question Air Field Construction CAT D6

[DOZER D6]

:wave: Hi, my first post, wondering if anyone can help tracing any information about my CAT D6 5R 1942 using its ACB number which is riveted on the dash. The number is ACB 12417. Regards John

[N.O.S.]

You could try contacting (51 Engineer Regt) at Waterbeach Barracks, Cambridgeshire - they took over RAF ACB and may have records.

 

Edit: As Zero-Five-Two points out 51 Eng Regt are a parachute front line unit. Of course I meant to put 39 Engineer Regt., who provide airfield construction support to RAF.

 

It had also pased me by that Waterbeach Barracks closed for ever in March this year, 39 Regt relocating to Kinloss in July 2012. There was a good little museum at the gate house, but I have not been able to track down its fate.

 

If you wish to contact 39 Regt., suggest you try a letter to Major David Hornby and enclose a photo of your Cat.

Edited June 24, 2013 by N.O.S.
Bad info spotted by a Militant nut!

[N.O.S.]

Also try here:

 

http://www.rafacb.org.uk/

[Zero-Five-Two]

You could try contacting 51 Engineer Regt at Waterbeach Barracks, Cambridgeshire - they took over RAF ACB and may have records.

 

Aren't they 51 Squadron? I think they are also a parachute unit these days

[N.O.S.]

Aren't they 51 Squadron? I think they are also a parachute unit these days

 

Well spotted! I've corrected post to reflect the correct unit - 39 Engineer Regiment.

 

The 'squadron' title disappeared when the Army took over the RAF airfield construction support role. 51 Engineer Regiment is a front line support unit with parachutes as you point out.

[fesm_ndt]

When did these get phased out ie did they have a long service?

[N.O.S.]

Here's another possibility. Pat Honey wrote a series of articles on his ACB plant days (1950 to 1961ish), and is a leading character in the ACB Association. Here are the contacts for him:

 

http://nsrafa.org/WhereAreThey.aspx

 

If anyone can help I'm sure he can point you in the right direction. Certainly for the ACB Scammell Constructors we found a list of vehicles taken over by the Army in 1966, with pre and post takeover registration numbers. There may exist similar lists for the plant, so if your D6 survived to be taken over in 1966 you may get lucky!

[DOZER D6]

Thanks for all the info, will have a go and see what I come up with. Thanks John

[Richard Farrant]

Certainly for the ACB Scammell Constructors we found a list of vehicles taken over by the Army in 1966, with pre and post takeover registration numbers. There may exist similar lists for the plant, so if your D6 survived to be taken over in 1966 you may get lucky!

 

Hi Tony,

I would be very surprised to find a 1942 Cat D6 still in military service by the late Fifties at the most. If this ACB plate dates back to when the dozer was new, then I think it might have been one procured for the large number of contractors who built many airfields. Firms such as Wimpey, Laing, Mowlem, Taylor Woodrow, McAlpine and many more were involved. The equipment they used may well have been supplied by the government as it would not be possible for the firms to just buy new plant from the US. In the back of my mind I though there was an organisation called Airfield Construction Board, but at present cannot find anything to prove myself right. Take a look at the video in this link, it shows how much work civilian contractors were doing.

 

[N.O.S.]

Good link, Richard. A pity they rushed the stills of construction plant to fit the melody!

 

Any idea what the bonneted Wimpey tipper was at 2 min 58? A Dodge maybe?

[Richard Farrant]

Good link, Richard. A pity they rushed the stills of construction plant to fit the melody!

 

Any idea what the bonneted Wimpey tipper was at 2 min 58? A Dodge maybe?

 

Tony,

I think it is an International KR-11.

[ploughman]

Not sure about your particular era but from my own experience from the 70s onwards with Airfield units

 

The D6s were used by the 4 Field Squadrons ADR Const RE. That looked after Airfield work in the 70s - 90s

50, 51, 52 and 53

I think 50 was at Maidstone

51 at Ripon

52 Perham Down Tidworth (my unit)

53 Waterbeach.

 

Each Sqn would have one D6 (possibly D6D) at least at home in the UK and as the Sqns were all allocated an RAF Airfield in BAOR the designated Airfield would have in its plant allocation probably 2 more D6s making 3 each per Sqn

 

The work was renamed a couple of times starting I think with RRR - Rapid Runway Repair but changed to ADR Airfield Damage Repair to more fully describe the total work covered.

 

39 Reg later took on the TA ADR units but these units did not have D6s allocated, they would have been issued however if anything had required it. ( I was in 234 at Leeming as well)

 

D6s were also in use at Chattendene RSME I seem to remember these as being D6C and most Bridging units would have had one on call as well.

