POPPY

What I meant was, was the Bofors known as 40mm L/60 before the L/70 entered service, I'm not sure it was. Hence being marked L/60 indicates it was to differentiate between it and the longer L/70 barrel.

Having just checked all my manuals which date from 1941 to 1947, it is only listed as Ordnance, Q.F. 40mm. I suspect it only became known as L/60 in British service when L/70 came in during 1953.

I'm with you now👍🏻 Good work Adrian! That's interesting and makes sense.

As there are no broad arrow marks I didn't know weather it would be Royal Navel type ?

I cant believe how heavy the empty box weighs ! I feel sorry for the chaps that had to cart it about with a live barrel inside.

I think it's likely well post war. Was the L60 referred to as such before the L70 came into service? I always thought the wartime boxes were wooden.

Hi Adrian,

Yes the L60 was pre L70 I believe..... thanks for your reply 👍🏻

Hi Tony,

No the bits were items I have had previously. Good idea though!

Ive looked all over the box, inside and outside and can't find a date,manufacturer or broad arrow anywhere ..... and there is very little info on the net about spare boxes.

Thanks for your reply 😀

Hi all,

I have just acquired a spare barrel box for a 40mm Bofors gun. (No spare barrel though just the box) and it weighs a ton !!!😳

The box is all steel construction with a wooden interior, metal handles and 2 x data plates but with no date or broad arrow. I have attached some pics of the box and data plate but unfortunately they will only upload upside down🤔

Can any one kindly tell me if this Spare barrel box is correct for British light anti aircraft units. I wish to stow it on my 1944 F60 LAAT.

I have only seen British and Commonwealth Spare barrel boxes in black and white photographs and they appear to be all wooded construction with rope handles.

Either way, once tidied up it will look the part with my light anti aircraft diarahma.

Any further info will be much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Mark

Hi all,

I have just acquired a spare barrel box for a 40mm Bofors gun. (No spare barrel though just the box) and it weighs a ton !!!😳

The box is all steel construction with a wooden interior, metal handles and 2 x data plates but with no date or broad arrow. I have attached some pics of the box and data plate but unfortunately they will only upload upside down🤔

Can any one kindly tell me if this Spare barrel box is correct for British light anti aircraft units. I wish to stow it on my 1944 F60 LAAT.

I have only seen British and Commonwealth Spare barrel boxes in black and white photographs and they appear to be all wooded construction with rope handles.

Either way, once tidied up it will look the part with my light anti aircraft diarahma.

Any further info will be much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Mark

Hi Richard,

Thank you very much for your post ... I appreciate it

Kind regards,

Mark

Hi Pete,

Thanks for your swift reply,

I will submit some pictures tomorrow:)

It will be interesting to see what we can come up with 👍🏻

Cheers Mark

Good evening,

Could anyone possibly tell me if Bedford MWD's (GS Variants) were ever possibly converted to MWR's (Radio Variants) later on "in house" or were all Bedford MWR's manufactured as such straight from the factory floor.

I see that Bedford MWR's have extras such as a PTO and an under chassis generator to power the wirless sets, ordinary Bedford MWD's lack these.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Kind regrds,

Mark

1940 BSA M20

1944 BSA M20

1944 F60 LAAT

1942 L60 40mm Bofors (Otis Elivator Co)

1944 Mk5 BSA Infantry Bicycle

Hi,

Unfortunately my F60 CMP LAAT is missing it's metal data contract plates that rivet onto the driver side door.

Could anyone kindly inform me if there is another way of dating and finding out the location the manufacture of my Ford and perhaps finding out its original Serial number . Is there a chassis number stamped els where ?

I have looked on the rear of the towing pintle plate and found the figure '44' (a year of manufacture perhaps ?)

I look forward to any advice,

kind regards,

Mark

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your reply😃....... I've just counted 48 teeth on the main cog, and can confirm that there is no pleats on the rubber pedals .

I have however found another Mark on the cross member sentry of the handle bars.

.......

Hi fellow members,

Can any one possibly identify the Make/Model of my old Bicycle ???

