brown cow

Hi Rick, I have just seen the photos of the Humber remains in Sydney. It was a 4 door heavy utility as the side step is visible, which extends full length between the front and rear wheels. It may look bad but there are sure some parts there I could use (for a second vehicle project!) If I ever get that far. Thanks for showing us. regards Andrew B.

I couldn't resist posting this photo, which shows how the painting was done, in a 1932 booklet from the General Omnibus Co. in London. Maybe this is high speed brush painting. Andrew

This reminds me of an off road trip with friends in our jeeps many years ago. I was going over a large mound of dirt and pine forest 'flotsam' when I lost all forward momentum. NO clutch ! Still in gear. What's going on? When I crawled underneath (lovely red moist dirt) I found a stout stick had flicked up between the floor and the clutch pedal arm stopping the pedal from returning to normal position. PHEW! We were miles (and hours from anywhere). Andrew B

On behalf of us on the other side of the world, thanks for the pics and great to see some British vehicles in force. Andrew B

My mate and I were screaming down the Hume highway going to Corowa years ago when the cops used the twin wires across the road to check speed. Since I had a CJ transfer case with overdrive fitted into my GPW (long trips here in Oz) we were near to lift off with the speedo past the last digits on the dial I thought we were gone but no-one stopped us. I was a bit surprised (or was that disappointed) that we might not have exceeded the speed of sound. Andrew B

Hi Lex, I've been busy so only looked here today. Looks like I had better get busy, now where are those slides from 1984! We were camped with the American vehicles so probably at one of the US beaches. I can't remember, just following the crowd as a passenger. We did attend the last night dinner in a large hanger, where i remember an announcement about some of the cross channel ferries going on strike or something. That threw a few people into a tizz as they were going back to work the next day or so. Also remember the local dignitaries putting on drinks at Rommels HQ - a very large house in open grounds (where I don't know!) Anyway It was a great experience for those of us from the other side. regards Andrew B

Don't forget all us types in the Antipodes and other far flung outposts who won't be on the beaches (our PM got free tickets though!) I went with some mates to the D Day events in 1984 when I was a lot younger! I should dig out my slides to scan and post some. There may be some familiar faces for the forum regulars, they were all strangers to me then. The group of us from Aussie gave Peter Gray a hand to get his vehicles going before the tour. I haven't helped to change a set of M10 tracks before or since! He's a great bloke who couldn't do enough for us visitors. (even bought me a bottle of Buttercup cough syrup for my irritated throat!) Andrew B

I received Alec's list (thanks Alec) when dated oct 2008 and have been using it to keep track of heavy utilities. Alec had listed any details of about 50 vehicles (some minimal info for some). I have accumulated photos of 37 different vehicles, and several unidentified. From this distance I can only go by registration plates and it seems that some vehicles have had more than one over time. I have wondered where the HU auctioned in the USA ended up, also the Hexonaut. It appears that the Wireless & Pers. vehicles would be on the RARE list! regards Andrew B

I saved a picture off the web a year or more ago of a Humber based on some pics of a wireless & pers. with a 15cwt rear body in a Bellona booklet. Or is it the original vehicle? I labelled it as a French Humber.I hope there's no objection to this pic being shown. Being a Heavy utility owner I would like to see up to date listing of Heavy utilities. Oh, and I suppose the shortest list would be for Ambulances! regards Andrew

I think they may be for use in artillery when handling shells. I have seen and collected several similar types of lightweight gloves, there were even long 'mosquito gloves' in khaki or jungle green which tied with a cotton lace near the elbow. the V prefixed number is the manufacturer's code number, V for Victoria, N for New South Wales etc. A file in official archives mentioned a perceived benefit to makers who were displaying their name or brand on clothing and all sorts of other items, so from around 1941/2 to level the playing field the code numbers were issued to suppliers to the government. This continued till the end of the war and a short time after (from examples I have seen) regards Andrew B

I have had one of these trolleys for years with the steel rimmed wheels but missing the brass plate, so don't know if it's local production or otherwise. I have seen a couple of photos of them being used in the pacific campaigns. The attached photo was at a swap/car show in the 1980's with a small reel. I have a large reel full of steel twin wire and it's all I can do to just roll it around because of the weight (in storage under the house). It's good to see different pics of these seldom seen objects, so thanks for posting. Andrew B.

When I saw the photo, I had to dig out a shot of a similar incident, and although not military is still in the 1940's and still look at what's happening. The driver's still trapped, but the tram conductor on the right (with his ticket bag) well, you can see what he's thinking. These trams were still operating widely in Melbourne in the 1990's and some are still going for the tourists. Andrew B.

