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#1
15-11-09, 19:53
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Royal Navy Morris
The Morris commercial photographed at the navel yard is not a navy truck. It was one of several bought in the early fifties by a company in Aberdeen from the army disposal sales in Irving to be civilised. This Morris was a radio truck that was modified into a breakdown wagon by removing the radio cabin and installing a flat platform with the curved sides and a Harvy Frost crane. The radio cabins were then sold off, apparently they were very popular as ready made garden sheds. The body from this Morris ended up as a hen house.
The Morris was bought to be the recovery vehicle for the Fountain Garage in Great Northern Road Aberdeen, who were a Reliant main dealer and used by them right up until the late 1980s when the garage closed. I bought the truck from the owner’s son in 1990 who has started to put it back into military trim but had given up due to work commitments. I refitted a 15 cwt GS body which was rebuilt from several found at an old site in the wilds of Aviemore, remade the cab doors and painted it OD green. During it’s time with the garage the truck had been fitted with an elderly Perkins diesel and huge four speed crash box which refused to rev over 1100 rpm and give the truck a cruising speed 25 mph. After a couple of rally seasons of this I decided an engine transplant was needed. I had an old 1975 FD series BMC truck lying in the yard so pulled the 2.2 diesel engine and synchromesh gearbox out of that and transferred it to the Morris.. During the rebuild I noticed the rear axle in the FD was remarkably slimier looking to the one on the Morris and stripping them both down I was able to swap the FD’s crown wheel and pinion with the Morris one. The result was a truck that could return 30 mpg and cruise happily at 50 mph although stopping was another matter. When the Morris was with the garage it ran on a Q number plate as seen on the picture with it in green paint. Just before I sold it and it went down to England I painted it khaki and black, the picture of it with RAF markings and age related number plate was taking I believe at RAF Evington. Then recently I found on the great Classic Commercial Motor Vehicles website under the Morris Commercial section two more pictures of my old truck now in Royal Navy colours at the Chatham navel yard with its civilian number plate and 3883 RN. A well travelled old truck displayed in the colours of all three services but as they say there is more. The Perth Australia model makers have a very good military model website with daily listings of all new military kits. And last week there was a page with Plus Models new release of a very nice 1/35 scale resin Morris in blue with the 3883 RN number plate complete with the old jeep jerry can holder behind the passenger side of the cab which I fitted to give me a bit more range and can be clearly seen in all the pictures. Sorry to anybody in advance for any copyright infringements. Cheers Stan 030 (600 x 409).jpg 050 (600 x 405).jpg 011=40.jpg morr004 (411 x 271).jpg morris2_c4_yff947[gc] (600 x 400).jpg 
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#2
15-11-09, 23:15
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Vor,
Thanks for the clarification. Its so easy for schemes on preserved military vehicles to be taken as a true representation of their original wartime use! In Terence Wise's Book 'D-Day to Berlin', on war time camo (Arms & Armour Press published 1979) there is a colour drawing on page 44 of a Dingo of the Guards Div - but in fact this is a drawing of a vehicle on the rally circuit at the time! The artist has even drawn the tax disk holder attached to the side of the hull!
__________________
Larry Hayward
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#3
21-03-10, 22:57
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More RN vehicles
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Here are the only photos I have of My Grandfathers RN vehicles. He was transfered to the RN in April 1942 in Alexandria to form the port salvage units for the Inshore Squadron in the Mediterranean. He was land based even though he was a fully qualified Marine Engineer (Chief). His Port Parties were with the first Army units into the ports from El Alamein via Tobruk, Tripoli etc to Bizerta. They cleared the mines below and above water, the booby-traps and then refloated or demolished anythis blocking the port, then they repaired anything that was in the ports to supply the Army. The first two photos are of the the RN mobile workshops enroute to Beirut from Alexandria in June 1942 to set up the base for the 1st Submarine Flotilla. (during the scare of Rommel reaching Alexandria). Can anybody identify the trucks? Part 1 see next post for part 2. Regards Stephen Morse
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#4
21-03-10, 23:19
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More RN vehicles part 2
Here are the other vehicles (4 photos) of 1MLRU in the North African Desert somewhere between Algiers and Sousse between April and July 1943.
