ted angus

At least one comnplete rig was transferred in Cyprus to the Army and I think one to MPBW

TED

Gents at message 45 is a stowage diagram, could some kind soul post a more legible version please - about to embark on a model - thank you in anticipation regards TED

it would be nice to view it and not have to buy Microsoft office 2010

I read it OK and have a very old office program

Dusty thanks for posting the list a mass of numbers there thank you

TED

I have a number of Ministry of supply vehicles logged in HYV So I would suggest possibly brought over for evaluation.

I have GYO 235 a Mercedes turntable ladder under eval with the NFS. So I think it wasn't just the armed forces who brought stuff over for eval.

Lads best wishes for tomorrow andlook forward to sharing more great stuff on here in 2014

regards TED

I second that thank you Wally ! could we get a date for that sale please .

TED

Wally thanks for this latest post

regards TED

Hello - stumbled across this thread and wonder if anyone can help?

 

RAF Elvington & Linton on Ouse (plus others in Yorkshire) apparently used a variety of trucks as the war went on.

The RCAF Sqdn's by all accounts used some GMC jimmy's in 1944/45 for general transport duties.

 

I know that Elvington was in 4 Group and was the 2nd group airfield - so marked as B 4/2 of their vehicles.

 

Do you have any information of use of GMC's by the RAF?

Jimmy was not a recorded standard type in RAF use but there is no doubt some were used ; All the pictures I have of RCAF Bommber Command stations they used UK vehicles or those of RCAF origin from Canada, .

Turning to Elvington it was a 4 Group station and its vehicles were marked Officially - B/4 . It hosted 2 free French Sqn most of the war. Later in the war it was designated a part of 42 Base ( RAF Pocklington) within 4 Group. In the latter part of the war bomber stations were grouped together . In 4 Group there were 4 stations grouped together as 41 base. and 4 together as 42 base, and so on; Each base was under the command of an Air Commodore with the lead station (in this case Pocklington ) being known as the Master Base as his HQ. I think this is where your misunderstanding of B/4/2 comes from. Whilst some vehicles may well have carried it , the only officially sanctioned marking was Command /Group which in Elvingtons case was B/4.

TED

Blimey I never knew the MK2 Hippo had such a long life even if it was in reserve.

TED

Our instructions were all military makings to be painted over. reg number to be painted in the top of the windscreen on the inside, using non enamel paint. The thing that surprises me most about that picture is 5th from right a Hippo Mk2 in camo ? blimey

TED

Thanks Dusty, must find time to start getting all these results into one database !!

regards TED

Ted, Thank you once again for your contribution on this subject. Just out of interest do you know what colour the toned down bridge plate may have been? Bit of a strange question this next one but please bear with me! The tyres fitted to the Commer in Ted's photo, does anyone know what they are? I have seen this style on other RAF vehicles,many of the AEC Matador fuel bowsers had a similar chevron style tread instead of the usual bar type fitted to a lot of other military vehicles.

I would guess the same camo base colour as the rest of the vehicle, with the info stencilled on in black ??

Wally has saved me getting the book re the tyres

TED

Regarding the bridge markings on the Commer, they are painted very inconspicuously and I think the answer may lay in a paragraph from the book Wheels of the RAF. to quote:

"At home stations, the RAF had little need to be conscious of bridge markings, but in the field, using roads that the Army had cleared, their vehicles had to correspond to Army regulations on this point"

 

If this photo was taken after the RAF introduced bridge markings prior to D-Day, then it would be on a yellow background, so it is likely to be prior to that date.

The Commer I posted at 49 MU is dated; When you come accross pictures with titles as that has they are applied by the photo section on production of the print using a special white ink. SWIN being abbreviation for the Unit producing the print ( not necesssarily the unit having taken the picture) 370 will be the task number in the photo section task register date brief description of the task subject.

