Sean N

Ruxy, not really sure what you're saying here and subsequently - there doesn't seem to be any reason this wouldn't be possible, as your examples seem to confirm? Assuming a late 1984 DIS and 1990s or 2000s disposal (subsequently confirmed by the Merlin report) and a form 654, normal DVLA practice would have been to assign a B registration reflecting the vehicle's correct age. Clive, the current (-ish) MoD acronyms and abbreviations document has no A/C listing, even for aircraft, but does have multiple AC listings including Accounting Code. I'm inclined to agree with Richard that it's an administrative rather than hardware acronym.

Leyland Martian back end outside W H Orchard metal recyclers on the minor road from Doublebois / Dobwalls to Minions, near Liskeard, Cornwall. It's been there a while as it shows on Streetview images given as August 2022. Looks like a complete back end cut off behind the cab - maybe a source of spares?

Yes, they are indicators

Gary, no photos, but we bought some of the last J type ambulances from the MoD, and I've worked on a number of others. In my experience they were generally similar to your second photo above, all white with body colour front bumper, radiator grille, wheels, hubcaps and indicator shells, red crosses between the two side windows and large red crosses on the lower half of each rear door, and in one or two instances (but not all) a large red cross on the roof. One RN ambulance was navy dark blue (BS) as 10FM68's second photo. Chassis, engine etc. were black. Mirror arms black or body colour. 'BEDFORD' lettering and headlamp surrounds chrome. Door shuts and panels and metal surfaces in the cab were body colour. Interior surfaces were typically in white or cream formica / plastic / grp trim panels. Black rubber mat on the cab floor. It's a while ago now but I seem to remember one vehicle with 'Army Medical Services' on the sides as your photo, others carrying no identification, and RN vehicles carrying 'RN' on the side in black for white vehicles or white for blue vehicles. Tyre pressures and fuel type (petrol) in black lettering on white vehicles or white for blue vehicles. Obviously the caveat is I saw them at the end of a long service life during which they may have changed. Having said that all were very original and I don't recall any having been repainted. Your third photo is the heavier duty J2 chassis, while 10FM68's are 1950s A / D types. Clive has some good articles about vehicle paint here:

2WD to 4WD should be clutch down and pull the lever back / up while stationary or at low speed. If you're already in 4WD low, clutch down and shift the ratio lever to high. Daft question maybe, but you are disengaging the clutch, as you don't mention doing so? Otherwise I have come across MKs / MJs that have not been used in a while with stuck shift linkages as John suggests - you should be able to check the linkage through easily as it's all fairly exposed and easy to disconnect.

Richard, Rob, these are the RL arms; as Rob says, the MK ones do have the semicircular spring loaded adjustment at the top. I think similar arms were also fitted to TK and TL. As I recall, the RL arms were themselves a mod, though, the original RL mirror arm being a small stubby thing on the A post. I think the modified arms are Wingard or some such? They are easy to make (or repair), or there are similar arms available off the shelf from truck spares suppliers, not sure about size though. The MK arms at least are still about as military surplus.

Mike, it's a Bedford R type, as you say a 3 tonner

Poor photo so difficult to tell, but could be a Willowbrook or Strachans bodied Bedford VAS?

Clive, I was at those end of the line sales - there were several as I recall, not only that one - and as Wally says the catalogues weren't that special inside. My copies are buried somewhere though. Wally, wasn't it just the early trucks that had Speedloaders, later ones having Atlas?

I'm not sure it's necessarily Brockhouse, or even ex-military, and the platform on the top may not be original. Probably need to get in there to investigate further and find out what it's standing on, if anything.

That doesn't look like a workshop trailer but a demountable container style body - the diagonal-ish braces would be lifting points with shackles at the top.

Bearing in mind I'm just some bloke posting on the interwebs ... I think the regulations you need to comply with are the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations, which are available on the legislation.gov.uk site. Schedule 2 sets out the requirements for registration plates.

Notwithstanding the sort of issues Richard mentions, I'm not sure why 100% availability would ever be expected or why lower availability would be equated with a general state of disrepair, particularly as the document Clive posted says that servicing is included in the time a vehicle isn't available. My car isn't available when it's being serviced, but that doesn't mean it's in bad condition.

Agree with Wally, it's the same as my 1966 copy.

A quick internet search shows various similar boilers by various agricultural suppliers, foundries etc. and refererred in old agricultural supplies catalogues to as 'pig swill boilers', 'dairy, farm or laundry boilers' etc. For service use laundry seems plausible, or 'mass catering' for stews, soups etc. like a gulashkanone?

No problem - I was getting nowhere with what I was trying to do, and I like a bit of detective work!

