plant and C vehicles

[Lang]

Richard,

Just looked closer at that airfield photo.

Interesting point is the P-40 has American markings, people look British and British truck . There is a Hurricane in the background.

Late in the desert war? or have they just got a Tomahawk from US or Lend Lease stocks to assemble or is it a joint user airfield???

Lang

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Lang
Late in the desert war? or have they just got a Tomahawk from US or Lend Lease stocks to assemble or is it a joint user airfield???

Hi Lang,

Yes, noted the Hurricane.

I also think the Tomahawk may have had a bad or forced landing and they are dismantling it for transport, do my eyes decieve me, are the prop tips curled over? It may have been a surprise / enforced visit to a RAF airfield.

Richard

[Noel Burgess]

Here's a good shot of assorted RAF Airfield Construction Plant.
IWM CL703 - ROYAL AIR FORCE: 2ND TACTICAL AIR FORCE, 1943-1945. : A corner of the 'plant park' at Lingevres, Normandy, showing some of the heavy machinery used to build a new airfield (B19) in less than a week.
The "CL" series seems to be exclusively 2 TAF and has several interesting vehicle shots.

Seasons greetings
Noel

[Les Freathy]

Hi Noel

I noted the IWM photo number CL703 but a problem withthis when i go onto search after filling the boxes ie= B/w. period etc then put in the number it cannot find the photo do you know the collection number as this seems to be the key to find any thing on this site. If you go in say on RAF you spend hours ploughing through the numbers to get to CL, they do not make life easy do they
Cheers
Les

[Lang]

Loading a 7 ton trailer on LST in Morotai. RAAF Airfield Construction Squadron

[Noel Burgess]

Les
I had the same problem yesterday but - today I was able to search directly fo CL 703 and up it came - seems the IWM Database can "get out of the wrong side of the bed" some days.

Nere's another - CL 1510 "ROYAL AIR FORCE: 2ND TACTICAL AIR FORCE, 1943-1945. : Bulldozers and mechanical scrapers of No. 5205 Plant Squadron RAF leave the airfield after a day's work levelling and grading the surfaces at B58/Melsbroek, Belgium. Leading Aircraftman Harry Garbett is at the controls of the bulldozer in the foreground"

Collection No is : 4700-19

[Hendrik van Oorspronk]

Originally posted by Lang
A towed scraper and the world's ugliest truck. North/South road Australia

This is how british make beautyfull vehicles. Make them so ugly that they become beautyfull.

Green greetings Hendrik

[Lang]

In Borneo

[Lang]

Landing at Labuan Borneo

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Les Freathy
I noted the IWM photo number CL703 but a problem withthis when i go onto search after filling the boxes ie= B/w. period etc then put in the number it cannot find the photo do you know the collection number as this seems to be the key to find any thing on this site. If you go in say on RAF you spend hours ploughing through the numbers to get to CL, they do not make life easy do they

Les,

Go to http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/qryPhotoImg.asp and in the "Photograph Number" fill in "CL*". This will get you a listing of all 466 photos in the CL series.

Hope this makes your life easier,
Hanno

[Noel Burgess]

Hanno

I think the problem lies with the IWM search programme.
On some days I can enter (for example) CL 703 and it returns the photograph and details; on other days the same search will produce "No Results". At other times the Photo and title are returned by the search but the descriptive text is missing. I think Les must have picked the wrong day!
Does anyone know who, at the IWM, to ask about this?

[Les Freathy]

Just to add to this debate Noel, yesterday i completed all the boxes for said photo but not the photographer as i think this is irrelevant and it still threw out no results itried it 3 times but all the same. Now for the stupid thing with this site i then only put in images and nothing else and it gave me the lot but starting with the A series and all who have looked at these will know how many of those you need to pass through even with 100 images at a time inserted and if and when they add further items how can one know and also find them
Keep Plodding
Les

[Les Freathy]

Hi Hanno

Well itried your suggestion and still no results, i cannot believe that £600 worth of two year old computer sitting next to me is incapable of finding these images
cheers
Les

[sapper740]

here's a pic of a Letourneau scraper being offloaded onto Omaha Beach

[Les Freathy]

question time again guys, i have been trying to identify this mobile crane in use with the Afrika korps. it may not be of German origen so all attemps appreciated, nice Ford though
cheers
Les

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Les Freathy
question time again guys, i have been trying to identify this mobile crane in use with the Afrika korps. it may not be of German origen so all attemps appreciated, nice Ford though
cheers
Les

Les,

It has the looks of a Hyster, but when I look at the front wheels, they have a distinctive German look about them, so, not sure

[Les Freathy]

Yes i went down that road Richard but i think we can disgard that make, what do you make of that weird extending tube on top of the jib i very much doubt its a fly jib
Les

[Shorty]

>question time again guys, i have been trying to identify this >mobile crane in use with the Afrika korps. it may not be of >German origen so all attemps appreciated, nice Ford though

Les,

the crane is of german make, its a "Miag" crane which was used
at stores and for lifting experimental AA rockets on the launchers,
I saw some photos of it in a book about V-weapons.

