Brockhouse Fuel Bowser

[HWade]

Hello gents I came across not one but two Brockhouse fuel bowers in my travels yesturday, one was in quite good order and the other had seen better days, Iam going back to take some pics, but i have found a pic of a model of one. Does anyone know if these are WW2 or are they post war. They have a cabinet at both ends of the bowser and in the cabinet at the back of the bowser is a pump with a handle similar to a starting handle,there are also gauges showing how much fuel has been delivered to what ever its refueling.I am going to see if they are for sale would they have been in RAf colours or would they have been used by the US.What ever I think it would be well worth saving. Heres the pic of the model.

 

Thanks Howard

[fv1609]

Not quite the same as the model but it is the only RAF Brockhouse fuel servicing trailer listed in AP 278E Book 2. The book is undated but the Defence Council signature on the front dates it to the 1960s.

 

[Richard Farrant]

Hello gents I came across not one but two Brockhouse fuel bowers in my travels yesturday, one was in quite good order and the other had seen better days, Iam going back to take some pics, but i have found a pic of a model of one. Does anyone know if these are WW2 or are they post war.

 

Howard,

 

If it is the wartime trailer, the suspension is on torsion bars, not leaf springs.

[HWade]

Hello Thanks for the other pic nice looking bowser, but not the same. Richard thanks for the advice on the trailer I am pretty sure its on Torsion bars, I am now off out over there to take a look and get some pics, so will let you know.

 

Thanks

 

 

Howard

[HWade]

Well back from looking at the Bowsers and here are a few pics, any information on them would be very helpfull,and should it have been a manual pump or would it have had a pump powered by an engine.There was a name plate on the bowser inside but the bowser outside had all of the plates missing.I will try and get the info off the other one when and if I get it home.

 

Thanks

 

Howard

[david052]

You could practically tow the first one away right now! Amazing!

[mcspool]

Howard,

 

Excellent find!

 

As it was Nicolas Straussler who designed the chassis for these trailers, look up the articles Bart Vanderveen wrote about him. For further info refer to some back issues of Wheels & Tracks magazine: http://www.afterthebattle.com/wtlist.html

 

I could get you scans, but not before the end of next week.

 

Hanno

Edited April 10, 2009 by mcspool

[Joris]

Wow, how do you find these things?

[HWade]

Hello Hanno

 

Thanks for the tip I will see if i cant get the back issues,they may well help, I would like to know if the US used them or if they were just RAF.

 

Joris I suppose its just luck being in the right place, I went there looking for a set of military 8 stud slit rims which i managed to get off another trailer,these are for the search light/radar trailer i am restoring. I came across the bowsers at the same time. The trailer I got the wheels off was quite interesting in that It just had one square steel beam from front to rear and the complete back section could slide up and down the beam to shorton the wheel base, the front end was a turntable steering with an Aframe draw bar. I recon it had been used for hauling long lenghths of timber.

 

Well thanks for the info

 

 

Howard

[Runflat]

There isn't much in W&T (it's issue 36 you want). It says:

 

...[the torsion-bar suspension trailer] had been adopted by the Air Ministry and via them a production license was sold, in 1935, to J. Brockhouse & Co Ltd of West Bromwich where until 1945 about 10,000 were built.

 

It would appear that they mounted a variety of bodies. The pilot model is shown and an "ex-RAF 450-gallon oil tanker" (looks the same as yours) spotted in Lincolnshire in the summer of 1990.

[HWade]

Hello Runflat

 

Thanks for that I know that different bodys were fitted theres a mobile control trailer just down the road from were i live a the old Hospital site for Horam airfield, home to the 95th Bomb group.

 

Regards Howard

[antarmike]

photo shows O854 AEC handling the fuel requirements for the Bombers and the smaller trailers are clearly labelled as "OIL". Are we sure they are fuel bowsers???

 

This wartime photo shows the MT commitment to get one bomber squadron out on an Op. Note differing patterns of drawbars on the trailers.

[P Marriott]

I was just about to post that very same photo taken from a certain bomber at war book!!!

 

You are right could these tankers mainly have been used for oil as 450 gallons is of no use to a bomber. There are several other very similar photos in other books also showing oil bowsers and not fuel. Most likely used for fuel maybe on fighters.

 

Anyway Howard at the end of the day a great find and worth saving. They would have most likely been loaned to USAAF in the early months of the war anyway, just need to find some evidence.

 

There used to be a complete boswer like those on Snetterton airfield back in the early 90's and also one at the side of the road on the way to Fakenham, both complete.

 

Richard has a rough one at Debach as well!!

[HWade]

Thanks antarmike and paul

 

Thats a nice photo, I have taken a further look at one of the bowsers and on the pump there is a sign saying petrol, but who knows. What I really wanted to find out is if the bowser was painted in RAF colours or painted in USAAF olive drab.It would be nice to get it right. Thanks again for the information.

