ted angus

1 hour ago, RAFMT said:

Probably bridging plate, with two numbers indicating this vehicle would frequently tow a trailer? It's too early for group numbers, which were introduced in 41, after the roundel was in use on the front offside.

Can't recall ever seeing the Command letter/Group number combo in a circular pattern before. 

Totally Agreed, although normally this type didn't have a tow hitch.  Ted

Dated may 1940

and another - I think this is a IWM image

Yes its a Bedford MSC, many of them were fitted with 10.50 x 16 whilst in service. 

Larry     V is the command letter for Transport Command- so yes V /38 etc. . I dont think there were MT wings other than 54 wing in the UK. In the middle east there was 51 mt company , i think there were others but i hope Bryan finds his list.   Ted

For your info 44 group was part of transport command  not just the import of ac but it was transport commands strategic group, as opposed to 38 group which was tactical. Ted

They started off in 40 group,  by January 1943 they formed a stand alone Wing Within Maint Command- 54 Wing.  In the pic you posted I believe the Hillman and Bedford MW were unit vehicles and just the Stude was No 4 MT.  used for delivering maps that were produced there.   The pic you posted is taken at the rear of Hughenden Manor.  That stable area is now a visitor cafe  TED

H tech training command. T flying training command . F fighter command . B bomber command. V transport command. As the RAF reduced some new ones appeared.  B and F Combined and became Str strike comand.   LAA. On door was. A RAF Regt marking Light Anti Aircraft.The digit was the group number. Commands were divided into groups.

Clive many thanks. Regards Ted

Clive  is there any chance of a pic of the set up in either the RL or MK please. regards TED

Give me a few days.

Oxy hsd a mk3 regulator. Air and nitro had mk 5.the original container and canopy at the back had a curved top see first photo. Also originally the container was the same colour as the cylinders. Black oxy . Grey air and nitro. After several accidents /incidents involving air/nitro which had identical charging point connectors. Nitro fittings were modified.i think i have more photos but they are on my pc. Laid up in bed at the moment using my tablet.

Yes they used a lot of MACKS.

No 51 MT. Co RAF. At that time in that theatre Raf vehicles carried WD numbers

Great thread. Bryan that is an outstanding document thanks for sharing. Ted

Is it possible that the Austin k2 entered RAF. Service very late in Ww2 . It does not appear in the tables in AP 3090 edition 1 Published in August 1944. I dont think I have actually seen  Ww2 photo of one ? Thoughts ? Ted.

I am confident its a WOT 1, pre WW2 the heavy ambo was the Albion, then came the WOT1 with 2 body forms. No evidence in the data books or photographic of the Sussex being used with ambo bodies. 

Its a Fordson WOT1, there were 2 types of ambo body fitted to the WOT1 , this is the less common version with a less austere appearance. In front of the ambo is a Crossley Fwd crash tender which is minus the enclosure that normally covered the pump. 

That is a Type L compressor. Early post war. They were old when i first worked on them in 1966 but they soldiered on until the 1990s. Ted.

32 x 6 twin rears

A.

Just had a delve thru some period adverts in my collection ;  as Bryan stated the 5 ton tipper was 9ft 10 in as was the tractor for semi trailers.  The 5 ton truck chassis was 11ft 10 & half in. However i think the canteen was just a 2 ton chassis which was 9ft 10in and 11ft 2in .  I would say the latter is the canteen chassis.  Of course there was a shortened version of the 9ft 10in used by the RAF for the Trucktor.

Indeed, the first batches of GGs and support vehicles were on 4x2 S type chassis. However as the the realisation came about that damage would be on greater scales subsequent builds of all types of vehicles for the AFS  would be on the RL chassis, plus some support vehicles on the Commer Q4 4x4. 

 All the examples of the GG lookalike for the Army were 4x4, 

Ted.

12 hours ago, B series said:

05RN89 & 88: They are not converted from a RLC3! So my conjecture was incorrect!  They look as if they are based on the the civilian Bedford S type but with 4x4 added.  Similar chassis spec to some of the Bedford recovery vehicles of the period. 

Regarding date of production or date into service,  04RN88 date into service was June 1965, and 06RN17 date into service was 1968, so 05RN81 would fall between those dates, maybe 1966/7 , sorry I do not have further information to be more specific.

 

As far as I know they are no official records of Royal Naval vehicle history, but I do have a list of approx 2500 ERM's that I have compiled over the last 30 odd years from various sources.

Not converted from S type  but pure RL . A number of R series vehicles supplied to the Armed Forces employed dual rear tyres - with all-round 9.00-20 tyre size than on the more common single rear setup 11.00-20.  dual rears tended to be employed on vehicles that were fully laden at all times  eg the RL recovery ( Army + AFS), RSC recovery ( RN),  RN crash tenders ( 2 different types), Tippers . These are simply RLs & RSCs with different size tyre arrangement. 05 RN 88/89 are RLC- R= R type L = long wheel base C = supplied by Vauxhall as chassis cab.  RSC  R type S =short wheelbase  C supplied as chassis cab by Vauxhall.

here is 05 RN 89    05RN 88 was identical