NEWCOMER

Thanks

 

 

Bring on the next one :-D

...Oh allright then.. but this is the last one from the family album and havn't a clue what it is, probably be very difficult to work out from the photos... but just for fun and good luck!

I think it could be a Humber Hawk mk1 or 2, dated around 1946-49. :confused:

Almost there...I've always been led to believe it was a 1948 HUMBER SUPER SNIPE ...see picture below for comparison:

Crickey, just noticed I've become a L/cpl, took me several years in the Army on here less than four weeks....:cool2:

So its got to be asked, who is the short dark stranger?

Some distant cousin I think...that is if your referring to the little girl in pic...but the car belonged to my grandad who in turn when he passed away left it to my dad who claiming that when he collected it, drove from Dawley (which is now in Telford) all the way to Southampton in the dead of night, on old A Roads before the motorways, on virtually an empty tank! Claims my grandad was looking out for him. Either very good MPG or very spooky!

Oh you mean the car's back end! Silly me.:confused::embarrassed:

HA...HA...HA...HA... that made me chuckle... sorry but thats the only pic i've got 'of the car' I'm afraid? :rofl:

I Am with Richard on this one,once you start looking you never know where you will end up,could do with a few more like this.cheers:-D

I got my main result but just for fun have a go at this one:

 

Try the Post Office Vehicle Club, they hold vehicle records right back to 1906, Richard

Richard many thanks for your advice, I have contacted the club and here is there reply to date:

"Thank you for your e-mail. YU 9681 is indeed a Morris 10cwt. mailvan, in fact it's a 1927 Morris Snubnose 70 cubic foot mailvan, one of a small batch of four (YU 9679-82) such vans. I will have to do some research on the first use of GPO owned mailvans (as opposed to contractors) in Bridgnorth and come back to you at a later date."

Many thanks to all who have helped out on this thread, and for those that got the van right ....well what can I say other than Hon membership forms to the Post Office Vehicle club are being dispatched to you as we speak...!!

AL

Hopefully I've got one - this is reproduced from Morris Commercials : the first years . Published in 1983 by the Morris Register

Many thanks for this, this is great, no disputing the make:

Sorry to drag this on further but would anybody know how I would go about tracing more information on the registration (YU 9681) Or if indeed information would be available?

I was hoping I might be able to find year of registration.Who it was registered to if indeed it was the first postoffice van in Bridgnorth etc...

:readbook: Consulted with my Morris bible and found a couple of photo's in similar pose for comparison and I'd agree it is a mid to late 1920's Morris 8cwt van .

Would you be able to scan and post pictures? I would be very grateful?

Thats interesting the Landrovers /trailers,i mentioned it because of Husbands yard,which is where the Powerboat Trust tried to start a museum of the fast boats.i went there in the early days,sadly it never got to be due to politics,shame because the dunkirk ships and fleet air arm were interested in joining them.Missed opertunity yet again.

I believe the Husbands yard is now a set of apartment blocks.

And I believe they still had bits of the original Mulberry Harbour rusting on fields to the side of the port next to all the reclaimed land.

Al did you get a training manual on the course?/quote]

 

Hello again Clive,

 

I don't believe I did, I do remember all my course notes and handouts got ruined in MFO storage back in Germany whilst I was on this tour. The cellers of our accomodation block got flooded and most of my kit and others was ruined... not a happy bunny at the time. The only reason I've still got the certificate was becuase it was posted through to admin after I had already left on advance party, got given it when I got back!

 

My memory might be a bit sketchy now but I seem to recall the following:

 

First came into service in the 1930's...

 

Sold off later... farmers snapped them up because they made good tractors...

 

Start of the troubles in 1969 British Army were caught short for a suitable vehicle to use as an APC..

 

Most purchased back and armour plated to 7 ton 14 kiloweight..though still on the original designed 1 ton braking system...

 

Never start off in second gear as this could put undue strain on your half shafts, though top speed in first gear was about 2 mph if I recall?!

