Eager Beaver record Cards

[antarmike]

Has anyone any ideas. I wrote to RLC museum deepcut, to find the record card for my Eager Beaver. After some time they wrote back saying they did not hold any record cards for the APFLT. They said RE Museum, Chatham held the cards. I wrote to RE Museum and it has taken them six months to come back saying they don't hold any record cards for Eager Bearvers, but they have some general technical information on the model.

 

If RLC and RE Museums dont hold any record cards for any of the Eager Beaver Fork lift trucks, who else might?

[ArtistsRifles]

REME or RAOC - although the latter got incorporated into the RLC so I suppose if they've said no-go then that really just leaves REME?

 

Or possible the National Army Museum???

[antarmike]

In desperation I have written to BAE Systems, Land Systems.to try and get a build date..I am not at all hopeful..

[fv1609]

If you were a member of EMLRA they can do searches through the Merlin management system.

[antarmike]

I finally have a date into service for both Eager Beavers,

 

02 FW 96 entered service in 7th March 1972 and was cast at ADT Blackbushe 2nd Oct 1989

 

04 FZ 01 entered Service 22nd July 1976 and was cast on 18th Feb 1993 to Woods Tyres Ltd.

 

Info comes from

Registration Manager

Defence Equipment and Support

Supply Chain Support

Building 154 Chetwynd barracks

Beeston

Notts

NG9 5HA

 

They insist record cards did go to RE Museum Chatham, a cannot understand why this organisation cannot find them.

 

I just hope DVLA will accept the letter from MOD de&s.....

[antarmike]

[antarmike]

[antarmike]

Apparently the Army, the Navy and the Royal Air Force all used Eager Beavers.

 

I have found VRN 02 FZ 64 allocated to an Eager Beaver serving with Royal Marines on HMS Fearless. (a post 1982 VRN in the period when RAF and RN no longer hads a seperate number series from the other forces)

 

The RAF had them in both Harrier and Hercules Squadrons.

 

I have found pictures of them At RAF Wattisham and RAF Wittering, as well as with the RAF in Belize.

 

Can anyone throw any further light on RAF and Navy Eager Beavers, and does anyone know any VRN number series for these?

Edited November 23, 2008 by antarmike

[ted angus]

Mike We had them at Akrotiri supporting No 70 sqn who at the time were changing over from Argosy to Hercules aircraft. They were operated by RCT Air Despatchers, sadly one rolled while I was there and the lad died instantly.

 

I would suggest all the ones on transport aircraft stations were RCT owned and operated.

The RAF had 70 AN 86 to 95 (possibly more) these were at Gutesloh and Wittering as part of the Harrier field force support; their primary job was handling munitions in the ord/logs parks such as the BL 755 cluster bombs. They were carried in the back of RLs. They were also established as part of the deployeable support equipment at RAF Coltishal whose Jaguar aircraft were a tactical ground attack assett having a fast reaction deployent role in the ACE mobile force set up. Personally I never heard of any at Wattisham but they may well have been

regards TED

[antarmike]

cheers Tad

 

Heres the link to the Wattisham Eager Beaver

http://www.rafmtd.co.uk/oddsnsods/oddsnsods.html

[antarmike]

and Belize

http://www.rafmtd.co.uk/1629/1629archive3.html

[antarmike]

http://www.milweb.net/classifieds.php?type=41

and one for sale...

[ted angus]

and Belize

www.rafmtd.co.uk/1629/1629archive3.html

Thanks Mike, the reg of the Wattisham example extends the block I noted, but the Belize one is unreadable. At Belize it would have been established for the Harriers ; in addition to thier use as forks they were used to tow them. Regarding Wattisham At the time of the mini RTA shot No 1 ACC was a lodger unit there, it was a totally mobile radar unit possibly it was establishment to them .thanks for the links

TED

[antarmike]

Edited May 12, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

[antarmike]

Having been told in a letter from RE Museum Chatham, that they did not hold the record cards for my Eager Beaver, they held general information relating to Eager Beavers, but no record cards, I got this letter from the MOD.

