B series Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 Copy of another photo I obtained several decades ago for your thoughts and discussion. The caption on photo reverse is: Army trailer, Trackway. The ERF tractor unit has white edging to the mudguards and a blackout lamp on the NS, so I assume taken during WWII. Maybe the tractor unit is an impressed vehicle or just a random vehicle, and was used to get the trailer into position to photograph. The trailer looks new and might be extendable type. The trailer could also be a commercial design that has been selected or modified for carrying trackway. The tractor registration is APR 929, and was operated by Robert Thorne. I was thinking maybe this would be a trailer used for the trackway laid across beaches, maybe the D day landings. But I am just thinking out loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel7 Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 The registration is Dorset, late war or just post-war. Robert Thorne still exist, and are timber merchants in southern Dorset, having been so engaged since the 1880s. I would suggest that the photo is probably of a nice new heavyweight pole trailer they bought circa 1945, as part of their business included supply of round timber, and nothing to do with the army. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted August 1, 2020 Share Posted August 1, 2020 Well it could be military because it looks like a 5 ton pipe bolster trailer made by the Canadians could telescope out to take pipes of up to 40 feet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted August 1, 2020 Share Posted August 1, 2020 found a spec sheet for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B series Posted August 2, 2020 Author Share Posted August 2, 2020 Thanks Wally,. That Canadian trailer does seem a good match to the photo. Maybe the timber company purchased a Canadian pole trailer after the war, or maybe they moved the trailers to photograph during the war. I guess we will never know. B series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Prof Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 Hi, All, APR 929 was issued in Dorset in 1941, between Jan (APR 879) and April (APR 999). (Source: Glass's Index of Registration Numbers 1965) Best Regards, Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon05 Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 Hi, any chance you could email me a copy of this picture please to romfordmill@gmail.com ? Simon Thorne (5th Generation of Robert Thorne's) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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