Runflat

Wow! That's an exceptional group of photographs: it's relatively easy to find portrait photographs and pictures away from the trenches, but very rare to see private photographs from the trenches themselves - unlike on the 'Hun' side of non-man's land, for the allies it was really only the offical photographers who were allowed to photograph the reality of the front.

Amongst other things, note the netting to hide movements on the roads and the observation 'tree'.

Is that the engine mentioned here? http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?40151-Engine-find

Any idea what it's from yet? It may be a Wolseley; not that it matters too much as it is a great fit.

We have a string on these tenders here: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?26171

Do post the pictures there as well. :thumbsup:

And an LGOC B-type truck in the foreground!

Reading the latest edition of Classic Military Vehicle (Jan 2014), I see that John Morter also has the remains of an ambulance, albeit converted into a pickup.

Here are a couple of pictures from Karl Martin's book. Looking closely, the quads look like Mk IIIs. Note the registration of the quad in the second picture and the weight disc and plate either side of the radiator.

The suggestion is these were bought new from Morris Commercial, rather than as British Army war surplus. Checking the 'ZD' vehicle records should give a date.

The caption to the second says: Willys CJ3B, ZL1246, of the Artillery Corps leading a convoy of Morris 4x4 Quads towing 25 pdr. field guns and limbers in O'Connell St. circa 1958. The Quad on the right, ZD3177, now forms part of the National Transport Museum's collection thanks to the efforts of Howard Woods.

So, yours could be the one on the left! And disposal some time in the late 1950s early 1960s?

Certainly worth checking out as the ZD 317? registration sounds like a war-time issue.

Is the Portland Stone colour that shown as the background on the disc in your pictures? It looks like it could be the light green/grey the Irish Army used. The preserved Irish Army CDSW gives the idea: http://ccmv.aecsouthall.co.uk/p67648528/h194a02ed#h194a02ed

And here:

I've just been looking in Karl Martin's book Irish Army Vehicles - it says that 35 Morris Quad Mk II artillery tractors were bought from the UK for £25,000 and delivered in January and March 1942. One of them was registered ZD 3186 - so assuming they were registered in batches there's a good chance your quad was part of the first batch. Me thinks the answer lies in the Irish Republic records. After you've tried the Dublin records as per my previous, try here: http://www.military.ie/info-centre/military-archives/

OK. A slight development on the history front.

 

On the front of the vehicle there was the remnants of a Irish civilian registration number. ZD 317.... Is the best I can make out. I never got a log book with the Quad so it is imposable to know what the number should be. I am involved in a letter writing process with the Irish motor tax division, to try and retrieve a copy using the Chassis number but they are proving to be most unhelpful.

 

Anyway using good old Google I was able to find out some information about the issue of Irish number plates. It turns out that "ZD" was a Dublin prefix and was only used between Jan 1940- Jan 1947. The numbers ran from 1-9999.

Philip Riden's book on registrations says that the ZD series records are at the Dublin City Archives. Curiously though he says it was issued between 1927 and 1954. LH Newall's book, however, gives a start date of Jan 1940 but no end date.

The archive notes say that the collection forms part of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Archive (MSS.226). But it seems to be mainly board minutes.

To add to this string, Tobin's PU has of course had its markings changed. So to avoid confusion, this is what it used to look like:

The question of ambulances has interest for me - there are more than two.

When thinking of survivors most folk will mention the very original 115KGC, restored by Rob Hickmott and owned by the Rowell family for the last 25 years or so. It was recently advertised for sale at an eye watering price.

Next up is FSK420. This was restored by Dave Rowlands - I think his name was - who built up a fleet of Humbers which included FWDs and LRCs. I understand that the vehicle uses an original ambulance chassis but how much else is original I wouldn't like to say - the main body is clearly wrong, using what I think is a post war radio body. But the bulkhead and windscreen rake also looks a bit odd. Nevertheless a good effort.

The third, JUV833, is barely known about. I only know of it because it used to be mine! The chassis number indicated that it started life as an ambulance and at some stage was given the 'fire service' body shown. I acquired it circa 1987, as a teenager, from a chap near Hook Norton - so presumably just down the road from Jules and Tobin! It had been sitting in the vendor's front garden for many a year and took ages to start, which should have been a warning sign; as should it boiling up about half a mile from the vendor's (and all the way home!). But what did I know, I was young and I'd wanted a Humber FWD for ages. It soon became apparent that it was very un-roadworthy; almost everything was worn out; and the decision was taken to strip it down and re-build it back to ambulance guise. However life got in the way and it moved to the Portsmouth area and I subsequently heard that it had been given a 15cwt body. I'm fairly certain this and the French 15cwt are one and the same vehicle. From other pictures I've seen they both have the early concertina air filter. But the chassis number or a closer examination of certain tell-tale features would confirm for sure.

As an aside, the inside of the rear body had been red at some time or other, suggesting fire service use but the vehicle's history was unknown. And then during or shortly after ownership an aeroplane disaster movie from the 50s/60s was shown on the gogglebox. One scene showed some crash tenders being scrambled - WOT1s etc - at somewhere like Heathrow. Amongst them was a Humber with a JUV registration a few digits away from this one and a similar body. So my FWD may have indeed have had a (post war) fire service history at an airport somewhere. But given the style adopted, you'd have thought it would have been much easier to convert a PU than an ambulance!

During ownership I was given details of another Humber ambulance in need of a total rebuild near Leeds Castle (Maidstone/Ashford area). From memory this was said to be complete, as such I don't think this is the Rowland vehicle. Tantalizing, eh? Perhaps I should go and try and find the address...

Finally, I think the person who bought 'my' FWD was the owner of the tourer MMF120. If you look carefully at this vehicle you'll notice that the windscreen frame supports are bolted to the side of the bulkhead, which would suggest this is not a cut down box. It is most likely an ex PU - I'd have remembered if it was an ambulance!

It's a Saurer, probably a type C4.

It's a Bussing. More on them here: http://landships.activeboard.com/t18810492/bussing-tractor/

British Berna with framework for carrying round timber. Nice!

Here are some pics of the Snipe 8 cwt., taken many years ago at Southsea by the looks of things. The museum's Crossley-Kegresse is alongside.

There's a Snipe 4x2 8cwt, I'm not aware of a 4x4.

Does anybody feel that the MVT are somewhat failing in their stated aims in the furtherance our hobby for the mutual benefit of ALL members?

The aims of the MVT are set out in the Memorandum of Association: http://www.mvt.org.uk/membership/memorandum_of_association.html

To me, power D is more about encouraging the display of MVs to, and the education of, the public rather than club members. So I can't see that the original premise - that the MVT is failing in its aims by not reporting on events to its membership through the club magazine - is upheld.

And other examples here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-wheel_tractor

"74 Days" by John Smith - to get the islanders' perspective.

And don't forget "Birds and mammals of the Falkland Islands" by Robin Woods!

The plate shows it having a civilian number so it may not have been in military service at the time of that repair, possibly another government department.

Almost certainly correct. Newall's book on vehicle registrations says that the HYV series was issued by London County Council between January and August 1947. The records don't appear to have survived.

More artist suggestions here: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?13785

Can't give you advice, but have a look at the web site for the Guild of Motoring Artists as a starter to see what styles you like.

Another picture: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205212240

As well as the axles, the taper to the front of the chassis rails and the design of the forward rear spring hanger compare well to other photographs of Palladiums.

I'm not aware that it was built under license but there's not much information available, so open to evidence to the contrary.