Richard Farrant

Is it for signalling? I can see now that when opened up it is not like an umbrella but appears to be a circle of fabric.

Looks like a umbrella or perhaps a sun shade

Bill, Cupolas on Bedfords did not appear to be introduced until around late 1943, give or take a bit.

There is an engine rebuild plate on the pushrod cover, the engine was reconditioned by Vauxhall Motors Ltd. Cannot read the date though.

Yes, and I also remember removing and fitting liners in diesels using those methods, they were the days! Lovely bit of nostalgic film.

Hi Seb, PM sent to you cheers Richard

no worries! I am going to stand back and see how many have been paying attention

Hi David, You said Palestine, that figure as it looks like 1st Infantry Division signs on the bikes (white triangle) and on the Canadian Dodge in background. The 47 signs look like they could be Royal Artillery, red over blue. I have seen photos of dirt track racing at camps in Egypt after the war.

Andrew, They used to race them on dirt track ovals. Hence no lights and straight through exhausts! Obviously this chap has won the shield or maybe it was a team event like speedway.

Seen on Ebay; British Army Military Electric Heated Gloves E.H. 28 Volt We believe these may be used by operators of Rapier missiles.

Have you dismantled the clutch cover assembly and disturbed the shims?

I hesitate to ask, but you have neither mentioned the spring on the clutch lever nor have it fitted, in the photo. If you do not have the bulkhead in, maybe the pedal is not being held in the correct rest position?

Hi Rick, that is a "Line Drive" tractor, here is an advert page describing it: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19161126&id=Q4UWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ACEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5403,2417640 cheers Richard

From the length of cab, it looks like a Pioneer tank transporter tractor towing a pole trailer with timber on. As this is Amersham, I wonder if it was one of T.T. Boughton's vehicles?

Phylo, Before getting too positive on this, I would suggest checking the Contract out, the details are here; L4892640 - 4893194 Austin 3 ton 4x4, Water Contract no. V5093 You could contact the Tank Museum as they hold a lot of these cards which have delivery dates on them. There were actually 555 lorries in that contract. I am certain the word 'Water' was meant to indicate water proofing, but it does not mean to say that the pistons had greater clearance, at that time. At least it is a possible clue. I cannot date the contract and they were often delivered up to a year later than when the contract was signed. regards, Richard

Hi Phylo, Firstly from the Workshop Manual for the K5, and to quote " piston skirt fitting has been increased from .0025"-.0028" to .004"-.0045" to make engines with new pistons immediately suitable for wading through water without fear of siezure. Pistons with the original smaller clearance can be used for engines which it is known will not be called on for wading". OK, I first interpreted that as only those vehicles with waterproof servos having the increased clearance as they might have been the one specially set aside for wading. There is a contract of K5's which just have the word "Water" after the vehicle type, I am certain these were not water tankers and can only think that these were the ones prepared as above. There appears to be 500 lorries in that contract. Reading the manual again and it is dated 1946, so after the event, and after final production so it might indicate if vehicles were being prepared for water, then this is the data. Just to confuse things further, I have a document, Inspection Standards (Provisional) for the Austin K6 6x4, issued by REME Central Inspectorate. Handwritten on the cover are the words "Comments by 26 Feb 1955". In there is some interesting wordings and bear in mind this is 10 years later; "Pistons must be selectively fitted to obtain clearance. Feeler gauge applied to thrust side of the piston skirt, tight .0045" and loose .004" will suffice for practical purposes. When assembled and on test, piston slap will be apparent and is permissible" The clearances mention are the increased ones stated for wading, so maybe they set all the 4 litres up this way, in case of the eventuality. Further on in the engine testing data there is a another mention; "NOTE: Due to increased piston to bore clearance piston slap will be apparent and is permissible." I have more thoughts on all this but will have to find time later on to relate them. regards, Richard

That reg number would fit as 08KC37 was a Bv206. As for the letters, a guess, Task Group Headquarters?

Ivor, I think there must have been a good number in storage and probably distributed to other TMP's around the country. Your time is about right, I think that a few went in to preservation as I recall at the time. One that was in service actually had a rally plaque on the side of the body, a unit must have attended a rally whilst it was on their charge!

Ted, In the late 1970's the TMP unit which was near our Workshops, took a number of 1944 Leyland Hippos on charge. I understood that that they had come from the Antwerp Vehicle Depot. They were a stopgap as the Foden 8x4 lorries were delayed coming in to service. I recall working on them, and they lasted a few years more, there was still a few spares in stock and I recall a complete windscreen assembly turning up. Do not think the squaddies were impressed when they turned up to collect a lorry!

Round about that period, bridge plates were painted grey, when IRR green came in to use. Yet it is a Big Ben

Hi Phylo, I think you are confusing yourself here, and I should point out that referring to engine spec changes in 2 ton ambulances or trucks only muddies the water. They had the 3.5 litre engine, bore sizes different, no link, never heard of them being built for wading. Just to elaborate on my last post, there were two types of brake servo shown in the 1946 workshop manual, the conventional Clayton and a special waterproofed version, different construction, that along with the details in the book re. piston skirt clearances, it looks as though there were a particular batch of K5 built to sustain wading. As I have come across another forum with this subject on it, Axis? I see there has been a lot more said, but a lot of misleading info from people who appear to know little about this particular vehicle. Interesting discussion though, especially all the info being found in archives. cheers Richard

Hi Phylo, I have been wading back through your other thread on this subject, and no where can I see that some of these K5 were partly prepared for wading on production. They were fitted with a special waterproof Clayton Dewandre vacuum brake servo and also in the workshop manual the references I gave you regarding pistons with extra clearance. Another thing I should point out is that these engines have cast iron pistons and normally run a tighter skirt clearance than engines with alloy pistons. I am quite familiar with these old Austin engines, hence my interest. I cannot pin point batches but a wild guess here is this, the REME report where they tested a particular K5, its census number was L5192471, now that was part of Contract No. S2552, numbering 2,030 K5's. It has to be assumed this was the problem batch. I think these vehicles were built at the factory with the extra clearance on the pistons as it is written in the manual, they probably performed well in immersion testing, but the oil consumption problems only came to light when they started using them on the road. The waterproofing of electrics, engine, ignition, etc would have been done prior to embarking, this was in general an army task. regards, Richard

Hi Ian, I would suggest locating parts books for the 6x6, the army books normally list contract numbers and sometimes chassis numbers, which should narrow your search down. regards, Richard

Hi Phylo, Good assumptions, but something I should point out. The increased piston clearance for the K5's destined to possibly having to wade was not because of overheating, in fact quite the reverse. When on the landing craft prior to disembarking the engines would be run up to ensure they are warm and running well, as soon as they were immersed the water would instantly bring the cylinder block temperature down, yet the pistons would retain a certain amount of heat at that moment and with normal clearance would tend to seize, this is why more clearance was given. Nothing to do with allowing the piston to expand more, it was the block contracting that was the concern. This problem may well have come to light in the weeks before D-Day with all the wading practise going on across the country with the vehicles. regards, Richard

Hooligan