RAF vehicles

[Larry Hayward]

Dear Tony,

I once saw a Fordson WOT like yours at Thruxton in the 1980s at an MV show. It was painted in army green and black stripes with white stars. Is it your vehicle this one?

What year was yours built by the way?

[ted angus]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

Les the WW2 photo shows an interesting version of diruptive camo on the right hand vehicle, possibly a Bedford QL. I have seen that style on army trucks but not RAF. I wonder if this MT section was for 2nd TAF or for vehicles used on RAF Stations?

Larry this was a Mobile Servicing Section and others preparing for embarkation around D Day. They are undergoing prep and waterproofing prior to going to the embarkation port. The camo on the QL is correct . It is in accordance with the camo instructions for the Army and RAF contained in MTP 46. The commonly seen Mickey Mouse was never an official pattern , but was a Quick Fix version, Mostly done using masking templates and mostly applied in factories. Both the RAF and Army put out memos saying to break up the MM finish as it was actually hopeless out in the field.

TED

[shaun]

This is an interesting thread, i bought a Fordson WOT 3 for spares this year for a carrier rebuild but its to good to break. I have decided to sell it in January as i have enogh projects on the go. it seems to be correct right down to the same wheels as shown in the instruction book i have. its missing the rear body, front bumper and steering wheel. I will post some photos in a bit ----- any one interested in a nice 1940 project ????

[shaun]

1940 wot 3 photos

[A CORBIN]

SHAUM
I think you might have a TRUCKTOR . The chassis has been shortened to the right length. Has a Vac tank for assisted breaks . Has it got a reduction gear box.IF so its a TRUCKTOR . T CORBIN

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[Larry Hayward]

I'm so used to seeing Crossley fuel tankers in photos from early war years that I was surprised to see an unknown (to me) type in use in the UK. So what is it and were many used? Is it an impressed civi type?

It is said to be taken at RAF Catterick, most likely showing a Hurricane Mk I of 331 Sqn.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

type in use in the UK. So what is it and were many used? Is it an impressed civi type?

Looks like a Ford.

[George McKenzie]

I have this RCAF Fordson that haulded bombs and fuel in the war in the UK .I just put a wagon under my fuel tank and have to paint it now .There is very few pictures of the ground crews .

[Larry Hayward]

Yes it looks like a Ford.

Has anyone got a better photo of this type of Bowser?

[Larry Hayward]

This RAF trailer carries a Chance Light - but what is the towing vehicle? It has slat sides which is quite unusual

[Les Freathy]

Its a Dennis AM 30/40cwt, some had slat sides some normal timber Larry

[Les Freathy]

1950s RAF regiment Land Rover and Humber LRC

[Les Freathy]

A couple of PW Leyland 19H refeullers

[Larry Hayward]

Les,

Can you identify this RAF type? It looks to be a pre-war crash tender and if the colours can be trusted looks to have brown over RAF blue as its camo.

[Larry Hayward]

On second thoughts this Crash Tender may be brown with a dark grey disruptive camo

[Alex van de Wetering]

Can you identify this RAF type?

Larry,

It looks like a prewar Crossley IGL. According to Bart Vanderveen they were built in 1935/1936 as fire tenders.
Here is one preserved in Madrid, Spain, albeit with postwar cab.

source: crossley-motors.org.uk

[Larry Hayward]

Here is a type I have not seen before with folding radar. A Mack I think?

[Leon Hassing]

Gentlemen..

Does any body have any info on these RAF Tender trucks?
I believe they are converted Rolls royce silver-ghost cars.
As far as I know they where used for assistance to the armoured car squadrons.
If any one knows more on these trucks, I would love to know.




here is the same vehicle second in line.

[Lynn Eades]

Great photos Leon! Thanks for posting. Good luck with you query!

[Larry Hayward]

Out of interest the wheels and the radiator look very much like a Rolls Royce. Also this type of vehicles was built for the RAF in 1938 on a Fordson 79, 30 cwt 4x2, of 1937 vintage and were known as Fordson Armed Tender Type F.

