dgosden

Thanks for the reply and info... I will follow this up particularly with reference to the Leyland Beaver unit as it would seem this might be common to military and civilian vehicles. A very useful find! It is interesting to note that 70mm Watson X-Ray equipment was in use. Civilian (NHS) units changed over to this in 1957. It made for more 'readable' images. Regards David Gosden

Thanks. Rotating anode tubes were rejected by the MRC Technical Sub Committee as the images produced were poor compared with other types on offer at the time. Google 'viewimages' then the Getty archive 'mass x-ray' and 'oldest images'. There are several press pictures which show the equipment. But beware of the van pictures. I am pretty sure these are based on a NHS van with the Science Museum. 35mm film was used until 1957 when a change was made to 70mm and 100mm film. Leyland Beaver OPU840 (in their collection) was withdrawn from service about 1980 as an updated vehicle, not in its original pre 1957 condition or equipment. The museum model I think is dated 2001. There is an interesting report by the MRC at www.rushdenheritage.co.uk which deals with some of these things. It's the 1945 report that gives details. Considerable work had been done to find the best of the best which is why the TTH lens came to be used. The 35mm projector used for examining images was a special development too. A research contact (Dr of medicine) said that images were sometimes difficult to read. 'It was like measuring the blood pressure of a patient wearing a thick wooly jumper' because X-Rays were taken with the candidate clothed. This is backed up by extracts from other publications gleaned. There is more reading about but it needs a lot of drilling down to find reports and meaningful documents. Transport of early units, equipment etc. was done in specially made cases, 4 of which converted to a processing bench in the darkroom. I have little idea of what was used by the military as little has come back thus far. So most is based on Department of Health material. 'Hope this is of interest. David Gosden

Thanks for your post and glad to clarify the request. Little research and reporting has been done on Mass X-Ray chest screening so I and a fellow colleague are looking at the whole subject both military and civilian, with a view to publishing a report, perhaps next year. It is intended to cover equipment, vehicles, staff training and reports and results as far as is possible. It's probably easiest to note what is not required....e.g. ordinary field X-Ray equipment and vehicles. These would have been used to look at broken bones and other injuries sustained at work and in the field. Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) was an ever growing problem, becoming a very great concern in the 1930's. So serious was it that about 1935 the armed forces embarked on a campaign of examining personnel using mass X-Ray equipment mounted probably in vans and moving from base to base. The resulting images (on photographic film) would then be examined and those found to have, or suspected of having, a problem would then be dealt with accordingly by isolation/treatment. It should be noted that early civilian equipment was of the 'portable' type, being moved in vans and set up in buildings, offices,halls etc. The van then became a mobile photographic darkroom for processing the film and examining the images obtained by projection on a screen. Military units might have been similar. This was an early form of Mass X-Ray for later civilian use in the NHS campaign starting in 1948 although there were a few machines about prior to that year. Work by the Medical Research Council considered the methods used by the military in their study of 1942- 1944, reporting to the Ministry of Health in 1944. This resulted in the Mass X-Ray campaign which ran until about 1980. So, I my research is concerned with not just vehicles but the installed and equipment used - X-Ray machines, photographic processing and image examination equipment etc. A Time Line would perhaps be 1935 to 1950. I have now established that the generator units were the same as 4 wheel 'hippo' ? trailers fitted with a Lister JP4 power unit driving a 21kVA generator. An almost 'off the shelf' unit. Indeed, the design of civilian X-Ray van (on a Leyland Beaver chassis) bodywork was based on the military design. Chicken and egg! After about 1957 it seems generator trailers were not used - design changes, updating and X-Ray equipment changes being the reasons. So, vehicles and equipment information sought is not about 'I think you might have broken your arm sir. I'll just take an X-Ray to check' but rather the well planned and thought out mass chest X-Ray scheme for the armed forces. The attached photo is of an early NHS Leyland Beaver unit with a 'hippo' generator trailer. I would very much welcome any info about the REME Museum, equipment and archive. I hope this answers your helpful response. If not, do get back to me. And ... hope to hear from you again IDC. Kindest regards, David Gosden

Thanks. From 1945 the UK civilian units were Leyland Beavers (pic below) but they were updated and modified until taken out of service about 1980. I think bodies remained generally the same though. Some photos and info refers to a similar trailer. See also the other posting today showing an Austin army vehicle...may be of interest. Regards, David Gosden

Thanks and here's hoping you have luck finding the photo also keen to take a look. Some were cream and some white but have seen just one in dark blue..Might have been painted that colour by the recent owner though! Regards, David Gosden

Thanks for the info...yes Research and early test units were 100kV on some, 125kV on others.. exposure 0.1 to 0.15sec which requires 20kvA for just the exposure as load was in the region of 0.2A. Xray equipment was supplied by Watson, North London. Photography was the flourographic screen method screen using the Levy-West Mk39. The camera lens used was the TTH Anastigmat 50mm,'Radiography', f1.5 being the finest available at the time. Image inspection used a specially developed 35mm projector by MPP Ltd and on board film processing used the dip and dunk or spiral tank methods depending on what, I do not know. Miss Kathleen Clarke head of the Radiography section of Ilford Ltd and a world authority on the subject headed up research and development. She was awarded an MBE in 1945 for her services to mass x-ray. Sadly she died on 20th October 1968 at the age of 70 after a 4 year long stay in hospital. Cause - radiation? More reading online at http://www.rushdenheritage.co.uk Hope this helps Regards, David Gosden

You may have seen my post of yesterday (5/12/2013) regarding my research work in connection with the NHS vans. My research work is part scientific, part photographic. I know they were continuously updated, refitted and re equipped, e.g. the original 35mm X-Ray and film units being replaced by larger (70mm and 100mm) units in 1957. I believe 'on board' film processing came to an end then too. Can you describe the final arrangement of van and trailer.... Was there still a generator, details and what kW was it? Was it a separate trailer or another vehicle entirely? My starting point is way back in 1948 when the first ones were ordered but also researching the entire years until the last was withdrawn from service. Any help you can give would be very much appreciated. Regards, David Gosden

Hi, Yes new joiner here currently researching X-Ray screening of military and civilians. I understand that X-Ray screening military personnel started about 1936 and that mobile units were used. So, I am looking for any information on both vehicles used and the equipment in them. This is chest X-Rays for conditions including Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB). The Civilian mass X-Ray programme started with research about 1941 with a specialist group, under the direction of Kathleen C. Clark, reporting to the Medical Research Council in 1943/4 from which came evaluation tests on 23,000 people in central London and 3? experimental/prototype vehicles. 17 vehicles are purported to be in service in various parts of Britain by 1948. When the NHS was formed in 1948 they ordered 51 Leyland Beavers which were equipped with Watson X-Ray machines and a generator in a trailer behind. This is a wide ranging challenge so any help will be welcome .. experiences, vehicles and equipment, any surviving examples, photos and interesting info. Interest is both military and civilian. Ta muchly! ... David Gosden