Juergen

[Les Freathy]

Better late than never Juergen, thanks for the German crane info, a bit more I.D required on the plant in this photo taken in the early 1960s of American air portable plant. The wheeled dozer on the left has the look of a Hough or maybe a Clark
cheers
Les

[Richard Farrant]

When I started work at REME workshops, I was put in the RE Bay, which suited me down to the ground, having been trained on tractors, hydraulics, etc. There were always dozers, cranes, loading shovels and other Engineers equipment, in for overhaul. You never knew quite what to expect next.

The attached photo is of one of the unexpected jobs.............a 1938 pile driving winch, powered by a Lister 9 hp single cylinder petrol engine. It arrived as a rusty, decrepid lump of iron and I transformed it to a working machine, although it was actually destined for the Military Engineering school as an exhibit.

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

The attached photo is of one of the unexpected jobs.............a 1938 pile driving winch, powered by a Lister 9 hp single cylinder petrol engine. It arrived as a rusty, decrepid lump of iron and I transformed it to a working machine, although it was actually destined for the Military Engineering school as an exhibit.

30 years ago a good friend of mine was a pioneer in fish farming on the West Coast of Canada. Robert Smeal lived on a remote island in Desolation Sound about a two hour boat ride from Lund, B.C. and of course, his only source of electric power was a 2 cylinder, hand cranked Lister diesel. It was dependable, thrifty and low maintenance. He was working on building an actual mini Hydro-electric power station on the island. Robert had already started building a dam and had a Pelton wheel to turn the dynamo. I only visited him twice up at his little cabin on the island, mainly for the incredible scuba diving and the miles and miles of Oyster encrusted rocks in the sound. I bet that little Lister is still thumping away to this day. Derek.

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

When I started work at REME workshops, I was put in the RE Bay, which suited me down to the ground, having been trained on tractors, hydraulics, etc. There were always dozers, cranes, loading shovels and other Engineers equipment, in for overhaul. You never knew quite what to expect next.

As an Engineer, having a RCEME section nearby suited me just fine also. Many times having a vehicle grounded or a piece of equipment U/S threatened our ability to complete what could be a critical task. Case in point: the nick-name for Canada's eastern most province is "The Rock" and I can tell you first hand that it amply deserves it's name. What little soil mother nature has deposited over the millenia barely covers the immense granite mountain that is Newfoundland. In 1998 I was sent to the old Harmon AFB (ex SAC base) in Stephenville, Newfoundland for a month to support a NATO exercise OP MARCOT. One of our many tasks was to install the MAG (Mobile Arrestor Gear) on the runway as there were to be several Navy aircraft involved in the exercise which if need be, had to be able to put down at the base. Installing each MAG meant pounding in approximately 200 4' long Aluminum (yes, aluminum) stakes with gas powered thumpers we called Punjars. Well, The Rock was going to have something to say about that! About half of the aluminum stakes were bending back on themselves when they hit the airfield ballast about a foot down. Y'see, there was very little soil available when they built the runway so they used what was available...granite chunks that they blasted out of a quarry just to the West of the base. A call went out to CFB Greenwood for steel stakes which arrived in good order. Well, the steel stakes didn't bend, but unfortunately, they didn't do anything else either, like sink into the ground. We were sinking maybe a foot per hour with the little Punjars we were using and the beginning of the exercise was looming. Something much larger was needed so a Skid-steer loader with the much needed hydraulic thumper attachment was located in St. John's. Soon we were back sinking the stakes with the help of the loader although we were now working 18 hours a day to ensure the MAGs would be ready in time for the exercise. Things were going along smoothly when suddenly a loud SNAP was heard...the 2" diameter steel tool-bit had snapped under the unrelenting pounding we and the the Rock were giving it. We looked at it in both amazement and dread...how could something that large snap and where in the heck were we going to get another in the time remaining. It looked like we were fubar'd...our only chance was that maybe the few RCEME guys we had back at Camp Indian Head might be able to help. They didn't have much kit with them in the field, just what they could fit in a couple of MLs but they were our only hope. I jumped into an LSVW and hightailed it back to camp where I showed them the two pieces of bit. It was a worst case scenario as it had broken at an oblique angle which would put the greatest strain on any repair they might be able to do. Undaunted, the RCEME guys went at it with grinders and welders and soon had it back in our hands. We looked at it and it's weld. No way this is going to last, we exclaimed! Well, to make a long story short the weld held and we were able to get the one MAG at the south end of the runway certified. We were rewarded for all our hard work by being able to watch a trap when a CF118 pilot who had never experienced an arrestor gear landing gave it a shot. It's something to see a modern fighter go from 130kts to zero in 400ft. from about 75 feet away. Almost like being on a carrier. The RCEME guys really earned their keep that night and had many rounds bought for them by appreciative Engineers during the smoker at EndEx.

