Adrian Dwyer Posted August 9, 2023 Share Posted August 9, 2023 On 2/23/2015 at 4:09 PM, simon king said: You need to find a copy of "Wheels of the RAF" by Bruce Robertson, published by PSL in 1983. That has the fullest list of RAF type numbers that I have seen. Jeeps are Type 1900 however, and the Type 1300 QLs are quaintly referred to as 3-ton standard tenders..... There one here for a fiver - and another for £176! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wheels-Royal-Force-Bruce-Robertson/dp/0850596246 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted August 10, 2023 Author Share Posted August 10, 2023 The Type numbers for airfield tractors: 2600 Tractors, Light 2601 Tractors Light with Winch 2700 Tractors, Heavy 2701 Tractors, Heavy Crawler 2702 Tractors, Works, Wheeled 2703 Tractors, Semi-Tracked (An addition from AMO 232 / 44) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAFMT Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 Type 2703 was most likely added because someone realised the RAF were still using Fordson and Case Roadless conversions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Prof Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 On 2/26/2015 at 11:14 AM, RAFMT said: I have copies of the AMOs somewhere giving complete lists of all type numbers i'll dig them out and can send you copies. Hi Bryan, I appreciate it was some time ago, but I've been unable to find this listing elsewhere. Would it be possible to PM me a copy please? Thanks for your help. Best Regards, Adrian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted April 23 Share Posted April 23 Reading through this thread for the first time, we are restoring a 1944 Commer 15cwt RAF truck, I'd be interested in a copy of the list if that were possible? I have a contract number for the truck but she is just a chassis cab so I have no idea what the RAF use was. She was sold off in France in 1946 and we've only just re-patriated her. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted April 25 Author Share Posted April 25 Rootes, Regarding your Commer 15cwt, what type of body do your think it had or has remains of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 Its not a coachbuilt cab, it doesn't have a PTO for it to be a heater truck. It does however have a gun hoop in the cab and gun racks inside and also a lubrication chart plate that we can make out says 'Commer Q2 AM 15cwt Load Carrier'... We are thinking it would have the GS body fitted? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted April 25 Author Share Posted April 25 (edited) From the look of it , your Commer does look to be one of these, in the photo of the factory line up, (below) rather than the van type? However, I think those in the line up are Q15 models but according to Bart Vanderveen the Commer Q2, was sometimes produced with a closed cab like yours (rather than an intergral cab) and these were made for GS and specialist bodies like the aircraft engine pre-heater. Factory Line up of Commer Q15 vehicles? The Commer with Type E radio body, may be trial fitting of a body that looks similar to those on Bedford MW, with wheel arches bigger than necessary, presuably to cater to all sorts of vehicles and wheelbases. Note the cab roof with its look out / MG position. Edited April 26 by LarryH57 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67burwood Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 My wife’s grandad in France, unfortunately I can’t make out the markings on the windscreen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10FM68 Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 2 hours ago, 67burwood said: My wife’s grandad in France, unfortunately I can’t make out the markings on the windscreen. They look like Army - Royal Signals. Was your grandfather-in-law R Signals? Perhaps RAF support communications - that looks like an aircraft symbol on the white & blue R Signals AOS sign on the driver's side of the windscreen. Something like this? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67burwood Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 6 hours ago, 10FM68 said: They look like Army - Royal Signals. Was your grandfather-in-law R Signals? Perhaps RAF support communications - that looks like an aircraft symbol on the white & blue R Signals AOS sign on the driver's side of the windscreen. Something like this? Yes he was, Royal Signals attached to the RAF I wasn’t sure if he was driving an Army Jeep or RAF Jeep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted April 26 Author Share Posted April 26 When I saw this photo I immediately thought it wasn't an RAF Jeep, as a feature of many RAF Jeeps in 2TAF in NW Europe was they were devoid of pioneer tools, as if an NCO in charge, said that those tools will surely be nicked by the locals and so I will look after them, or other logic reason like "we never get in situations where we need to get our hands dirty! And of course there is no RAF Type 1900 number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 12 hours ago, LarryH57 said: From the look of it , your Commer does look to be one of these, in the photo of the factory line up, (below) rather than the van type? However, I think those in the line up are Q15 models but according to Bart Vanderveen the Commer Q2, was sometimes produced with a closed cab like yours (rather than an intergral cab) and these were made for GS and specialist bodies like the aircraft engine pre-heater. Factory Line up of Commer Q15 vehicles? The Commer with Type E radio body, may be trial fitting of a body that looks similar to those on Bedford MW, with wheel arches bigger than necessary, presuably to cater to all sorts of vehicles and wheelbases. Note the cab roof with its look out / MG position. Yes, that is a line up of fresh Q15's. Actually quite a bit smaller than the Q2, narrower track and very short wheelbase. I think our thoughts at the moment are to body the Q2 the same as our 1942 Q2 30cwt with the GS body and canvas tilt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted April 26 Author Share Posted April 26 (edited) And as a polite suggestion, don't paint your Q2 in RAF Blue Grey if it was made in 1944. I'm also guessing that your Q2 went to NW Europe as part of 2TAF, on or after D-Day