Richard Farrant

Well, to quote Sean "No one has bitten', I shall say the same about those ghibli-battered frame tent shelters that served as the REME workshops for 2RTR LAD in Wavell Barracks, Benghazi. I'm not though, able to tell you what the correct nomenclature/designation/name was for those structures (prior to damage :-))? Does anyone know? I hope they do and posts the answer so we can get out of Cyrenaica and back into Tripolitania District.

To further aid you, a photo by John Empson REME.

Hi Lizzie,

These workshop shelters were known as the 'Aldershot shelter', or to give it the official title, Mobile Workshop Shelter Type A, Aldershot Pattern.

cheers Richard

Last one of ghibli damage before getting back to Tripolitania.

Can you see anything odd, really odd in this photo?

Negative is reversed, see Saladin silencer and div signs

Pssst! Want to see some gas cylinders? An MRA1 too, well, just the rear end anyway. Hmmm, with gas cylinders close by, that must surely be the Welding Truck? Elf n Safety springs to mind; free standing gas cylinders are a no-no, as are cylinders lying down, especially if they're acetylene! Goodness gracious, how do i know about stuff like that, I hear you ask. Well, just look me up on LI or my business website. I wrote the script and handbook for Air Products' 'Safe use of Oxy Acetylene' safety video and ... the safety handbook for industrial and analytical gases.

After the children, naturally. :laugh:

More ghibli damage in the desert.

Photos by Wilf Harrison 2RTR/REME

The cylinders lying on the rack are marked 'welding oxygen'. they are smaller diameter than the acetylene which are standing. I think it was acetylene that should not be laid down as it is liquid and a filling of kapok if I think back nearly 50 years when taught gas welding.

So what is the generator then? So similar to the 10Kva dragged around by Bedford RL Machy wagons in BAOR 70s and 80s (probably longer).

There were several makes of 10Kva on the 1 ton trailer, two were Petbow and Morrison, both with 3 cyl Perkins diesels, this in you photo is neither. Another one comes to mind that had a Rolls Royce B40 engine, think it could have been made by Air-Log

There is something odd going on with that K9 if it's the same vehicle. The registration isn't quite clear in the different shots - perhaps you could confirm from the originals that it's 94 BG 06 both times?

 

Edit - my and your earlier posts about the MRA1 crossed as I was interrupted. Sorry.

Sean, I was looking at the photo of the K9 on the vehicle park a few days ago, and think the last digit in the ARN is either 8 or 9, that would explain why it does not match with '06.

cheers Richard

I used to shoot on an estate near Ashford that has the remains of something very close to this where an airship was based.

I know where that is.

Glad I wasn't around when you were shooting, could have been dangerous. :-D

Hi Richard I've been doing a bit of homework & consensus is that it may of been fitted with the Petter PU8 ? which is period & had a military application.

https://wn.com/petter_pu8_flat_twin_stationary_engine

 

One of the Petter Universal group of engines produced from 1931 to 1945. This is an 8HP horizontal twin version. Large numbers were supplied to the War Department duriung the second world war where they were used to power generators and also landing craft. This example has a WD tag and number. There are two power shafts, one at at 900rpm and one at 1800rpm.

Anyway correct or not that's the motor I will be looking for if anybody knows of one for sale ?

 

Hi Ian,

I know the PU8 as we had them come through REME workshops for repairs. The cowling on one of the photos that Clive posted looked the same but I thought the spark plug was in a different position, maybe it was an earlier version. There are still a few turning up but as most that you see drove equipment via a flexy shaft they are of little use.

Richard

Look like trees around outside and a round pit, the other odd shape like a 'blob', is what? I am going to say an amphitheatre

We have had 5 episodes, so what has happened to the other 5 because at 9pm tomorrow on Freeview, it is Aircrash Confidential?

I read that there are only 5 episodes in this series. Bruce is currently in Australia, he was visiting the museum at Cairns a few days ago.

The air start system works really well, the Americans use it on trucks with a small compressor for black starts. Hydraulic start is fine too - as long as you aren't the one pumping.

 

The Zone 2 mounted equipment is a significant cost, probably a decent percentage of the power pack total, but if you keep the Zone 2 certification up you can use in on refinery, mine and processing sites where internal combustion engines are not normally allowed.

Then you also have the spring starter like the old Simms. Just found out the company who took over the rights for these is making them locally.