 

 

Howard

[antarmike]

I guess that paiting oil on the bowsers in such a prominent way and in such large lettering was to avoid confusion, so I guess there were probably similar Bowsers with AVGAS or petrol in the vicinity that could be confused.

[antarmike]

Yes and seeing as some Bomber stations were refuelling up to 57 Heavy bombers within any 24 hour period, the 2,500 gallon O854 is the only sensible option for the fuel.

[HWade]

Hi

 

Yes like you say a 450 gal bowser wouldnt be any good for a bomber, stick with using it as the oil bowser.

[ted angus]

I guess that paiting oil on the bowsers in such a prominent way and in such large lettering was to avoid confusion, so I guess there were probably similar Bowsers with AVGAS or petrol in the vicinity that could be confused.

 

Mike even in recent years the wrong bowsers have been hooked up to aircraft, and wrong bowsers have been used refuelling both vehicles and GSE its so bad I have been involved in investigations where even the wrong oils have been put in vehicles and aircraft from 5 litre cans. Currently there are standard markings which incorporate colour codes both for bowsers, both vehicle type and trailers ; But it still happens .

 

When those 450 gal jobs came into service they were adequate fuel bowsers along with a few slightly larger trucks for the majority of aircraft then in service. a 5 gallon drum of oil with a hand pump was enough to replen an aircraft, the same went for glycol. The big bowsers came in with the larger bombers and oil drums were often mounted on trailer with a hand pump.

I am willing to bet that even with the big OIL on the side there were more than one instance of it being put in the Hi Octane tank.

In recent times I have noted piston aircraft filled with Avtur aviation turbine fuel , hydraulic oil put into tornado engines, unbelievable. Its compounded at night and /or working with sodium bulb lighting which gives false colour indications.

Later in the thread Howard asks about colour, I would suggest any passed to lease lend would change hands in its current RAF finish and could later be repainted by its new users.

 

The picture posted by Mike of the MT needed to support one squadron contains a truck I have being trying for ages to get info on. In the centre is a truck loaded with cylinders, that will be the oxygen replenishment lorry, when I joined up Bedford S types undertook that role. The truck looks like a Dodge, the RAF used the Dodge in many roles crewbus crash fire water tender to name 2 more but the oxygen truck is one I would like to find other views of so if anyone should come accross any thank you !

 

TED

[antarmike]

now this is being used to re-fuel a Bomber, although the Wellington obviously required less filling than the 4 engined heavies.

[antarmike]

And as Monty Python used to say, now for something completely different.

 

RAF re-fuel a tank.

900 Gallon tanker - Brockhouse No2?? But this is the Dessert War not 1960's.

Edited April 18, 2009 by antarmike

[HWade]

Hi great looking pics, I think the tank refueling is a stuart not sure of the model,just goes to show how they used equipment for all manner of rolls,not just for refueling aircraft but ground vehicles to.

 

Thanks

 

Howard

[lynx42 Rick Cove]

I have one of these trailers and it was used as some sort of runway light station at the WW2 RAAF Aerodrome at Bairnsdale Victoria Australia.

 

The farmer I picked it up from said that it was the best and smoothest travelling trailer in the district. They used it to carry irrigation pipes around the farm.

 

It was purchased from the RAAF auction in 1946. David, the farmer, thought his father paid about 10 pounds for it then.

 

I require a full set of 10.50 x 13 tyres and a spare wheel as well. Does anyone out there have any?

 

 

These photos as attached give a bit more info on the fuel bowser.

 

I'll put my bare chassis photos on soon.

Regards Rick

[HWade]

Hello Rick

 

They are really nice pics, I see theres a lister junior in the front of the bowser was this connected to a pump and then piped through to the back of the bowser ?. Regards your tyres yes they are hard to find, I am on the look out my self for a set.Will keep you posted if I find some.Looking forward to seeing your other pics.

 

Thanks

 

Howard.

[P Marriott]

Hi Howard

 

I was up near Kettering buying those spare Cletrac chassis's last weekend and the farmer had a Chance Vought light built on a standard Brockhouse trailer. Anyway he is 85 and as usual is inventive, he had used tornado nose wheel tyres, that apparently will fit the standard rims!!

 

This maybe a possible option.

 

Regards

 

Paul

[HWade]

Hello Paul

 

Thanks for that I will keep it in mind, I think I may have found a set of slit rims which are 16" but I am yet to try one on the hub of the bowser. Its going to be a while before I get started on the Bowser anyway. I still have the Search light trailer to finish which is going to be used as a flat bed for transporting two search lights about, and even this is on the back burner at the moment due to the GMC workshop restoration.

 

Cheers Howard.