I
am at present rebuilding my ex RAF land Rover. It's an early 80''
Reg No 24AA05. It went into service about July 1950. It has some
differences to the normal ones, which your members might know about.
1)
There is a steel panel about 5'' height between the two wings, at
the bottom, in front of the Rad Grill. What is it for?
2)
Instead of canvas hood the hoops have been replaced with side bars
about 12'' high from the rear tub sides using the hoop mounting
points. If any body knows about these or has any photo's please
contact me.
At
first I thought the steel panel in front of the radiator was added
some time after its service life, but on removing the paint layers I
found it to be RAF blue. It would be nice if some of your members
know the use and why it was added. As you can see I need to do some
panel beating on the wings.
The
second photo is of some side bars which are in place of the Tilt,
again it would be nice to know if this was common in the RAF.
I
have not found any markings on it yet. I will write off to Hendon to
see if they have its service cards.
If
any of your members have photo's of it or like it would make my day.
I
am guessing the steel plate you refer to at the front of the grill would
be for the registration plate as the bumper would have had a hole in the
center for the starting handle.
Ian
Update:
29/05/18
Ian,
Years ago I requested if anyone had any information or pictures on a 1950 RAF
Land Rover 24AA05. I have nearly completed, if you ever do, and it’s back on the road. I have attached a picture of the result, by the way it’s the 100th
Land Rover to be delivered to the RAF from the first batch ordered in RAF Blue Grey.
I'm
the secretary of a an educational charity called the Friends of the New
Forest Airfields www.winkton.net/fonfa.htm
and we do a lot of outreach work at schools, clubs, exhibitions and fairs
promoting the history of our airfields and those who served there. We're
considering obtaining a classic vehicle that is representative of one that
would have used by RAF MT services at our airfields, ideally of a size no
bigger than a 86" or 88" wheel base Landover.
Most
or our permanent RAF airfields had closed or ceased military operations
between 1944-1946 (Hurn, Christchurch, Stoney Cross, Ibsley, Holmsley
South) as had RAF wartime temporary landing grounds at Sway and Need Oar
Point. Beaulieu stayed open until 1950, Calshot as an airfield until 1961
and as a marine craft base until 1974. RAF Sopley also closed in 1974. RAF
Hythe continued in name until quite recently but it was in fact a US Army
Depot.
We'd
love to hear from any of your members who served at these units, what they
drove or maintained and when, to help us chose an appropriate vehicle.
In
1953, before I went to Changi, I did a QM course at Weeton. The tractor
units were Crossley 4X4 petrol-engined monsters. They even had an Autovac.
I want to ask our other Members if any old-timer ...like me....has a photo
of one.
There's
a couple about half way down Les's
page - Ian
My
name is Stu
Wright and I am an ex Army RCT driver, now serving as a police
officer in Hampshire. I have recently purchased an ex RAF Landrover
Lightweight (Air Portable) and I am trying to find out a bit more
about its history. It has 2 id discs showing RAF 6 431 MU (red) and
MU 431/R6 (blue), with the original reg number of 55AM52.
I would be very grateful if anyone could shed some light on this
vehicle and especially if they have driven it or similar. The only
thing I have found out so far is MU means Mechanical Unit and 431
was at Bruggen. I have no idea what they were used for and if they
only stayed at that location.
Does
anyone remember the Morris Commercial Ambulance, 6 cylinder? I would
be very grateful if anyone has a picture of one painted in RAF
colours from the 60's
Thank you
Geoff
Pallett Ex SAC MTD(H)
RAF Goldsborough, Holbeach
and RAF Lyneham 61/62/64.
My
wife and I own a 1960 RAF Ensign Estate 90AB84 the only one of type
ex-RAF extant in UK. It is presently in workshop being repaired
after being 'hit-by-flack' in May this year and we are attempting to
save her and return to Rally scene again in 2009 ie War and Peace
Show and Dorset Steam Fair etc that we support in past. Although I
was not an MT driver but Signals GWF(C) 1954 to 1958 most signals
guys drove RAF Vanguards whilst on mobile servicing etc.
