British 10-cwt trailer reference thread

[Nick Bullock]

Hi Fellas

I think, (I have yet to collect it!!) that I have bought a 10 cwt trailer for the C8... It suprising just how much additional equipment you need for two kids...

I had thought these were a familiar trailer, but when I come to check out references and look for photos I have very little to go on.

Just wondered if anyone else had more of a handle on these wooden bodied trailers

kind regards

nick

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Nick,

I have not found much more than this site: http://www.goatpark.force9.co.uk/tempsite/gstrailer.htm [note: this site was taken down - see the cached version on the Internet Archive]

Plus see my G503 album some shots of a 10-cwt Mortar Trailer I took at Beltring this year.

P.S.: luckily I got a 20-cwt trailer, seeing one already needs a 10-cwt trailer for two kids

[Nick Bullock]

thanks for that, it looks rather like the nice example I saw at Ursel a few weeks ago, but neglected to take any pictures of it at the time.. maybe I was distracted by the rain... or was it the lager??

I have mailed the goat park guy but haven't yet had a reply, I'm just interested to know what I've paid for having bought it almost blind!!!

Yes 20cwt sounds good, I imagine you could fit it with bunk beds for the rug rats... or maybe you should spend more time in the shed and avoid the temptation!

kind regards

nick

[austin tilly]

These are some pictures I took at Ursel this year.

Cheers,
Arjan van der Hoek

[austin tilly]

These are some pictures I took at Rotterdam 1995.

I´ve also a 10-cwt trailer to restore. All the wood has been removed, but restoration has been hold up due to other projects.

Cheers
Arjan van der Hoek



my 10cwt trailer



Rotterdam 1995

[Nick Bullock]

Hi Arjan

Thats great thanks for the pictures, I hope to collect my trailer his coming week.

Have you any idea why some of these trailers have a shelf or ledge (for the want of a better description!!) at the front end of the chassis before the draw bar and yet others like the restored unit at Ursel have a front tailgate... Is one a mortar trailer and one a GS trailer? why the front tailgate??

Any way thanks for the pictures, it helps me realise that there are parts missing from what I understood to be a complete unit.. The corner jacks are definately missing....

Are the curved mud guards a standard fitting too?

kind regards

nick

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Nick Bullock
Yes 20cwt sounds good, I imagine you could fit it with bunk beds for the rug rats... or maybe you should spend more time in the shed and avoid the temptation!

Three is enough for me, plus anything larger than that big honking 20-cwt trailer is too much to cope with for the Ford (and for me, too!)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Nick Bullock
Have you any idea why some of these trailers have a shelf or ledge (for the want of a better description!!) at the front end of the chassis before the draw bar and yet others like the restored unit at Ursel have a front tailgate... Is one a mortar trailer and one a GS trailer? why the front tailgate??

Are the curved mud guards a standard fitting too?

Nick,

Off the top of my head, here's a list of British 10-cwt trailers:

Trailer, 2 Wheeled, 10-cwt, GS, No 1
As shown on the first link I posted here and in Arjan's pictures: round mudguards, ledge at the front of the body, rave sided body.

Trailer, 2 Wheeled, 10-cwt, GS, No 2
This is the only picture I could find of it (yes, a model kit):


Trailer, 2 Wheeled, 10-cwt, Mortar
As per pictures of X5440417 posted by Arjan and me. Only these had a front hinged "tail"gate. Specifically made to carry the British WW-II 4.2" Heavy Mortar. Towed by Loyd Carrier.

Trailer, 2 Wheeled, 10 cwt, Lightweight
Various versions (not all Airborne!) - see Rob van Meel's posting in British Airborne Trailers.

Hope this helps

[Stefan Leegwater]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
that big honking 20-cwt trailer

Hi Hanno,

It would be great to see this most rare trailer hit the road.
Are you gonna hook er up to the F15A ?

Good luck

Stefan

[austin tilly]

Hi Nick,

Can you post some pictures of your trailer, when you´ve it?

Cheers,
Arjan van der Hoek

[Nick Bullock]

Hi Yes no problem, It has been collected by a friend and is half way home, I just need to find the time to move it the last bit of the journey. From the description it has had all the timber replaced with plywood and the tailgate moved from the front to the back. and the data plate has gone

So I need to know what the board dimensions are and what kind of timber was likely used, The side stands are both missing so, I am looking for replacements for these. Also I have no idea what kind of lighting (if any ) was fitted.

Also according to the earlier description of these mortar carrying trailers they were towed by Loyd carriers.. so if you happen to come across one ....... :-) I wish...

kind regards

nick

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Nick Bullock
From the description it has had all the timber replaced with plywood and the tailgate moved from the front to the back. and the data plate has gone

Nick,

Please post pictures so we can help determine if it is a GS or Mortar trailer.

Hanno

[Nick Bullock]

I don't have the trailer yet.... but will post when I get it home... heres a taster though.. it was an ebay purchase... I thought it something of a bargain but time will tell....

ex army trailer Item number: 110028080399

Interestingly, (or maybe not) it has the towing ring missing, but I have one that I rescued years ago from a scap yard in the midland to make an A Frame for moving my HUP when originally under restoration... so it should hopefully go straight back on the trailer...

It'll be a couple of weeks before I see it for real

kind regards

nick

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Nick Bullock
I don't have the trailer yet.... but will post when I get it home... heres a taster though.. it was an ebay purchase... I thought it something of a bargain but time will tell....

ex army trailer Item number: 110028080399

Nick, looks like a Mortar trailer indeed, and a great buy to boot! Let us know when it arrives home so we can help determine what is needed to bring it up to spec.

