Clarktor Aircraft Tugs in Britain and Australia

[servicepub (RIP)]

Here's one in service with the RCAF, dated 1949.

[Lang]

Another Thread revival.

Jared, How is your tug progressing.

Very mysterious. My tug number is BH-173, just a few before yours.

Looking at lots of wartime photos it appears the Australian Air Force had almost no tugs. They used farm type tractors almost exclusively right through Korea before building up their airfield tug collection in the 50's.

Attached is a photo of my tug at Caboolture and the only wartime photo I can find of Australians with a Clarktor in the Middle East (maybe this is yours or mine!). Another photo of the hundreds showing RAAF airfield tractors. This makes sense for my 1941 tug and yours which were delivered to the British and probably issued to the RAAF in Africa who brought them home.

[Mike Cecil]

The first recorded Clarktor tractors in the RAAF were purchased in early 1946. They were Clarktor 6 models with serials commencing with/prefixed with CM33, and were listed as 'Tractor, Stores'.

Only a small number were purchased in a single batch, with no subsequent purchases between then and the mid-1960s (when my 'good' data gets kind of, errr, 'patchy'....).

RAN also operated Clarktor aircraft tugs /tractors on carrier decks (Sydney, Melbourne) and at the RANAS at Nowra.

Mike C

[Lang]

Mike,

The Clark people in USA have sent me all the production info.

As we said Jarrod's and my BH (British Heavy) series CT6 Clarktors are from a British order Government Specification 91-66 in 1941. 690 were bult in Michigan and shipped to UK/Middle East.

The CT6 CM-33 series you mention were built 1944/45 for a total of 3,065 units. They only had single back wheels.

I imagine there would have been many left in Australia by the Americans that finished up in RAAF use. They must have carried on through the 50's mainly with tractors??? Korean war photos of RAAF Meteors all have tractors pulling them.

Lang

[Lang]

YEP Looks like the RAAF had tractors. New delivery handover of Fergies in 50's.

[Mike Cecil]

Lang,

I was not doubting what you had said, simply adding to it: Clarktor tractors were not registered with the RAAF during the war, and only 'Tractor, Stores' were registered after the war, and then in 1946.

Do either of yours or Jarrods have RAAF registration numbers? I'd be interested to hear if they do - it would give me something positive to work with. But the chassis/serial numbers you have quoted don't appear in the RAAF records that I have located. That leads me to wonder/ask why you think they were RAAF-operated Clarktor tractors? What markings were evident on either tractor when you received them?

Mike C

[Lang]

Mike,

I have no evidence whatsoever our tugs were operated by the RAAF just weight of probability.

If they were from American delivered serial numbers you would have to conclude they were American stocks left here (whether used by the RAAF or sold to civilians directly).

Being British 1941 delivered tugs and both ours so close in serial numbers I would assume they were issued to the RAAF somewhere - most probably Middle East. The photo of the RAAF operated tug in Libya adds some possibility these two and others were brought back to Australia from there. Maybe they were handed to the Australians in the Japan Occupation Force or Korea or Malaya?
As you know any equipment picked up by these "deals" might have unit, formation or even theatre records but have absolutely nothing in the armed forces central aquisition records.

To my mind it seems unlikely they were some sort of post war civil import but who knows.

Lang