A good friend of mine gave me the bike as he believed it to be a military model (which I've always wanted)

I have discovered several serial numbers on the bicycle which are as follow:

1. Saddle bracket tube (Right hand side and very hard to read but looks like) a f a 53

2. Saddle bracket tube (Left hand side) nice and clear, S 1 2 1 4

3. Rear carrier rack (Nice and clear) FA&S Ltd MK IV B 1944

I will now attemp to attach some pictures. (so sorry they have up loaded upside down 😊)

Any information would be very welcom indeed..... 😃

kind regards,

Mark

Thanks for the link N.O.S 👍🏻

Why could'nt I find that ??? LOL :laugh:

kind regards,

Mark

Hi all,

In my 1943 Maintenance Manual for Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles, there is a picture of the layout for the Cab 13.

Above the drivers head, bolted to the cab roof is 2 x brackets for a Paralleloscope.

Can any one kindly explain what a Paralleloscope is ??? :undecided:

I have Googled it but to no avail :blush:​

Your help is much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Mark Towers

Hi Brinv8,

Supurb work !!! Thank you very much :laugh:

I am delighted to see your pics ..... Pictures of CMP LAAT's in service seem to be very scarce indeed. A picture paints a thousand words and I now have concrete evidence of British use in 1944 too.

Thanks again.

kind regards,

Mark:tup::

Thank you all for your inputs ... And very helpful advice !!!😃👍

I will find some axle stands and carry out the nessesary checks and report back to this thread to let you all know how I get on

kind regards

Mark

Hi,

I was driving my 1944 CMP LAAT home this afternoon from a bank holiday show in rather muddy water logged field. It had rained none stop all weekend.

I fired the old girl up and selected 4 wheel drive. I drove across the boggy fields no problem taking it real easy.

When I was out and clear from the mire and onto the hard Tarmac road , I tried to select 2 wheel drive for normal road use..... But the lever was really hard to select 2 wheel drive ..... I shunted forward slowly in first gear then tried again.... With a little less resistance I finally got her into 2 wheel drive and set off home.

As I got up to 20 mph the Cab started bouncing. I pulled over to check if I had a flat tire , but all tyres were fine....... I set off sgain and the bouncing had eased off this time when I got to 20 mph but I noticed that my engine was working harder than usual and it was taking longer to reach cruising speed (35-40mph) :confused

It felt like I was towing a trailer!........ I pulled over again to check if my hand break was released properly or if I had a sticking break drum on one of the wheels ?....... The hand break was free and the wheel hubs cool.

I then tried pushing my lorry on the flat road but I could feel more resistance than normal ..... I tried to select 4 wheel drive again as I suspected that the transmission was to blame.

The selector moved into 4 wheel drive but wanted to spring back hard into 2 wheel drive ..... After selecting 4 wheel drive I reversed back a couple of foot and forward a couple of foot.

I then set off again in 2 wheel drive . It still felt like I was under powered and towing somthing ? I continued on and after a mile or so there was a loud bang and the lorry felt like she hopped or skipped :eek:

Suddenly my power came back and I was up to crusing speed and all felt and sounded healthy again...... I got the lorry home safely.

Can anyone one kindly tell me if this was a bad case of Transmission Wind up? ..... Has that loud bang caused any damage ? ..... And what can I do different next time to avoid axle/transmission wind up ?

I really hope I haven't damaged the old girl !!!! I've only just got her back on her feet .

Kind regards,

Mark Towers

Somewhere on my bookshelves, I have a photo of a CMP LAAT from Imperial War museum records, in British Army livery, photo was taken at Chiselhurst in 1944 in front of the local church. I will search for it and see what references are on the reverse of the photo.

In the distant past I assisted my pal Bill with the restoration of his CMP Ford LAAT, and had a CMP of my own.

Thank you very much for your reply :-)

I would love to see your photo taken at Chiselhurst in 1944!!! .... Hope you manage to locate it! If it turns out to be a British example I will be thrilled.

And nice to hear that you are a prevouse owner of a CMP LAAT too ! They are nice strong lorries 👍🏻

speak soon,

kind regards,

Mark

Hello fellow members.

Can any one help?

