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Runflat

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    Barrage Balloon

    in I may be stupid, but......

    Posted

    Can you still get the Ealing Comedy about these things?

     

    You may be thinking of Let George Do It! with George Formby floating off to Germany; or Gasbags with the Crazy Gang running a fish & chip shop off a barrage balloon and also floating off to Germany.

     

    My Grandma had a children's book called Blossom the Barrage Balloon about the coming of age of a young barrage balloon during the Blitz - a great piece of social history being relevant to only a single generation of children.

    Brockhouse Fuel Bowser

    in Trailers, plant and equipment

    Posted

    There isn't much in W&T (it's issue 36 you want). It says:

     

    ...[the torsion-bar suspension trailer] had been adopted by the Air Ministry and via them a production license was sold, in 1935, to J. Brockhouse & Co Ltd of West Bromwich where until 1945 about 10,000 were built.

     

    It would appear that they mounted a variety of bodies. The pilot model is shown and an "ex-RAF 450-gallon oil tanker" (looks the same as yours) spotted in Lincolnshire in the summer of 1990.

    DUKW Sightseeing Tours

    in Other Chatter

    Posted

    Ever fancied travelling the world, taking in DUKW tours along the way but not sure where they are? Here’s a list to start you off. Are there any others out there?

     

    AUSTRALIA

    • RainForeStation Nature Park (Cairns): http://www.rainforest.com.au/index.htm

     

    EIRE

    • Viking Splash (Dublin): http://www.vikingsplash.ie/

     

    GREAT BRITAIN

    • London Duck Tours (London): http://www.londonducktours.co.uk/default.asp

    • The Yellow Duck Marine (Liverpool): http://www.theyellowduckmarine.co.uk/

    • Searles Sea Tours (Hunstanton): http://www.seatours.co.uk/

     

    USA

    • Boston Duck Tours: http://www.bostonducktours.com/

    • Ride the Ducks (Baltimore, Branson, Newport, Philadelphia, Stone Mountain Park, Seattle, San Francisco): http://www.ridetheducks.com/

    • Just Ducky Tours (Pittsburgh): http://www.justduckytours.com/

    • Bay Quackers (San Francisco): http://www.bayquackers.com/

    • DC Ducks (Washington): http://www.dcducks.com/index.htm

    • Wisconsin Duck Tours: http://www.wisconsinducktours.com/

    • Hawaii Duck Tours (Honolulu): http://www.hawaiiducktours.com/

    • Hot Springs National Parks Duck Tours (Arkansas): http://www.rideaduck.com/ducks/index.php

     

    ...and, no! The two in San Francisco are not the same: http://www.sfweekly.com/2008-11-12/news/clash-of-the-quackers/

     

    As well as the above list, I think there used to be “Metro Ducks” in Chicago, Illinois; and Dayton, Ohio. But I can’t find any track of them now.

     

    Remember, before you book your flights, do check that the tours are actually operating; and satisfy yourself on how safe the vessels are before boarding:

    http://www.ntsb.gov/events/symp_vessels/Documents/Miss%20Majestic_MAR0201-NTSB.pdf

    http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/docs/boards/dukw.pdf

    Collection of WWII British vehicles

    in British Vehicles

    Posted

    These are interesting vehicles in service with the Irish army.

     

    The story goes that in the late 1931 Comdt. Joseph V Lawless of the Armoured Car Corps suggested mounting hulls from obsolete Peerless armoured cars on a modern 6x4 chassis. The Leyland Terrier T.E.2 was identified as suitable. Unfortunately, transferring the first Peerless hull was more complicated than expected and the front hull had to be redesigned. But the first version was ready for testing on 10th September 1934. On 12th February 1935 it was examined by a specially convened Board of Officers who recommended that the two Peerless turrets be dispenced with and a single turret installed. In 1935 a further three Terrier chassis were purchased and in February 1936 the Dept of Defence proposed equipping them with the same turrets as fitted to a recently delivered Landsverk L60 tank. However the job of building the cars took longer than expected with the last not being finished until March 1940. The cars were:

     

    ZC 773 (chassis TE 9418) - preserved at Curragh Camp

    ZC 774 (chassis TE 4673) - preserved at Tank Museum, Bovington

    ZC 775 (chassis TE 9419) - scrapped in 1960s

    ZC 776 (chassis TE 9417) - preserved at the Transport Museum, Howth, Co. Dublin

     

    The Leyland exercise was supposed to be a cost saving measure but it became obvious that it would be more costly than expected and so the decision was taken to purchase new vehicles off-the-shelf. Having purchased four Landverk turrets for the Leylands it made sense to purchase similarly equipped vehicles if at all possible. So, in December 1936, Major Lawlor and Comdt. Lawless travelled to Copenhagen to inspect new Landsverk L180 armoured cars that had recently entered service with the Danish army. They were fully satisfied as to the suitability and performance. A note in 1937 records, "...Swedish cars much better than anything we could do ourselves. British are still experimenting. No standard cars adopted. There is an immediate need for 2 cars. We cannot wait for British to make up their minds...".

     

    So, two Landsverk L180s were ordered in March 1937 at £12,000 plus £900 for the supply and installation of two Gambrel radio sets, enabling the cars to communicate with aircraft as well as each other. The cars were delivered in early 1938 and given the registration numbers ZC 757 and ZC 758. A further six (ZC 5837 - ZC 5842) were delivered in early 1939.

     

    (Source: Irish Army Vehicles - Transport and armour since 1922 by Karl Martin)

    Collection of WWII British vehicles

    in British Vehicles

    Posted

    In the foreground are two Morris Comercial CS11/30 30-cwt trucks. To the side are more Morris-Commercials, this time what are probably CS8 15cwts. In the background are Rolls Royce armoured cars.

     

    I'm surprised this photo is 1940. It has a late 1930s feel to it. Were R-Rs still in use at this time?

    Hastings Area

    in Other Chatter

    Posted

    I think that the organising of this has been over a very short period as I was approached to take part only about a month or so ago. The logistics of doing the complete journey with only a short time to organise might be the reason for only going as far as Sevenoaks. Should make a good spectacle though.

     

    Thanks Richard. I hope the event gets sufficient publicity to make it worthwhile for all involved - it should be a bit different, to say the least.

     

     

    Another thing to do near Hastings is to search out Bexhill with its links to early motor racing:

    http://www.discoverbexhill.com/bexhillmotorracing.php

    http://www.bexhillmuseum.co.uk/activelst.asp?rid=1&cat=36

    http://www.bexhill100.co.uk/frame.html

    Hastings Area

    in Other Chatter

    Posted

    Richard, do you have better details? Will it be on the 17th (a Tuesday) or the weekend before? - may have to take a day off work! What's the route?

     

    The age bit is a bit of a cop out! If pre-1905 cars can make Brighton then anything younger should be able to make Hastings with little difficulty.

    Hastings Area

    in Other Chatter

    Posted

    Two things that have fascinated me about Hastings for some time are:

     

    1) A German submarine (U118) was washed ashore there. How many towns can claim that? I don't know what remains, nor where it is!

     

    2) On 17th March, 1909 (the centenary of which is any day now), as an advertising stunt to prove the worth of motor vehicles, the Automobile Association transported a fully equipped Guard's battalion from London to Hastings and back. It being St Patricks Day, the Mayor of Hastings promised the guardsmen Irish stew for lunch. The drivers were accomodated in groups at AA appointed hotels. Quite why the Veteran Car Club, when it got into such angst a few years ago about extending the London to Brighton cut off date from 1904, didn't recreate the Guard's run for younger cars is anyones guess. Something I still wish they would do!

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