Humber 1 ton cargo 01BK24 - restore maybe?

[Kevin Julian]

Hi All

I've just bought a third Humber truck. This one is a cargo truck with the chassis plate showing ERM 01BK24, chassis number 20124, contract 6 VEH 6443. Still working on getting it picked up so unsure what the exact condition is. It doesn't look great on the photo's. It has a road reg plate showing 0696GFL and did have a crane/winch fitted but now removed. not sure what I will be doing with it yet, will asses condition when it arrives and decide from there I think. It seems an early ERM number!

Just reaching out to see if anyone has come across it before or has any info.

Many thanks Kevin

[fv1609]

Here you go Kevin. A bit of info & another photo to follow.

[Sean N]

5 hours ago, Kevin Julian said:

... It has a road reg plate showing 0696GFL ...

 

Probably Q696 GFL?

[fv1609]

Yes I agree with Sean. Got lots of pics of Humbers on Q plates but not that one.

This in service pic is more helpful for markings.

 

 

[Kevin Julian]

1 hour ago, Sean N said:

Probably Q696 GFL?

Correct Sean. Plates seen better days. Should have realised it was a Q

[Kevin Julian]

Thanks Clive, great pics. A few more of current condition.

[David Herbert]

This truck is a great find. The cabs were rotting out on these 30 years ago so to find one that looks this good and complete is very rare. They are great to drive and quite reliable once you get them right. And wonderful to have two in-service pictures too.

David

[Sean N]

7 hours ago, Kevin Julian said:

Correct Sean. Plates seen better days. Should have realised it was a Q

Might tell you something about the history (as you probably know); given the Q and the vehicle type, it was perhaps cast and registered between 1984 and 1988, or more likely was disposed of earlier and was forced onto a Q once recovery trucks weren't allowed to run on trade plates?

If you look past the surface rust and flaky paint it looks quite solid. I have a feeling this one was offered for sale some years ago in this condition, perhaps on ebay?

Edited Thursday at 05:41 AM by Sean N

[fv1609]

Along the lines that Sean was thinking I have a feeling that in recent years that vehicle was discussed on here. I say that because of the unusual crane arrangement made me search my pictures of craned Humbers & couldn't find anything to match. Yes quite a few were running on trade plates.

There are a few threads on breakdown Humbers:

https://hmvf.co.uk/topic/7638-humber-1ton/page/2/#comment-112957

https://hmvf.co.uk/topic/44462-humber-1-ton-gs-cargo-for-sale-on-ebay/#comment-489032

Kevin your Humber was cast on 16/5/65

The original engine no. 3683

 

[Kevin Julian]

Hi All

Thanks for the feedback and information. The first photo I posted 'with the crane' was from an ebay sale in 2022. The guy i've bought it off probably picked it up then but has only removed the crane since.  I'm  looking forward to seeing it in the flesh. From the pics it doesn't seem to have the ware and tare you might expect from civi use and I am not sure which of the many colours is the top layer. The chassis plate is the first one I have seen that has not been  painted over. Thanks for the engine number Clive and the in-service pics, be interesting to see if it has the original engine. I'll post an update once received and I've gone over it.  

[fv1609]

I think this means it was manufactured on 30/1/53 & was delivered on 5/2/53 to 1st Vehicle Group RAOC HQ Ashchurch in Gloucestershire, 12th B Vehicle Depot Ashchurch with Receipt Voucher ASC/R/6179.

Struck Off Census on 16/3/65 to a direct purchaser without going through sales such as Ruddington. A lot of early Humbers were sold like this to a “Purchaser” or sometimes a “Local Purchaser”, I don’t know the difference. Might have been in BAOR, all Humbers over there had antifreeze markings of a white square with a red circle looks as if this is a variation with a red disc.

[fv1609]

Just found the other half of the photo that might give a location clue with the markings on the Morris.

[Kevin Julian]

That's a really nice photo Clive and thanks for the info. I'll have to phone a friend on the markings.

[Noel7]

The same picture is in the Gallery of Chris Hodge Trucks, https://chrishodgetrucks.co.uk/gallery/, under the heading "Army Driving Championships 1956" (about 1/3rd of the way down) along with four other photographs.

[wally dugan]

41 BD 74 IS a FORD ET 6 contract number 6/v/7051 which   is from 1951/52 and looks as its arm of service is 2 COY RASC if the photo was taken after 1965 it would be 2 COY 2 SQUADRON RCT

[Le Prof]

Hi All,

Royal Army Pay Corps, possibly?

Best Regards,

Adrian

[10FM68]

Surely that is simply the regular formation sign of a WD-controlled unit - the crowned lion on a red and blue background split horizontally.  That would make sense if, as is apparently the case, this was for the Army Driving Championships in 1956 - they would be hosted by a major school - probably the RASC depot - or School of Army Transport (if it then existed under such a title, or its predecessor).  All depots and schools used this formation sign until the end of them, so the RSA Larkhill, Bovington, etc etc all used it as the formation sign and then used their own coloured AOS sign usually with a descriptor in the white stripe on top. 

The Fordson, presumably a competing vehicle here practising the parallel park manoeuvre, is an RASC lorry with a SE England connection - note the Paschal Lamb formation sign - but I don't know what it is.  You may recall I asked this question using this photo, on here a few months back, but I never found out what it was.  Below is a small selection of the sign which woulld have been the most common on army vehicles in the UK from the 50s to the 70s.  The first one will be Depot RAOC (Kineton, perhaps?)  The second probably RSME and the third ASMT.