Ivor Ramsden Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 These droolworthy photos have recently come into the museum. I used to spend hours looking in my reference books to identify things like these but now I post them on here and let the experts give me chapter and verse! They are associated with No 30 Squadron, which was using Blenheims in 1938-39. What can you tell me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 No answers yet? First - 1920 pattern Rolls Royce Second - Crossley IGL3 airfield fire/crash tender Third - Leyland RAF type on pnuematics and enclosed cab? Fourth ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 I agree with the second photo being a crosey and show a couple more photos to show this wonderfully "stylish" vehicle in more detail Noel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smaug8u Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 I am certain that Runflat is correct with the first three and the fourth is one of the two dragon tanks that the RAF had with the Rolls Royce body and turret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 Great pictures. Not heard of the Dragon before. Very unusual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smaug8u Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 Dragon would be the name give to it by the army. Its official designation was Field Artillery Mark 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les freathy Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 Ivor Good to see a photo of the Crossley streamline fire tender in action thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 (edited) Great War truck Not heard of the Dragon before. Very unusual. They had a long history in the British Army starting in the early 1920s the Mk1 was developed to tow 18pdr and limber. It was based on the Vickers medium tank suspension. As it was a bit of a waste towing 18pdrs by 1925 the Mk3 had developed for towing 60pdr and 6in howitzers and continued its development until 1932 with the Mk3b. In 1935 the Mk 4 a new design based on components of the Vickers 6ton tank was developed, it had an AEC diesel engine.- very similar to later 7Tp Polish prime movers. The mk4 was the end of a rather lack lustre series of designs. In 1928-1930 a cheaper more practical design Light Dragon Mk1 was developed and had suspension looking similar to the much later T16 Universal carrier but with the sprocket drive at the front and with horizontal springs. By 1933 it had further developed Mk2c and Mk2d with suspension units that was almost identical to the later T16. In 1934 the most important development, developed from a Vickers design VA D50 which was built as the basis for both a machine gun carier (to replace the Vicker Carden Loyd Mk6 M.G. carrier) and as a prime mover the design was again revised and took on the appearance of an unarmoured Universal carrier without the Bren pulpit, the suspension with the sprocket at the rear was almost identical to the yet undesigned Bren carrier, although due to a policy change requiring light field guns be towed by wheeled vehicles only 69 Mk3 Light Dragons were built within a year plans were made which developed the Light Dragon into the Bren carrier and then the Universal carrier. While the Medium Dragons were all but dead ends, the later light dragon Mk3 went to war with the BEF towing various guns such as 18pdr, 18/25pdr and 4.5in how. The term Dragon is supposed to be a distortion of Drag gun or Drag on. Edited February 15, 2010 by steveo578 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan turner (RIP) Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 These are Dragons from RAWHS collection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 (edited) Thanks for the upload of photos they are 1). Light Dragon Mk2c 2). Medium Dragon Mk3c 3). Light Dragon Mk2 4). Medium Dragon Mk4 possibly configured for different gun type or load than that shown in 6. 5). Light Dragon Mk3 6). Medium Dragon Mk4 configured for 60pdr 7). Light Dragon Mk2 8). Light Dragon Mk2c 9). Light Dragon Mk2c Edited February 15, 2010 by steveo578 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les freathy Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 That Dragon in Ivors photo it has a very unusual superstructure i wonder if this was some form of experimental vehicle put together in Iraq Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 les freathy i wonder if this was some form of experimental vehicle put together in Iraq The Armoured Dragon's story appears in Mechanised Force by DavidFletcher. page 99-100. The RAF commisioned a pair of Medium Dragons with modifications from the outset, in that they were built with an armoured drivers cab (which is shown in the photo) and an open tray where the gun crew and equipment was normally carried. There seem to have been a specific intention from the outset to load the fighting compartment and turret of a 1921 R/R armoured car as a straight lift into the load tray as is shown in the photo. As a type they lasted into the 1930s and one became a dedicated APC complete with firing ports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 There is an interesting photo of a Crossley streamliner being swung out of a ship's hold in Greece currently on eBay. It shows, if nothing else, just how much care stevedores needed to take in order to avoid damage to the wheel enclosures. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WWII-British-Camouflaged-Car-and-Shells-Unloaded-at-Greek-Port-Orig-Press-Photo/351543645719?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33662%26meid%3De896d0e23c4942f2938f8d113b48a75f%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D351489028825 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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