BTW - Did these come from this site?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3941174...n/photostream/

[Bill Murray]

According to Bart Vanderveen's excellent book on pre-war vehicles, such armoured tenders were built on the RR Silver Ghost chassis beginning in 1917 with single rear wheels and in 1921, upgraded to dual rears.

Not being a researcher on armoured subjects, I don't know much about them.

However, during the Palestine/Arab conflicts of the late 1930's, they re-appeared in the configuration shown in your photos, upgraded once more with modern pneumatic tyres of a larger size.

I have found one photo in my files, appended here, and it looks like a sister to yours with a very close registration number. I will continue to look for these tenders "in the background" in some of the many other Palestine conflict photos in my files.

I also have a fair amount of similar Ford Tender photos and even a couple of Israeli CMP home made A/Cs after 1948 if it is of interest to the group.

Bill

[Bill Murray]

Found a few more.

Bill

[Larry Hayward]

What about my Mack then Bill? Which sub type is it?

[ted angus]

Bill, I believe the question was refering to the ARMED TENDERS not the armoured cars ; The Armed Tenders acted as the support vehicles to the armoured car patrols, some of which lasted several weeks especially in Trans Jordan Iraq etc. Firstly were the Rolls Royce versions as in Leon's post containing the request, Then there were some on Morris chassis followed by Commer Raiders and finally the Fordson 79s. Before any of the RAF's Armoured cars were fitted with wireless sets some of the Armed Tenders were converted to wireless tenders.
Turning to the Armoured cars, The RAF appear to have used all the versions used by both the RN & Army plus a number manufactured at No 1 supply depot RAF Kidbrooke that appear to be unique to the RAF. The RRs of No 2 ACC were remounted on to Ford commercial chassis in early 1940 under contract at the Thomas Cook garage in Cairo.
These pictures are all downloadable from The National Congress Library in USA search under Palestine some cracking RAF & Army shots. Many of these have now been uploaded to FlickR and last month there was an article containing some of these pictures and a potted political history of the times in Classic Military Magazine.
Regards TED

[Bill Murray]

As far as I can tell Larry, it is an ex US Mack NM6 with a completely new body from the cab on back. Post 1945.

AFAIK, these Mack trucks were not provided to the British forces during the war but like many other US vehicles of the 1939-1945 period that were not part of the normal "sharing", they ended up on strength in various British units.

A quite smart looking vehicle, by the way.

Bill

[Bill Murray]

Hi Ted:

You are indeed an honourable man in calling my obvious mixing up of the subject matter in such a kind and gentle way.

As I have posted here and on other Forums of late, at the tender age of 74, my mind doesn't focus the way it used to 5 or 10 years ago. I read "Rolls Royce", I saw two armoured cars and that is what I jumped on, not the armed Tenders.

I do have some photos of "real" Tenders that I will post later but in the meantime, the group does now have some interesting RAF armoured cars to look at. As you point out, the Tenders do appear to be based on the same RR chassis as the armoured cars, an interesting development.

Thank you for the correction and for not making me look foolish.

Bill

[ted angus]

Hi Bill, ahh confusion -- it is affecting me badly at 65 I hear the words pocket and/or money and I think my wife is getting her purse out !!

look forward to your pictures in the meantime here is a shot taken in 1936 outside the Barclays in jerusalem, the lads picking up their pocket money with a Commer Raider providing cover !
regards TED

[Larry Hayward]

During WW2 Malta was under siege from 1940 till 1943 so everyone on the island had to make do with whatever they could find and in the case of the RAF they converted an old Coach in to a fuel bowser! It looks like the tank is on the roof, rather than this being a double decker bus. I have no idea what type of coach it was but it looks to be a 1920-30's design.

[Nick Balmer]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

I have no idea what type of coach it was but it looks to be a 1920-30's design.

Larry,

It is almost certainly older than 1920. It is either an AEC or Daimler Subsidy Lorry from World War I. The AEC and Daimlers had a great many parts in common, as they manufactured bits for each others production.

It is possible that the bus is one of those used in France in 1914 / 18.

What a great find.

Malta is famous for running old buses. I expect it was second if not third hand.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[Alan McGuinness]

Nick, I don't think you are quite right. The bus looks like an AEC S-type, which were built in the 1920s.