Edited June 25, 2013 by ploughman

[Zero-Five-Two]

Hi Ploughman, we may well have met in the dim and distant past then, I guess you are ex Sapper as well.

 

Without wishing to hijack the thread, but I can offer more info on the ADR Squadrons and D6 users from the 70's and 80's. 51 Sqn was certainly at Ripon in the late 70's because I was there too. 48 Sqn also had an ARD role at that time, I seem to remember them being at Waterbeach.

 

43 Plant Squadron was at Osnabruck and although not an ADR unit, they had a lot of D6s for anti tank ditching work.

 

I've got some photos somewhere, I'll try and find them. D6C and the later D6D

[N.O.S.]

Bryan - I'm confused now (not difficult to achieve!). The airfield construction units when under RAF control were called Squadrons (e.g. 5002 Sqdn). When they were transferred to Royal Engineer control I thought they became Regiments. You guys (who were there) talk about Squadrons within the RE - is that particular to the airfield units only?

[ted angus]

Bryan - I'm confused now (not difficult to achieve!). The airfield construction units when under RAF control were called Squadrons (e.g. 5002 Sqdn). When they were transferred to Royal Engineer control I thought they became Regiments. You guys (who were there) talk about Squadrons within the RE - is that particular to the airfield units only?

 

I had dealings with the RE ADR lads in Germany -( Bruggen then Laarbruch) we used to look after their prestocked plant which was in air conditioned dry clad bags !! yes big plant in huge rubber bags.

Turning back to WW2 my dad was RE when he was in 15 Div which was an infantry Div his unit was 279 Fld Company, when he was posted to & Arm Div his was in aFld Park Sqn.

During my time in Germany all the RE I dealt with were Sqns X number of Sqns belong to a Regiment; i.e 39 Eng Regt is comprised a number of Sqns. Now if you really turn the clock back- The Army used the title Sqn long before our once great RAF was thought of !

 

hope that helps

 

TED

[ploughman]

For example at Perham Down when I was there.

22 Engineer Regt comprised of 3, 6, 8 and 52 Sqns

This was a fairly typical make up of each Engineer regt. 2 Field Engineer Sqns 3 and 8, 6 was an AMFL Sqn so often out in Norway and other places with a lack of heat and 52 an Airfield Sqn.

 

The dedicated ADR units were 50, 51, 52 and 53.

However some other units also had an Airfield element but not to the same extent or possibly in a different area of expertise.

 

Also as the RAF arose out of the RFC and the Balloon Corps which arose out of the Royal Engineers it is the RAF that has nicked the SQN terminology.

 

Ted we may have met at Bruggen.

1979 - 82 working on the bags crawling about inside trying to shove more blankets in as padding.

How do you cover all the sharp edges on a Grader, Michigan 275 or a Barford tipper?

Edited June 26, 2013 by ploughman

[ted angus]

For example at Perham Down when I was there.

22 Engineer Regt comprised of 3, 6, 8 and 52 Sqns

This was a fairly typical make up of each Engineer regt.

The dedicated ADR units were 50, 51, 52 and 53.

However some other units also had an Airfield element but not to the same extent or possibly in a different area of expertise.

 

Also as the RAF arose out of the RFC and the Balloon Corps which arose out of the Royal Engineers it is the RAF that has nicked the SQN terminology.

 

Ted we may have met at Bruggen.

1979 - 82 working on the bags crawling about inside trying to shove more blankets in as padding.

How do you cover all the sharp edges on a Grader, Michigan 275 or a Barford tipper?

 

Blimey that may well be so, I was jan 79 to jan 82 2 and a half hanger was GEF's home;

 

TED

[ploughman]

We just had Hanger 1 as our bedroom.

Every year some Blue job thought it funny to try and bring a jag in on a sunday morning.

He usually met a wall of thrown boots.

 

And yes it was us that were present that night the Border Bar burnt down.

[Zero-Five-Two]

I'm not completely sure when the RE changed from Companies to Squadrons, I think it was in the 1950's. But certainly since then all units of the RE are made up of Squadrons within a Regiment. Except specialist units such as 40 Army Engineer Support Group which was at Willach, Germany a few years back.

 

40 Group was made up of 306 Army Plant Park. 303 Army Engineer Park. 21 Engineer Base Workshops and 522 Specialist Team.

 

As an example of a normal Engineer Regiment. 38 Regt was at Ripon, Yorkshire. Comprising, 11 Field Squadron. 32 Field Squadron. 51 ADR Squadron, and 15 Field support Squadron.