 

Had a tendency to back fire which would put the frightners up any new 'Top Cover' who fought they were being shot at...

 

As for recovery vehicles never seen one... always used to self recover with other pigs... hence the more observent will always notice photos of in service pigs on the road with 'D' shakle and chains slung around the front P**** Basher.

 

As for rockets never Heard of it before, but saw some interesting pics on this thread...go back a few pages.

 

Since they replaced the pig with the saxon I wonder what they did with all the kit they had at Leconsfield. Probably sitting around somewhere collecting dust. I bet if you sent a letter to the CO of Normandy Barracks there will be stuff up for grabs?:idea:

Port Op,that would explain it,any pics?

I'm afraid not.. at least not from his day. I did a bit of a stint at the port my self for a while in a general transport capacity can't say I enjoyed it much.

Do have some pics of the port from an RLC journal I aquired at the time, only kept it because there was another smaller picture of me in it cleaning out a pond or something! You can see me top left hand corner!

Marchwood,was he a marine?

Royal Engineers... 'Port Op' used to be one of their trades back then I believe, that was before the RCT Maritime took over the role and barracks... Marines are based further down the road in Poole....

I believe this to be an Austin Champ... these were from my Dads personal photos from his time in the RE, I believe he mentioned it was taken in Marchwood, Southampton. I only have photos of his mates though, they all swapped them apparently...someone out there has a photo of my dad... can I have it back please?!!

In case there is any doubt:

Hello Clive, no doubt at all...well in....

How come your's has got a nice fancy trim and mines all bland, also by the time I came to do the course it looks like they knocked of the 'maintain' bit?.... not to mention yours is bigger! b***** cut backs!

Kind Regards

AL

Exellent many thanks for your answers, I'm further forward on this than I have been for a long time...

Great photo's must be from the 60's and 70's

Don't let the quality of the photos fool you these are all from 1989/1990, however they have been scanned from my own tour magazines (cheap in house publications that were produced by the admin office as a souvenier for all serving participants at the end of tour duty.)

See... why have a big fancy medal or ribbon when a photocopied home bound collection of snap shots does the trick...just kidding!

I've blacked out the faces of some of my colleagues myself as I have lost touch with them and there is a small possibility that some are still serving.

Glad you liked the photos though...

AL

A couple of 'Macrelon LandRovers'...at least I think thats what we used to call them... long time ago now. Belfast 1990.

20HG95 + 17GX71

Some more in service photos:

From left to right top to bottom:

1. Unknown

2. 27BK73 (Tappit adjustment REME workshops!)

3. Most men on a pig record!

4. Unknown

5. 28BK17? + 13BK45

6. 31BK32

Hope I'm posting in the right place for off topic kinda stuff. Here is a photo that has been handed down to me believed to be my great grandfather. I've had it cleaned up a bit so some detail may have been lost, (notably the headlights on the mudguards).

Believed to be the first Post Office van in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, can anybody help out with make of vehicle, possible circa year photo was taken.

Many thanks

AL

Came across an old certificate I forgot I had...amazing what I'd forgoten about burried away. Few people actually do this course at the school of mechanical transport, I think there was about 10 of us on this particular one, who then went back and had to show everybody else.

I remember they had half an aircraft hanger full of pigs in various states of evolution, engines cut in half to show inner workings etc. I know it consisted of several days theory, several days practical, then we were allowed to drive around yorkshire in them in convoy.

I remember passing Ian Botham on his sponsored walk thing he was doing then. We pulled over just in front of them, all piled out of the backs and topped his bucket up with all our loose change!

Ever seen a pink pig? Charity pig pull for comic relief on red nose day-Belfast.

28BK51

11BK15 Shankill

Pig pool ((fllying pigs) not just used for riot situations but used for screening/blocking off narrow streets etc.

Two 'wendy houses' chucked in for good measure. Note the blast proof bodies on the back and reinforcement to the front and top of the cabs, also meshed covers to the windscreen, which were operated by tugging on a piece of rope fed through the roof...all very technical!

15BK69 Training vehicle, all three photos: