Royal Navy vehicles

[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?

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by 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?

Larry,
Yes, that was the one.

[Larry Hayward]

Shame I didn't get in there quick enough as I'd love to own a Morris Commercial though I bet spare parts are now a problem hence the price of £4600!

It would be nice to think that the new owner will put it back into RN markings though I bet it won't be. Was it ever gray in colour or did the MLRU markings appear over a typical army scheme for the period?

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

Shame I didn't get in there quick enough as I'd love to own a Morris Commercial though I bet spare parts are now a problem hence the price of £4600!

It would be nice to think that the new owner will put it back into RN markings though I bet it won't be. Was it ever gray in colour or did the MLRU markings appear over a typical army scheme for the period?

Larry,

My recollection from 30 years ago, was that parts were not easy to find then, we trawled the old motor parts dealers as the engines were used in civvy lorries and agricultural vehicles. The original colour of the C4 was brown, from the factory, no sign of grey. It had a coat of green on top.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

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?

This one, isn't it?

H.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

This one, isn't it?

Hanno,

As mentioned earlier, I was well aquainted with the recovery of this vehicle and some of the early restoration of it, about 30 years ago, helping my friend who owned it at the time. It changed hands a couple of times and recently was sold again, re the Milweb advert. The new owner has been in contact and I have forwarded this thread to him as I found original markings on it proving it was attached to 4MLRU and the recent developments on here have thrown new light on the truck's past history.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

The third photo is a rhd truck so most likely a 3-topn CC60L (Canadian Chevrolet 1941 Model 1543X2), one of those shipped to Alexandria under S.M 2005 (one of 150) or one shipped-out after British assembly.