brown cow

Hi Rupert You have many colours to choose from. My mid war (contract S538) heavy utility only has one colour throughout, inside, on top, underneath everything including chassis, all panels I have touched. Dark green. I'm working on the front seat box covers at the moment, so recognised your panel with the brown paint. regards, Andrew

This is where I'm at with my Humber in recent times, doing a lot of small things now. These heavy utilities have a lot of parts !

Hi Rupert I just went to the shed and pulled out the drive shafts from my project, not fitted yet. A bit dark but they are as in the parts book. Your vehicle being early could be different but unlikely. My vehicle was fitted with a diff from a car of the era which has a higher ratio and the shaft was lengthened by about an inch because the civvy diff looks to have smaller bearings and not as bulky as the military diff. I did get the original diff as well luckily. regards, Andrew

A couple of 'screen shots' from the TV , from The Guns Of Navarone.

The first one looks like a Bedford MW, they have a distinctive bonnet side. The Humber FWDs have a big brush guard in front of the radiator which is quite high and cycle type mudguards which would make it difficult to casually lean on unless your about 6ft4in (guestimate !) The second one looks like a 'Monty' open style Humber 4x2 car, so getting closer. One of those would be nice to motor about in.

A heavy utility features in couple of scenes well into The Guns of Navarone, where Gregory Peck and his gang dress as Germans and travel in a 'German' Humber to enter the castle lasting a few minutes. Quite good for the Humberphile.

Hi Rupert I have been working my way through the ex WA Humber for some time. Everything I touch needs work. Most Humbers seem to have the square windscreens, late contracts have the rounded version for extra strength I believe, and probably better weather sealing. They all had sliding roof hatches , mine is over the rear seats, the later ones were in a different position moved forward although l haven't seen an example. I have known your vehicle for many years, I had a visit from Nigel many years ago. Looking at the floor of your vehicle, it looks original up to the rear arches. The 2 'boxes' in the floor were for storage of tyre chains ! Your car looks like it has a Bedford radiator from other pics I've seen as they have a distinctive filler cap. The LRC radiator is the same as the HU. regards, Andrew

Just thinking (always dangerous) that if the sets were issued when new and the (training ) pamphlet lists all the components like microphones, cables, batteries (and watch) then they would presumably issued complete. Does that still mean they left the factory complete with everything ? Only someone who was there could give a definite answer.

I can't answer that except that the WS 11 set training book lists the watch as an accessory , and the training book for another early Aust set (WS101) from 1941 mentions in the 'complete station' list that the watch is stored in the holder on the set. The Maple Leaf Up site article mentions that earlier in the war sets came with the watch but later on they were left out as too many disappeared. My earlier trg pams show pictures with the watch in place. The WS19 Aust MkII pam (1943) shows pictures of the set with a watch in place, but an Aust reprint of British Working Instructions for WS19 mk I & II - undated show illustration of front panel with empty holder. I guess you can take that either way , the Brit pam has line drawings not photos so may be the artists interpretation. (pure speculation on my part !)

Hi Tony I opened up the GS/WT watch from my earlier post : Swiss made, 15 jewel , non-magnetic but no maker. I can see presumably a serial number under the main spring wheel (cannot remember correct name) that's about it. JWH was J W Handley who made many types of instruments during WW2. the underline V means they were based in the state of Victoria. A method of marking on many items including clothing. For the watch enthusiast a couple of pics of my Aust general purpose Waltham, and an Omega bought at a motor swap meet years ago. The seller had 8 or 10 to choose from, all 'non goers'. None of mine operate. regards, Andrew

Hi Tony I haven't had a chance to open the watch yet (I have to excavate into the garage shelves again), however Hummermark may be interested in the entry in the 'complete station list' in my copy of the signal trg. pamphlet for WS no11 (Aust) and a couple of other early Aust trg pams. "ZA7400 Watches, non magnetic" with a footnote "or watches GS, Mk II (Sect. V2) in lieu" ZA7400 is a Brit. Cat no. as, if it was Aust local manufacture or design it would be ZAA...…... I have a couple of pams for the no.19 set but they don't show the 'complete station list' - most unhelpful. regards, Andrew

I have a watch made here in Australia (don't know about the movement) which appears to be specific to the no.11 & 19 wireless set holders. It doesn't have a ring at the top spindle at the winder although there are recesses for one. It fits neatly into the holder whereas if the ring was there it would interfere. This watch also has a square profile unlike the usual pocket watch. This is the only one I've seen but there must be others about. Were any British watches like this ? Australia was still using WS11's quite late in the war and they were getting 'tropicalised' with a stencil 'TT' - tropic treated. Anyway hopefully my photos will attach. A bit dark unfortunately. regards, Andrew

Hi all I had a couple of WOT2D's many years ago and they didn't have badges. In my photo research then, it looked as though only early models A & B seemed to have them, presumably deleted as unnecessary use of metal. One of my friends had a WOA2 without a badge. He got a badge off a civvy COE model 7V truck. I couldn't help myself and attached a V8 badge from a cab12 CMP because nobody believed that there was a V8 under the bonnet. regards Andrew B

The two main dials with the rectangular knobs look like they are off the type 3 mkII spy radio

I made up some 1/4 inch using normal coach bolts to use in my Humber heavy utility floorboards. I machined a countersunk hole into some thick plate, the hole large enough to let the square fit. I then heated the head red hot, dropping it quickly into the hole and hammered it into the countersunk hole with a large punch and hammer. After cooling down I lightly machined the head flat. I did about a dozen, they weren't perfect but good enough for floorboards, and they worked ! Afterall you only see the top of the head. The square parts were only damaged slightly if the bolt went in crooked. Easy if you've got all the equipment to hand, and some practice. (sorry no pics to hand) regards Andrew