ted angus

All of them are iconic in their own right - but I had to vote for Douglas Bader if only for his spirit!!!

I will no doubt get jankers for this what the hell I did 64 days and spent time in the Pokie !! so here goes.

I met Bader at Scampton at the formation of Strike Command ceremony , my sister in law was on the officers mess staff at Bentley round about the same time ; he used to frequent all the do's we both agree he is the most arrogant and ill mannerred man we have ever met. Spirited yes, brave yes; But his influence on the tactics of the BoB actually were a hindrance to 11 group and did nothing to contribute to the victory .

I also met Cheshire and Barnes Wallis on the same day; both unassuming and absolute gentlemen.

The most iconic was AC2 Smith who worked in all weathers to refuel , arm, fix and see off the kites wether it was Spits & hurris in the BoB , Typhoons on an ALG around D Day or at one of the bomber Command stations.

TED

Once again Alan fantastic thank you lots of memories here, The tin top bedford 1 ton brings back great memories. We used one at Marham to carry us from Stn Workshops accross the airfield to the old Bloodhound workshop which had become the ground equipment servicing section. When first there I was a lowly Cpl : we had an ars* of a Sgt from a far away land who would not ride in the back so used to kick the duty driver out of his seat. We had a rope with a 5 gallon drum with some gravel in it, once on the taxiway we would trail the can out thew back Sgt would stop the truck rope would be hauled in , this would be repeated during the jourrney and was repeated day after day. I still chuckle to my self when I think about it. The twin rear wheel Davies were the worst thing I have driven for the old hemoroids !!

Thanks again Alan

TED

It played havoc with the B series in the fire trucks and with the ground power units for the Victor MK 1 which were B61 & 81 powered . Some days we struggled to keep operational at Marham.

TED

these have only gone as far as Bedfords, some more under Leyland Hippos, Staff cars cover Fords Morris and Vauxhall, which seem not to have themes, one of Woolwich's last titles was RAF Movements (London).

OOOOHHHH HIPPOS !!!

I won't sleep tonight now

TED

like the Austin 1800 landcrabs, you dont usually find photos of staff cars/runabouts

 

Mark

most of them siezed up when we went over to that useless multi grade oil Richard what was it OMD75 ???

Would anyone be interested in these from my usual source?

Interested can I use the word orgasmic on here ??

Alan thank you again for sharing.

The Bedford ambulance is not quite what it seems, It started life as a Radio Vehicle Type 316 Mk3, it was designed and equipped to transport ground radio servicing parties and their equipment. IT still retains its AV reg (signals vehicles) and I suspect was for transporting a patient connected to lots of wires and tubes or someone with an infectious condition after aero med from overseas. Will try and find more.

Alan looking forward to the next set !!

regards TED

Just visible on the cab roof was a srtut to support the cab roof when it was folded forward, re the gritter we had one at Scampton 1967/8

TED

Is it a collection you have bought Alan ?/

TED

Thanks all for clarifying details of the fire units, the mamoth major may have been taken at Lyneham and used on VC10's tail, there are aero shots from there showing Beverley and Argosy,

also a range under a single number 12252 of RAF Vehicles

Alan could you please elaborate on your final sentence please

Ta

TED

Hello all.

 

Could these vehicles be on their way to Limassol for the construction of Akrotiri? :idea: About the colour, the photo seems a bit faded. Could they not be finished in sand like many other vehicles used on Cyprus?

 

Fyll

Fyll that of course is a possiblity re the colour re the destination feasible but so is the original caption

regards

TED

The MK 7 is now a "runner" and I think Steve has moved it to Scampton,

The other truck is a DP 1 (Dual Purpose MK 1 ) they were designed to fullfill 3 roles; Firstly as a water supply truck to bulk the the Crash Foam trucks. From the 44 monitor type onward they all carried enough compound to enable external replenishment.

Secondly to operate as a domestic fire truck and thirdly to act as a crash foam tender in their own right in the absence of other vehicles.

THe example at E K is rare in having a Monitor A number of the contract were built with a monitor and an anti fragmentation screen at the front for use at Bloodhound missile sites, a further number were built with the necessary extra plumbing to allow a monitor to be fitted at a later date.

Alan many thanks for the piccies. The Landie 27 AG 24 was by HCB in 1967 , a single vehicle contract specially for No1 Air Control Centre (mobile radar convoy) based at RAF Wattisham. After disposal it eventually found its way to the Newark air museum. Last year it was at the Manston Fire museum ; it is either still there or it may have been moved up to Scampton by its owner Steve Shirley.

The Bedford water tender 28 AG 49 served at RAF Cosford and then

Halton.

