RAF vehicles

[Larry Hayward]

The attached photo shows a typical Austin 30 cwt ( I think) in RAF service in 1940-41.

It is camouflaged in G3 and G4 overspray I guess but I think the very faded RAF on the cab door suggests a thin coat of camo over what was the RAF Blue applied on delivery from the factory, as the use of the white 'RAF' insignia was very much a pre-war standard marking but (mostly) dropped with the introduction of camo colours. Conserving paint may have been a factor I guess hence a thin coat of paint, which soon wore off.

[ted angus]

Its a Bedford MSC supplied prewar to the RAF. Many were fitted with oversize tyres after introduction. Yes the RAF is an indication its pre war and no doubt would originally have been RAF Blue Grey.
Ted

[Larry Hayward]

I realise now the photo above was not an Austin. The engine cover hid the detail I was looking for, as in the attached photo of an RAF Bedford MSC in October 1940 with 83 Sqn c/o IWM.

By comparison this Bedford looks to have a cab as yet in need of disruptive camo, to match the rear wooden body. Could it be that the cab is still in RAF Blue at this stage of the war and soon to be completed when the proper paint arrives? It is hard to tell, but with the RAF insignia, it looks quite fresh and the paint appears to have a sheen. If it is in a base coat of G3 camo the RAF insignia would surely have been painted over?

Certainly the cab of the Bedford in the second photo (right) suggests the cab is still in RAF Blue glossy finish, with perhaps a very thin spray of G3 which has worn off or yet to be completed. So were vehicles painted in stages?

Also I guess that whatever the colours used on the wood of the body, they were different paint type from the metal parts?

Incidentally, I find it hard to distinguish a Bedford MSC from an ML. What are the distinguishing features?

[Larry Hayward]

Anyone who has studied Bedford OXA Armoured 30 cwt Lorries in WW2 will know that they were built as an expedient in 1940 due to the loss of so much at Dunkirk etc. And yet here we are in spring 1942 or later with a Bedford Armoured Lorry on guard in the background?

I doubt this is an Avro Lancaster factory airfield and more like an RAF one, as suggested by the RAF personnel. Incidentally many of these Bedfords, including the 3 tonners with COW guns, were passed to the RAF, so I consider it to be an RAF vehicle.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

“RAF road haulage in North Africa”.

Found some copies of article in Wheels & Tracks magazine.

0AFE00D9-CB0B-42C6-B674-E0056D0E6C85.jpeg 9E38CCD2-561B-4EAD-B4F1-D1419939555C.jpeg 0356A26A-71AE-4758-98EB-23C19A2F1B5D.jpeg 5DE9995E-5CA1-49A0-ABCB-883174842D8F.jpeg 71761640-07CA-4533-B940-D72EA2C617E5.jpeg

[Larry Hayward]

Thanks Hanno

[dcrfan]

Some photos off the net showing RAF vehicles in Singapore/Malaya during the Malayan Emergency.

RAF Regiment or RAF Malayan Regiment?

m30-when-moving-base-pilots-repositioned-aircraft-rest-of-the-personnel-and-eqpt-had-to-travel by tankienz, on Flickr

Red with black mudguards?

59dcd7492598a_FiresectionJeepOfficialPhoto.jpg.a98 5b9731a725502a3960a67dabcf572 by tankienz, on Flickr

59dcd7764d824_JeepTowingPlane.jpg.baf246eb99e725ad a17be2d2432de741 by tankienz, on Flickr

59dcd79a7ff31_HoseTruck.jpg.209cff77090986377547fb ac88a18681 by tankienz, on Flickr

59dcd79aaf5e9_FireTruckandBedfordQL.jpg.24245e368e e55cec58206dab67b95b1d by tankienz, on Flickr

obb052617_davidtaylor_26 by tankienz, on Flickr

54113-39831687511574122 by tankienz, on Flickr

And these which are technically Army Air Corps but they were combined Army/RAF tradesmen manned units.

mt section by tankienz, on Flickr

mers2 by tankienz, on Flickr

[ted angus]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

Anyone who has studied Bedford OXA Armoured 30 cwt Lorries in WW2 will know that they were built as an expedient in 1940 due to the loss of so much at Dunkirk etc. And yet here we are in spring 1942 or later with a Bedford Armoured Lorry on guard in the background?

I doubt this is an Avro Lancaster factory airfield and more like an RAF one, as suggested by the RAF personnel. Incidentally many of these Bedfords, including the 3 tonners with COW guns, were passed to the RAF, so I consider it to be an RAF vehicle.

This photo was taken in 1942 at RAF Bottesford. A number of RAF stations were handed down these small Bedfords. The Larger vehicles titled AMADILLOs were built soley for the RAF & RN for airfield defence, In the Lineup picture these are MK 1s.

[Larry Hayward]

Thanks Ted.

Regarding the Bedford 3 tonner with a COW gun in the attached, it is interesting that it was built for RAF & RN airfield defence as it has an Army WD registration. I have the shell casing from the example used at RAF Christchurch in WW2.

Let me know your thoughts Ted, on the Bedford MSC above this post.

[Larry Hayward]

It has been suggested to me that the Bedford MSC (as in post number 279) that were used by the RAF were all impressed civilian vehicles and that none were ordered, as the RAF had Bedford ML with GS bodied and other variants.

Does anyone have production contract details for both?