N.O.S.

This Norfolk based company runs step-frame trailers between UK and mainland Europe all the time - they usually try to run laden but sometimes struggle to get a back load. It might be worth a phone call in case they have an empty truck which could help, but don't expect something for nothing. Having said that they do offer very keen back load rates from France so ask nicely and see what happens! http://www.richard-long.co.uk

Here's another option if using black mudguards - a white roof to balance it up. Red wheels and could have a black or red chassis.

Found it! The mudguards were red, not black. I tried to buy this a long time ago but just missed it. Restored by Colin Pitt. http://ccmv.aecsouthall.co.uk/p828670090/h2273d4f0#h2273d4f0

There was a lovely Mk1 in a light green, lined with black mudguards, red chassis and wheels - looked really good. A classic paint scheme but it works well. Here is a 6x4 in mid-Brunswick green with red, should give you an idea what it would look like, but I think a pale green will be much better if you're keeping mudguards black.

By invitation only. In the case of MVs for this year's parade, one of the Goodwood organisers made an invitation via HMVF, IMPS and other bodies to find enough military vehicles. Sadly a few could not attend but it was a terrific sight, One of the staff said that it was without doubt the most spectacular convoy to date. It was a great privilege to participate in this event which almost certainly will not be repeated - at least not with 23 veterans in attendance. Edit: oh yes - and not with a couple of Lancasters circling overhead!

Thanks for the explanations Nick - my excuse is that I know nothing about medals and could not see the name on the plaque. A great discovery :thumbsup:

Another piece of the jigsaw appears! Thank you Nick for posting this. This is the first time I have come across a Death Plaque - can you enlighten me (and maybe others) further? I cannot see a name on the plaque or mount, so what is it that has enabled you to attribute the plaque and medals to Ivo? If not a private sale, would there be any way of finding out how these medals came to market - e.g. house clearance?. Again, many thanks for taking the time to post on HMVF. Tony

Confusion! The Austin coupling in Tankograd is on my U-7144T. The coupling is to put it mildly a bit wierd, in that not only does it pivot laterally and longitudinally (like Dayton), but the cross-pivot pin is cranked - which means it can swing forward and back rising as it does so. This allows the coupling to rock forward and back to cushion movement between tractor and trailer. Quite why I have no idea - it seems to me it would make any trailer behave as if it had a load of liquid in an un-baffled tank, sloshing forward and back, sick-making! The Austin coupling was attached by long bolts and clamp plates around chassis rails. The strange thing is that when I took it off to replace with a Dayton (stay with me here - as I need to lock out the sideways pivoting which can be done on the Dayton because the trailer has a built-in pivoting 5th wheel plate - doesn't life get complicated!), I found that the chassis had never been drilled for a Dayton plate. The truck was reconditioned in Autocar's Ardmore plant in 1953, so I don't know if the Austin plate was a wartime pattern or a post-war type. And I've not seen another one. But it seems that - unless a new chassis was fitted - there must have been a wartime coupling with similar fastening method. Couplings were supplied and fitted to the tractors at the trailer factory, not at the tractor factory. I have only seen Dayton pattern in any wartime pictures or manuals. If you are not in a hurry I can try a Euro contact for a Dayton-type plate for you - it will be off an M series but other than not having DAYTON lettering they are identical, with the same characteristic cast baseplate.

I like that steering wheel! Try LWD Parts - he has some good value N.O.S. big wheels. See under U.S. Heavy. Check diameter. Interesting you should mention AUSTIN 5th wheel. Has your chassis been drilled on the top rail for the coupling, maybe 5 holes each side centred about 2" forward of the rear axle centreline? Can you provide any info on the AUSTIN coupling other than the photo in the Tankograd book? Tony

Tony - if you google 'babbitted big end repair UK' you'll find a few companies. One in Coventry. Alternatively look on classic car forum or rods'nsods forum. Tony

Amazing. I really must get across soon and see these wonderful machines flying!

You wouldn't need much length of grass to get airborne would you?

Did anyone try to sell you a very cheap GMC loaded with jerrycans of fuel? :whistle:

There appears to be a wooden box in the way of the left one which presumably should go to the back wheel. As for locking one front wheel, not sure that would do much good at all. More likely both rear wheels. I'm not yet convinced. I could be convinced by photographic evidence though :-D

But if it was just for climbing up, why would it be hooked at top for easy removal? Job to tell if it is hemp or wire. I think it is wire, and if we knew what the regular duties of the engine were in some detail we might have a better idea what it was used for. My guess is that it was used to pull engine sideways to permit tight turning of whatever it was pulling - the lock is not good and steering problematic in greasy conditions, and this would greatly facilitate positioning of guns(?) in difficult conditions or confined spaces. Although there does not appear to be a rope on the right side - - and I've been wrong plenty of times before…...:blush:

Not just steamers. Going off-topic a bit, there was an old boy near me who drove an early Standard Fordson tractor. He wore an old Great War trench coat to keep the winter cold out when ploughing. To help keep warm he had a length of rubber hose running from the horizontal exhaust and stuffed up the back of his coat. Apparently he always went home with a very black neck. :wow:

Aha - a floating machine gun post - the funny scribble material on the drawing is kelp, stuffed into boxes to disguise it.

Not under the ground or on the ground or in the air - or in the trees. What does that leaf leave?

It appears to be a tow rope, permanently fastened at this point on the smokebox and stowed when not in use by hooking to the canopy. Doesn't appear to be on eon the other side. The only reason a rope would be attached at this point would be either to pull the engine sideways on a regular basis, or for the engine to pull something - a trailer drawbar maybe to turn the front bogie? Or was this a gun tractor and the rope used to manoeuvre something as part of the regular gun set-up procedure? Given the lack of weight on front axle when pulling hard, I wonder if it was prone to pulling to the right, and needed a corrective 'tug'? :-D

So it must be in the trees. That sounds a bit Kate Bush doesn't it?

Not beyond the realms of possibility :-D

1947 onwards it would have been marked USAF not Army Air Forces or Air Forces US Army. You're right to ask, Mark - how do we know it is wartime? Well we don't know for sure that this picture is wartime, but check out the markings on the Cushman. I believe this was a wartime LIFE photo. We know they were used by USAAF during the war and - amongst several wartime pictures - there exists at least one photo confirming the existence of one on an East Anglian heavy bomber base with a B-17 behind it. :trustme:

Try telling this guy…...

Just picked up some s/h magazines - amongst them the January 2014 Heritage COMMERCIALS, with a brilliant article on DORA. :thumbsup: Well done Rob! Tony