The problem we have with research and those good folk at RAF M Hendon will often be frustrated by the fact that the core info on many of these subjects will not be in the museum but will either be with the Ar Historical Branch MoD or more likely destroyed in a routine and regular document cull many years ago at unit, station, group and command level. All our orders for painting & markings for both Gulf War 1 & 2 came to unit level as a task by signal due to their urgency, the instructions were never followed up by a DCI ( Defence council instruction )or later equivalent or by inclusion in a formal manual known as APs (Air Publication)s in the RAF. I would expect in WW2 that many of these instructions would be issued by telex or letter- both of which are the types of documents that are destroyed when files are regularly reviewed and culled. So we may never know the complete picture on the adoption of such markings, camo schemes etc etc as the initiating correspondence may be long gone and in the museums such as Hendon those good folk can only go by what they have in their archive.

TED

The reason the museum say 44 for the bridge plates is I suspect because sept 44 is the issue date of the first edition of RAF MT regs to be published as a complete manual .

I have dozens of pictues of RAF vehicles bearing bridge plate some from 1939, It was initially for vehicles earmarked for the units going to France or had a fully mobile potential, but I have even noted airfield tractors at the same time carrying them and finished in camo paint schemes. I have attached a picture 49MU 1941 the toned down bridge plate can be seen fleet number is painted in the windscreen; I think this picture may have been passed to me by Les Freathy but to help with this discussion I have added it for you lads top see . I have also added a picture taken in 1940 at the balloon depot at RAF Hook ( later renamed Chessington) bridge plate clearly visible.

TED

It may well be its Unit Fleet number; MT control had a tag like an ID tag with a number for every vehicle; a board would reflect every task there would be a hook or hooks every vehicle on the task would have its tag put against that task -- or a similar setup, the MT controller would say to driver take 47 on this run all much easier than reciting reg numbers.

My money is that this rig is Flt No 49 and 41 - The fleet number was normally in the top nearside corner of the windscreen. It seemed to be normally practise to keep rigs with TASKER couplings coupled together as much as possible.

I could be wrong on this but its the only scenario I can think of ??

TED

AS you have the rank name and date of the incident and place of internment, you will have no difficulty finding these brave chaps on the Commonwealth War Graves Commision website using the great search facility; The entry for each man will give you his next of kin and often the other person to be informed of death; i.e Son of Mr & Mrs xyz of perth and wife of Mrs asc if aberfeldy. vey strange I have found several instances of parents being listed in preference to wife;

This will be an excellent starting point ;

As an aside when I left in 2004, the rule was your wife was always your NiK even if you were seperated;

re the 2nd pilot, This is a strange one as the Lanc was built with single man controls with the Flt Engineer acting as the pilots second pair of hands, but I have read several instances of a 2nd pilot being carried on Ops.

Good luck

RIP lads

TED

Thanks Dusty ,

another list safely filed.

TED

I reckon that would turn into a swimming trial !

TED

Richard fantastic , Many Thanks

TED

Thanks Richards

I am wondering if anyone could help me with a illustration showing the stowage for all the kit on this vehicle please ?

I am also after info on how the runner beam is secured at the forward end when being used as a jib. All the model makers drawings I have seen show it resting on the forward slope of the bod well- But I recalll crawling over one in Cyprus in 1971 seem to recall the ladder type assembly which is the forward support when the beam is horizontal had an extended foot for anchoring when the beam was used as a jib. All help or pictures gratefully received.

Thank You

TED

Don't apologise Wally . very grateful for sharing them with us ?

TED

Wally & Rob some cracking shots thanks for sharing

TED

Thanks Wally, you're doing a great job. Unfortunately I can remember guineas!

 

Dusty

I second both statements there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahh the Airfix kit, yes pity about the chassis, The RAF ( & RN ) version in your Dad's pictures is a Fordson WOT1A/1 with a specially modified cab for a crew of 5. When civil aviation restarted after WW2 a number of different types of crash trucks were transferrede from the RAF to the civil ministry. The version on the Austin chassis was used by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and they were procured to replace supplement the ex RAF stock, The type was known as the 1945 monitor type, 300 gal water plus 100 foam all in that one big tank which had 2 compartments. Both the RAF, RN & MCA ones were by Airfoam Ltd,

The K6 by Pyrene in the advert were the next buy by the ministry , again to supplement and to replace some of the older ex RAF stock being used at the MCA aerodromes. ;

Thanks for putting me right on the details of some of the vehicles Ted, there is more to come so keep your anorak handy:-D

TED