RAF vehicles

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

another version of the 6x4 Fordson Sussex this one a searchlight carrier

I have a large print of this lorry! I think it's a Fordson-Sussex W0T1 or E917T for the SA Defence Force.
Former, L 4473398 to 4473459 V/4020 'Lorry 3 ton 6x4 S/L' assembled at Dagenham.
This photo is an IWM one in the Kidbrooke series.

[sapper740]

Originally posted by cliff
found this while browsing the AWM last night. Not sure if they were RAF vehicles though.

Taken in Plymouth England

cheers
Cliff

Those vehicles were called Winch Lorries and they were operated by WAAFS so they must be RAF. It took a crew of 16 WAAFs to man?handle each barrage balloon. Here's a pic of some WAAFs in a balloon hangar with a winch lorry in the background

[Nick Balmer]

Hello,

I think the last photo was taken inside one of the two airship hangers at Cardington in Bedfordshire.

These were the hangers used for the R101, and I believe that one of them had originally been built in Norfolk during the First World War, and then moved in the 1920's to Cardington.

About 15 years or so ago, I tendered for building a platform for a fire research centre inside one of these hangers.

There were still two balloon winch trucks inside the hanger. I think they were Austins.

The second hangar is used to store vintage cars.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

There was also a wartime Ford assembly operation in the hangars.

[Nick Balmer]

Hello David,

I hadn't heard about the Fords being assembled at Cardington before.

Do you know what sort of Fords were assembled there, by any chance?

Would they have been overseas manufactured ones?

Regards

Nick Balmer

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Believe Ford Jeeps at least. I think it was in the Ford, Dagenham, wartime retrospective though it is widely known.

[Nick Balmer]

Hello David,

Thanks for the information on Cardington.

Searching on the IWM site for Cardington produces a number of great photos.

The following photo gives some idea of just how big and impressive these two hangars are, especially when you consider they went up in the 1920's.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[Nick Balmer]

Hello,

One for Bill Murray.

Again from Cardington.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Nice photo that!

Originally Posted by David_Hayward (RIP)

9-10 December 1942.

I am no expert but it appears to be a 1939 91A or E91A...the registration is a Middlesex County Council one in a series allocated to the Air Ministry, and fits in with a date of May 1939 from rego records though it could be out-of-sequence. The rego seems to suggest that this is a Ministry car not military, hence no RAF number.

[Bill Murray]

As I said earlier, those 39/40 Fords, cars as well as trucks, were about as neat looking as they get.
While I would build it as a street rod and not military, one of my goals in life is to restore a 1940 Fordor sedan.
Or, maybe I should do it military like this. Thanks to Les for the photo and, yes, it has been here before. Just a nice shot.
Bill

[Nick Balmer]

Hello Bill,

My grandfather was a vet during World War 2. In 1938 he had bought what he described as a Ford V8.

Presumably it must have been much like the one in your photo.

Because of his official duties during the war, he had quite a generous ration.

He taught my mother to drive on his way to farms on business.

I have often wondered which of the Fords this would be. As this was in the UK, it was presumably a British built one.

By all accounts it was a fast car.

Regards

Nick Balmer

[Bill Murray]

Hi Nick:

The 1938 looked like this photo. Personal opinion, of course, but I was not too fond of the 1937/1938 styling but really like the 1939/1940 types.
As far as I know, Ford Dagenham built the so called "US" style all the way up to 1940, certainly 1939. Then, I believe some started being imported directly from the US either PKD/CKD or fully assembled. David knows better than I.

And, yes, they were quite fast, faster than contemporary GM and Chrysler products At the same time, however, they had their problems. As all the Ford CMP owners know, Fords tended to overheat after long runs at high speed. They were also prone to vapor lock and broken valve springs. But, when they were running well they were a lot of fun. Over the years in the fifties and sixties I had several. Wish I still had them now.
Bill

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

another version of the 6x4 Fordson Sussex this one a searchlight carrier

Did the Fordson, GMC equivalent et al have a drive from the engine PTO to the dynamo to power the S/L?