Had a quick search and found this, in an article about the Humber LRC by David Fletcher for Key Publishing / CMV: Captioned as "General Ivor Thomas’ Mark IIIA modified with the turret removed for the commander of 43rd (Wessex) Division" - and seems to be of the man himself taking the salute from the opening left by removal of the turret, so explaining everything! I read the census number as M4651755. The relevant text reads "A few were modified as senior officer’s chargers, one known from a photograph was used by Gen Ivor Thomas commanding 43rd (Wessex) Division. The turret was removed and additional vision slits added." The article, if you're interested, is at https://www.keymilitary.com/article/protection-detail BTW, I wonder if 'Ark' was not a nickname for that type of vehicle, but the (nick)name of that particular vehicle?

In The Fighting Wessex Wyverns by Delaforce, which draws on the history you're reading, there's a quote from Brig. Gordon Reinhold saying that Thomas 'was always well forward in his Humber Armoured Car ['The Ark] ... ' and mention of 'the Humber Ark' getting bogged down and Thomas having to take to a Jeep.

Robert, if there's an industrial flexible pipe and hose supplier or hydraulic hose supplier near you they might be able to make you something up using yours as a pattern

Might be a bit optimistic? It looks quite sound, but it's battered in places and wants quite a lot doing, and the last couple of those sold didn't make fortunes.

Hi Rob, If you have a look for JSP 800, Leaflet 42 will tell you what you need to have in the vehicle these days - the predecessor was JSP 341 but I don't know if it's available online. Chris, isn't F/MT 600 the drivers' permit for MoD vehicles, rather than a personal driving licence which I think of a the government issue licence? Perhaps just terminology. I get the personal to you rather than a vehicle doc though.

I think this is what I'd know as form 600 wallet ('cos that's what my RAF mate called them). I've got a box full somewhere of about the right era in various conditions. Content would I think have been Form 600 (FMT600) which I think is what you're referring to as a works ticket; MoD confirmation of liability cover; authority for the journey; recovery instructions; RTA reporting form ( I have some of those somewhere as well, not sure where though); standing orders for drivers; various odd forms. I'd have thought a copy of the drivers' handbook would be on board as well and anything that got stuffed in there. Richard might know better if he sees this.

Helen, Phil, The way I look at it is this. You need to approach the problem methodically. There can only really be one of three basic problems: (1) the vehicle is not making enough air; (2) the vehicle is making air, but it's escaping; (3) the pressure indication and warnings are wrong. To take (3) first, the pressure switch could be faulty, but they are two separate systems and for both to be faulty the same way at the same time is unlikely (though not impossible). Assuming what you've been told about the pressure is right, your visual indication (gauge) and warning (light and buzzer) agree, which suggests the buzzer isn't the problem. I don't have my Bedford books handy and it's been some years since I worked on air over systems, but it would be good to confirm the correct pressures. It might be that the vehicle isn't making enough air, and that takes you down the route of the sort of compressor and unloader valve problems I mentioned and which John has expanded on, as well as more obscure problems like blocked intake, flexible pipes collapsing internally, etc. In my experience leaks are quite common, particularly if the vehicle doesn't get used much, and it's also quite easy to check for leaks and confirm or eliminate them; whereas governor valve or compressor faults mean taking things apart (and as John says risking losing bits). That for me makes checking properly for leaks the first thing to do because it's the easier. The advantage of charging the system from a separate compressor, if you have the option, is that it makes it easier to check for leaks but also it means that you can get the system up to pressure and confirm the pressure gauge and warning systems are correct. If you are fully confident there are no leaks anywhere, then compressor and control system are the next to check. Some additional questions. Does the pressure get up to 7 bar quickly, or does it take a long time? Are you running the engine at idle to build up the pressure? What happens if you hold the engine at fast idle or about medium revs? Has this vehicle been unused for a long time, or is it known to have been working properly recently?

Matt, great bit of research, and I agree Waterbeach seems unlikely, but I'll challenge a couple of your conclusions. Though there were certainly shortages at the time, and metals were in short supply, there was also a collosal amount of materiel to dispose of, and there would have been a limit to the speed at which the metals industry could reprocess surplus armour. I'd be surprised if pressure from someone who (albeit a former defence minister) was by then a backbencher with perhaps his own axes to grind made any difference to the process.

I can't recall the set pressure (it's been a while) but I'd have thought if gauge and warning agree they're probably right, and if it's making some air but not enough, the problem could be leaks, compressor worn (less likely, but the valves might not be sealing properly) or an unloader valve problem (setting or more likely just leaking or sticking). I have found on R and M types that have been stood for a while that diaphragms in some of the valves can split causing small air leaks. First thing to do might be a visual check for piping problems, particularly on any plastic lines that might have aged, then if you have access to one, attach a compressed air line to the system and charge it so you can listen for leaks without the engine noise, or failing that charge it using the engine, shut off and listen for leaks a section at a time, recharging as required.