My
question is, does anyone know the meaning of the registration
letters for AB through to AZ? e.g. AB is designated 'Staff
Car'. A lot of our signals station vehicles had the designation 'AR'
that may mean 'Radio Vehicle'. Can anyone confirm this and what the
other letters meant? I believe that this subject was covered in the
long dead Airfix Magazines 1977 to 1981 that so far I have not been
able to find. Do any of you have these if so would be interested in
abstracts from the Transport pages. Many thanks.
AJ
- Load Carriers (i.e. Cargo Trucks), Refuellers
AK
- Sweepers, Snow Clearers, Refuse trucks
AL
- Tipper Trucks
AM
- Light Vehicles, Cars, Land Rovers
AN
- Tractor Units
AO
- Weapons Loaders
AP
- Fork Lift Trucks
AQ
- Ancillaries
AR
- Vans, Snow Ploughs, Brushes
AS
- Vans
AT
- Airfield Construction Plant, Combat Recce Vehicles and Equipment (CVR[T])
AU
- Trailers, incl. Fire Pumps
AV
- Snow Clearing Vans, Re-registered WW2 Vehicles, Radio Trucks
AW
- Trailers, Snow Clearing Trailers, Fire Pump Trailers
AX
- Trailers, Semi-Trailers, Motorcycles
AY
- RAF Specialist Vehicles
AZ
- Not used
Hi
Mate,
I
wonder if you could help my name is Neil Taylor I'm ex Army and we
are trying to get hold of a few pictures of the Eager Beaver fork
lift trucks for one of our group members who was an instructor
on them at our training depot in Northampton. We were in the Royal
Pioneer Corps, and I am trying to get as much info on them, pictures
etc to make a presentation for him at our next reunion. He is not in
the best of health lately after suffering a heart attack. Do any
of your members know of anyone who has an Eager Beaver and would let
him have a drive for old times sake regards.
I
am the current owner of a Lightweight (1/2 ton truck) Landrover, reg
no 48 AJ 11, its known history is TAC SUPPLY WING and RAF ALDERGROVE.
Can anybody give me any more history, stories regarding the type of
work my Landrover would have done, its colour/s and any markings it
would have had, I am trying to restore it and this information would
be greatly appreciated.
I
work in the MTTTL office at RAF UXbridge, for a hobby I make model
trucks (so that's the anorak bit!) Does anyone have any photos of the
VOLVO FH12 6x4 that 2MT used to pull low loaders, and curtain siders
with? I think the regs were VM35AA, VM33AA, VM32AA?
Any
info on the above would be welcome. Are they still in service?
VM
33 AA and VM
37 AA were at the 2004 Reunion. Maybe someone else can shed more
light for you.
Ian
Hello Ian
Andrew Hamilton here from East Kilbride in Scotland. My friend today purchased a Tug which I believe may have come from Market Rasen? I would be
grateful of any information or pictures of the wee tug.
We cant believe the condition of the tug it must have had a lot of work done on it in the past.
I also have a Ford Powermaster 821 which I believe was a tug tractor on Mildenhall American Airforce base.
I also have a wee Grey Ferguson which I believe was on board an air craft carrier, it has a Howard reduction Gearbox in her and was painted RAF blue of sorts when I got her.
I would really love to try and find pictures of any of the tractors with planes in the background, especially of the
Powermaster as I was told it used to pull trailers with bombs on to B52 bombers for Vietnam,
I wonder
whether anyone out there has any photos of these beasts? We
used them to refuel Jet Provosts at Syerston, in the sixties; they
were pulled by Bedford prime movers.
As an MT
Mechanic (Driver), I well remember the appalling Whittle belt drives
that were used to transfer the power from the rear mounted engine to
the pumps on the Phoenix. The belts were made of hard rubber
segments, with metal fasteners that could be undone (with great
difficulty, using something like a button hook) in order to take up
the slack caused when they stretched in use.
After fitting
a completely new belt, one knew that it would only be a matter of
ten minutes or so before the vehicle returned from the line, red
hot, and smelling strongly of scorched rubber. Then it was
underneath again, with kerosene dripping on you, to take out that
slack again.
I've noticed my old mate from Henlow, Mally Roberts (last three 568 - otherwise known as the 'Welsh Terrorist number 1'), has left his prints all over the site, so I thought I'd add my two pennies worth.
