britsh forward control 3 ton trucks

[Les Freathy]

plenty of detail in those Jan ideal for modellers,forward control 3 tonners are very rare in RAFuse which makes this pre war Karrier fuel tanker photo so interesting although of poor quality. The RAF seemed to go for the bonneted types ie austin K6 and the Ford WOT 1 and 1A

[Les Freathy]

I was given a book last week called Sure As The Sunrise a history of Albion vehicles and in the ww2 military section appeared this photo of a model BY1 produced for the Air Ministry. I have seen this photo before but not had a copy it is intrigueing because of the cab, i thought at first it was a standard civilian type but i can find nothing similer in any of my Albion photos or publications so suspect it was built to ministry specs. What i am trying to find out is is my assumption correct re the cab and how many like this were built, the tank and rear mudguards are standard civilian but who supplied these, Butterfield of Shipley is one name that springs to mind
cheers
Les

[Pete Ashby]

To continue the AEC theme here a Pontoon carrier factory photo, sorry I have no reference for this shot but I suspect it may be IWM stock

[Pete Ashby]

This is a nice shot and not one I have seen anywhere else, I now cannot remember where it came from.

I think I was given it as a copy from a book by some kind soul

[Les Freathy]

Hi Pete

Your photo of the Retriever and searchlight is a original from the Leyland archives the other i think from the IWM Kidbrooke collection
Talking of the lLeyland factory heres a convoy of early chassis/cabs ready to leave, bet you would have a field day there gathering spares
Les

[Les Freathy]

This super Crossley restoration resides in the UK, i know bodies of this type were fitted to the Crossley but i have a feeling it came from Austin K6. Pete your a 6x4 man do you know the answer
Les

[T. Metsovitis]

Here's one for you Les!



These are breakdown gantry trucks in service with the Greek army in 1943. The location is probably Lebanon. Are they Austins or Leylands? And how on earth can you tell?

Fyll

[Les Freathy]

Hi Fyll
O.K every possibility these are Austin K6 BUT it is difficult to tell exactly, it would have been easier if i could have seen the rear wheels obstructed by the personel. Can you tell me were any of the Dodge WK60 gantry trucks passed on to the Greek army from the desert and Italian campaigns as they were fitted with the same body, so two possibilities here
Les

[T. Metsovitis]

Hi Les,

A veteran told me the Greeks fighting in Italy had Dodge WK60 gantry trucks, so I suppose we do indeed have two suspects now.
Many thanks mate.

Fyll

[Les Freathy]

In that case Fyll i would lay odds they are Dodge, if you find any photos of them with the Greeks i would sure appreciate a gander at them. Are you over for Tracks and Trucks this year
Les

[Pete Ashby]

Les, Fyll,

They do look like WK60's note the rear light that looks very Doge and the bolts in the rear cross member

The picture is IWM

Pete

[Richard Farrant]

Pete,

Those winch rollers are a prominent feature on the Dodge. Austin K6 rollers were tucked in under the tailboard. Looking at the photo of a group of gantries, I would say the one, third from left is not a Dodge.

[T. Metsovitis]

Gents,

Thank you all for your input, I feel a little bit wiser now.

Fyll

[Les Freathy]

Some more pre war forward control 6x4s a Thornycroft with 3" anti aircraft gun in the middle east

[Les Freathy]

And Albion BY1 on trials in the UK, come on guys what have you to submit on this thread
Cheers
Les

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I have it as an Albion WD131 GMF 336 with driver tuition undertaken at the RASC Depot in Feltham, Middlesex Depot. My Nanna worked there during the war. I thought I had used that IWM photo in VINTAGE ROADSCENE. I think it dates to 1939. A large scale print is in my collection and I have a hi-res version on my PC here. I am not sure that they are actually in Feltham, and are probably a couple of miles to the East on Hounslow Heath on land owned by the War Office.


See the latest issue of VRS for more 6x4 lorries.

[Godwin Hampton]

Originally posted by T. Metsovitis
Here's one for you Les!



These are breakdown gantry trucks in service with the Greek army in 1943. The location is probably Lebanon. Are they Austins or Leylands? And how on earth can you tell?

Fyll

I had the impression that the Austin K6 went into production around 1944. If that is so, and the photo was taken in 1943, it would rule them out.

[Rich Payne]

This image is IWM O282 and shows an RAOC workshop equipped vehicle at Marcatel in 1939. Is it a Retriever ?





I have to confess that my interest is primarily in the background motorcycle - An overhead camshaft Norton (presumably Civilian Impressed although one or two were used by Army Trials teams pre-war).