I posted a copy to RE Museum Chatham and said that everyone I have spoken to has said you do have the record cards, please search Again.

 

Within a couple of days my wife got a phone call saying that they had found the cards and photocopies were on the way.

 

How many people have no history because of c0ck-ups like this. If I had accepted the RE Museums first letter saying they didn't hold the record cards I wouldn't have known my Eager Beaver was in the Falklands in 1982!

 

The moral of the story is don't believe the museums when they say they have no records, keep pestering, better still have a look yourself if you can!

[antarmike]

Can anyone explain any of this info to me??? Please???Pretty Please????

[Richard Farrant]

 

 

Mike,

 

The brief run down on movements on this vehicle are;

 

Taken into Central Vehicle Depot Ashchurch

issued to 4 Light Regiment Royal Artillery

then to 10 Ordnance Support Battalion

then in Falklands

returned to CVD Ashchurch......probably in bad condition as it then went to Fazakerley Engineering Co. Ltd. in Liverpool ( as an aside Fazakerley were a contractor with facilities of a Base Workshop and they used to rebuild Antars and Stalwarts for the MoD)

back to CVD Ashchurch

issued to 233 Squadron Royal Corps of Transport ( a TA unit, location unknown )

then disposed of through ADT auctions at Blackbushe

Edited November 24, 2008 by Richard Farrant
spelling

[antarmike]

Could Fazakerley have fitted the roll cage (army Pattern) or would this have been done in unit somewhere?

 

Does the Falklands date indicate whether it went out with the task force, or whether it went after the Islands were won. The dates are 5 to six months after the Argies surrendered. Did 10th Ord Support Battalion take it out there, and then it got transferred or does the date relate to when it either left Britain of arrived in the Falklands, or is the date just when the paperwork actually got processed???

Edited November 24, 2008 by antarmike

[Richard Farrant]

Could Fazakerley have fitted the roll cage (army Pattern) or would this have been done in unit somewhere?

 

 

 

Mike,

Afraid I cannot answer the Falkands era questions, but have to say some of these cards are difficult to decipher as often details are filled in the wrong box, making them misleading.

 

I saw your comment on roll cages before and have to say that all the E/Beavers that came through the REME Workshops were I was, never had any roll cages fitted. It rather defeats the object of them being airportable. The date it left Fazakerleys was about 1983 and they were in service for some years after until the JCB 410 came into service to replace them. The only in-service ones with a cab were an armoured cab. I think this is something that has had to be fitted to conform with H&S since it was in civvy use........could be wrong, but would have thought if the MoD fitted roll cages, then the lot would have been done.

[antarmike]

and of couse there was the heated cab on the ones serving in Norway..

[antarmike]

That's three with almost identical roll cages. It makes me wonder who was fitting them...

Edited February 5, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

04 FZ 01

 

C84.7765-7901 = ‘Tractor, Wheeled etc’

 

DIS 22/07/76

 

EIN 3BX02

 

Colour Code: 72 = Gloss Green

 

Chassis No: 592

 

Contract/Warrant: ROF4

 

 

 

Last UIN: A2487A = 21 Ord Coy (V)

 

 

 

History:

 

 

 

Vehicle Depot Ashchurch 22/07/76

 

 

 

ADPCON = Administrative Data Processing Conversion

 

 

 

(= Details put on a computer system)

 

 

 

04/03/77 363 Equipment Section (50 Ordnance Support Battalion) (V) 19/07/77

 

 

 

50 Ordnance Support Battalion was a TA unit based in Leeds. There were detachments on Teeside such as that at Stockton Road Drill Hall, Middlesbrough. I have no idea where 363 Equipment Section were based.

 

 

 

13/01/78 8 Field Force Ordnance Coy (V) Dist Control September 1978

 

 

 

In 1978 the army re-organised into Field Forces and Brigades disappeared. Each Field Force had an ordnance company to support it. However, 8 Field Force – although part of the regular army – was only given a TA Ord Coy as its role was Home Defence. It had its HQ at Coulby Newham on Tesside. It seems this change may not have affected the vehicle’s location.

