Ex-military?

David_Hayward (RIP) · #1 13-09-07, 13:52

This was taken mid-1950s...is it an ex-military OX or one of the civvy versions do you reckon please?

Hanno Spoelstra · #2 13-09-07, 13:56

It has the typical military front end configuration, as far as I know these were not fitted to civilian models. So my guess would be ex-military, or at least wartime production for essential services?

H.

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #3 13-09-07, 14:01

Errr... I don't mean to sound... well... colonial - but why is he plowing the road? There's nothing on there worth plowing!!

David_Hayward (RIP) · #4 13-09-07, 14:23

Yes, the flat fronts were fitted to non-military Bedfords, for essential users, and some even had the military tyres, such as NAAFI, Queen's Messengers food patrols, etc. I suppose whatever they had to hand..also there were military bonneted Bedfords.

This photo was taken in Burnley in Lancashire or nearby, Fifties, and the guy is clearing the road ready for the gritters. Snow is terrible stuff you know..end of the world and all that.

Hanno Spoelstra · #5 13-09-07, 14:26

Quote:

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Yes, the flat fronts were fitted to non-military Bedfords, for essential users, and some even had the military tyres, such as NAAFI, Queen's Messengers food patrols, etc. I suppose whatever they had to hand..also there were military bonneted Bedfords.

In that case I'd say it's a non-military Bedford on account of not being fitted with WD split rims.

Where's Richard when you need him? Possibly he's even working on one of these trucks right now!

H.

David_Hayward (RIP) · #6 13-09-07, 14:50

Richard, oh Richard, wherefor out thou Richard?

Thes trucks were routinely rebuilt with civvy wheels so that doesn't mean anything. The rego is 1945ish I think.

There are a couple of weird CMP rebuilds whose mug shots are in the collection and there is little recognisable of their original military layout.

Richard Farrant · #7 13-09-07, 20:39

Quote:

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Where's Richard when you need him? Possibly he's even working on one of these trucks right now!

I'm here, .....have to work sometimes and today it is restoring a Fordson WOT6

I would say that the Bedford is an OWST 5 ton short wheelbase tipper, that was produced for essential civilian use under a Ministry of War Transport licence. The front end metal work was also used on wartime civvy vehicles for ease of production. The long wheelbase civvy truck was the OWL and the utility bodied coach was an OWB, but this had the normal bonnet and grille. Early war military Bedfords ( and Austins) had dual rear wheels and civilian type tyres and rims.

There was a small leaflet by Vauxhall Motors in Jan 1944, stating "not to be published" which shows all the different models produced for Army, RAF, MoWT, etc.

Bob Carriere · #8 13-09-07, 22:22

....if that picture had been taken in Toronto the Mayor would have called the army to clean up the snow.......

BooB

David_Hayward (RIP) · #9 13-09-07, 22:30

Late Twenties, around London, England!

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #10 13-09-07, 22:31

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Carriere
....if that picture had been taken in Toronto the Mayor would have called the army to clean up the snow.......

...and find they're all over in Afghanistan!

Naw, the new guy we have would simply lay off all the contract snowplow drivers (budget overrun, y'know, how else were we to pay for our limos and dinners out?), tell everyone to take the TTC then halve the service (budget shortfall, y'know, we gotta pay for all those overseas junkets somehow!) and sit back praising himself for good NDP leadership!

...and the damned thing is, he'd get re-elected too... tell me again why the %^&$ I'm here??!!

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #11 13-09-07, 22:32

Quote:

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Late Twenties, around London, England!

A bit more like it... a 'slight dusting' by Canadian standards...

David_Hayward (RIP) · #12 13-09-07, 22:44

Now that's better!

Richard Farrant · #13 13-09-07, 23:15

Quote:

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Now that's better!

Getting prepared for the legendery winter of 1947

David_Hayward (RIP) · #14 13-09-07, 23:35

JXE 875 is a 1948 London rego. The FWD HAR-01 is next to one of several Mack NRs that the Ministry of Transport had at that depot, and as they are havign their snowploughs fitted and look in vewry good condition, I suspect that this was the winter of 1948-9 at least, not the terrible 1947-8 winter.

Lang · #15 17-09-07, 02:25

Don't think you Northerners have ever seen real snow!

Australian Snowy Mountains 1946

Lang

Lang · #16 17-09-07, 02:27

.

Les Freathy · #17 17-09-07, 16:18

G,Day all

We have had our fair share of bad snow in kent in the past as this photo shows taken a number of years ago, so called global warming seems to have kicked all that into touch
cheers
Les