[Les Freathy]

Hi Rich
Photos a bit small but i would say yes its a Retriever not sure of the workshop type though
Les

[Rich Payne]

Les, If you click on the picture and then again when ImageShack opens then it should be big enough.

This is a different Workshop vehicle (IWM O64 taken at Cherbourg 29/9/1939) My limited reference books haven't helped me identify that cut off nose and rather distinctive tank behind the cab.




Judging by how clean the lathe is, I assume it's newly fitted out.

Bike is a 1939 Civilian model 16H Norton.

[Rich Payne]

Another of Captain Keating's IWM images.



Is this gantry lorry a Crossley ?

[Les Freathy]

Yes, i was just going to reply to the second when the third came up the third is a Crossley IGL and so i am sure is the second workshop
Les

if military motorcycles are your interest i have a few photos of various british ones i can post, i note we have a Harley thread started so i suppose a general thread would not go amiss

[Jan Mostek]

Shown below there is a Retriever fuel tank picture form the Lynx & Retriever driver´s handbook. See how rounded if the fuel tank and how it is situated on the vehicle´s frame. I also can not resit the feeling that Retriever has horisontal hadle behind the door while the pictures above shows vertical handle. Also, see the mudguard edging. On the picture above there is quite sharp edge while Retriever has a rounded edge. I guess it is not Retriever. Maybe Crossley?

Happy searching Jan.

[Rich Payne]

Thanks for the IDs Les,

British and Commonwealth vehicles are an interest, the motorcycle thing is more of an obsession It does at least get me seriously looking at lots of photographs.

I would be pleased to see a British motorcycles thread (I'll try to restrict my postings to those with interesting backgrounds !)

Rich.

[Les Freathy]

OK Rich i will get some thing sorted for you, im off to bed now as its an early start for a trip to France in the morning, do you have any other photos from that early IWM range of shots most were in France and Belgium in 1940
Cheers
Les

[Rich Payne]

Thanks Les, Have a good trip.

I visited the IWM archives in connection with my ongoing 1939 BEF 16H restoration and went right through the "O" and "F" series relating to the British Army in France and Flanders.

I was thoroughly impressed by the archive and ordered copies of the prints that I couldn't resist. Had to thin my list out several times though as I decided beforehand to stay under £100 . The copies are not bad value but they're not cheap either. I have posted those which have some four-wheeled interest.

Most of the interesting vehicle photos were taken by a chap called Keating who was riding a Royal Enfield WD/C in France. If you search under his name as photographer on the IWM site, you will certainly find other things of interest. He was later in the Middle East and Italy. Many of the photos are not fully captioned from a vehicle point of view so don't turn up on a simple search.

Rich

[Eduard Sorokin]

Dear friends !

My name is Ed and I am 39. I work as electric engineer.
I have a big interest about WW2 military vehicles, and one of interesting subjects for me are WW2 British trucks & lorries.

I have some bold thoughts about a scratch build of scale model (or models) of some of typical British vehicles - 6x4 forward control lorries (most part of them had open cabs), and I try to collect any materials on this subject. That is why I shall pleased to get any help with the any scale plans of those lorries, photos, detailing drawings of cab interiors, chassis, axles, body interiors, drawings from technical manuals, etc (like those, that were posted by JAN Mostek - see posts #28, 29,30 in this thread).

The list of those vehicles (about which is anything known) is below:
- AEC 644 Marshal
- Albion BY1, BY3, BY5
- Guy FBAX
- Karrier CK6
- Crossley IGL3, IGL7, IGL8
- Leyland Retriever, Terrier, Bull Terrier
- Morris D, CD, CDF, CDFW
- Thornycroft Tartar.

Today I have only Guy FBAX GS lorry plan from "British military transport" book (by Almark Publications).

I think, some vehicles from this list J. B. Church most certainly could draw - and I shall pleased to see those plans.
But those plans were drawn in the Sixties - the Seventies, and, maybe, some more modern plans are existed now - and I pleased to see these modern plans too.

Thank You in advance.

Best regards,
Ed.

[Les Freathy]

ED, what scale do you want plans in to build your models
cheers
Les

[Eduard Sorokin]

Dear sir Les Freathy !

I think about model (models) in 1/72 scale.
As for scale plans/drawings - they can be in any scale; they can be made in the necessary scale with copier device, that have scaling function.

Regards,
Ed.

[Les Freathy]

ED some Leyland retriever plans in 1/76 scale
cheers
Les