Commer Q2: Truck, 15-cwt, 4x2, Van

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Page from a RAF vehicle data book, courtesy of Ted Angus. He wrote the pre-heater van had a 10ft wheelbase and the heater fan was driven by 3 V-belts driven by a PTO on the nearside of the gearbox.

"Aircraft Pre-Heater Van on Commer Q.2. 4 x 2 chassis"

“Ground crew of No. 3208 Servicing Commando, insert collapsible tubes from a pre-heating van into the air intake and radiator of a Hawker Typhoon Mark IB in the snow at B58/Melsbroek, Belgium. The tubes fed hot air into the Napier Sabre engines, which were notoriously difficult to start in wintry conditions, and required this treatment at regular intervals to maintain serviceability.”

[KevinHann]

Commer Q2 pickup somewhere in the Western Desert...

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by KevinHann

Commer Q2 pickup somewhere in the Western Desert...

That's a new one to me, thanks!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

As posted over on HMVF: https://hmvf.co.uk/topic/45701-somet...t-follow-amos/

LarryH57: This Commer Q2 has a base coat of M.T. Special Shade No.2, (the RAF version of SCC.2) but instead of Brown Dark (MT) 1A or Paint, P.F.U., Black Matt, it has the camo as Green No. 3



RAFMT: You need to be very careful trying to judge shade from period colour film as it is notoriously crap actually picking up what is in front of it. Having said that, depending on when this vehicle was painted, and when the image was taken, there could be any number of reasons it doesn't fit right in. For a start, while the paint for canvas and those for wood/metal were colour matched as closely as possible they will weather differently and if the canvas needs to be replaced they wont necessarily repaint the whole vehicle just to match the newly painted canvas.

To me, that's a Brown, Special, No.2 with Black, Quick Drying, Matt Finish, which has, a: fade slightly; and b: the faded colour shows up funny on the old colour film.

[KevinHann]

There do seem to be quite a few period images of RAF Q2's. You never know, there maybe survivors hidden away somewhere. We have a wartime airfield near to us still with in situ pillboxes etc, would be nice to take a truck like this there.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some scans of Commer vehicles in the RAF AP2782/ AP2782A publication:

"The recording and publication of RAF MT Vehicle data in a dedicated document does not appear to have been undertaken until the middle of WW2 when AP2782 was issued" - read more here https://www.rafweb.org/Vehicles/AP27...1P_General.htm

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by KevinHann

There do seem to be quite a few period images of RAF Q2's. You never know, there maybe survivors hidden away somewhere. We have a wartime airfield near to us still with in situ pillboxes etc, would be nice to take a truck like this there.

Hi Kevin, I started this thread to collect photos of the Commer Q2 15-cwt Van. If you have any more, please share them here.

There is a certain quirkiness about the Q2 Van which I fancy. As far as I have been able to ascertain to date - see https://hmvf.co.uk/topic/15212-joe-h...ard-molesworth for example - there are no survivors.
I have a long term plan to restore/ reconstruct one from a chassis/cab as I think it would be a great tribute to the many aircrews which it carried to aircraft to undertake their dangerous missions. And also because I find that RAF vehicles are a little underexposed.

[KevinHann]

Another coach built Q2 body.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Poor Commer....

source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcusnYFHdPE

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another photo of 1 of only 2(?) surviving Commer Q15 GS trucks.

It currently lives in the Netherlands.


Photo source: https://www.luckyseventh.nl/2022-hel...els-zutendaal/

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Found on Facebook, a colourised photo of a Commer Q2 15-cwt Van.

Caption: “Pilots of 249 Squadron at North Weald, late 1940. Richard Wynn, Tom Neil, Robert Barton, Patrick Wells, James Crossey, Jack Mills, Albert Lewis, George Barclay, George Palliser, S "Woolly" Woolmer and Anthony Thompson.”

In one of the comments to this photo Kit Wells wrote: "Pat Wells was my cousin. Knew him in his later years. He was shot down shortly after this photo and badly burnt. He became one of the famous guinea pigs for plastic surgery. Years later in South Africa he was introduced to Adolf Garland. After a lengthy conversation they both produced their log books for the day he was shot down. They gradually realised that it was in fact Galland who shot him down. Galland’s log records ‘Shot down in flames - pilot killed’ to which Pat’s comment was ‘Sorry mate, I am still here’. A lovely man and a pleasure to know so many years after these events"

Another comment: "This isn't September 1940, it's late November onwards and possibly December or even early 1941 due to the fact the Hurricane in the background has a 'Sky' coloured Spinner and fuselage recognition band added, which wasn't introduced until Air Ministry Orders in November 1940."



Source