RAF vehicles

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Could be a COE Ford assembled by Ford in Alexandria and then acquired by the Air Ministry.

[cliff]

Originally posted by Nick Balmer
Hello,

What sort of truck is this, caught up in the retreat in Greece?

From the IWM
Lorries carrying RAF personnel during the retreat from Greece, 3 May 1941.

Regards

Nick Balmer

Make a nice model. Anyone got some basic measurements of one?

cheers
Cliff

[Nick Balmer]

Hello,

I know that this is not strictly an RAF vehicle but I think the quality of the photo is such that it will interest many.

Apparently it was taken at RNAS Yeovilton in September 1943.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[Erwin]

And once more:
Are there any more Royal Air Foce pics of Dodge D-15s GS body???
Apart from the nice RAAF posted by Keith and the landing in Italy pic posted early in the Dodge D60/D15 thread?

Greetings, Erwin

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Les Freathy
evening guys
thought i would start a new thread on RAF vehicles. i dont see one in the forum but do not know if there has been one in the past. As most of you will be aware the numbers and types used ran into thousands and hundreds including some interesting items used only by the RAF.
les

Try this one on for size Les.

[Les Freathy]

AH yes Derek the old Scammell scarab taken i presume at the Ipswich based museum
Clearing the folder out again acouple that have been there since last year
Crossly Q tractor and Queen mary trailer and
Ford WOT 6 3ton office

[Bill Murray]

A Crossley?? in North Africa. I assume it is RAF
Bill

[Bill Murray]

I imagine this is a Commer Q2 and should be ex RAF according to Bart's books. In this case a beute photographed in Russia according to the ebay seller. From a year or so ago.
Bill

[Les Freathy]

Hi Bill
Your little tippers are Thornycroft WZ/TC4 3 ton 4x2s, they could well be RAF as the airfield constrution side were issued with a number of them. Its a new photo to me
cheers
Les

[Les Freathy]

The RAF used around 500 Matadors during the war and continued to do so right up untill the 1970s, this loverly shot depicts the flat bed and SMT multiwheel trailer loaded with roller and compressor to form part od the airfield construction company

[Les Freathy]

Richard will remember this one a Mat with generator body that would have at one time carried a 50kva generator, at the time it was laid up near Charing Kent but where did it go from there.
Sadly i have had to part with my Matador finally had to admit with my leg injuries, even when healed i would struggle to get in it and struggle more with the very heavy clutch, still the old girl has found a good home in Lincolnshire with two very apt stable mates a Scammell Pioneer and Morris Quad

[Les Freathy]

finally tonight another version of the 6x4 Fordson Sussex this one a searchlight carrier

[Bill Murray]

Thanks Les:

It is probably just me, but I have always considered Sussex to be a very handsome truck. Good lines and good proportions.
Bill

[cliff]

found this while browsing the AWM last night. Not sure if they were RAF vehicles though.

Taken in Plymouth England

cheers
Cliff

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

another version of the 6x4 Fordson Sussex this one a searchlight carrier

I have a large print of this lorry! I think it's a Fordson-Sussex W0T1 or E917T for the SA Defence Force.
Former, L 4473398 to 4473459 V/4020 'Lorry 3 ton 6x4 S/L' assembled at Dagenham.
This photo is an IWM one in the Kidbrooke series.

[sapper740]

Originally posted by cliff
found this while browsing the AWM last night. Not sure if they were RAF vehicles though.

Taken in Plymouth England

cheers
Cliff

Those vehicles were called Winch Lorries and they were operated by WAAFS so they must be RAF. It took a crew of 16 WAAFs to man?handle each barrage balloon. Here's a pic of some WAAFs in a balloon hangar with a winch lorry in the background

[Nick Balmer]

Hello,

I think the last photo was taken inside one of the two airship hangers at Cardington in Bedfordshire.

These were the hangers used for the R101, and I believe that one of them had originally been built in Norfolk during the First World War, and then moved in the 1920's to Cardington.

About 15 years or so ago, I tendered for building a platform for a fire research centre inside one of these hangers.