Winning bid: £53.99
Ended: 04-Sep-06 21:02:26 BST
Item location: birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
History: 10 bids
Winning bidder: canmec( 1878)

Description:
ex army trailer with cover 6 foot by 4 foot very strong needs a bit of work on front wooden corner but a proper trailer theres no lights happy bidding and you are bidding to buy not to kick the tyers

[Bob Carriere]

....battery trailer....24v..... item 230032889141


it is green but is it WW II vintage???

Bob C

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Nick Bullock
Also according to the earlier description of these mortar carrying trailers they were towed by Loyd carriers.. so if you happen to come across one ....... :-) I wish...

Tsk, tsk, not so greedy, Nick What about a nice jeep, eh?

Source: www.nationaalarchief.nl
Beschrijving Reportage uit Enschede en Hengelo van de strijd in die plaatsen. Front Noord-Oost Nederland. Tank en pantservoertuigen zuiveren een vijandelijke stelling 3 km van Hengelo. Engelse troepen die vanaf de Hengelosestraat in Enschede de Bosweg inslaan.
Datum 3 april 1945
Collectie Collectie ANEFO
Fotonummer 900_2370

[Nick Bullock]

......not greed, just a wish list next to the humber scout car I'll never own!!!

Nice picture though , but the jeep looks about as weather worn as my own!!!

interesting to see there doen't appear to be any tail lights on the trailer.. is that right? presumably there is a convoy / tail light under the back end some where...

kind regards

nick

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Stefan Leegwater
It would be great to see this most rare trailer hit the road.
Are you gonna hook er up to the F15A ?

Hi Stefan,

Yes, that is the plan.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Pages scanned from the Data Book of Wheeled Vehicles: Army Transport 1939-1945

H.

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
Trailer, 2 Wheeled, 10-cwt, GS, No 1
Trailer, 2 Wheeled, 10-cwt, GS, No 2

Trailer, 2 Wheeled, 10-cwt, Mortar

[wim sikkelbein]

hello guys,

check out this website

http://jeepdraw.com/Trailer_Canadian.html

wim

[Nick Bullock]

Hi Fellas
Finally managed to get the 10cwt trailer home. Interesting to see just how different it looks than in the original photos... I've had a quick walk round the job, all the timber work is replaced with plywood. It looks as though some of the steel upright siffeners have been shortened since the traier it slef doesn't appear astall as those in the pictures. the corner jack stands and brackets are missing and worst of all it seems the original owner may have had problems with the brakes on this trailer and so cured the problem by thiwing away the drums and shoes.... So I am looking out for missing parts like the stands, drums etc.. Any comments are very welcome... It looks like it was a mortar trailer. the data plate has rusted away but the rivets remain. The tailgate has been repositioned at the back using the original hard ware...
Is there a parts list for this trailer? Does any one recognise the wheels? would that be the source of replacement drums and shoes? Austin Morris?
kind regards
nick

[Nick Bullock]

pic 5

pic 6

pic 7

[Nick Bullock]

It was interesting to find that I had thought the trailer to be painted with a white stripe along the side when I forst saw a pciture of it.... However it turned out to be entirely bound with pallet wrapping to keep the timber in place... In pic 7 you can see the interesting shape of the brake rods!!
kind regards
nick

[Hendrik van Oorspronk]

Yes it is a mortar trailer, the flat mudgards I have only seen on mortar trailers, I also see you still have the handbrake lever, here in holland in the most times it is missing as far as I can see the wheels are original.

Hendrik van Oorspronk

[Nick Bullock]

yes the hand brake leaver is there, and I have a towing ring and handles for it, but its the drums and shoes that seem to be the big problem, and then theres the interesting modification of the wheels to take the new hubs!!!! but better then no trailer at all!
regards
nick

[Hendrik van Oorspronk]

As far as I know the axle is the same as all 10 CWT trailers(mortar, airborne standart etc.) are the same, so keep looking in your neigberhood or at farmer places, here in Holland a lot were sold by surplus dealers to farmers, the trailers are mostly totaly gone, but you sometimes can find an axle under an other homemade trailer

Hendrik

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Nick,

Seems the chassis is in good nick, though there are slight variations with the one I photographed.





Most chassis I have seen were badly rusted, most of them beyond repair really. I'd say a good buy at £53.99 + transport!

Those wheels are fitted to a variety of British vehicles. Note the come in three, four, and five lug nut versions. Your mortar trailer should be fitted with six lug nut drums and wheels.

Good luck,

[Hendrik van Oorspronk]

Hello, all the mortar trailers I have seen are six studs, including the origanal wreck in my barn(it is not mine) and the restored one on the pictures. If you look good at the pictures you can see the two missing bars are cut away.

Hendrik van Oorspronk

[Nick Bullock]

Hi Thanks for that.. Yes £50 for a trailer is fine.... no problems there. I went over to have a closer look at the hubs and wheels, both drums are gone as are the shoes inside. However on one side the apparently original hub is in place with its six studs.. so only the side in the picture is a modified hub and wheel... It looks rather like the 4 stud hub from a mini, but I could be wrong. What remains is actually very good. the chassis is straight and everything covered with paint...

Interestingly there are no signs of the three downfacing brackets on the underside of this one. I would say they have never even been fitted... Though i still don't understand what they were for????

So I am on the look out for parts if there are any out there.. be good to get it sorted out for next season....

kind regards

nick

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Hendrik van Oorspronk
all the mortar trailers I have seen are six studs, including the origanal wreck in my barn(it is not mine) and the restored one on the pictures. If you look good at the pictures you can see the two missing bars are cut away.

Hendrik, you are of course right about the studs.

Besides the two longitudinal intermediate chassis members, X5440417 also has one extra cross member, possibly also cut away from Nick's chassis.