The final vehicle is indeed an aircraft de-icer its the hi access version . We had one here at Leuchars when we were a Master Diversion Airfield .

TED

Haven't forgotten the in service photo I definately have one but its still a case of ploughing through the boxes of piccies

TED

Mike tats a DP 1 belongs to Steve Shirley who owns many of the Manston museums vehicles. Did you take any more of the fuel bowser ??

TED

here is the inventory for an ex NFS pump issued to the post 1948 AFS;

from note I took at the Scottish Office archives other items were added;

The stowage labels found in your vehicle possibly reflect when it was in use purely as a GP and post running as a tow vehicle.

As promised see attached this is the stowage it didn't cover all the items but was an attempt on standardisation of stowage.

Mark I think this is the one talked about recently on another forum. Pretty sure the answer was it had never been an LT vehicle. its reg is FYY413 seems it may have started life as a military pattern ambulance but in service with an ROF or similar. Lots of military pattern K2 ambulances ebtered service from new with non military organisations in WW2

TED

THe CES was in fire service speak an inventory; The inventory was actually for the pump it towed ! however I do have both a Large trailer pump inventory and a Home Office stowage plan dated 1943.

I will scan them tonight and post them for you

TED

Thanks Ted, great help... is there anyway of tracing it's WW2 History?

 

Cheers Lee

Lee been trying to answer that one for several years !! I looked through 3,000 photos last night still not found the shot of it at Southend BUT I do have one somewhere I note mention of the Brockhouse trailer and featherweight pump in a later message wrong era for your machine. In WW2 servicve it could have towed one of a dozen types of pump; In post 1948 AFS service it would have pulled an ex NFS trailer pump issued from Store a Large Dennis, Coventry Climax FF500 or a Coventry climax FSM. The Dennis or FF500 most likely as the FSM was a lower capacity pump; The Brockhouse trailer equipped as mention in MARKHELIOPS message is 1977 item. Hundreds purchased as field telephone line layers for the reconstituted AFS & CD, delivered in the early/mid 1950s.

During the national strike in 1977 the HO equipped 110 of these trailers in store with an FWP and kit as rural pumping units to supplement the Goddesses to be used in rural areas had the part time (retained) firemen gone on strike also-- luckily they didn't !! These remained in store until 1997 when all but a handful were auctioned at Measham. the last handfull passed through Withams in 2005/6.

A great little unit but not authentic for either WW2 or post 1948 AFS for your ATV.

TED

1938 All brigades required to raise AFS sections.

1940 orders placed for a standard towing vehicle to replace all the old cars taxis vans etc that had been pressed into service in 1939; This was the birth of the Austin K2 ATV.

1941 all brigades and AFS sections nationalised to form NFS

1948 NFS disbanded UK fire services organised on a county; County borough; city basis. ( Vehicles that had been provided by Home Office from 1938 onwards and that were surplus to post WW2 needs were returned to HO stores comencing early 1945. this was finalised in 1947 as brigades moved to a solely peacetime role )

1948 tension with Soviets : civil defence act of 1948 reconstituted the Civil defence Corps and the AFS All brigades required to raise an AFS section; to facilitate training of AFS recruits ex NFS ATVs, traler pumps and Heavy pump units were loaned to brigades from HO stores

This is when GXH 433 went to Southend. Afraid I don't know its WW2 location.

Hope this gives you a clearer timeline/ now searching boxes of about 5,000 piccies to try and locate one I know I have !!! filing system what filing system

TED

Digging for a photo at the moment but I have in my notes : GXH 433 1949 issued from H.O. store to Southend on Sea for AFS service ran as a GP fairly sure I have a photo hundreds of these were taken from store in 1949/50 when the AFS was reconstituted I am sure this one was actually repainted into gloss deep bronze green and lettered accordingly.

If I find the piccy I will post it

TED

Here you are Mike courtesy of my pal Ron Henderson based all its service at Berkhampstead. it was later purchased by Norfolk fire service for its Fire Cadets It is in preservation.

TED

Mind you I also had a matchbox Forward Control....

aHH NOW THE TRUTH COMES OUT I have located a photo trying to get a copy of it and permission to put it on the forum. You must then remember the making of 633 sqn on your doorstep ??

regards TED also of fading memory

Mike I think you will find your mystery vehicle at Berkhampstead was a Forward Control Landie with fire engineering by Carmichael. Its reg number was 300VAR.

I am trying to get a photo for you.

TED

I am getting splinters over your last post Mike Somewhere I have the production list for Salamanders; No civilian ones built except 3 for the Royal Aircraft establishment at Farnborough ????

Wjat year Mike I will dig further ??

TED