There were still two balloon winch trucks inside the hanger. I think they were Austins.

The second hangar is used to store vintage cars.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

There was also a wartime Ford assembly operation in the hangars.

[Nick Balmer]

Hello David,

I hadn't heard about the Fords being assembled at Cardington before.

Do you know what sort of Fords were assembled there, by any chance?

Would they have been overseas manufactured ones?

Regards

Nick Balmer

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Believe Ford Jeeps at least. I think it was in the Ford, Dagenham, wartime retrospective though it is widely known.

[Nick Balmer]

Hello David,

Thanks for the information on Cardington.

Searching on the IWM site for Cardington produces a number of great photos.

The following photo gives some idea of just how big and impressive these two hangars are, especially when you consider they went up in the 1920's.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[Nick Balmer]

Hello,

One for Bill Murray.

Again from Cardington.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Nice photo that!

Originally Posted by David_Hayward (RIP)

9-10 December 1942.

I am no expert but it appears to be a 1939 91A or E91A...the registration is a Middlesex County Council one in a series allocated to the Air Ministry, and fits in with a date of May 1939 from rego records though it could be out-of-sequence. The rego seems to suggest that this is a Ministry car not military, hence no RAF number.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by David_Hayward (RIP)

9-10 December 1942.

I am no expert but it appears to be a 1939 91A or E91A...the registration is a Middlesex County Council one in a series allocated to the Air Ministry, and fits in with a date of May 1939 from rego records though it could be out-of-sequence. The rego seems to suggest that this is a Ministry car not military, hence no RAF number.

I can no longer argue with David H., but my rebuttal would have been "what about the 3-ton Fordson lorry with reg.no. RMG 347?" (see above).

Edward (Ted) Angus answered that question:

Hanno its an RAF car. RAF reg numbers weren't introduced until late 1940/41, until then everything was Middlesex CC , some of these vehicles ran on these plates until post WW2 and can be found in the post war auction lists. Here are some Fordsons of a Barrage Balloon sqn near Antwerp late 1944.
235867631_3626068390829097_716561018050206343_n.jpg

[dcrfan]

The caption reads 2 Jan 1961, British Army Auster Kluang Airfield but note the interesting Fire Bedford QL in the background

https://flic.kr/p/2jdPxXW

50028190112_8a0d0fcf09_k.jpg

[ted angus]

That is a standard Bedford QL Army fire tender.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

"Jennie Gauntlett Hill with her staff car (Credit: Hampshire Record Office)"

jennie-gauntlett-hill.jpg

Read more about Mrs Gauntlett Hill on this webpage: https://nfhwa.org/raf-titchfield-his...lloon-command/

[Bill Murray]

As I said earlier, those 39/40 Fords, cars as well as trucks, were about as neat looking as they get.
While I would build it as a street rod and not military, one of my goals in life is to restore a 1940 Fordor sedan.
Or, maybe I should do it military like this. Thanks to Les for the photo and, yes, it has been here before. Just a nice shot.
Bill

[Nick Balmer]

Hello Bill,

My grandfather was a vet during World War 2. In 1938 he had bought what he described as a Ford V8.

Presumably it must have been much like the one in your photo.

Because of his official duties during the war, he had quite a generous ration.

He taught my mother to drive on his way to farms on business.

I have often wondered which of the Fords this would be. As this was in the UK, it was presumably a British built one.

By all accounts it was a fast car.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[Bill Murray]

Hi Nick:

The 1938 looked like this photo. Personal opinion, of course, but I was not too fond of the 1937/1938 styling but really like the 1939/1940 types.
As far as I know, Ford Dagenham built the so called "US" style all the way up to 1940, certainly 1939. Then, I believe some started being imported directly from the US either PKD/CKD or fully assembled. David knows better than I.

And, yes, they were quite fast, faster than contemporary GM and Chrysler products At the same time, however, they had their problems. As all the Ford CMP owners know, Fords tended to overheat after long runs at high speed. They were also prone to vapor lock and broken valve springs. But, when they were running well they were a lot of fun. Over the years in the fifties and sixties I had several. Wish I still had them now.
Bill