C8AX Tac Sign

Richard Farrant · #1 11-10-09, 15:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by hrpearce

The RN number however belongs to a F15A that went to New Guinea (?spelling). As Euan pointed out the bumper is drilled for a Chev and has no spare holes so how this number ended up on my truck is a mystery.

Robert,

The fact that your "RN number" has the letters after the number, points to a British Royal Navy serial number. ( The RAF prefixed letters to numbers, and RN suffixed them). The number being same as a F15A in New Guinea is probably a coincidence. My feeling is that Mick's RN number, if it proves to be Royal Navy, was mistakenly painted with the letters first. What is needed is some archive photos of the MONAB airfields showing vehicles and any markings on them.

All fascinating and leads to all sorts of other things when you start searching.

Richard Farrant · #2 11-10-09, 16:08

...........just found some more links to MONAB's in Australia, with some photos showing vehicles, a quite a few British ones, marked with RN serials, inc. Bedford QL tankers and GS cargo types, Fordson WOT6 GS cargo, Austin K6 radar scanner, Fordson WOT2 GS. If you go to the following link, which shows a selection of photos, click on "Nowra image 17", this shows a row of Fordson WOT6 GS trucks and a jeep all with RN serials.
http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive....S/M1_Album.htm

It is quite possible that vehicles needed to be supplemented for a number of reasons and were obtained by "local" resources.

Ausmick · #3 11-10-09, 20:24

There are a few Royal Navy vehicles with the RN as a prefix before the numbers.

So far I look like having a truck that was shipped from Canada to New Zealand in a crate. Built there, then sent off to the Solomon Islands with the 2NZEF-IP and more then likely used in a Headquarters unit of some sort (102). Then, somehow along the line, end up being painted a different shade of green with RN68022 painted upon it. Now looks like it had service in the Royal Navy before or on arrival in Australia.

All I wanted was a nice easy truck with a tray!.......but if I am about to unload a fair bit of money on the old girl in the next few years, I’d rather get its history right (or as close as I can). Thanks for all the help so far. Looks like I could spend longer doing the research then the restoration!!!!!

Ausmick · #4 11-10-09, 22:02

Richard,

Something that you said made me have another look at the cowls where the lettering and numbers were. I don't think, with the size of the white numbering/letters that were on their, that the RN number could have been written 68022RN, as on the smaller C8AX cowl it doesn't look like the room was available. Maybe the next best thing was the RN under the number, but more practical was what has happened with the RN above it?

Richard Farrant · #5 11-10-09, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ausmick

Maybe the next best thing was the RN under the number, but more practical was what has happened with the RN above it?

Mick,

That would make sense. Looking at the other vehicles brought over from UK on the website photos, they all have 5 figure numbers, so it does fit in. Just how it got there is the mystery.

Mike K · #6 12-10-09, 05:26

The other C8AX with the RN marking is owned by VMVC member Len Schutt

Bart V. mentioned the RN using C8Ax's in Sydney in his article in an early Wheels & Tracks artricle

Mike K

PS I have a C8AX body here ..cut into 4 sections ..only good for a pattern..free to anyone ..

Ken Hughes · #7 12-10-09, 08:18

Fred tells me that NZ sold about 9 C8AXs to australia after the war.
Also that the Kiwis were at a base in Aus for a while and left all their vehicles behind?
A fair bit of pilfering went on during the war by all our lot and it was nothing to pinch
a vehicle and redo the numbers etc overnight!( Canadian jeep)
Look at the Kiwi converted sliding roof hatch Keith found on a F or C 60L some years ago
I have seen the NZ numbering system ranging from nz19..... nz22....nz23....nz24......etc.
there was some talk a while back that those numbers 19 thru to 24 or so pertained to areas
of registration like Wellington,Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin etc,but we still dont really know.Perhaps Geoff Plowman would have some insight into this?.