Richard Farrant

Hi Wally,

That is interesting. We had one of the early Series 2a Station Wagons 27EK31 which was specially adapted as a Test Station for guided missiles. The vehicle was bought from a dealer then prepared and entered in a charity motoring event in Australia for REME 50th anniversary in 1992 and raised money for the Army Benevolent Fund in the process.

regards, Richard

23 minutes ago, Jay Owen said:

Hi Richard,

Judging by the carnage I made of this drops, I’m not too sure it could have been repaired, I would have assumed that it would have been used for spare parts, at the end of the day it was only a bit of metal, as my Staff SGT said at the time I returned to theatre, I can replace the truck but I can’t replace you!! Stuck with me that quote. 
Stay safe mate. 
 

Jay

Hi Jay,

Most if not all of the DROPS that were on the rebuild programme had flattened cabs. My section did the first one and we were able to make one cab out of three because a replacement cab was not available in time, but from then on we had new cabs coming in from Leyland which made a quicker turnaround. One I recollect had to have the chassis straightened and aligned. They were all repainted in white with UN on them and transported back out to Bosnia.

regards, Richard

22 hours ago, Jay Owen said:

I remember this accident very well, I was the driver!! Yes it’s true, I went too fast around the hairpin bend, to be honest, looking at the aftermath of the accident and the state of the truck, I was very lucky to be alive. 

Hi Jay,

At that time I was working in a REME workshop in the UK and all the rollover and crash damaged Leyland DROPS were backloaded to us, we rebuilt them and sent them back to Bosnia, so it is a possibility that your truck was among them.

Richard

Tony,

George Dawson was a millionaire scrap dealer from London, who made his fortune buying and selling army surplus after the war.

See this link with a page from a book mentioning him.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=p1nJlCRfh6wC&pg=RA126-PA71&lpg=RA126-PA71&dq=scrap+dealer+"george+dawson"&source=bl&ots=O0UQT3EqQl&sig=ACfU3U1kf1fVBqMvNY9rDLdiwkytP_WDAA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiNi6_D9I_pAhX1rnEKHadABdcQ6AEwEXoECAsQAQ#v=onepage&q=scrap dealer "george dawson"&f=false

Thanks Pierre,

I thought the WW1 photos in particular would be appreciated on this forum.

It was sent me as I am editor of a newsletter for the military vehicle club in Sydney, the AMVCS. Because of the lockdown those vehicle owners who normally participated in Anzac Day ceremonies put their vehicles  in their driveways and carried out their remembrance with their neighbours.

regards Richard 

Hi,

Here is a link to Youtube of WW1 military vehicles, predominantly used by Australian soldiers, there are WW2 vehicles as well but the early photos are of special interest.. This was put together by Jenny Fawbert for Anzac Day as all the ceremonies were cancelled as it is tradition for military vehicles to take part in the marches to carry Veterans. This year, military vehicle owners across Australia put the vehicles in the driveway at home with flags and displays.

1 hour ago, Jerryjeeprichard said:

Richard, Wally, 

 

The information is greatly appreciated, so i think the feeling is although the S.O.U.1 data plate is not original part of the trailer. it really should be re-attached as it forms later part of its military history. 

Is it likely that its rebuild was at Warminster or is this to difficult to prove? 

Hi Richard,

My mistake I was unsure if it was Warminster or Aldershot. It was in fact the REME Workshops at Aldershot, which at that time would have been 13 Command Workshop (much later the number was changed to 43).

regards, Richard

Going to have a stab in the dark here, is it a 32.2hp engine?

At least the Great Dorset does not charge fees to the vehicle exhibitors, as far as I am aware that is.

32 minutes ago, Jerryjeeprichard said:

Looking at the SOUL data plate i would say this is a later retro fitted item. Maybe not necessarily original to the trailer. 

 

 

Hi Richard,

I think you will find that plate with SOUL on it actually reads SOU 1, it would appear to be a rebuild plate showing the work was done at a REME Southern Command Workshop. I have a feeling that SOU 1 could have been Warminster as I recall seeing this code on a rebuilt engine data plate. So it would not be original but it does show part of the trailers service history.

regards, Richard

Most things I have searched for on their website have not been digitalised 😒

Very disappointing but understandable with all the forward planning involved. That was always a favourite of mine.

