RAF Land Rover Series 1 Airfield Lighting Maintenance Van FV18003/ FV18005 Ambulance

[L-RS1]

Hi

has anyone got any pictures of a FV18003 Ladder van Land Rover, I have one published in Land Rover World but it's black & white, I could really do with a colour one, it looks like it's yellow with black wings, anyone remember them.

 

Also after pictures of the FV18005 Ambulance, found some on the RAF mountain rescue website but could still do with some more detailed pics.

 

Thanks

Roy

[ted angus]

That has also been my quest for many years, I did think like you, but the more old colour footage I see the more I am torn between B & Y and red & white-- I found some old Lyneham footage with red & white chequed follow me Landies. I have the data book leaf but that again is BW

[L-RS1]

http://www.landroveraddict.com/features/2012/1/25/1955/

 

definitely puts them as yellow, but in the picture the wings are very dark

 

someone must remember them!

[19GLN]

Has anyone been able to follow up on the above quest? Certainly something I would be interested in. Unfortunately rather poorly documented or at least I have not had any luck yet.

[ruxy]

The book  "Quarter Ton"  by  Pat Ware  (Warehouse publications  1996)

Unless other 'in-service' pics with veracity turn up - that may give changes.

Page  125 shows a FV18003   (side on view)  . States - apparently  134 supplied , in 1955 ,   under contract  21227.

Poor quality photograph.  It does indicate to me  Yellow hard-top inc. roof ,  doors yellow , bonnet yellow , the remainder seems to be black.

Page  124   has quite a good photograph (good front + side view) of a  FV18005  mountain rescue ambulance..  One of  24 similar supplied to RAF during  1955 & 1957. Author suspects pic from first contract.  must be all RAF -arch to to roof gutter).

Page 123 has some info.    Truck  ,  1/4 ton.  CL/GS, ambulance, 2 stretcher.  Rover Mk.4,  107" WB.

Mentions details of coachworks,   also states  -  This vehicle was occasionally also described as  'truck,  1/4 ton,  CL/GS,  4X4 , ambulance special'

 

NB.  The photographs in book all seem period official - ministry.

------

ISTR many years ago a article in a Rover mag. has pics & details of one that had turned up in a sad state for resto.

Edited November 19, 2019 by ruxy

[BillS]

"British Military Land Rovers" by James Taylor and Geoff Fletcher includes, on page 29, what I would guess is the same photo of the FV 18003 referred to by others above. The caption notes that "the light areas of paint may have been in yellow to aid visibility", so no further forward on that front.  But the text adds that 18 of these vehicles appear to have been delivered against contract 6/Veg/21227.  The Annex to the Chapter in question gives the chassis number serials of all of these.  The text also notes that the vehicles appear to have been fitted with a standard civilian hard top with a top hinged flap above a drop down tailgate.

[19GLN]

Thanks for the input. I have read the related section on “British Military Land Rovers” but found it rather unreliable or incorrect. The Airfield Lighting Maintenance Mark 3 I own (FV18003) was delivered against Cont. No. 6/VEH/13840 (therefore a different contract than the one highlighted in the book). Moreover the chassis number does not fall within the range specified by the book’s annex at the back of the chapter. If the annex is correct my chassis number falls under another contract (it’s number is not available) with vehicle registration between 52 AA 48 and 54 AA 24 (I cannot confirm this as my  contract plate is missing unfortunately).
 

From light observation, the only evident colours beneath the current paint are RAF blue and yellow. I only just received the Land Rover but indeed I am finding this discussion quite interesting. Look forward to more insight into this variation of the Rover 3!

[RAFMT]

Unfortunately, I don't have time these days to do an in depth search of the record cards. But if anyone can give me some reg numbers I can pull those cards (if they survive!) and tell you what is listed in the colour entry.

[Retrospanner]

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to start researching 1956 Land Rover Series 1   37AA88

Plate says 16A/2212 Truck/Van 10CWT. 4x4

Land Rover 1956 Model Airfield Lighting Noxxxxxx

Cont No 6 Vehs/21227 Ser No 37AA88

 

Any help much appreciated

[19GLN]

I doubt the b card for it has survived same as most of the older Series Land Rovers, but you can try contacting Mr Fletcher (gfletcher@btinternet.com). He is the author of 'British Military Land Rovers' which I would highly recommend you get a copy of if you have not already.

 

37AA88 was the last of only 18 Airfield Lighting Maintenance Rover 3s ordered for the RAF on Contract No. 6/Veh/21227.

