RAF vehicles

[Allan Hillman]

thanks - all clear now !! what happened last time ?

cheers

Allan

[Rlangham]

No idea, I uploaded them on simpload.com and used the image tags so they showed up and you wouldn't have to click on them, worked for me but after you posted they seemed to stop working! Had to attach them one by one instead.

[Larry Hayward]

Can anyone identify the make & model of this RAF Tractor seen in 1944 at RAF Chivenor.

[Bill Murray]

Hi Larry:

Closest I can come is that I believe it is a Clark Tug and I do not know the model number. Definitely ex US.
Here is a photo taken in 1953 which seems awfully close to your vehicle.
bill

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Rlangham
Here's the last one. There's quite a few interesting photos of RAF vehicles on the IWM collections website www.iwmcollections.org.uk the best way i've found is to type in 'tender' or 'bowser', but it's still hard to find matches

Of particular interest is the total lack of defensive armament on the B17 in the background, suggesting that this may be one of the trans-Atlantic mail planes. The RCAF's 168 Heavy Transport Squadron hurriedly pressed 6 B17E's into service after roughly painting over the US markings. Perhaps this B17 is one of them?



CHIMO!

[Rlangham]

I think the B17 is used specifically for fire training, most likely broken or damaged beyond repair and probably nothing more than a hulk, like old airliners used at airports today for fire training. By the way, the bomb tractor shown is made by Academy in 1/72 scale, it's a US design, as well as that sort there was a similar sort without the large radiator guard at the front, one of which can be seen at the Sywell Aviation Museum http://www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/museum.html

[cletrac (RIP)]

That little aircraft tug is the Clacktor (probably model 6). It has a flat head Dodge 6 for power and if you look at the rear fenders you can tell they're made of cast iron (about 3 inches thick) to give them traction.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Slightly off topic, but I have been asked about the colour schemes of RN/RCN vehicles. Can anyone advise?

[Phil Waterman]

OK it is not a whole RAF CMP Truck but how about this one. Kevin Garison here in New Hampshire has just started restoring a basket case C15 with it came the extra door which is pictured. That is all that is known about the history of the door.

[Larry Hayward]

"That little aircraft tug is the Clacktor (probably model 6). "

David,

Is your spelling correct? Do you mean Clacktor or Clacton?

I cannot find any links for such a make as Clacktor. I have for Clark though.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Larry Hayward
"That little aircraft tug is the Clacktor (probably model 6). "

David,

Is your spelling correct? Do you mean Clacktor or Clacton?

I cannot find any links for such a make as Clacktor. I have for Clark though.

Larry,

He obviously meant to say Clarktor, made by the US company, Clark.

Richard

[Bill Murray]

For whatever it is worth, not too much I fear, here is another photo of a Clarktor 6.
It would seem my original posting showed another version, possibly powered by a 4 cyl engine and not the same as the one we started with.
Edit: This is a postwar photo and the vehicle has been changed a bit and made into a sort of Hot Rod. Still, the wheels, bonnet etc. look awfully close.
Bill

[cletrac (RIP)]

Oh those spelling mistakes! I don't know how I got a c instead of an r when they're so far apart on the keyboard.

[Les Freathy]

evening guys

Afraid i dont get to much spare time at the moment hence the lack of photos from my stable, so whilst i have an hour here are a few more R.A.F shots


1. Commer Q2 tractor/ Queen mary trailer cut short at the rear, this conversion i believe was for use as a laboratory or for mobile office use



2. Same type of tractor this time with a flat bodied semi trailer,these trailers were previously used on Albion AM463 tractors



3. Austin K6 6x4 3ton CO2 fire crash tender

[Les Freathy]

This ambulance appeared at a London to Brighton run many years ago an certainly caused a stir due to it being so rare, at about the same time a friend of mine on the Marsh was also restoring a GS tender version unfortunatly he fitted a wooden civilian type body. Prehaps the thought of trying to reproduce those pressed body panels was to daunting

[Les Freathy]

This Austin K6 restored signals van turned up at Duxford a few years ago, i am still not sure if forms part of the collection at the museum but i do not recall seeing it at any rallies since i took these photos

[Nick Balmer]

Hello Les,

Is that...

"1. Commer Q2 tractor/ Queen mary trailer cut short at the rear, this conversion i believe was for use as a laboratory or for mobile office use "

what was known as a Bombay Bus. Many low loaders and flatbeds were coverted over the years for use at RAF bases, and on construction sites in the Middle East into what was known as a Bombay Bus.

