Royal Navy vehicles

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Early Willys MA Jeep in RN service, courtesy of Life and Google:

AD093240-049B-4A01-905A-4DC3EC9A822E.jpeg
http://tbn0.google.com/hosted/images...7c718a_landing

A US Navy yeoman and a member of the Women's Royal Naval Service sitting in a US Jeep marked with a Royal Navy license at the US Naval Operations Base.
Location: Londonderry, United Kingdom
Date taken: 1942
Photographer: David E. Scherman

[Richard Farrant]

Great pictures Fyll

Are there any more interesting ones? I once restored a Morris Commercial C4 compressor truck, it was had original wartime Royal Navy numbers and the unit designtion, "4MLRU" which I am now thinking is something to do with the mobile maintenace units that travelled around with the Coastal Forces, as shown earlier in this thread.

[Noel Burgess]

Excellent photos - never seen anything quite like that before.
That book has just been added to my christmas list
Noel

[Larry Hayward]

It's great to look at old posts sometimes. I have just found out that CFMU stands for Coastal Forces Maintenance Unit. Now all I need is to find what 4MLRU stands for! An MARU was a Mobile Ammunition Repair Unit and ML in the RN is used for Motor Launch so is MLRU - Motor Launch Repair Unit?

Thinking about RN operations you can image that ships would put in to the nearest port with damage- that would then be repaired by mobile units using cutting tools, grinders and generators as seen in the photos posted here.

Has anyone got any more to post?

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

Now all I need is to find what 4MLRU stands for!
ML in the RN is used for Motor Launch so is MLRU - Motor Launch Repair Unit?

Larry,

This was a question I have been asking for nearly 30 years, after finding it on the door of a Morris Commercial C4 air compressor truck, and the conclusion drawn was Motor Launch Repair Unit, I had even contacted the Royal Navy historical branch back then, with no luck, but after seeing the Coastal Force vehicle photos, it pretty much confirms my thought line.

[illgato]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

It's great to look at old posts sometimes. I have just found out that CFMU stands for Coastal Forces Maintenance Unit. Now all I need is to find what 4MLRU stands for! An MARU was a Mobile Ammunition Repair Unit and ML in the RN is used for Motor Launch so is MLRU - Motor Launch Repair Unit?

Thinking about RN operations you can image that ships would put in to the nearest port with damage- that would then be repaired by mobile units using cutting tools, grinders and generators as seen in the photos posted here.

Has anyone got any more to post?

Thankyou All for the information you have turned up on this subject, it has allowed me to connect many dots.

4MLRU stand for Number 4 Mobile Land Repair Unit.
My Grandfatehr formed No1 MLRU as Naval Party 871 in Algiers in April 1943 to invade Sicily (Husky) and then Salerno (Avalanche). 1MLRU was disbanded in Naples in December 1943 and all the originals were sent back to England and formed 3&4MLRU to invade Normandy in June 1944.

I have a reasonable amount of information on these completely un-recorded RN units, so would like to reply to several of the posts individually.

In the mean time have a look at the photos and documents on my Webshots pages:
http://news.webshots.com/album/571340078sIySOY
http://news.webshots.com/album/560302531PWmBes

I am in the process of writing Grandfathers history and this forum has turned up information such as:

"Hi, I’d just like to thank you very much inded for sharing these photo’s and documents. I am researching my Family History and my Grandfather Philip Brueton served in both the 1MLRU & 4MLRU and I didn’t think I would find out more than that - but to see from your docs that he got a special mention is wonderful. Best wishes Aidan Goodal"

Regards Stephen Morse

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by illgato

4MLRU stand for Number 4 Mobile Land Repair Unit.
My Grandfatehr formed No1 MLRU as Naval Party 871 in Algiers in April 1943 to invade Sicily (Husky) and then Salerno (Avalanche). 1MLRU was disbanded in Naples in December 1943 and all the originals were sent back to England and formed 3&4MLRU to invade Normandy in June 1944.

Hello Stephen,

It was actually me who was looking to find out about 4MLRU. I have been searching to identify the unit for 30 years now. Back then, I was helping a friend restore a 1943 Morris Commercial truck, which carried a large air compressor. When I rubbed the paint down on the doors, the RN vehicle number came up and below it 4MLRU. We contacted the Admiralty to trace the vehicle, but they were unaware of any existing records for M.T.

