Help to correctly identify Тhornycroft

[Konstantin Chernov]

In the Vanderveen Handbook (1974 edition) there is confusion with the designations of Thornycroft trucks. Three vehicles are designated the same - A5. Please help me understand this issue.
The trucks in the first and last photos are the same type.

[Konstantin Chernov]

Thornycroft A5 Forward control for Indian Office. There was probably a version of А5 Forward Control for War Office and A5 Normal Control.

[Konstantin Chernov]

What model is this? А5 Forward Control for War Office or LE/SC6 ?
Or something else?




Is it possible to identify the car in the second photo by its registration numbers (НХ6298/RASC L21348)? Does anyone have this information?

[david moore]

Hi Konstantin

I am really enjoying your photos of prewar UK army trucks. Where did you find these photos. This is an area of military vehicles that seems to be neglected - mainly I suppose because there are none left though I am old enough to have seen a few of them in the mid 1940's in England.

The HX registration simply means registered in central London - which would be normal I guess for War Office purchases. I believe that all military vehicles had civilian license plates at that time - as was true here in Canada where I now live.

[Konstantin Chernov]

Hi David

Originally Posted by david moore

Hi Konstantin

I am really enjoying your photos of prewar UK army trucks. Where did you find these photos.

https://www.facebook.com/TransportOldPhotos/photos
https://www.stilltimecollection.co.u...ions/Military/
"Military Trucks Archive : Thornycroft Military Vehicles" and "Military Vehicles Archive" (the books were published in England)

Originally Posted by david moore

This is an area of military vehicles that seems to be neglected - mainly I suppose because there are none left though I am old enough to have seen a few of them in the mid 1940's in England.

Yes, but this is not ancient Egypt I got the impression that all the literature on these machines was destroyed. You can find the most detailed information about various military equipment of that time, but finding any information on these machines is almost impossible.

Originally Posted by david moore

The HX registration simply means registered in central London - which would be normal I guess for War Office purchases. I believe that all military vehicles had civilian license plates at that time - as was true here in Canada where I now live.

Thanks for the answer, but unfortunately it doesn't help with my search.

[Konstantin Chernov]

Originally Posted by Konstantin Chernov

What model is this? А5 Forward Control for War Office or LE/SC6 ?

I came to the conclusion that this truck cannot be the LE/SC6 model. This model looked different.
1. Thornycroft Tartar laboratory van. 1935.




2. According to the "Thornycroft vehicle registers" Egypt actually purchased one such vehicle in 1935.




3,4. Photos from the Internet, in which this car is designated as "model LE". I doubted it before, but now I think that this designation is correct.

[Konstantin Chernov]

1.Advertising brochure of Thornycroft. Below is a 3-ton truck A3. The body contains an engine with a generator for powering a mobile searchlight unit. Two such trucks with trailers were delivered to the Romanian army.
What truck is shown in the top picture? In the amount of "more than 100 units" for the Indian government, only two Thornycroft models were delivered: A4 and A5. This is definitely not the A5. This machine also does not look like the A4 model from Vanderveen's reference book.




2,3.There is a similarity between the truck in the advertising brochure and the truck in the photo. What model could it be?



4,5.Thornycroft A3/FB4 for the Romanian Army.

[Konstantin Chernov]

Originally Posted by Konstantin Chernov

2,3.There is a similarity between the truck in the advertising brochure and the truck in the photo. What model could it be?

I assume this is the A4/YB6 Forward control for the Indian Office. I came to this conclusion by comparing the radiator guards on the first five Thornycroft A-series trucks. From the A6 onwards this part became less massive and looked more like a headlight bracket than a radiator guard.



The last truck is unknown to me. Probably an A4/YB6 or A5/YB6 for Sudan. Both models were delivered in small batches - 7 trucks and one chassis, and 11 trucks and one tanker respectively.
According to my calculations, there are 74 (2 Normal + 72 Forward) chassis and 20 Forward A4/YB6 trucks for the Indian Office in the Thornycroft vehicle registers.