Military registration

[SammyJo]

Hi all

We have just bought a 1953 Austin K9 radio truck and wondered if there is a way to find out what it’s military registration number was?

It has an age related plate on but we would love to find out what the military reg was and if there is anyway of finding out any of its history?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Mark Ellis]

1 hour ago, SammyJo said:

Hi all

We have just bought a 1953 Austin K9 radio truck and wondered if there is a way to find out what it’s military registration number was?

It has an age related plate on but we would love to find out what the military reg was and if there is anyway of finding out any of its history?

 

Thanks in advance!

RLC Museum might be able to help

https://www.rlcarchive.org/VehicleSrch2 

[SammyJo]

Thank you so much! I will get straight on the case!

6 hours ago, Mark Ellis said:

RLC Museum might be able to help

https://www.rlcarchive.org/VehicleSrch2 

 

[wally dugan]

first it may help  if you look for the data plate which this is a brass plate usually fix to the off side chassis rail if that is not there  give them the chassis number  the chances are it was  in the BG series of military registration numbers and will be found on the brass data plate and will be two  numbers two letters two numbers either of the above will give the RLC MUSEUM  a good chance of having the history card

Edited September 3, 2023 by wally dugan

[SammyJo]

22 minutes ago, wally dugan said:

first it may help  if you look for the data plate which this is a brass plate usually fix to the off side chassis rail if that is not there  give them the chassis number  the chances are it was  in the BG series of military registration numbers and will be found on the brass data plate and will be two  numbers two letters two numbers either of the above will give the RLC MUSEUM  a good chance of having the history card

Oh brilliant thank you very much, will have a look 

[wally dugan]

l have just checked the history card index which is the list of history cards that were once held at the museum of army transport it lists all the 9K AUSTIN held there up to 2003 these are for the contract number 6/V/7877 registration numbers 29 BG 47 TO  99 BG 46 There was only number 00 BG 01 to                  29 BG 46 allocated to the MORRIS MAR 1 these two vehicle take up the whole of the BG series

[FV1604A]

Hi Sammy Jo,

If the internet is to be believed, your K9 has had a ‘Hippy’ party history in the care of the ‘travelling community’ for many years before being preserved. It started life with Louise on Q348 GVC as a car recovery truck, had many owners until Mark changed it to RFO 328 and a Bedford 330 diesel was fitted in 1994. The recovery gear came off to be replaced by an aluminium tray and another bodywork change when that gave way to a BT comms cabin, which is possibly why you may not find an MOD brass plate although I hope you do.

Great truck, nurture it, I owned one back in 1984 and still think it was one of the best trucks I had experienced.

All the above info is thanks to Dave Fawcett of Travelling Albion van fame.

[SammyJo]

55 minutes ago, FV1604A said:

Hi Sammy Jo,

If the internet is to be believed, your K9 has had a ‘Hippy’ party history in the care of the ‘travelling community’ for many years before being preserved. It started life with Louise on Q348 GVC as a car recovery truck, had many owners until Mark changed it to RFO 328 and a Bedford 330 diesel was fitted in 1994. The recovery gear came off to be replaced by an aluminium tray and another bodywork change when that gave way to a BT comms cabin, which is possibly why you may not find an MOD brass plate although I hope you do.

 

Great truck, nurture it, I owned one back in 1984 and still think it was one of the best trucks I had experienced.

 

All the above info is thanks to Dave Fawcett of Travelling Albion van fame.

 

That’s strange, he’s fitted with a petrol engine believed to be the original. I will have a look next time I am at the yard for the brass plate. Thanks for the info

[FV1604A]

That was why I started it with ‘if the internet is to be believed’ although  I have seen a picture of it in the aluminium dropside box period with the registration that your K9 carries. We look forward to the information on the brass plate. Does your V5 give any clues to its past owners?  If it says 15 owners then the travelling background history could well be right.

Good luck,

Mike.

[SammyJo]

48 minutes ago, FV1604A said:

That was why I started it with ‘if the internet is to be believed’ although  I have seen a picture of it in the aluminium dropside box period with the registration that your K9 carries. We look forward to the information on the brass plate. Does your V5 give any clues to its past owners?  If it says 15 owners then the travelling background history could well be right.

 

Good luck,

Mike.

Still waiting for the logbook to turn up, only bought a week ago. I’ll let you know!

[SammyJo]

On 9/3/2023 at 8:56 AM, wally dugan said:

first it may help  if you look for the data plate which this is a brass plate usually fix to the off side chassis rail if that is not there  give them the chassis number  the chances are it was  in the BG series of military registration numbers and will be found on the brass data plate and will be two  numbers two letters two numbers either of the above will give the RLC MUSEUM  a good chance of having the history card

Hi

I have found the plate. It says it was 59 BG 60 on chassis number 203014.

Edited September 9, 2023 by SammyJo

[SammyJo]

The plate shows the contract number as being 6/VEH/7877 as was mentioned above, but the ERM was 59 BG 60.

Chassis number 203014.

Doesn’t come up with a record on RLC 😢 

[wally dugan]

SAM sorry about RLC but this has happened before the cards seem to have gone a stray between beverley and RLC  the cards where all copied as part of the requirement for registration as a full museum in case of loss in fire or flood and the details recorded and placed on a master list  which was held off site for safe keeping

[FV1604A]

Hi Sammy Jo,

Just looked at your K9 plate. It is showing as a G.S. , General Service, chassis in other words it may have started life as a canvas-covered one-ton logistics truck/personnel carrier, although I can't be sure whether a radio-bodied example was described as such on the brass plate or not.

I have checked my collection of Ruddington sale information and the nearest I can find to yours are 59 BG 49 lot 1293 (09/06/70) and 59 BG 35 lot 1026 (13/02/68) which were both one-ton cargos, but 59 BG 64 was described as a van lot 1468 (09/08/70). For further research you would need access to auction books 102-105 or a few beyond 107 as they appear to have mostly been sold off between 1968 and 1972.

Good luck,

Keep searching.

Bw,

Mike.

 

[SammyJo]

Thank you so much for that, any info is a big help!

4 hours ago, FV1604A said:

Hi Sammy Jo,

Just looked at your K9 plate. It is showing as a G.S. , General Service, chassis in other words it may have started life as a canvas-covered one-ton logistics truck/personnel carrier, although I can't be sure whether a radio-bodied example was described as such on the brass plate or not.

I have checked my collection of Ruddington sale information and the nearest I can find to yours are 59 BG 49 lot 1293 (09/06/70) and 59 BG 35 lot 1026 (13/02/68) which were both one-ton cargos, but 59 BG 64 was described as a van lot 1468 (09/08/70). For further research you would need access to auction books 102-105 or a few beyond 107 as they appear to have mostly been sold off between 1968 and 1972.

Good luck,

Keep searching.

Bw,

Mike.

 

 

[wally dugan]

AUSTIN K9 numbers  29 BG 47 to 79 BG 56 were all cargo  79 BG 57 to 81 BG 96  wireless repair  81 BG 97 to  87 BG 46 MIXED ambulance and water tanker 87 BG  47 to  99 BG 46  FFW     so yours is a GS /CARGO   

[SammyJo]

3 minutes ago, wally dugan said:

AUSTIN K9 numbers  29 BG 47 to 79 BG 56 were all cargo  79 BG 57 to 81 BG 96  wireless repair  81 BG 97 to  87 BG 46 MIXED ambulance and water tanker 87 BG  47 to  99 BG 46  FFW     so yours is a GS /CARGO   

Thank you!

[utt61]

See also photo here:

 

 

[SammyJo]

Oh wow thank you!