 

 

 

10/02/83 21 Ordnance Company 11/02/83

 

 

 

Field Forces began to disappear in 1981 in favour of Brigades again. Furthermore 2 Division returned back to be headquartered in York and 2 Ordnance Battalion supported 2 Div. It had a number of Ordnance companies – one regular and 2 TA. One of the TA companies was based on 8 FF Ord Coy but the regular one became 21 Ord Coy. It looks as though the vehicle was transferred within 2 Ord Bn. 21 Ord Coy was based in Gaza Barracks, Catterick.

 

 

 

s/o Woods Tyres Ltd 00/00/94

 

 

 

The exact date of the ‘strike-off’ is not given. ‘QUB’ , I believe is a reference to a census return correction.

 

 

 

Woods Tyres are based in Newark.

 

 

 

If there were any unit movements after 1989 and before strike-off these would not be shown on the card – they were only held on computer.

Edited November 25, 2008 by antarmike

[antarmike]

02 FW 96

 

 

 

Asset Code C84.7765-7901 which translates as ‘Tractor, Wheeled….’

 

 

 

Date in Service 07/03/72

 

 

 

EIN = Equipment Identity Number (more than that I can’t tell – it uniquely identifies the version of the vehicle)

 

 

 

Colour Code: 00 Not Known

 

 

 

Chassis No: ROF.N.182

 

 

 

Contract/Warrant Number: M05089

 

 

 

Unit Identity Number (of last unit on card): A3754A (= 233 Sq RCT (V))

 

 

 

Issue Voucher Unit Title Receipt Voucher

 

 

 

(TXN = Transaction entered on computer system)

 

 

 

Central Vehicle Depot Ashchurch 07/03/72

 

ADPCON = Administrative Data Processing Conversion 27/03/72

(= Details put on a computer system)

 

 

14/04/74 4 Light Regiment, Royal Artillery 24/05/74

 

 

 

In Bourlon Barracks, Catterick supporting 24 brigade

 

 

 

30/05/77 1 Bulk Stores Platoon (RAOC) 07/06/77

 

 

 

An Ordnance unit attached to 3 Division. I’m not sure of its location but possibly Perham Down.

 

 

 

10 Ordnance Support Battalion 03/03/82

 

 

 

19/11/82 Logistic Support Battalion, Falklands 01/12/82

 

 

 

It seems the vehicle was taken during the conflict (or shortly after) to the Falkland Islands.

 

 

 

09/07/83 Stores Coy RAOC (Veh Pl) FI 09/07/83

 

 

 

This looks to be a storage move – presumably the vehicle was now surplus to the requirements of the Falkland Islands.

 

 

 

11/06/83 CVD Ashchurch 04/08/83

 

 

 

The vehicle is returned to storage in the UK.

 

 

 

Fazakerley Co Ltd

 

 

 

This company, based in Liverpool, carried out repairs and overhauls on behalf of REME Contract Repair Branch.

 

 

 

Vehicle depot Ashchurch 01/06/84

 

 

 

Back to store

 

 

 

 

 

19/07/84 233 Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport (V) 23/09/84

 

 

 

This squadron was part of 155 (Wessex) Regiment and had a role supporting the UK Mobile Force. Its marking after the formation of 1 Brigade was ‘1/152’. It was based in Blighmont, Millbrook Road, Southampton with a Troop in Weymouth and another in Portsmouth. It was a Tipper Squadron.

 

 

 

24/04/89 ‘Struck off’ at ADT Blackbushe 02/10/89

Edited June 14, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

Both above interpetations care of Geoff Fletcher.

[ArtistsRifles]

Mike, for the record 233 Sqdn RCT(VR) was part of 155 (Wessex) Regt RCT(VR) - sadly now defunct as part of one of the Gov't defence cuts.

 

I've asked the question on the RCT forum for you to see if anyone is there from 233 Sqdn who might remember this vehicle. If anyone replies I'll paste it here for you.