RAF Vehicle Type Numbers in WW2

[Adrian Dwyer]

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

 

[LarryH57]

 

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)

[RAFMT]

Type 2703 was most likely added because someone realised the RAF were still using Fordson and Case Roadless conversions.

[Le Prof]

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

[Rootes75]

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.

[LarryH57]

Rootes, 

Regarding your Commer 15cwt, what type of body do your think it had or has remains of?

[Rootes75]

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?

 

[LarryH57]

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 Friday at 06:29 AM by LarryH57

[67burwood]

My wife’s grandad in France, unfortunately I can’t make out the markings on the windscreen. 
 

[10FM68]

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?

[67burwood]

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. 

[LarryH57]

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.

[Rootes75]

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.

[LarryH57]

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 Friday at 09:33 AM by LarryH57

[Rootes75]

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.

[LarryH57]

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

[LarryH57]

One last point - is your Commer a 15cwt or 30 cwt?

[Rootes75]

She is a Q2 15cwt with the 6 cylinder petrol not the 4 cylinder.

[LarryH57]

I saw the two vehicles listed at the bottom of your posts and mistook what you own.

[10FM68]

Interesting photo showing very early use of the Canadian RCAF roundel with blue outer ring and red maple leaf.