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Dusty

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Posts posted by Dusty

    post war sales catalogues

    in Research Centre

    Posted

    I am still hunting buses & coaches sold off after the end of WWII since impressed vehicles were not returned to their original operators but appear to have been sold off presumably via the auctions. Finding information on this seems almost impossible.

     

    Bill

     

    You might find the attached of interest. It should be remembered that these were not necessarily impressed by the military, they could just as easily have been used by civilian A.R.P. organisations during the war.

     

    I would welcome any information you could find on their original owners.

     

    John

    Bus and Coach at auction.doc

    What is the story about this June 1944 accident?

    in MV Chatter

    Posted

    And some more from the newspapers

     

    Nineteen soldiers, all Canadians stationed at a NorthEngland camp, were killed and two seriously injured when an Army lorry crashedinto a house after failing to take a sharp bend in the road at Burley-in-Wharfdaleearly yesterday, Thursday 15th. June 1944. The lorry contained 21members of a picket. The lorry was travelling from Ilkley towards Otley and theaccident occurred on the main road near the Malt Shovel Hotel.

    At an inquest which was opened on Friday 16th.June an Army doctor, who attended the men at the scene of the accident, said 17were killed outright, two died in a wardens’ post soon afterwards, and anotherdied in hospital on Thursday night. All the men died from fractured skulls, hesaid, and it was probable they had received their head injuries when the lorrystruck the side of the house.

    At the resumed inquest on 23rd. June the solesurvivor, Sergeant Camile Cote, told the Coroner that in his opinion the causeof the accident was that the driver approached the corner at too great a speed.Two or three times I told the driver (Elmond Durand, who died in hospital) toslow down as he was travelling too fast. I should say he was going about 50miles an hour.

    Captain P. de Martigny, a transport officer, said the typeof lorry was capable of 50 to 55 mph and could overturn very easily on cornersif not driven at a moderate speed.

    Barn find Leyland Retriever

    in British Vehicles

    Posted

    The National Fire Service acquired a number of ex military Leyland Retrievers about 1944 on which their workshops built a variety of bodies, this one had a crane fitted and became a Breakdown Lorry. In 1948 it passed to the Birmingham Fire and Ambulance Service and it is interesting to see it still has their radio call-sign M2FB20 painted on the rear bulkhead.

     

    Dusty

    Austin K2 serial number

    in British Vehicles

    Posted

    [i just wondered if anyone has any info on the serial number on my Austin K2 GS lorry, it was rebuilt in 1952 and the number is 38 RU 76 chassis number 47122, does this mean anything to anyone?/QUOTE]

     

     

    I have chassis number 47122 as being part of a block of 1000 Austin K2/YV series 43a towing vehicles for the fire service on contract number S.708 which doesn't seem to relate to a GS lorry with an army registration?

    Dusty

    Canadian Lanc visiting the UK this year

    in Aviation

    Posted

    The BBC have just reported that the planned fly-past of the two Lancasters over Lincoln Cathedral today has been postponed as due to bad weather the BBMF has been grounded.

    The Canadian Lancaster is still hoping to fly over the cathedral in company with the Red Arrows shortly.

     

    Dusty

    post war sales catalogues

    in Research Centre

    Posted

    First time I have seen Welbikes listed in the sales cat's!! they were supposed not to be sold in the UK

    Lex

     

    In March 1946 in the Commons Mr. Attewell asked the Minister of Supply and of Aircraft Production if it is proposed to allow the sale in this country of a proportion of surplus Army stock of lightweight folding motor cycles, known as Welbike, to individuals desiring to purchase for their own use.

    Mr. Wilmot all surpluses so far declared have been disposed of to an export firm for re-sale to America. This transaction was particularly welcome in view of the urgent need for dollars. These machines could not in any case have been used on the roads in this country without considerable conversion to comply with the requirements of the Road Traffic Act, 1930.

     

    I wonder what circumstances had changed that made it possible to auction Welbikes off to the public by December 1947?

     

    Dusty

    Commandeered vehicles

    in Research Centre

    Posted · Edited by Dusty

    John

    Interesting question. My first thought was that as it received a new registration in 1946 then the motorcycle had been sold in one of the Ministry of Supply sales and being ex military would have had to have been registered in order to put it on the road.

     

    But you state that this is a re-registration so that can't be the case here. Are you sure that it was used by the military? I have found a few civilian vehicles that were re-registered during the war with Government registration marks in the London C.C. range and were used by the National Fire Service, no idea why they did this and I don't know if the original owner received them back after the war. However this was in 1942 and I would think that 1946 was far too late to be indulging in such things.

     

    Possibly the owner registered the motorcyle from new, then it was laid up when the owner was called-up and when he tried to tax it again in 1946 perhaps there was a problem. Maybe he had lost the log book or the motor taxation books at the local authority office had been destroyed in the blitz, either way perhaps the local authority decided the easiest way out of the problem was to re-register the motorcycle to the original owner.

     

    Has the owner any paperwork such as log books which might show a change of ownership during the war? Perhaps you could reveal the two registration numbers as this might help to suggest other lines of enquiry or ideas.

     

     

    Dusty

    National Fire Service Research

    in Emergency Services

    Posted

    Hello Jules

     

    The service number relates to a wholetime man in Fire Force 36 which had its headquarters in Ilford. As Walthamstow was in Fire Force 36 then almost certainly your man Mr. Hornett lived in Pearl Road during the War.

     

    As Walthamstow had its own fire brigade before the War it is possible Mr. Hornett may have been a fireman for some time and a look through the Walthamstow Council records might prove fruitful if you can access them.

     

    I'll keep looking for any other information but I don't hold out much hope.

     

    Dusty

    National Fire Service Research

    in Emergency Services

    Posted

    Hello Jules

     

    The answer is probably no. Few fire service records exist from this time and even if they did they would probably be covered by the Data Protection Act. Names did appear in newspapers and if the person went on to gain promotion in a post-war brigade then it may be possible to find out a bit more information about them.

     

    Do you have a name and the rough area where they were stationed? If so I might be able to find something out about them but don't hold your breath.

     

    A list of NFS Area numbers are attached.

     

    Dusty

    Fire Force Areas.doc

    post war sales catalogues

    in Research Centre

    Posted

     

    1948_Bryan_Park_Depot_sale_01.jpg

     

     

    Lex

     

    Two vehicles on this list interest me, CUN 165 and 201. Both were part of a batch of 108 such vehicles allocated to the Ministry of Food who distributed them around the country for use by school meals services, British Restaurants etc.

    CUN 165 was last registered on the 30/6/52 to a private owner in Bishop Auckland whilst CUN 201 was last registered on 30/12/50 to the Borough Water Engineer, Municipal Offices, Rotherham.

    Another, CUN 166, was last registered on the 31/12/48 to the Ministry of Supply, Storage Depot, Byram Hall, Brotherton, Leeds. Perhaps they used it as a run-about on the site.

     

    Thanks for the sighting of these two pages Lex.

     

    Dusty

    post war sales catalogues

    in Research Centre

    Posted

     

    Am also wondering on the Indian combinations on that page, they cannot have been 600cc!! there was no such model in the Army at all! 500cc, yes, that was the 741, but too gutless for a sidecar, so then either 750cc model 640's but only a couple used, or the 1200cc models, there was however a 600cc civilian model, but have no evidence of that ever been used?

     

    Lex

     

     

    Lex

     

    The Indian combinations on that page are all civilian registered and probably used by a Government Department and not by the Army.

     

    Dusty

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