'RAF Hillside' - Bomber Command Map Makers at Hughenden Manor

[LarryH57]

Guys, firstly may I have the RAF vehicles identified, in the attached photo line up from WW2. I know the middle vehicle in a Bedford MW type, but is it just a GS truck? The trucks both appear to be 4x2. Is that just an illusion?

I may approach the National Trust to see if they might wish to take a then and now photo in their courtyard. But are the vehicles readily available if we wanted to ?

Is anybody interested? 

Hughenden Manor is just north of High Wycombe.

Strangely this site was so secret that the National Trust never knew about it until in recent years a very elderly map maker returned on a visit with his family and started discussing where he sat and where work was done, and a staff member overheard, and from that they are looking to create a room dedicated to the memory of those who served there.

Your thoughts please.

Larry

Edited July 23, 2021 by LarryH57

[ted angus]

OK    Hillman on the left either a van or car, on the Right Studebaker 6x4 of No 4 MT company

Ted

[Rootes75]

Yes, its a Phase 1 Hillman Minx. That front end styling is from 39-47.

[LarryH57]

That's great - but where am I to get a Studebaker 6x4 which I guess is a US6 version. Some were 6x6 and still US6

Many years ago there was one on a London to Brighton run with a registration of GAB 919, not that I remember having seen one at any MV show!  A photo on the web also shows OFF395 at a MV show

Ted how do you know the vehicle belonged to No 4 MT? Just from the 4 on the fender? Not the bridging weight?

BTW Ted - have a look at MLU later

[ted angus]

Vehicles of the UK based MT Companies didn't carry the conventional Command/Group marking they were required to display the Company number on the front and rear offsides.  4 MT was based in London to cover the docks and provide MT support to the surrounding district. I imagine support to small units such as this was a typical task.

TED

[LarryH57]

Ted, as ever - thanks for the clarification

[ted angus]

From the RAF data book sorry one page is not good quality.

 

TED

[LarryH57]

Regarding the MT Companies in the RAF, am I right in thinking that if 4 MT used 4, there was no attempt to hide their identity - so there must have been 1 to 4  (or more) but I guess easily identifiable anyway. But I guess some MT Companies were based overseas with out of sequence numbers.

Where they 1 to 4 MT Companies in UK and others overseas with the same numbers, or was it like an RAF Squadron (those with aircraft) with a unique number that was formed and reformed?

I can't find much on RAF MT Companies online

Lastly, in the photo of RAF Hillside I guess the Studebaker must have been used for bulk supplies of paper or ink etc at it does seem rather large to take even 300 maps for a raid to Bomber HQ. The Bedford MW could have done that.

Edited August 26, 2021 by LarryH57

[ted angus]

In the UK there were 6 M T Companies numbered 1 to 6.  Overseas a different set of numbers. I would suggest if a vehicle of the Studebaker's capacity was required on a full time basis then one would be on the units establishment. With the exception of 2 M T ,  tasking for M T Companies was directly by  the Air Ministry . Whilst a single raid might only generate the need for say 300 maps there would be  a range of maps held by ops at every group and station which would amount to quantities in their tens of thousands, so the need for such a vehicle may be say a weekly task.  What we don't know is exactly what maps were produced there ?  Was it just specially prepared target maps or all .  My guess is possibly commercial printers produced non target maps.

[LarryH57]

Dear Ted,

It was specialist maps they made; those made at Hillside were target maps and one set per aircraft on each raid. But of course I realise it was for every Group too and so that multiples the number of maps. I guess that if a Bombing Raid was split as a decoy then that increases the variations! No wonder they needed a 5 tonner!

Edited August 27, 2021 by LarryH57

[ted angus]

Yes I just found and read the article on the National Trust site- it makes me think I had previously known about Hillside previously and forgotten about it, Ted.