 10.50x16 tyers Tractor units is the term also applied to actiulated units, so the picture at the top of the page is a tractor unit seen load/unloading a tractor unit. nice picture on page 160 of the book. RAF Q2 Tractor wheel base 8'00" 10.50x 16 tyers (10.50x20 ealier). servo assited brakes.. used with "Queen Mary"(tasker tailer) you just have to check the wheel base regs

So for the 502 MAC , M.E. which appears to have been HQ based, I have the following, Formation / unit signs. Formation /Unit. 16 Area H.Q.1941, Formation/ Unit 16 Area H.Q. c1942-1944 Unit and Formation 16 Area H.Q. c1944 unit sign H.Q. bar \, c 1944. Found this for M.E. March 1944. although the hand sign is not mentioned here, But in the text, a suitable sign to indicate that the vehicle is right hand drive and is not fitted with trafficators is provided for in M.E.G.O. 115 of 4 febuary 1944. The sgin is quite faded here. on this 502 MAC Austin K2Y. as the old ambo at home left the M.E. in 1942, there will not be a unit sign on the offside front wing, it maybe however the WD no. M.E..

Hi hes a pic for you, 502 MAC(Austin K2y, 1941 model contract A1445) c1942 there was also a 17 area, but i do not have a picture. 16 HQ area and 17 area operated from 1941-1944.

Hi found those notes, not much I know,

Hi there well done, I tried(ing) with the stepsister convoy (suez to Singapore/Australia)the same sort of thing, but the dates are very hard to confirm, I think a lot of information was written a little after the event. An extension of trying to trace the old ambo's history, I have some medical RAMC, (Rob All My Comrads as dad would say). movements I will try to find. this is may help but I am sure its posted elsewhere.and is common knowledge and Australian,but its all I have. regs

Hi Alan, Well you have to bite the bullet here, I have some chassis number searches in with them, and I am still waiting for a results more than a year now. so if they have the information, its a bit of luck. just look at it as a few schooners, I have spent a lot of money(thousands pounds) and I am no further forward, with our ambos research although I think I have become a bit obsessive. the truth is out there.(so I still believe). regs Rupert

Hi Alan more info, regs Rupert

hi Richard , quite right just some old info i picked up, I had the correct dates.which I will put in my files. I agree with your dates, regs Rupert

Hi Alan, You can do a chassis no search on the Royal Logistics Corps web site, that may bring something up I will look though what I have(very little), what I found Humber utility 4x4 contract date 1940,(should be 1942) WD no. (maybe) M4380025. Also for that engine number, Humber 4x4 imported from Japan to New Zealand, Waikato district 1988. If it has an 1949 ERM plate then you will have better luck., Example. the words Ministry of Supply at the top WD no, 51 RC 72 chassis no. 20778 regs Rupert

Hi Alan great pictures Regs rupert

Hi that is a very picture 21 AG Canadian? I have found that the contract numbers are missing for the Very small number of Vehicles I have looked at for this unit.Some captured. From what I have found out about Census numbers. This is just my understanding of it without going too deep. These are numbers issued with contracts By the Ministry of supply (MoS). To keep track of vehicles issued to government services, and in the main form the vehicles asset (registration) number. I recommend that anyone looking into these buy Rob van Meel’s book’s,(2), “Allocation by Central Census of W.D. numbers” These books list the MoS numbers from 1-L6277385. I also found. Contract A.2939? A6279538 AUSTIN K2Y AMBULANCE chassis no.incorrect. (76 RD 86) Contract 6/VEH/238 M6279622,(1948) WOLSELEY AX4 CT. M6279633, (1948). ( 32 YF 69 - 32 YF 80) 1950 The highest number I have found was, this would have been contract S.3165 but the contract was cut short. The Ambulances being diverted to the RAF and Royal Navy contracts. RN8696161. AUSTIN K2Y AMBULANCE. These numbers continued on up to 1949. These were issued to the 4 government departments, Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air force, Civil Defence (to include Govt.) Example.(simplified). For a lorry. WD Type. L62576, Army, RN6256* Royal Navy, RAF6256 Royal Air Force, RMX 123** Civil Defence/Govt. RMX 123,(MoS/CD/62576 painted under bonnet or located elsewhere). **This can apply to any of the above services. *Sometimes as Suffix. then theres the odd ones. This Civilianised 1942 Model Austin K2y could be from Contract A.1445, or maybe under a special contract. Picture is dated 1944, London Registration(1942) and taxed. Colour Gloss Grey. I did Find a lot of Austin K2Y's after their 12 month warranty was out, were given civilian registrations for D-Day for the Red Cross, Although some kept their WD number, all a bit messy. The RAF used a lot of civilian registration numbers.. ERM’s came in 1949. I have seen a Royal Navy lorry still with its ----RN census no. In 1953,(located in the post war position). So there must be a phase in/out period. Examples, of ERM’s.(the number's are made up,Examples) 00 BB 01, Army. 00 RN 01, Royal Navy. 00 AA 01, Royal Air force. RMX 123, MoS/Civil Defence (all services). Although the MoS/Govt tended to use Middlesex Registration Numbers. I have found civilian numbers used i.e. Shown as ERM on the data plate. Rebuilt and overseas service, change of Service Arm, can mess things up a bit. Handed out for Civilian use (registration) Useful contacts. Also on the RLC web site. Also Merlin Archive, for the newer Vehicles (very few old ones). Free PDF.(big file long download). Kithead trust for the Civil numbers, free for email questions. Ten pounds for a paper copy. Australian War Memorial, “What’s my ARN?” Free PDF. (27 volumes.) Covers some British ERM’s, and WD numbers, that came to Australia though wartime and on. So if you have an old MV, the civil registration that is on it, maybe its service number. Be carful when rubbing down. Regs Rupert