[Rlangham]

Great stuff, just come across this thread, i'm fascinated by RAF vehicles, favourite has to be the Fordson WOT1, especially as theirs quite a few preserved nowadays in the UK - two fire tenders, a crew coach, a barrage balloon vehicle and a mobile dentistry unit. Went to the Lincolnshire Aviation Centre at East Kirkby yesterday where they have a Fordson WOT1 fire tender and Fordson WOT1 crew coach among other interesting vehicles such as a David Brown bomb tractor, Bedford OX and queen mary trailer and a 6 wheel AEC matador refueller, attached are some pics of the two Fordsons - when i've got the money i'd like to buy one of the Matador Models Fordson WOT1 vehicles and perhaps use the cab for a fire tender

Edit - looks like simpload.com has failed me yet again! The photos are here

http://community.webshots.com/album/549430509qSDsYR

Hope you enjoy the pics!

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Rlangham

The other fire tender is at another airfield somewhere in England (not sure where)

There is a restored WOT1 crash tender in the Spitfire Museum on what was once RAF Manston, near Ramsgate. Now called Kent International Airport.

Richard

[Rlangham]

Ah that makes three then - there's one at the Twinwood airfield museum, it's a beautiful restoration, apparently it took twenty years so a lot of effort gone into it

[Les Freathy]

Good evening all

Not had much spare time of late so decided tonight to see how the threads are going, good to see the RAF items still appearing the mention of the Ford WOT fire tender at Manston takes me back as at one time it served Silver City airways at Lydd Airport in Kent andfor a long time after the decline of air traffic stood in one of the old Nissan huts. Around 1970 i called in there to seeif i could take photos and was told if i can get it started i could pull it out to take some shots, sadly it was indeed a no hoper and i had to satisfy myself with sectional shots in the shed
Two photos of another RAF fire tender this one the early Crossley Q 4x4
Les

[sapper740]

Apologizing profusely in advance!

Originally posted by Les Freathy


one of the old Nissan huts. Around 1970 Les

AAAh...in that decade, wouldn't it have been a DATSUN hut?

[Keith Webb]

Would this have originally been built for the RAF?



More here.

[Bill Murray]

You have a good memory, Sapper but of course you know too that they are Nissen Huts to you and Quonset Huts to us barbarians.
Bill

[Rlangham]

Originally posted by Keith Webb
Would this have originally been built for the RAF?
More here.

That, possibly the most ancient looking vehicle to serve in WW2, is the Crossley Q type, i've only heard of them being used by the RAF, as 3 ton tenders or as tractors for the Queen Mary trailer along with the Commer Q2 and Bedford OX, interesting pictures.

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Bill Murray
You have a good memory, Sapper but of course you know too that they are Nissen Huts to you and Quonset Huts to us barbarians.
Bill

Bill, I have a failing. I'm obsessed with correcting spelling mistakes. I consider myself linguistically precise and detail oriented, however my wife thinks I'm anal!
We Colonials, whom are assumed to all be barbarians to our British friends, use many terms interchangeably. I figured one of my contemporaries would enjoy the little wordplay.

[Rlangham]

Here's some more period photos i've found on the web, this time of the Fordson WOT1 crash tender, this sort is known as the Weeton type, one of four types on the Fordson WOT1 chassis, i'm going to attempt to scratchbuild one in 1/76th soon, just need a Fordson WOT1 cab and chassis.





This nice colour photo shows one at Prestwick in 1944, I think the ambulance behind it is an Albion AM463, it's from the IWM collections website



This series of photos shows one in use with the USAAF, many British fire tenders and ambulances etc were used at American airfields, in the first photo the vehicle next to it is the lovely Austin K2 - also from the IWM collections website

[Allan Hillman]

I am only seeing a little red cross for each picture - is anyone else getting the same thing ?

cheers

Allan

[Rlangham]

Ok i'll try again, i'll have to upload them one by one. This is a Fordson WOT1 weeton type crash tender used by the USAAF next to an Austin K2 - RAF vehicles were given to the USAAF for their airfields in WW2, emergency vehicles especially

[Rlangham]

Side profile of another Weeton

[Rlangham]

Yet another, quite interesting and good looking vehicles

[Rlangham]

Lovely colour photo of one in RAF service at Prestwick, Scotland in 1944

[Rlangham]

And you thought mobile phone technology was new!

[Rlangham]

Here's the last one. There's quite a few interesting photos of RAF vehicles on the IWM collections website www.iwmcollections.org.uk the best way i've found is to type in 'tender' or 'bowser', but it's still hard to find matches