If the air starter was anything like the one on the Meadows 27.5 Kva gen set, it had to be up around 300psi if I recall, otherwise it would chew up the brass starter pinion. But they relied on the tank being charged before you stopped the engine. Later generators had a hydraulic starter which you could pump up by hand.

 

All brass, stamped with.....

 

'Made in England'

'1952'

'1C/2455' or possibly '1C/2433'

'/I\'

 

Possibly an oil syringe ?

If so for what ?

Barrie,

I have a similar one ex-WD in plain brass, your looks like it is plated, could be the photo

Going by the stock number on yours, it is from RAF as 1C/ indicates it to be in 'Tools, general' so unlikely to be a medical instrument. They are ideal for drawing of oil from cavities, taking oil samples, etc.

According to the scans from Clive, the Mk1A has JAP 55 engine, this is a twin cylinder and dates from 1940's, the Mk1B had a Petter PA2 which I am sure was introduced in early 1950's. This leaves the Mk1, which appears to be an air cooled flat twin, but not entirely sure what make. I am sure it is not a Petter PU8 as the spark plugs are in wrong position, this was a wartime engine (there may have been an earlier version?), other flat twins used my military, were Norman, Bradford, Douglas and Coventry Victor, but not sure if it is any of them. The owner of the restored one in blue paint might know.

Just wondered Richard as the only in-service reference to B61 I have seen is in an RAF parts book exclusive to B61.

Clive,

I reckon a B61 in a Humber would give it a bit of punch !

Richard, with your B61 rebuild did you use the original packing for the inlet valves, (if its still available) or did you use a more modern seal?

 

 

Hi Jim,

Used new original manufacture packings. They will be OK, but make sure there is no wear in valve guides.

regards, Richard

Richard B61, was that RAF?

No, a commercial version.

Hi All, Anyone with their suggestions where I can buy a set of standard rings for a B60 engine and also the inlet valve packing/seals..the original look more like asbestos string!

 

Thanks

 

Jim

I second what Clive said. They have practically everything for the RR B range engines. I have recently rebuilt a B61 and got everything from them. Those seals are made up of what looks like asbestos string, but compressed, over time they tend to fall apart!

Thanks Richard , the piston rings are on there way .

 

Thanks for the tip.

Guy.

They have never let me down yet in supplying engine parts

Here is the patent on the device:

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2545736.pdf

The Tilly has Essex trade plate on so I am guessing it belongs to a contractor and not military. In fact it looks a bit rough so I am guessing again that this is postwar.

I can't recall the 'fresh' colour - am I right in thinking it was about the same as the red oxide on the inside of Perkins engines?

The Perkins colour was quite bright, the paint on Belgian engines always seems darker, but might be oil and dirt in the paintwork.

Surprisingly, Chris Leete, who tested the engine in the advert, and Steve Poole who rebuilt it, still work for DSG Warminster. I had a good chat with Chis this afternoon and he told me that literally hundreds of Meteor engines and 4 Merlins were rebuilt at Warminster and believe it or not he still has the odd Meteor part in his toolbox. Chris told me about a Centurion that came back from Canada after an engine fire, the Meteor engine, being made of aluminium,had completely melted, all that was left was the crankshaft & camshafts, but the fuel tanks either side of the engine bay were still intact and had petrol in them.

I was told that Scottish Aviation had nothing to do with the rebuilds any parts required were sourced from Jersey Aviation.

He was a mine of very interesting information and I really enjoyed chatting with him, I'll see if I can catch up with Steve Poole tomorrow.

Hi John,

That makes more sense with parts coming from Jersey Aviation as they were main suppliers of Meteor and Merlin spares in later years. I now think about it, I saw a Meteor 4B engine crate recently with 27 DW stencilled on it.

Ian, you must tell us the name and address of your 'local' scrap yard as you seem to find some interesting loot and far more interesting than my nearest scrappy that is 100% non-military.

 

 

Don't think it needs many guesses to know the location ....... don't worry Ian, I will not let on !

Oh OK, hadn't picked that up. Thanks Richard. Are you seeing some small fragments of sky bue on it or is it just my eyes?

 

 

hi Sean,

Thought I saw a showing of Sky Blue, as they were that colour from new it is quite possible. The Belgian rebuild colour is like Red Oxide, I remember stripping an engine from a Belgian pre-production Striker once.

I'm bemused as to why the ATDU were stripping engines?

 

Andy

As a unit, they may have had a vehicle with an engine problem and initial dismantling he observed that the engine was unrepairable. Maybe we might hear more!