Military trenchers
 

Hello Les,

Have you got pictures of the First World War French trenchers? I was surprised how quickly they were developed, and how powerful they were. I will look my photos out.

I bought and operated a number of Vermeer and Ditchwitch trenchers in the Middle East in the early 1980's.

Because they are quite rare, I thought that my order for three on one occasion must have been one of the biggest the rep must have been getting.

He said "Oh no, I have just sold a couple of hundred to Iraq!"

Saddam had apparently been using them to put in telecom cables underground. He was putting in duplicate and triplicate lines, to avoid using radios which he knew who be jammed or intercepted.

John Marchant had a lovely restored WWII Allen trencher a few years ago. I believe he was selling his collection, does anybody know where it went?

Regards

Nick Balmer

I bet this crane driver had his heart in his mouth!
 

Hello Les,

I bet the safe working indicator bell was ringing away when this lift took place!

What do you reckon the cranes lifting capacity is?

It is only about the size of a 22RB or maybe a 38 RB.

I wonder what an LCI weighed?

This is a landing craft being taken overland to the Rhine Crossing.

Regards

Nick Balmer

Albion pulling a landing craft
 

Hello Les,

I expect that you are familar with the photos of Diamond T's taking landing craft overland to the Rhine crossing. I just found the following picture of an Albion towing a LCI.

As these trucks were only rated at 20 capacity, and had to be derated to 15 tonnes due to there weakness, it must have been a really slow journey.

I would not have wanted to have been driving down hill.

Regards

Nick Balmer

Here is another two from the AWM.

both are RAAF bitumen sprayers

Pic 2

A Chindit bulldozer and scraper box on Broadway
 

Hello,

The photo below shows a very small airborne bulldozer landed with the Chindits in Burma behind Japanses lines at Broadway.

I think it is a Clark but I am not sure.

Regards

Nick Balmer

Yes that is a Clark Airborn Dozer
 

One of our local group is quite fond of these and if you ever find one of the earthmover attachments in North America for sale please let me know.

Below is a picture of Steve Kieth's Clark Air Borne Dozer a regular at our Weare Rally, Steve also has CCKW based crane, CCKW air compressor truck, and a large tracked crane.

CMP 6x6 Bridging truck in Burma
 

Hello,

The following IWM photo shows A lorry loaded with pontoons arrives at the site of the 1,100ft floating bailey bridge over the Chindwin River, built after the capture of Kalewa, 2 December 1944.

Regards

Nick Balmer

Cat on Top
 

Looks like the top cat has street shoes so as not to tear up the pavement packed gravel etc. It almost looks like they were L-shaped plates welded on to the cleat at one edge and base plate at the other, interesting.
Sean

Re: Cat on Top
 

Sean,

My feeling is this that is a workshop shunter for moving dead tanks. I know of a wartime D8 with wooden blocks on the trackplates, that was used for the same purpose.

Richard

A couple more plant pics a Barber Green trencher and a drilling rig mounted on a trailer nomally used to carry spare tracks, anyone remember its M number
Les

Sean,

The track blocks are a standard Cat part. I have an old manual which lists 5 different track bolt-on modification options (Rubber blocks, the pictured steel blocks, swamp track widening attachments for standard tracks, completely flat plates(Traxcavator style) and super high cleats).

Lang

thx Lang
 

Good to know Lang, I run across cats all the time on the prairies will have to watch out for those.
Sean

..........

Road in the Reichswaldforrest

Bulldozers waiting for D Day
 

Hello,

The following photo from the IWM and http://www.olive-drab.com/od_mvg_veh...arthmovers.php
apparently shows bulldozers in store at Thatcham.

Regards

Nick Balmer

Pictures from US Army Corp Engineer History
 

Couple of years ago I was given two volumes of the US Corp Engineers History Southwest Pacific. I dig them out and scan in some of the pictures. What is of interest is not the usual US military vehicles but the odd photo of Australia, and New Zealand. Here is the first photo.

Burma - China pipeline
 

Hello,

Until a few minutes ago, I had not known that the Americans built a pipeline from India through Burma up the verge of the Burma Road.

This was multiple rows of 6" and 4" pipelines.

It must have been one heck of an acheivement to build.

The following website has lots of photos including trucks etc.

http://cbi-theater-3.home.comcast.ne..._pipeline.html

Regards

Nick Balmer

AVG Bulldozer
 

Hello,

A CAT bulldozer used first by the Flying Tigers, then the Japanese and finally the Chinese.
From http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.ne.../yank_cbi.html

Regards

Nick Balmer

Re: Keith.......
 

Mark,

Looks like a locally made scarifier. I have just found the text to this picture, as follows;

"Fordson towing sledge. RAF Coastal Command No.247 Group Operations in the Azores 1943-45. Airman of RAF Regt. hauling a device for levelling runways during airfield construction at Lagens."

Richard

More modern perhaps than this?
 

Hello Richard,

At least the home made scarifier was a bit faster and more modern and faster than the following tipper cart propulsion, also on the Azores.

Enjoy

Nick Balmer

its Bob the Builder time so here are a couple more military plant photos

1. i believe this little loading shovel is a Mcormick International i would say a air portable type

And a train load of American built Huber rollers for the Brits in the middle east

Looks like a rock crusher of some sort

Middle East RAF/RAAF?

On New Britain

A towed scraper and the world's ugliest truck. North/South road Australia

Hi Lang,

Happy Christmas!

The mobile crane in this photo is a Thornycroft Amazon mounted with a Coles EMA crane. It was one of the standard airfield cranes used by the RAF.

Richard

Lang,

Now I am sure this is an Allis Chalmers HD7 or HD10 with an Athey tracked trailer (I know these trailers have been found in Australia in the past).

Richard

Lang,

I think this photo has been discussed before, seem to think it is a Leyland Retriever (there were other makes, Guy, Albion, Karrier, Crossley, AEC in this standard 6x4 3ton class) with a Breakdown Gantry body. It is winching what I am sure is an American made asphalt laying machine for airfield runways. It would appear the dozer is on a trailer and they are endeavoring to load this machine behind it.

Richard