LarryH57

Thanks for all the suggestions; I think Newquay Airport was RAF St Mawgan and that it holds the aircraft from Classic Airframes (?) that moved from Coventry? Davidstowe; Is that an old airfield on Bodmin?

Dear All, Thanks for the comments, info, links and photo. Ted, the photo isn't the one I'm after though it is of great interest and I guess its near. The one I'm after showed a long column of RAF Ford Sussex GS trucks, carrying goodness knows what in support of the defensive action but none of the vehicles were Balloon Winches. I saw it in a box at War & Peace a few years ago for £9 for a beaten up copy and all I can remember is the ref was CH 13??? (5 numbers)

Guys, Where do you suggest I visit for a short break in the area that I'm planning?

Dear Bryan, Many thanks It seems I'll have to visit. I'm looking for a particular photo in the CH13001 to 13999 that I saw years ago showing an RAF convoy on its way to Kent in response to the VI threat in June 1944 and I'm unable to find it with a google search, no doubt as the caption is the key to my search. Larry

I have an idea its a Life photo and in colour, and Vatican City is renowned for being clean even in wartime I guess.

Dear All, The IWM has recently put a lot of its photos online but IMHO in a rather random way! It could be me but if for example I'm looking at photos in the CH range, is there a way to search for example CH 100 to CH 13999 one after the other rather than putting a random number in to google and hoping for the best? Even the web address http: etc gives no clues like some sites Help greatly appreciated

Im sure the CMP is painted that way but behind it in the distance is a vehicle that has too much sand to be just dust. Is it a Dodge Weapons Carrier?

I saw this photo on the web, but cannot remember where, but its an interesting shot seeing as it shows a Canadian CMP in Rome in sand and grey/ black camo amongst a mass of US Army Jeeps and Dodges. Interestingly there appears to be a few Dodges in the background in sand or partly camo'd in sand paint. But did the US Army do camo like this in Italy? I know that in Tunisia Jeeps, Dodges and GMC have all been photographed in an overall sand colour marked with white star on a blue circle on the bonnet. However in Italy I have not seen any evidence of the US army using any other than OD suitably weathered with dust. Sadly the Div sign on the CMP is too hard to interpret.

I've known a Petty Officer in the FAA that witnessed the entire crew of a Commer Q crash tender obliterated by an unexploded bomb that suddenly detonated as they reached the crash site of a P-47D. Perhaps the thought of a bit of armour gave some comfort. If the Morris AC was more or less redundant in the Army (apart from REs) and in the RAF for defence and not used to rescue anyone, then I guess it was used to tow the watchhut as it appears to be doing in the Night Bombers Film. So apart from being yellow it's a red herring when looking for Follow Me vehicles.

I have the impression from somewhere that the the turretless Morris AC was used by asbestos wearing fire crew to dash to an aircraft crash site and provide immediate assistance in extracting the flight crew even before the RAF Crash Tender put out the fire.

Old Git & Matchfuze, Thanks so much for those links all very useful and not too far from home for a visit either!

Personally, I think the yellow Morris AC was used as an armoured crash rescue vehicle or perhaps a suitably painted vehicle to tow the wheeled watchhut, and nothing to do with Follow Me! I reckon that Ferg in his post above is spot on.

I have a theory; The fact that the USAAF used Follow Me vehicles, and the RAF didn't is down to the different ways the US had in dealing with situations compared to a more reserved ways of us British. Being the arsenal of democracy the USA had an almost endless supply of vehicles, so I image the CO of any USAAF base would just say "Get one of these Jeeps marked up and in use right away" and seeing as every unit was invariably equipped with Jeeps, Dodges and GMCs it didn't really matter to take one for this role. Whereas the RAF having to make do with all manner of vehicle types, none of which would make an ideal Follow Me vehicle. Obviously the specialist refueller trucks, crash tenders, ambulances, cranes, and bomb tractors would be out of the question for such a Follow Me role, and that would leave just GS vehicles in 8cwt, 15cwt, 30cwt and 3 ton capacity. But the fact is that in WW2 the RAF could not afford to take one of these vehicles and use it for just one purpose only. Also I'd image the RAF CO saying you can't mark up that Tilly as a Follow Me vehicle as I need it to visit Group HQ (and the pub & girlfriend etc.)

Someone find a photo of a real RAF 'Follow Me' vehicle in WW2, as I don't believe they existed

Strangely the attached WW2 'health and safety' poster for the RAF spotted on eBay shows a yellow follow me Jeep, so someone must know if the RAF had any such vehicles in WW2? Obviously the creator didn't know much about RAF camo and markings at the time! Could it by chance be a postwar poster?

Take it from me that the solid 8 gun nose B-25 Mitchells were not employed by the RAF, plus I have found no evidence of their use in NW Europe or the Mediterranean by any other Allied Air Force.

BTW - Once 'Just Jane' Lancaster gets airborne, would the Canadians mind coming back in their Lancaster for another summer so we can see a three Lancaster formation, not seen in the UK forthe best part of 70 years I guess.

If so then its not appropriate to give it D-Day stripes! Much better would be to paint it as something operating in the South West Pacific!

Its a fact that the USAAF based in the UK used a variety of Jeeps and Dodges, as Airfield Follow Me vehicles in WW2, and yet there is not much evidence of such vehicles being used by the RAF in the UK. I can only guess the idea was a unique solution 'invented' by the USAAF so thats why you will not find an RAF vehicle dressed for such a role in the 1939-42 period of operations against the Axis in NW Europe. Over the years I have had contact with serveral USAAF P-47D pilots operating from Advance Landing Grounds and they have explained that when they had a maximum effort of three Squadrons in the Group plus spares and those acting as radio comms links, that when circa fifty P-47Ds came back to the strip it made sense to have a Follow Me Jeep so as the Sqns were not mixed up on dispersal. Units flying the B-17, B-24 etc also seem to have used them. Therefore why is it that the RAF didn't use such vehicles to any great extent? Could it be all RAF pilots had a set drill to follow on landing that negated their use? Any photos of RAF Follow Me vehicles would be greatly appreciated.

Enough said on this now! But thanks for the input

Before this Morris ends up being painted green, can you tell me the year of manufacture, as for a fairly long period of WW2 circa early 1942 to late 1943 / early 1944 vehicles were painted with a base coat of SCC.2 brown, typically overwhich a black or dark brown 'micky mouse ear' camo paint scheme was painted.

I also had two uncles killed by the Germans in WW2. Plus me and my family have variously been to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen and Bergen Belsen, so its not as if we don't care. Its just if you are offended then stay away. I just hope it isn't the end of the show. And out of interest do people ever get offended by East German Border Guard re-enactors? Why don't the public get offended by re-enactors dressed in Russian uniforms applicable to annexation of half of Poland 1939, Katyn Forrest 1940, Hungry 1956 and Czechoslovakia 1968 etc.

Who saw todays Sun newspaper, complaining about Laycock at War and the fact that there were German re-enactors present etc. It must have been a slow news day! In other news on page 999... Women complains about a Lancaster flying over Lincolnshire. "How insensitive of the RAF to fly one of these near my home. My grandfather was killed in one of those during the war over Germany". Tomorrow how a women plans to protest at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day, as war is horrible and should not be remembered!

Is MERLIN on line? Can anyone add a link to it so I may have a look at details for my own Lwt, that was built in 1980 but has DBG coloured parts, such as the vent panel.

So Clive, you have a buyer for your Shorland ?