I just realized the photo of the battery charger is actually another machinery jeep! Andrew B

The Aust Army used jeeps for just about everything in the islands north of Australia later in ww2, so maybe not entirely relevant to your part of the world these Aust War Memorial photos may be of interest. The jeep with lathe, I don't know the power source but they did mount big generators in jeeps using a PTO off the trans. case. The 2nd photo is of a battery slave charger, note the big generator behind the front seats. Another photo shows two generators running of a pto. If you search the AWM photo archive look for the following numbers as examples: 018106,078870,078871,079172,109659,112537, all jeep photos with LAD type stuff mounted. I'll attach a couple. regards Andrew B

After seeing this item I dug out a folder I bought years ago, which came with a battle jerkin (what I was interested in) The previous owner was a Major Peter Chance, the Brigade Major for the 27th Armd Brigade at the time of D-Day and the papers he kept were various orders issued for the D-Day landings (file copy #63) I'll attach some interesting pages , after a couple of hours scanning approx 64 pages. Andrew B

Here is a photo from the Aust War Memorial archives

Glen I had a WOT2D years ago here in Australia and could drive it on days into the high 30'sC. It didn't like the stop and start of traffic but on the open road was great. (why did I ever sell it?) The D model didn't have an oil cleaner but I put on an NOS unit from the 1950's, however I was preparing it for a trip from Melbourne to Corowa NSW, about a 4-5 hr drive and installed a new carby. We found out on the way that the engine was overheating, it was about 40C the engine suffered from low oil pressure (another SV V8 feature on worn engines) but realised that it was running really lean on fuel , an almost white exhaust. Luckily I was carrying spares and we did a carby rebuild on the side of the highway miles from anywhere, but got to our destination after 9 hours! So these trucks will go on hot days, keep your chin up. It does sound like something quite wrong. My mate and I also wrapped wet rags around the fuel pump to keep it a bit cooler and I spent as much time watching the oil and temp gauges as much as the road. By the way another tip for the unfamiliar, when removing SV water pumps don't forget the internal bolt up the centre of where where the hose clamps on making a total of 4 bolts (from memory) for each pump. Another friend who had a Ford CMP fitted electric temp senders to each head and wired them with a switch to check the temp at each head. He also fitted en electric pump at each fuel tank to push fuel to the carby again with a switch to operate one or the other.(a real belt and braces type). regard Andrew B

Hi Jules, The rear body looks great, as does the rest of the vehicle. I am having many mini-dramas with my Box body and just about every other part needing something doing to it. Anyway, I really want to know if you are going to restore those trestles the body is perched upon! regards Andrew

This might be of interest to the WW2 hand cart enthusiast. An Australian made version of the Enfield generator engine from K.L. Engines & Tractors in Melbourne. Described as a 2.75 Kva alternator set for radar power supply. I was given this unit years ago and is in fairly poor condition, having sat outside for years. Even the orig wheels seem to have been replaced. Maybe hard to get tyres. I have no other info or photos as yet. regards Andrew B

It's amazing what threads we read when on annual leave. Not into motorcycles but looked nevertheless. Love the pic of the vickers cart. I've had an Aust made 'jungle cart' for a while, used where the Australian Army operated in the latter part of ww2. They were produced after finding Japanese carts useful. Sort of reverse copying! I had the same problem with hard original tyres but the tyres were beyond help. (I cannot bring myself to throw them away) I found that trying to remove them the wire in the beads were breaking- rusty. More importantly I didn't want to damage the rims as they were rusting from the inside. so I cut one tyre off in the end. Attached is a shot of the cart before the operation, and one from a collection of a Sgt in a field post office in New Guinea. regards Andrew B

To All, I've had a news cuttings scrapbook for many years, which was collated by someone at Charles Ruwolt P/L in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond. They were the manufacturers of the 25pdr and the 25pdr short as well as other war materials. The quality is not the best but may be of interest. regards Andrew B

Hi Jules, I had a Fordson WOT2D which I restored in the 1980's, that also had the Vokes filter. There was an old disposals yard locally in Melbourne (Aust) that had a pile of NOS assemblies but in a lean-to. I got a couple of the best looking one's with intact (not moth eaten) felt and installed one. It took me about 20 minutes and a few miles of wondering why the truck was getting asthmatic to discover the felt was slowly disintegrating into the carby! I had to do a roadside strip of the carby to get home again.Ever seen a furry carby? I found a truck aircleaner filter in an auto/industrial shop that was an almost perfect fit with some home-made rubber gaskets, with no more problems in that department. The yard has since closed and I wish I had bought more filter assemblies (surface rust only!) regards, Andrew Browne

Hi to Rick & Richard, I was scanning some photos only last night which included the Leyland 6x6 mentioned as trialled by the Aust army. I took the photos at a disposal sale at Tottenham depot in inner Melbourne in the late 70's. Naturally I didn't write down the date! The Leyland looked a bit bedraggled, and the only one I saw but there were 2 Hino 6x6, one with crane and one without. Also saw 2 Bedford 4x4s which presumably lost out to the Unimogs. regards Andrew.

Hi to EKA, Welcome, I also loved the snaps. By the way I have a shed that may need moving one day, trouble is I'm in Australia! regards Andrew

Hi Flinders, I am a new member as well, and it took me about 3 years to join rather than watch, so welcome. Maybe you can give us an idea of what your interests are. regards Andrew