Hi David,

As a moderator we don't have control of 'rank'. It is all linked to the number of posts you have made. I know when the forum went through an upgrade a few years back, the number of posts seemed to have varied, some went higher, some lower. The current figure of +35 is the important thing as that shows real appreciation from other forum members.

regards, Richard

4 hours ago, Doc said:

Here's some photographs taken by the late Derek Hackett of Ross-on-Wye.

 

 

This vehicle was last seen by us in the Williams sale at Symonds Yat, Herefordshire, in April 2007. Lot no. 253, £180 on the hammer. Anyone know what became of it?

Is this an early Fowler tractor? Trying to read the name on the radiator.

1 hour ago, Citroman said:

A Kegresse tractor?  Citroen did try something like that too. With not much succes. Or did they transform an normal one?

I think the Citroen Kegresse was successful as I recall a team crossed the Sahara with them and another epic trip as well. My grandfather drove what may have been the first one in England when he was a chauffeur for a wheelchair bound landowner in Sussex in the early 1920's. It allowed the gentleman to be taken to all corners of his estate.

regards, Richard

Digital back issues are available on here:

https://pocketmags.com/heritage-commercials-magazine/issues

3 hours ago, Richard Peskett said:

The one that got away ! . In my very early days of collecting  and not long left schooI   I had a friend with like interests who in turn had a friend who put up television aerials . The person was quite a good 'scout' for finding old vehicles, this is 1964, message came back that there was a Crossley half track  being offered by the gardener  on  the estate of former prime minister LLoyd George at Churt, Surrey. Upon due investigation and a visit sure enough there it was , all complete except one track broken, dry stored , much of the original paintwork and numbers visible, now sporting a civilian registration CPD 627, a 1935 issue no doubt when acquired by the former  PM.  On offer at  £12. 10 shillings !. , well the broken track  thwarted the purchase . It did find a new home  locally and appeared  at Brighton for the May 1965 Commercial run. Does anybody know what  subsequently happen to it and where it now is .?

 

Richard Peskett.

Hi Richard,

This Crossley Kegresse may be the same one that Tony Oliver owned in the 80's and had in his museum at Eton Wick, Windsor. See my photo taken in late 80's at D-DAY Show on Southsea Common.

25 minutes ago, 67burwood said:

Thanks Tom, there’s no mounting point anywhere to be seen on mine, could you please send some pictures when you get a chance, looks like I now need to find a spare wheel. 

On the WOT6 Machy truck that I restored, I cannot recollect any mountings within the body for a spare. As the built the workshop body longer than a cargo, there is no space behind the cab. There could have been a rack under the rear of the chassis like the QL troop carrier had. Some of these workshop bodies were later fitted to Bedford QL and they also had the body up behind the cab. 

Here is a photo of a WOT6 Machinery truck in postwar service.

regards, Richard

It appears to be a part for a Ferret, but my parts list does not have an index for NATO stock numbers so not able to identify it.

Good one Dave, runs well!

3 hours ago, Louie said:

Hi Richard. Crossley FWD. 

Ref. Numbers are;

34A/35

34A/50,51

34A/77

Kind regards

 

 

 

 

I have a Joint Services Lubricant guide from the early 1960's and thought that might answer your questions, but there are no two figure numbers listed. Prefixes for RAF lubricants are 34A/, 34B/ and 34D/, but following number is 7 digits..

Sorry, drew a blank there.

Looking at the vehicle card for the Muir Hill A5000 and noticed I worked on one of them, 01FW47, in 1979

If you let us know what the AM oil references are and for what vehicle that may help answering your question.

Yes, I have removed the rear armour on Fox's several times and reached in to pull a broken con rod out. One came in with a cam in three pieces. Engines for the Fox were in short supply and it was quicker to demand a CVR(T) engine and convert it.

Iain,

I don't think J60 engines were in a vehicle long enough to corrode! We were for ever pulling out engines from CVR(T) and CVR(W) Fox. Seen some monumental damage to them.