RAF Vehicle Colors

[gordon]

Hmmm, another of my little-known claims to fame. I've actually driven one of those things.

During WW2 Grangemouth on the River Forth had an airfield, which was later turned into the refinery site. A refueller survived in BP service till the late 80's apparently used to distribute lube oil and antifreeze round the site, and was then turned out for scrap. Hamish bought it and I got it to run. After sitting around for a while he turned it over to Falkirk Museum and now I think it's at the Museum of Flight at East Fortune near Edinburgh.

Small four cylinder Ford car engine, gearbox, and axle at the back, with the rear hubs replaced by chain sprockets to drive down to each wheel. Engine driven pumps were made by Weir Pumps at Cathcart in Glasgow, and some models had a Zwicky (spelling?) boom on the top. The design is pre-WW2 by some margin, and there were lower units for planes with lower wings I suppose. The tanks structure, pumps, and boom were pretty much transplanted directly onto Bedford chassis for most of the WW2 production, and I don't think any of the three wheelers would have got out of the UK.