fayjo56 Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 I may have a wartime small trailer pump coming my way. I thought it might make a good barracks Fire Picket pump behind the MW occasionaly. (all I have to tow it anyway!) Would an appropriate colour for the pump be red or khaki/dark earth/olive drab? Perhaps there is no 'correct' answer. Brian Baxter has made some excellent models inculding a military set up with red pump, but I have also seen preserved military pumps in green. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted angus Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 (edited) All these pumps for all government depts were procured as part of Home Office contracts for which the Min of Works acted as the buying agents !! They were all delivered in the war emergency fire equipment colour of Dark Admiralty grey. In some instances they would have been repainted into the current camo colour at an early opportunity or they may have remained grey until a repaint was needed. I have seen photos of RAF ones which are beyond doubt grey along side camo crash tenders, I have seen a picture at a UK ord depot where by the tones a couple of pumps are camo but a couple are still grey, I have also seen colour home movie from a big wartime parade in Cairo where all the fire equipment is red. Brian B and I have been swapping notes on this subject ( and other vehicles ) for 30 years now and what a fantastic collection of models he has ! So I reckon whatever colour you choose you will be right. I restored an ex Army 1943 Coventry Climax light trailer pump and wanted a different colour so I chose 1954 when mine was in Germany; At that time everything was gloss deep bronze green including most army fire vehicles and most RAF ones too, for about 3 years the RAF in Germany chose to go DBG for some strange reason . , TED Edited February 24, 2013 by ted angus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fayjo56 Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Thank you for the quick response. Your TrP looks very smart! 'My' pump is currently grey, but I think may be due a repaint (havent seen it for a while - long story) so history may be repeating itself. :thanx: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted angus Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 A pile of scrap when I got it, 3 year restoration - it pumps like a new one; Afraid being my wife's carer and now with my own health issues she will be up for sale soon. along with my 1963 Austin Gipsy ex Aux Fire service. TED Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fayjo56 Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Sorry to hear that Ted. All the best to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 All these pumps for all government depts were procured as part of Home Office contracts for which the Min of Works acted as the buying agents !! They were all delivered in the war emergency fire equipment colour of Dark Admiralty grey. In some instances they would have been repainted into the current camo colour at an early opportunity or they may have remained grey until a repaint was needed. I have seen photos of RAF ones which are beyond doubt grey along side camo crash tenders, I have seen a picture at a UK ord depot where by the tones a couple of pumps are camo but a couple are still grey, I have also seen colour home movie from a big wartime parade in Cairo where all the fire equipment is red. Brian B and I have been swapping notes on this subject ( and other vehicles ) for 30 years now and what a fantastic collection of models he has ! So I reckon whatever colour you choose you will be right. I restored an ex Army 1943 Coventry Climax light trailer pump and wanted a different colour so I chose 1954 when mine was in Germany; At that time everything was gloss deep bronze green including most army fire vehicles and most RAF ones too, for about 3 years the RAF in Germany chose to go DBG for some strange reason . ,TED Well THAT's a posh fire cart. I saw nothing that sophisticated in my time. The fire carts in service 1975-89 looked like they belonged behind a single plodding horse in a wartime field. In fact they were powered by about 6 man-power as opposed to 1 horse-power. Camp guard would double as Fire Picquet and would parade at lunch time under the provost staff to be told to rush to "a fire" near a given fire hydrant, plug in the hoses, turn on the hydrant and demonstrate that everything worked. Also tested the hydrants in turn. Heaven help you if you got a hydrant at the other end of the camp. Always painted bright red in my experience. The hoses were rotten, the connectors and adaptors (if present) may or may not connect or adapt. Fire Piquet, not a soldier's favourite pastime. Watching the Fire Picquet double by was like watching the Keystone Cops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fayjo56 Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 Fascinating! My brother has one of the carts I think you may be referring to. 2 Large cart wheels, hose wrapped around the axle and a box for equipment on top? I'll try and get a picture up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Fascinating! My brother has one of the carts I think you may be referring to. 2 Large cart wheels, hose wrapped around the axle and a box for equipment on top? I'll try and get a picture up. Yep, that's the badger. And if it looks really, really tatty, it's fresh from behind a guard room somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotamb69 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 A pile of scrap when I got it, 3 year restoration - it pumps like a new one; Afraid being my wife's carer and now with my own health issues she will be up for sale soon. along with my 1963 Austin Gipsy ex Aux Fire service. TED Hi Ted sorry to hear your having health problems too now. Also sorry to hear you maybe having to part with Matilda. I still have the Yellow Goddess but have also added a Landrover ambulance, MP Landrover and Sankey to my collection. Trying to secure a NI Landrover Piglet to restore, should know in the next couple days if I have it or not. May catch up at the Bunker or Leuchars later this year at the airshow if your about. Hope things improve for you. Regards Ernest . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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