Bobcat Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 My 1943 Austin Tilly left military service in 1958, and was bought by Cyril Groombridge, a well known supplier of vehicles to the film industry. Legend has it that my Austin 10 Light Utility was 1 of 2 Tilly's that featured in the 1963 Film 633 Squadron, and while rubbing down the paintwork, I have found, RAF blue/grey paint on top of green which is on top of brown which is on a thick grey primer, possibly the original paintwork, but who would really know as it was rebuilt twice by the military and has the rebuild plate on the bulkhead, the other Tilly also still survives. Contract records point to the RAF not actually being supplied with Austins, and no contemporary photographs are known to exist showing the Austins in RAF service. I have the vehicles full history stating who owned it and when, and a thick folder featuring bills for every bottle of oil, spark plug, brake shoes, clutch plates etc, going back to the 1980s, However, what I would really like to know is where the vehicle went during it's time in service and what it's war story is. Is there a source for this information now, that might not have been available to the previous owners. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 you are asking a question that dozens of owners of wartime built vehicles ask and sadly the honest answer to it is no you might get a bit more from the data plate but even so it will be not much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobcat Posted December 17, 2022 Author Share Posted December 17, 2022 Thanks wally. The previous owners all came up with nothing, but I thought there might be more options available as time goes on, I also dont know how to find out if the M5456849 number is pure fiction or not.. The data plate is the only thing that connects it to it's past, my motorbike was traced to the RAOC by it's factory dispatch records and it's C number, but I havent dug any deeper on that yet. I'll just repaint it as a representation of any Tilly that served in North Africa and Italy.👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 when you say data plate do you mean a ministry of supply data plate with a post war number ie OO RA 27 or a contract plate ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYPHOTOS Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 I suggest you contact the Tilly Register. Michael Shackleton at tilly.register@gmail.com. They have records and produce a great magazine. Tenner a year.....worth every penny. Photo of my Tilly, ex Malta. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobcat Posted December 18, 2022 Author Share Posted December 18, 2022 On 12/17/2022 at 8:43 PM, wally dugan said: when you say data plate do you mean a ministry of supply data plate with a post war number ie OO RA 27 or a contract plate ? I'm not sure what the plate is at the moment. It has been splattered in salt and is very green and corroded, so until I clean it up a bit I wont know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobcat Posted December 18, 2022 Author Share Posted December 18, 2022 1 hour ago, ARMYPHOTOS said: I suggest you contact the Tilly Register. Michael Shackleton at tilly.register@gmail.com. They have records and produce a great magazine. Tenner a year.....worth every penny. Photo of my Tilly, ex Malta. That really is lovely. Do you reenact KOMR, I know a couple of guys that would love to have a vehicle like this on their set. Yes I have all the information that the Tilly Register can find, and the only person with the extra info I want was Cyril Groombridge who is sadly no longer with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYPHOTOS Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Hi. No I do not reenact. I have had MV's for 40 or so years and do may shows. I of course know all the guys in Malta who do with their Tilly and Bedfords. My Tilly was built and sent to Malta in 1940. I brought it back in 2020. So it had the original plates etc. It served with the Royal Malta Artillery and is shown in their colours. If you are a member of the MVT you will have seen a write up about it and its history in the last issue of Windscreen. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobcat Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 It really is a beauty and I like the period accessories. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-boy Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 She really is a credit to you and I’m very envious. One question though. Are the red door handles due to necessity or is there a security element to them? Best regards, Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobcat Posted December 20, 2022 Author Share Posted December 20, 2022 (edited) 🤣 Edited December 20, 2022 by Bobcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYPHOTOS Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 The Red door handles were like that when I got the Tilly. I spoke to various people and was told that sometimes the door handles on forward opening doors were painted Red as a warning not to open whilst on the move. I expect people played with the handles and the doors flew open. So have left it as was. Does make sense. Hopefully catch up at a show...will be at War and Peace if it happens or another in the Kent area. Have a Great Christmas. Rgds Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobcat Posted December 20, 2022 Author Share Posted December 20, 2022 12 hours ago, Ex-boy said: She really is a credit to you and I’m very envious. One question though. Are the red door handles due to necessity or is there a security element to them? Best regards, Steve. Whos Tilly has red door handles. I can only see mine and the Malta Tilly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Internal door handles of the Malta one. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryH57 Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Such a fine looking Austin Tilly would be very welcome at Capel MV show 2023! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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