Again can anybody identify the trucks and motorbike?
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#5
21-03-10, 23:33
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Photos 1 & 3 are of a MCP Chevrolet also known as the "Lendlease Chev". Photo 2 could be a Morris Commercial but I am not 100% certain of this. Photo 4 is unknown to me but the wheels are the major identification point on this vehicle. I also have no idea what the Motorcycle make is.
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Cheers Cliff Hutchings aka MrRoo S.I.R. "and on the 8th day he made trucks so that man, made on the 7th day, had shelter when woman threw him out for the night" MrRoo says "TRUCKS ROOLE" 
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#6
17-05-10, 21:55
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Quote:
Jan
__________________
"And now it's your turn to get up off that couch and go into the deserts, go into the mountains, go under the lakes, rivers, and seas and search for history. You'll never find a more rewarding adventure!" (Clive Cussler) 1940 Royal Enfield WD/C 1942 Royal Enfield WD/CO
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#7
06-02-11, 12:46
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Royal Navy Fleet Air arm
Good day
Browsing the forum on Navy vehicle i realised that I still had pictures of the Fleet Air Arm Land Rover 107 station wagon that I had not posted. The Truck is shown with its 1/2 ton brockhouse? sankey trailer both newly painted heading off to a Show at the DLI Museum one August. Lots of fun but sadly sold to fund other projects. Stephen I need help please, I have been trying to log onto the Light weight land rover owners site and using a Hotmail.co.uk account. it rejects the whole address, also tried A hotmail.com and it dislikes this also. Any ideas please? Last edited by S LATHERON (RIP); 06-02-11 at 12:49. Reason: ADDED REQUEST FOR HELP
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#8
01-04-11, 05:15
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Landrover site
Stephen
I need help please, I have been trying to log onto the Light weight land rover owners site and using a Hotmail.co.uk account. it rejects the whole address, also tried A hotmail.com and it dislikes this also. Any ideas please?[/QUOTE] Contact the site administrator, it will be a problem with Hotmail either blocking or Blacklisting the web site. Regards Stephen http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewt...1485&p=6287075
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#9
04-04-11, 21:34
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Dingo's in use by the Navy
A subject open to discussion....
did the Navy use Dingo's well certainly yes on one day in 1946. During the London Victory parade senior officers were paraded in a number Dingo's in RN markings. (i own the car F340653 shown in the photo) Otherwise I have heard accounts from veterans that they were used by Beach masters top maintain communications (like on the Dieppe raid). and general liaison purposes around large bases. I wonder whoever if this is because they just utilised vehicles that were standing around awaiting shipment? thoughts anyone? DSC F-- Victory parade Cdrs2.jpg F340653 victory parade june 46.jpg
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#10
09-07-10, 14:50
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Bedford QL Observation Van and QL Crane
Can anybody supply any details on 85RN77, out of service in September 1961 which is described as “Bedford QLR, 4x4, Observation Van, 3 ton.
Perhaps it was a form of Runway Controllers Van as it is in a batch of QL vehicles variously described as Ground Approach Van, Air Traffic Control Van and Signals Van. Also can anybody supply any details on 84RN41, out of service in October 1965, which is described as “Bedford QLC, 4x4, Platform Truck & Crane, 3 ton.” David Molyneux
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#11
09-07-10, 20:57
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David
You might try following the link in post #81 God luck in your search Noel
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#12
07-01-11, 19:44
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Following on from the success with MLRU how about these questions which come from discussions between myself and Mike Simpson [Trux]. Mike has been studying D Day landing tables for Sword Beach and has come across the following :
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Hybrid Mode