Some were double deckers.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[Rlangham]

I was very kindly sent a copy of the RAF fire manual from 1949 the other day, it includes some photos of fire vehicles, turns out the Austin co2 cylinder tender didn't come into use until post-WW2, contrary to what I thought before! Attached is a photo of a Crossley Q type 4x4 foam tender preserved at the RAF Museum, Cosford, where I went to today

[Rlangham]

Also at the museum is this Mobile Dentistry Unit on a Fordson WOT chasiss. Although the front end looks like that of a WOT1, and has the chassis of one, the cab looks like that of a WOT6, i've seen a couple of photos of Fordson's like this, I think they were designated as WOT6's. Apologies for the bad photo, it's not exactly in a good position to be photographed!

[Paul Bellamy]

The IWM photo's earlier in this thread are from a series of 19 taken of the 92nd Bomb Group, USAAF, at RAF Alconbury in mid-late June 1943, called "BRITISH EQUIPMENT AT AN AMERICAN AIRFIELD: ANGLO-AMERICAN CO-OPERATION IN WARTIME BRITAIN, 1943"

Not all feature ex-RAF vehicles, but from those that do:

D 15110: Oxygen filling trailer.
D 15116: K2A Ambulance and Crash Tender.
D 15118: Closeup of Crash Tender nco.
D 15124: Crash Tender in use.
D 15130: Fuel Bowser and Airspeed Oxford DF399.
D 15135: Chance Light trailer.

Incidentally, the turretless B-17 in the photos is B-17-E 41-9154, by that time being used as a general "hack" and crew training aircraft in the UK only.
Airspeed Oxford DF399 was only with the 92nd BG between June 8th and August 27th 1943, so thaty dated the photo's fairly accurately.

Hope that helps, and it's a good series of photo's to look at, as most of the other equipment being used (dinghys, parachutes, bikes, shotguns etc.) is RAF kit too.

[Les Freathy]

Time to revive this lost thread, a couple of Austin K6 trucks the first in service in the early days of Heathrow Airport. The K6 carries a aircraft height finder

2nd, one the many K6 tipper versions used by airfield construction companies, this one in early post war blue/grey and black

les

[Jan Mostek]

The RAF vehicles are very interesting topics. Here are several views of Mack NR6 used for tranpostation purposes in Noth Africa.

RAF Mack NR6, picture 2

RAF Mack NR6, pict. 3

Mack NR6 and Gloster Gladiator, both RAF.

Happy searching, Jan.

[Jan Mostek]

And one more interesting vehicle, 1938 Chevy Stake Truck, just for the case some of the users would not be completely familiar with Wheels and Tracks magazines.

Note the licence plate, it seems to me that is was added later on the photo. Your comments? And what you guys guess about the vehicle color? I would like it RAF Blue but some sort of olive would be more likely. Any comments?

Happy searching, Jan.

[Les Freathy]

A few more items for the R.A.F
1. Ford WOA2 heavy utility

[Les Freathy]

Many of the specialist bodies fitted to WW2 chassis were in the late1940/early1950s transferred to more modern chassis to give a new lease of life and obviously to keep cost down at a time when almost all items transport were made for export. These two photos show a body from a Ford WOT 1 6x4 mounted on the post war Fordson Thames the location shows this one up for auction around 1960. For those who like to model in 1/76 scale you can do no better than to utilize the Austin K6 from the Airfix RAF emergency set,the wheels are i suppose just passable but i never did think they looked right so produced and cast my own, the chassis and running gear is easy to adapt. An excellent resin cab is available from Transport images whose range is mainly civilian but includes some items useful to the military vehicle modeller a S.A.E to 17 Foxdene road, Seasalter, Whitstable, Kent CT5 4QY England will bring you details and prices

[Les Freathy]

A further version on the Austin K6 6x4 chassis this one is the expandable office body, these were often linked to form large operation units

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

The Chrevrolet RAF truck would have been assembled and supplied by General Motors Near East Ltd in Alexandria. GMNE supplied to my knowledge:

RAF
BRITISH ARMY (War Department)
EGYPTIAN ARMY
TRANS-JORDANIAN FRONTIER FORCE

[Jan Mostek]

I guess the Great War is the great theme also for the softskines. here is one RAF Leyland with factory fresh Bristol Fighter. The container on the flat bed was made for transportation of the planes in ckd form directly to the front airfields. Does anybody have any picture of how the conlainer looked inside when loaded?

Happy searching, Jan.

[Dick Wheat]

Hi I have the ball hitch from queen mary trailer if any one wants one, free but you would have to collect, quite heavy.DICK

[Les Freathy]

A Crossley IGL 3 ton 6x4 used by the RAF in the 1930s and into the early days of WW2. Some with special type bodies would have survived throughout the war