I am currently a custodian of a 1944 CMP F60 LAAT (Bofors gun tractor) which I have dedicated to a British unit of the 3rd Uk Division.

Very recently I have been fortunate enough to chat with two exstrodinary Bofors crewman (one that landed on D-Day with F-Troop.... as their Wireless Operator...Which is the Troop my F60 is marked up as.... And the second, a Bofors gunner who served in Burma)

Both chaps were actually assigned the Morris SP Bofors gun, and couldn't recall ever seeing a Canadian Military Pattern LAAT in use, but instead the larger Bedford LAAT. (they did have CMP wirless trucks, and CMP GS lorries at their disposal though.

I read on the MLU forum that the British probably wouldn't of used 2 different types of LAAT in the supply chain, so I am now wondering if the British ever used the Canadian Miltary Pattern 60cwt LAAT???

A curator who also currently owns a CMP LAAT is quite sure the British would of used them ! As so many have survived in England post war.

Photos of CMP LAAT's on the net are very scarce indeed .... And the 2 that I have been lucky enough to find show that they are with Canadian units.

To that end...... Could any one kindly tell me if there is any concrete proof of the British using them ? I would dearly love to know 😃 !

your help is much appreciated.

kind regards,

Mark

1944 CMP F60

1942 40mm Bofors

1940 BSA M20

The parts are readily available in this country as I already stated, we have purchased second hand bodies from the sam source, as they used to offer rebuilt units but no longer offer this service. I have rebuilt three now and the important thing to remember is that the cast iron face for the seal must be good and flat and true to the centre line of the pump shaft or you will end up with a leaky pump.

 

Best regards

John

Hi all ! Thank you very much for your sound advice .... I have some good friends that can help me with the re-build option ...😄

I will post some pics in due course.

kind regards,

Mark

http://1944 LAAT

Hi all,

Could anyone kindly sign post me in the right direction.

I am looking for a right hand water pump for my Canadian Ford F60 flathead v8.

My water pump seized last week and I am having great difficulty finding a spare!

kind regards,

Mark Towers

1944 CMP F60 LAAT

1942 Canadian 40mm Bofors Gun

1940 BSA M20

Hi Pete,

I'm not too sure ! ... My broken temp gauge was wired to the electric birds nest behind the dash (so I think I'm right in saying its electric.

It is a round dial and has no bulb inside it.... Just the gauge needle with a basic copper element attached too it!

hope this helps !

thanks for replying😄

Mark

Good evening,

My Tempreture gauge is byond repair. I have searched all over the Internet to find a replacment but to no avail!

Could any one kindly point me in the right direction to find one! (it's the late war type!... Standard American i believe)

Your help is much apricaited!

regards,

Mark

(Ex) 1940 BSA M20

1944 Ford F60 LAAT

1942 40mm Bofors Gun

Morning Richard,

unfortunatly there is is no data plate in the cab (just 4 little holes where it once hung)

As for the Mech No: .... There is a number under the truck on the rear towing pintel plate (FM CO 44) if I remeber correctly. Is this the mech code?

There was another vehicle serial number stenciled on the rear of my truck CH4320996

Could you kindly tell me if this number was allocated to Ford CMP's .....?

Many thanks

Mark

Hi Richard,

Thanks for your reply!

well I guess both numbers are incorrect then lol

Hope there is a way of getting the correct number.

When I had my BSA M20 I was able to get the "C" Tank number off Henk Joore in Holland .

Henk could work out the "C" number from the chassis number.

I expect you already know of Henk but if you don't, his website is http://www.TheBsaM20Web

cheers,

Mark

1944 F60 Laat

1942 Bofors gun

Ex 1940 BSA M20

Hi all,

When I purchased my 1944 Ford CMP LAAT last year I was kindly given 2 x Vehicle numbers written on a peace of paper that the previous owner logged before painting over the complete cab.

I am passionate to put the correct number back on the doors!

Is there any possible way one can find out the vehicles correct number ???

The numbers I have are CH5582910 + C9895245.

Kind regards,

Mark

1944 F60 Laat

1942 40mm Bofors Gun

Ex 1940 Bsa M20