If you know of where 4MLRU operated, pre and post D-Day, that might help narrow the history down. The mileage on the truck was low, and quite possibly genuine, as I think it had been laying in a scrapyard since disposal soon after the war. I was contacted my its new owner only recently and I am sure he would be interested to hear more.

regards, Richard

[Larry Hayward]

Richard,

JUst out of interest, regarding the new owner of the Morris Commercial Compressor truck, is he the owner of the one recently listed on Milweb, painted in Army colours?

[illgato]

Hi Richard,
Sorry I don't know much about where 3&4MLRU operated by my guess would be as follows:

Formed sometime between December 1943 (from 1MLRU) and May 1944, probably based at Portsmouth.

Would have landed D+1 or 2.
Here is the only official mention I have ever found about MLRUs (it refers to ONLY 3&4).

" XVI. Recovery and Repair.
1. Recovery, maintenance and repair in the assault area were under the general control of senior engineer officers on FOBAA (Flag Officer, British Assault Area) Staff. These included base engineer, electrical and construction officers, principal salvage officer, and fuelling officer.
2. Off shore repairs were handled by large repair parties in LSE, Depot Ships and floating docks.
3. In shore repair and recovery was organized on a divisional front basis under the NOIC. His staff included Reserve Assault Group Squadron Engineer Officers and Engineer Officers of the MLRU."

see: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/...mNavEu-10.html

Initial port targets would have been Port-en-Bessin and Oiustreham as well as beach support in the British area.

They would have then leap-frogged ports up the coast through France, Belgium, Holland and possibly to Germany.

The Units would have been disbanded as soon as there were no more ports to assault.

Your compressor truck was used to support divers, air tools, salvage pumps and to provide compressed air to refloat vessels and would have ended up being used by port parties along the coast until surplus to requirements.

I have some other photos of my Grandfathers RN vehicles and will post them shortly with some comments on the photos in this thread.

Regard Stephen

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by illgato

Would have landed D+1 or 2.
Here is the only official mention I have ever found about MLRUs (it refers to ONLY 3&4).

Thanks Stephen,

That is more information than I have found in 30 years, I will pass this on to the new owner.

Once again, thank you.

Richard

[Larry Hayward]

Stephen,

I look forward to seeing your grandfathers photos too!

[illgato]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

Thanks Stephen,

That is more information than I have found in 30 years, I will pass this on to the new owner.

Once again, thank you.

Richard

Hi Richard,
4MLRU was Naval Party 1502 and landed at Sword with the initial target of Ouistreham (Caen), then Le Harve, Dieppe, Boulogne, Calais, Ostend, etc..

This is a excert from a book called "Open the Ports, the story of human minesweepers" by J. Grosvenor & L.M. Bates (I have a copy) which can be found at:
http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/Bill%20Bailey%20Tribute.pdf

At last Party 1574 received orders to go to Portsmouth for embarkation. After
the usual infuriating delays and the expected hazards and discomforts of the
crossing, they reached Sword Beach.
They sailed in the same convoy as another naval Party, Nº 1502, whose
business was to get certain captured ports working again. They, too, were
bound for Ouistreham, but were not, of course, going to take any part in
underwater clearance of mines, etc., which was Party 1574’s special care.
Their duties would be salvage and general reorganisation of the port’s facilities.
Party 1502 were well equipped and the ‘P’ Party members looked with envy at
their lorries and so forth. Bailey had only been able to scrounge a box-cart to
carry their gear! But he cared nothing for dignity; he was concerned only with
getting their equipment to Ouistreham in the shortest possible time.
The excitement of going ashore amidst the remains of wreckage of landingcraft,
tanks, etc., desolate relics of the first assault forces, was enhanced by the
sound of firing. Not far away Royal Marine Commandos were still engaged in
mopping up behind the beaches while the armies pressed inland against fierce
enemy resistance.

[chalky]

This ex RN crane lives at Threlkeld museum UK , its american manufactured with truck cab badged 'Transit Crane' and a Bucyrus Erie ( not Ruston ) crane a 22b I think, I'm guessing its post war , but why would the Royal Navy buy American at that time? so is it wartime ?
Reg no. is 7835RN