 

I have managed to narrow down mine to being 53AA14 and again little information is available. Most ended up not being used as intended and possibly converted to other configurations such as for Glider Towing. A number were also transferred to the Ministry for Public Buildings and Works with very little mileage on them.

 

Attached is a picture of mine and 37AA54 (the closest I have to your registration).

Edited March 20 by 19GLN

[Oh Five]

I am not sure what conversion work was needed for Glider Towing.  

According to the web the Kirby Cadets Mk3 were introduced between 1951 an 1959. The Kirby Cadet Mk3 were retrieved, on the airfield, by a two wheeled trailer.  This trailer had a short ramp that was secured by a horizontal bolt.  The bolt was pulled allowing the ramp to tilt and the aircraft to be pulled on to the ramp by the retrieve driver and instructor.  The student was supporting the wing tip.  Once the aircraft was on the trailer the bolt was pushed home passing through the circular rubber shock absorber that the skid was mounted on.  Two arms on the trailer had lengths of rope and bungee cord with a hook that attached to a ring at the top of strut.  The rope stopped the glider rolling too far to either side. Once secured the student got into the front cockpit to help with the balance of the glider on the trailer.  Back at the launch point the glider was rolled off the trailer and prepared for the next launch.

The Sedberghs did not have a retrieve trailer, I never heard of or saw one, and were retrieved using a rope attached to the front cable release and a cadet supporting the wing tip and steering the glider. The instructors always tried to land close to the launch point to shorten the walk back.  The Sedbergh has a two seat side-by-side cockpit so might have been considered too wide to use on a trailer.

At 661VGS RAF Kirknewton we had three Series 3 or 3A lightweights and a 'Car 10cwt Right Hand Drive Rover Series 2A'.  The only modification was that they were painted yellow for use on the airfield.  Those used for pulling out the winch cables were fitted with a boom that plugged into the standard military bumper.  The boom extended a couple of feet either side with pins to hook the cables onto.  

Later on 90s were used.

[Le Prof]

Hi, @Oh Five

I was at 637VGS at Little Rissington as a staff cadet for several years.

My first flights there must have been around 1981 with Kirby Cadets, as you describe.

Additionally we used a 4 wheeled trailer signal caravan with Aldis lamp for airfield control.

Later we converted to Venture T2 SLG. By that stage we had two yellow lightweights, one with a foam extiguisher mounted in the rear, the other GS, sometimes used to haul 140litres of jerricans of 2 star petrol for the gliders from the local petrol station, amongst many other tasks. I seem to recall these were 75AM56 and 75AM58.

The Kirby Cadet trailer survived into another role with a cage welded to it, full of 'No Entry, Flying in Progress' signs which need to be put out and recovered around the airfield every flying day.

Best Regards,

Adrian

[19GLN]

15 hours ago, Oh Five said:

I am not sure what conversion work was needed for Glider Towing.

I am unsure of the specifics as well. What I know for certain is that some ended up not being used as originally intended and thus remained unfitted. They had storage compartments for tools in the tub, a foldable two section ladder on the roof, and a single foldable seat on the rear right hand wheel arch (same as on Series 1 FFW models with 24V electrics for radio operators).

 

If I can gather correctly from research, they were all painted in RAF blue-grey thus any yellow sprayed on their body to aid airfield visibility was done once delivered to their respective units. Of the known survivors I have managed to track down, all their hardtops were white/cream with no sign of yellow or blue-grey. 

 

Those transferred to the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works (MPBW) were given FUV or FUL registrations. Unfortunately my reg was transferred at some point and is currently on an A-reg plate.

[Oh Five]

I have had a civvy Series 1 for some years that has been on an 'A plate' since before I got it.  I have not seen the certificate that I got from the British Motor Museum gave me the original registration, details of which garage sold it and who bought it.  They might have some details of the history of your vehicle.

 

As evidence of the colour schemes they were painted, there was a film on the Talking Pictures channel about the 111 Squadron and the Black Arrows.  It showed a Land Rover towing a Hunter into the hangar, if I recall correctly, it was blue with a yellow painted roof.  If it was a hard top the yellow was painted down to join between the roof and sides.  If it was a canvas tilt then it was painted down to the seam between the roof and the sides.

 

One of the lightweights at Kirknewton was 77AM45. The other two were xxxx12 and xxxx92.  The Series 2A was 98AA05 that had been used as a RAF Police Review Vehicle.  There is a picture of it carrying Princess Anne while reviewing the 'Buccaneer Wing' at RAF Honington.

 

Dan