Smithy Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 this one in here? [ATTACH=CONFIG]63816[/ATTACH] Yep that one fits very nicely! What a great picture it is, one of my favourite vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Singapore just before the war, most likely just off the boat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vor Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Hi I thought I would add some pictures and details of my old Morris Commercial truck. It was one of several bought in the early fifties by a company in Aberdeen from the army disposal sales in Irving to be civilised. This Morris was a late model radio truck that was modified into a breakdown wagon by removing the radio cabin and installing a flat platform with the curved sides and a Harvey Frost crane. The radio cabins were then sold off, apparently they were very popular as readymade garden sheds. The body from this Morris ended up as a hen house. The Morris was bought to be the recovery vehicle for the Fountain Garage in Great Northern Road Aberdeen, who were a Reliant main dealer and used by them right up until the late 1980s when the garage closed. I bought the truck from the owner’s son in 1990 who has started to put it back into military trim but had given up due to work commitments. I refitted a 15 cwt GS body which was rebuilt from several found at an old site in the wilds of Aviemore, remade the cab doors and painted it OD green. During it’s time with the garage the truck had been fitted with an elderly Perkins diesel and huge four speed crash box which refused to rev over 1100 rpm and give the truck a cruising speed 25 mph. After a couple of rally seasons of this I decided an engine transplant was needed. I had an old 1975 FD series BMC truck lying in the yard so pulled the 2.2 diesel engine and synchromesh gearbox out of that and transferred it to the Morris.. During the rebuild I noticed the rear axle in the FD was remarkably similar looking to the one on the Morris and stripping them both down I was able to swap the FD’s crown wheel and pinion with the Morris one. The result was a truck that could return 30 mpg and cruise happily at 50 mph although stopping was another matter. When the Morris was with the garage it ran on a Q number plate as seen on the picture with it in green paint. Just before I sold it and it went down to England I painted it khaki and black, the picture of it with RAF markings and age related number plate was taking I believe at RAF Evington. Then recently I found on the great Classic Commercial Motor Vehicles website under the Morris Commercial section two more pictures of my old truck now in Royal Navy colours at the Chatham navel yard with its civilian number plate and 3883 RN. A well travelled old truck displayed in the colours of all three services but as they say there is more. The Perth Australia model makers have a very good military model website with daily listings of all new military kits. And last week there was a page with Plus Models new release of a very nice 1/35 scale resin Morris in blue with the 3883 RN number plate complete with the old jeep jerry can holder behind the passenger side of the cab which I fitted to give me a bit more range and can be clearly seen in all the pictures. Sorry to anybody in advance for any copyright infringements. Cheers Stan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedawnpatrol Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Thanks Stan She looks really nice, and glad to see her still out and about ! Jules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 another one :cool2: Japanese soldiers advancing past a British truck in Singapore 1942 [ATTACH=CONFIG]63952[/ATTACH] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 (edited) on a run today [ATTACH=CONFIG]63953[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]63954[/ATTACH] Edited July 3, 2012 by fesm_ndt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 Good pics, not seen them before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Nice pictures, wonder how many of the vehicles and men survived the War. Looks like a Leyland Retriever in the background of the second picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Absolutely great to have some colour pictures for paint scheme reference. But not pre war! These BSA M20 census numbers C434**** are from a contract demanded in 1940 and completed in 1941. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 Surely that is not pre-war then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Erm! That's what I said? Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 Bit of BFI footage , good shot of Morris CDSW(?) about 35 seconds in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rnixartillery Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 These pictures are taken from 'LIFE' magazine, the guns are 4.5" Howitzers some on 9.00/16's and others on the Martin Parry conversion. Rob.................rnixartillery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisgrove Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Hi guys I recently acquired a book on the wartime jeep in British service. There are of course many other vehicles in the background of the many jeep pics in the book, but this one interested me. It is reported as being taken in Tunisia in January 1943 and is clearly an 8cwt of some description. But look at the front mudguards. Could this be a picture of the elusive Morris PU8/4 - the 4x4 one? The WD number is not far off that on the surviving truck of that type which has been featured on this forum. The pic is IWM NA 617 and I am only showing the relevant part of it. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Exactly right Chris. The number is 664 before mine. Only about 1200 were built. There is in fact another survivor. But it is sadly neglected in a museum in Texas. Ron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisgrove Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Exactly right Chris. The number is 664 before mine. Only about 1200 were built. There is in fact another survivor. But it is sadly neglected in a museum in Texas. Ron Thanks for your confirmation, Ron. Not sure that I've ever seen a wartime pic of that beast before, though I have seen the pics of your one before! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisgrove Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Hi guys Idly perusing the IWM images website (actually I was trying to find more images of the Morris PU8/4 shown above), I turned up this pic. It looks to me like a Morris CDF, yet is said to be in Italy in early 1943. Amazing if one of them survived that long. But does anyone agree with my identification? IWM NA8491, but not all of it. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) Chris, not many pictures of the PU8/4. But here are a few that I have collected over the years. The first picture is from that series in the Jeep book. The next picture was actually given to me by the bloke on the right. Who is the father of Pip Biddlecomb. Well known MV collector from Ower nr Romsey. Anyone who knows Pip will see the likeness. The picture was taken somewhere around Cairo. The next two pictures are just factory shots I think. Next is a PU in the middle of a line of CMP's. Looks like desert again. Finally a PU in Polish hands. I am however seeking a picture of one with the BEF. 'Coz that's how I've done mine!! Ron Edited August 20, 2012 by Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisgrove Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 (edited) Thanks Ron. Great pics. By my reckoning, the Airfix C8 17 pounder tractor chassis, being a little narrow for its intended purpose, should enable me to make a model one day! That's an odd Micky Mouse cam pattern on the truck with two pics. I understood all upper surfaces should be in the dark colour, but they certainly aren't on that one! Chris Edited August 21, 2012 by chrisgrove more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I've learnt that nothing is ever cast in stone Chris. Some years ago, a friend and fellow MVer made this little model of my PU. At the time it was sporting an incorrect number, applied by a previous owner. He used another Morris model kit as you suggested. But I don't know which. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 I was reading through some old magazines the other day after having a clean-up and noticed that a Morris Commercial Jumbo Crane was for sale in the ads section. There was a very small picture of said vehicle but I was wondering if anyone had any better ones as I hadn't heard of this vehicle before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Ramsden Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 (edited) There's one at the Manchester Museum of Science & Industry. It's a bit difficult to get a clear photo of it. Edited September 29, 2012 by Ivor Ramsden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 There's one at the Manchester Museum of Science & Technology. It's a bit difficult to get a clear photo of it. Thanks for posting the pictures up Ivor. That must mean there are still two about as the one that was for sale looked like it had been restored into military spec, of course it was 11 years ago in the magazine I was reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 This one used to be besides the A40 at Stokenchurch, but has long been cleared away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Thanks for another photo, I was interested to see some more pictures of them as I hadn't seen one around there before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.