if it ended up there until recently, unless it was one of many surplus vehicles given away as aid post WW2 Although British Olive Drab was ordered by the RAF (to match the Army) prior to D-Day, many RAF vehicles with less 'front line duty', we still in Brown Special No.2 with either Brown Dark (MT) No.1A, as the camouflage, or P.F.U. Matt Black, which we have come to know as 'Micky Mouse Ear' Camouflage. I guess you know there were variations of Micky Mouse Ear, painted with less rounded ear camo than ‘Mickey Mouse Ears' and these varied in style from 'foliage' or 'devils horns' to 'crows feet'. Incidentally, the RAF Roundal was very prominent on all sides of the larger 2TAF vehicles like the Austin K6 types, but anything smaller, didn't seem so covered, but a roundal on the bonnet and and tilt sides, which appears to be of a set size, still looks quite strange on a 15cwt vehicle - thats why I have yet to see any roundals on tilts of preserved RAF vehicles at MV shows! Some examples below from a time when the NWE front line had moved towards Germany. Note the old camo style still in use. The Ford WOT 15cwt is Denmark in 1945. Edited April 26 by LarryH57 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 Some very nice photos there, thank you. And no, she will definately not be painted grey, I've researched quite a lot into colours. Of note, our 1942 Commer I have in SCC2 as she would have been originally. I tell you, the number of people who have messaged me to tell me that she should be olive drab and I have it wrong... And yes, we believe she was part of 2TAF shipped over to NW Europe in later 1944. She was sold off locally in France in early July 45. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted April 26 Author Share Posted April 26 As far as it went, Brown Dark (MT) No.1A, (Chocolate Brown) was only officially sanctioned by the RAF for around 9 months; from 31st December 1942 and was replaced by orders in AMO A.891/43 on 9th September 1943, with ‘Paint, P.F.U., Black Matt, quick drying’. A.891/43 stayed in force until 1944 when a further AMO, A.519/44 was issued on 8th June 1944; which changed the basic colour to ‘PFU Olive Drab’ with Black Matt as the camouflage colour. British Olive Drab had been in use by the British & Commonwealth Armies for about a month or more before D-Day, first with Micky Mouse black camo them none as the war contined. By 8th June 1944, AMO 519/44 it was obviously a bit late to change RAF vehicles either in France, or prepared to travel by ship to Normandy, plus repainting was not required until absolutely necessary and the attritian rate was less for the RAF vehicles, so thats why the Micky Mouse scheme may be seen on RAF vehicles right up to arriving in Denmark in May 1945. So go with Brown Special No.2 ( and with ‘Paint, P.F.U., Black Matt, quick drying’?) - it will make a nice change! Brown Special No. 2 was the RAF name for SCC.2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted April 26 Author Share Posted April 26 One last point - is your Commer a 15cwt or 30 cwt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 She is a Q2 15cwt with the 6 cylinder petrol not the 4 cylinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted April 26 Author Share Posted April 26 I saw the two vehicles listed at the bottom of your posts and mistook what you own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10FM68 Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 Interesting photo showing very early use of the Canadian RCAF roundel with blue outer ring and red maple leaf. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAFMT Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 On 4/22/2024 at 12:15 PM, Le Prof said: Hi Bryan, I appreciate it was some time ago, but I've been unable to find this listing elsewhere. Would it be possible to PM me a copy please? Thanks for your help. Best Regards, Adrian Hi Adrian, I have since been made redundant and don't have access to the original AMOs any more. I do have a photocopy I made for myself, but the only way of digitising it is to photograph with my phone. I shall put the pictures on a new thread because others are also interested. All the Best Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted April 29 Author Share Posted April 29 Bryan, I am gutted for you - what is going on at the RAF Museum? I went to visit RAF Hendon the other week and was amazed at what they have done to the Battle of Britain Hall. Emptied of BoB aircraft and the Sunderland marooned in the new cafe? Are these types in the main hall - I never got to find out? By the time I had looked around the other buildings the 'Camp Guards' would not let me in to the main hall. It was 4pm and they had to clear the public out in a hour. I'd accept it if it was 4.55pm I know its free to enter the museum but I also paid the highest parking fee ever at RAFM and no refund as I had to leave early! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 Its been pointed out to me that I may appear ungrateful for the info I have requested - but rest assured that is not the case and I am very grateful and keen to give info as much as I receive. I'm still intrigued by Rootes75's Q2 15cwt with the 6 cylinder petrol not the 4 cylinder. I have read that late WW2 production had 6 cylinder 80 BHP engines fitted similar (if not the same) as used in the post war Commer Q2 1 Ton, with Superpoise Cab of circa 1950. What type of rear body it had alludes me. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Prof Posted May 1 Share Posted May 1 (edited) Hi Bryan @RAFMT Damn, sorry to hear about the redundancy. That's tough at any time, but especially from a job that you are dedicated to. I wish you the best moving forwards. Yes, I would appreciate seeing the list, even if it is copies of copies. There is no urgency on my part. Thanks in anticipation. Adrian Edited May 1 by Le Prof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 A list of type numbers from Wheels of the RAF book from 1983 by Bruce Robertson Its good enough but is missing a few numbers - but note the RAF never seemed to use any Type numbers in the 4000 -4999 range, nor any with less than four digits 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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