Hi Wally When i mentioned, just some records, I meant they are not complete, I maybe a bit hard here as I rely on digital copies. So not compleate, not yet digitised? and some searches will not produce any results. But they can be used to back up information you may already have. i should add they are hand written and not always accurate, and should not be the sole bases of ones research. and I do appreciate that they were saved.

HI All the key cards are 35 pounds now ouch! and 10 pounds for a chases no search. the RLC team are helpful. But is just some records. regs Rup

Hi Alan, If you are lucky and the box came over post war it may have an MoS id plate fitted somewhere, for aussie records they use the engine number, but this as you would appreciate can be a long shot. the axle sounds a bit serious.is the wheel off in the picture? I have to ask do you have any Austin Truck parts about, i am looking for some bonnet side covers. 8 louvers. regs Rupert

Hi I am just adding, this as i cannot find the link I want, This I believe is a TAC sign as its on the side of the Austin. what does it mean? regs Rupert

Hi Alan did you get my message? as my screen when blank. regs Rupert

Hi Alan that is an interesting vehicle, do you have any better pictures? I am looking at refugee cargo chasing the history of our Austin Ambo, and other's, So any British Army stuff (WW2 Korea) that turns up over here, I am a bit interested, Queensland being one of the places of interest. regs rupert

Hi This page has come along, I can see some good work ha been done, I am trying to identify these markings, there is a white diagonal running from lower left to top right. I have not seen this except for a REME markings earlier in the post. this marking appear on Austin K2Y ambulances in c1941 but where? Middle or Far east. the 7 is a positive the / runs over a 0 so looks 7/1 but is 7/0. and a standard layout.for a MAC 502 ambulance. which I now know that the white bar \ is for HQ unit I am warming to the mark being 27/2 or 27/12. found this what does it mean? regs rupert

Hi all Heres some pics, Fordsons regs rupert

Hi, Heres the Austin type, Has the MOD part no, regs Rupert

Hi there I have just being looking at these, Austin Part numbers, and MT part numbers. 1st type Oil can, 2H 3442, MT1/22355, Wesco. Holder, 2H 3485, MT1/43989, 2nd type Oil can, 2H 3884, MT1/10128, Holder, 2H 3885, MT1/27026, 3rd type Oil can, 2H 3884, MT1/10128, Holder, 2H 3885, MT1/27026, same part numbers but different holder's , Holder is broken, but on dash by throttle linkage. regs Rupert

Have a sunny picture, 1941 Austin K2y ex ME. regs Rupert

Hi Geraint, I can see a jeep, I would be guessing anything else. Austin K2ys are my area,in the main. "The observer's Fighting Vehicles Directory, World war II by Bart H. Vanderveen" is the book to look for, Have you tried RAF Cosford, they have a web site. and a vehicle page. regs Rupert

Hi Geraint, the Ambulance is an Austin K2Y, 4 stretcher, Heavy Ambulance 4x2 chassis no. 40494, WD contract A2939, WD no. A1212---, Impressed no.RAF161553, post 1949, 00 AA 89. date late 1942. regs Rupert