pbharcourt Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Not sure if this picture of the RAF in 1919 has been posted before but I thought it was great! Leylands and Crossleys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Not sure if this picture of the RAF in 1919 has been posted before but I thought it was great!Leylands and Crossleys? I have studied this picture before and I don't know if it is me or is it something to do with the camera but the outer RFC Crossley and RAF Leyland appear to have wider radiators. The AWM photographic archive is brilliant. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I have studied this picture before and I don't know if it is me or is it something to do with the camera but the outer RFC Crossley and RAF Leyland appear to have wider radiators. The AWM photographic archive is brilliant. Tom[/quote) I thought it was my eyes:D Are these blokes RAF or Aussie and if Aussie would they still have been in Belgium in 1919? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 ID numberE04328 Makers Unknown (Photographer); Unknown Australian Official Photographer (Photographer); Object type Black & white - Glass original whole plate negative Place made Belgium: Wallonie, Hainaut, TarcienneDate made19 February 1919 Description An informal portrait of unidentified members of the Motor Transport Section of the 3rd Squadron, Australian Flying Corps standing with two Leyland motor lorries (left) and two Crossley light tenders (right). The lorry on the far left is marked with the number 36492 and the other lorry is marked with the number 43059. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 The AFC comprised 4 squadrons. Three were fighter squadrons: AFC Sqn 1 flew mainly Bristol fighters in Mid East theatre. AFC Sqn 2 flew mainly SE5a's in France. AFC Sqn 4 flew mainly Sopwith camels, and snipes later in the war, also based in France. AFC Sqn 3 the subject of this photo was a reconnaissance squadron utilised on the western front from 1916. Photography and artillery obs. Australian servicement were repatriated home through 1919 in a huge logistics exercise... Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbharcourt Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 Amazing depth of knowlege from people on this site! I think the title should be updated to 'AFC in Belgium', credit where credit is due! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 Amazing depth of knowlege from people on this site! Certainly is, thank you for your replies, very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Some of the pilots lived to a great age. One fellow I new very well. He lived near the Melboutrne Cricket Ground and loved to discuss the state of play. So we'd be talking cricket and then he'd come out with these "what ho's" in between sentences. This idiom completely baffled me as a teenager. But it did give me a sense of the atmosphere in the AFC mess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz2 Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 I too have looked at this photograph many times and queried the differences in size between the vehicles. The inside Leyland is shorter in height, appears narrower and the radiator looks so different in overall size. Leylands with different sizes to the radiators came out after the war!. Perhaps this image was taken with a wider angle lens, but then I would have expected more distortion about the edges and buildings with curved walls. If in the photographic printing as an original print, could the paper have not been flat? Still an interesting print. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 The ratio of radiator core height to width - so far as you can measure with such a low res photo - appears to be the same for both Leylands. One lorry is parked a yard behind the other. Also the left radiator is painted? and you can see more of the right side standard. Perhaps an optical illusion.:undecided: The car radiators ...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz2 Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 I have enlarged the photo up and measured up the radiators to compare sizes. Down to half a mm. They are of different sizes, yet the wheels are the same size. The position of the second Leyland being about a metre back from the leading Leyland should not cause the degree of distortion. The distance across the chassis front member between the two also varies, however Leyland made only one chassis width. Leyland production to RFC was of one size, the 5000 series( latter called the RAF). The faces of the men in the second Leyland appear too small in relation to the first Leyland. This leads to another approach; could the photo be chopped, a merge of two photos. A skilled darkroom operator can combine areas from separate negatives and produce a print . There are areas about the edges of the canvas covers over the back of the trucks that appear blurred that could support the dark room theory. Another option to consider is the label on the photo; how correct is that. In respect to museum staff, they can only record the information passed on to them. Could this be taken latter than the date issued, and within Australia? Larger radiators were made by Leyland for Colonial use in the 1920's. The radiator on the second Leyland appears true to form, however the left hand radiator has features that don't seem correct.The manufacturers name plate is the wrong shape. Could this be a replacement from a different truck? I understand the swapping of items about between trucks was frond upon, but then the Aussies had this one! Note there are no wheel tracks from the first Leyland, while the second Leyland appears to have backed into its position These are only ideas as I view the photo, and question why so many differences. It is a puzzle! Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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