CHIMO! Derek.

[Les Freathy]

Well engineers, what do you think
Les

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Les Freathy

Well engineers, what do you think

That's an interesting variation on the armoured bulldozer that landed with the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division on Juno beach and one I haven't seen before. Do you have any info on where and who used it?


CHIMO! Derek.

[sapper740]

I bet this poor Gefreiter wishes there was a German equivalent of REME nearby! I can commiserate with him somewhat as all the repairs I do to my CMP are done in the driveway with no cover whatsoever.

CHIMO! Derek.

[sapper740]

Well, I guess I've kept Jefe in suspenders long enough so it's time to post the picture of the shi...I mean sand spreader I mentioned some posts ago. I've been unable to find any information on this ecletic little piece of kit anywhere and I'd appreciate any info. It appears to have an automotive differential to turn the spreader, tho' the tires are quite small as are the snow chains.


CHIMO! Derek.

[Lang]

Derek,

If it is not a field made unit I would suspect it is an adaptation of a fertilizer spreader made by an agricultural machinery company.

The unit has hub reduction and a massive differential to do such a light job. My guess is it is a small tractor rear end that the boys have made up in the workshop - they could have built it in a day.

Lang

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by sapper740

As an Engineer, having a RCEME section nearby suited me just fine also.

Derek..
In the summer of '76 I took a crew of guys up to Yellowknife and installed a fuel tank,a prefabed shack to house the gas driven spark proof pump,concrete containment catch tank and elevated 2 thousand gallon av gas tank on the loading dock for our Airforce float planes and the RCMP float planes..
We prefabbed everything in Greiusbau and Nameao and flew it all up in Herks..
As a construction engineer stationed in Edmonton we looked after all the north ,up to Yellowknife and Inuvik..I think Montreal or Trenton looked after the Eastern Arctic..
Anyway I'll post this link,but don't know how to post the picture of the dock and float planes..Although you can't see the tank and shack ,you can see the fuel rail leading back to the rig which is just out of camera shot to the right...The little shack that is shown is unknown to me..It wasn't there in '76...
It was all granite so it was either blast a trench or elevate the fuel rail....
Up until we installed the refueling station all refuelling was done by hand pump out of 45 gallon drums..Were they ever glad to see us..

http://floatplaneflyin.com/old/uphere.pdf

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Alex Blair

Derek..
In the summer of '76 I took a crew of guys up to Yellowknife and installed a fuel tank,a prefabed shack to house the gas driven spark proof pump,concrete containment catch tank and elevated 2 thousand gallon av gas tank on the loading dock for our Airforce float planes and the RCMP float planes..
We prefabbed everything in Greiusbau and Nameao and flew it all up in Herks..
As a construction engineer stationed in Edmonton we looked after all the north ,up to Yellowknife and Inuvik..I think Montreal or Trenton looked after the Eastern Arctic..
Anyway I'll post this link,but don't know how to post the picture of the dock and float planes..Although you can't see the tank and shack ,you can see the fuel rail leading back to the rig which is just out of camera shot to the right...The little shack that is shown is unknown to me..It wasn't there in '76...
It was all granite so it was either blast a trench or elevate the fuel rail....
Up until we installed the refueling station all refuelling was done by hand pump out of 45 gallon drums..Were they ever glad to see us..

http://floatplaneflyin.com/old/uphere.pdf

Great story Alex, few people know the benefit to all that is derived from the efforts of the Engineers across Canada and throughout the world. I enjoyed the stories about Buffalo Airways and their continuing use of C46s and C47s and the Ragged Ass Syndicate and the street named after them...that would make a great name for the city of Yellowknife.

CHIMO! Derek.

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Les Freathy

Well engineers, what do you think

Not the same but very similar to the Disston Tractor Tank. Disston was a safe company that built an armoured enclosure over Caterpillar bulldozers in 1933, 26 in total I believe. There is some controversy over their final disposition as most went to the USMC while "some" went to Afghanistan. I enclosed some in quotation marks as conventional wisdom holds that at least three went there while I have a picture of a Disston Tractor Tank with "only one" pencilled in the lower border. Who knows? Derek.