I don't know where you want to put the attached scan. It could go in the 'Mug shots' section (there's
definitely a load of 'mugs' in it at Henlow in the mid 80's) or it could go in the miscellaneous section.
I don't own the copyright to it, but I'm sure that Des Roberts (630 - otherwise known as 'The Accused') won't mind that I posted his handy work for posterity. I thought that any of the other Henlow Murders and Terrorists from that era would like to be reminded of what a fine bunch of lads and lasses we were. (if anyone wants a copy, I'll be selling them for 5p at the 2007 Reunion - only joking).
I've just spent an enjoyable hour going through the site, well done! Lots of
memories, names and faces, some now departed. Anyway I thought this photo might amuse you. It was at Salalah in the run down. The three blokes on the
RTFL are MTSS - Jim Shale , Bill Thompson and I've forgot the one on the right, the two cranes were operated by MTD's though! The tank was supposed
to be empty and the cranes lifted OK but when they slewed you can see what
happened.
Best wishes to anyone who may remember me, I spent a fair amount of drinking
time with drivers as I shared rooms with them in the early years and even married one! (It was a she!) Chris Allman, then Snaith and nowadays Stewart,
she works as a civvy at Coningsby as does her husband Jim ( ex MT WO). I have now gone over to the dark side and drive a car transporter for ECM out
of Grimsby and really enjoy it. I think the nearest crane is a Coles and the other is a Jones.
Eric Snaith, Ex MTSS-Scampton, Benson,
Wittering, Laarbruch, Coningsby, Laarbruch.
Ian
Matthews spotted this vehicle, whilst delivering oil at Kemble airfield
and wondered if someone might be able to shine a light on it.
The pictures look very similar to the Douglas Taskmaster Heavy Tractor used on V-Bomber units. This one looks as though it may have been modified at some time with a cab. The radiator looks as though it may be "lash up replacement", as the model I remember had a more sleek radiator grille, - but you still sat out in all winds and weathers!!
Hopefully some ex-V bomber tug drivers may be able to give their opinions too!
When the pictures were sent in I thought it resembled a Sentinel (A bit before my time) the radiator looks very similar to these pictures here, here & here, also towing a Victor here.
I am a volunteer with the Air Atlantique Classic Flight at Coventry airport,
www.classicflight.com
and we have got an old David Brown
Tug Master that we are hoping to restore, however I have searched the Net and have not found any information on the type
except two pictures and I was wondering if your sites remit covered ground handling equipment from the 1950's? For instance would any of your members be able to tell me what light fittings etc were on the tugs and what the actual colour was that they were painted, if there was a standard, I have had to buy a tin of Humbrol RAF blue
from a model shop, so that I can take it to some suppliers to get a colour match but if I can get a code or something then that would be better!
Added 19/12/06: Does
anyone know where I might be able to get an G.P.U (Ground Power Unit) from, or what happens to the RAF's old ones?
We are looking for one for the Classic Flight, so that we can start the jets and the DC6!
Just a small update on the David Brown tug that you might like to post on your site.
As you can see it looks a bit different from the last pictures I sent you !
I rubbed all the paint work down, fitted a new seat and steering wheel and repainted it. The plan was to have it push /tow the BBMF Lancaster out of the hangar on the occasion of its first flight, but as the clutch is a bit fierce, probably due to the fact it had sat for at least two years, it was considered prudent not to try it, just in case !
However it is being used to move aircraft around, the largest being the Flight's Douglas DC 6.
I took a couple of pictures of it with some interesting company, just to show you that it is in better condition than when I started.
When I get chance I hope to give it a mechanical once over and it should be in use for a few years yet.
Found the site via Google as I was trying to find out if the above vehicle was in service during WW2. I bought a superb 1/48 kit from
Accurate Armour but have found no WW2 photos out of thousands in my aircraft reference library which show anything other than 2 versions
without booms, one with the pumps in the offside rear quarter, and the other with pumps and hose connections at the rear.
Somebody must know but, as my field is aircraft, I don't have any contacts who can help solve this.
This
is a set depicting the recovery of a mini that had an argument with a post
and a ditch, using the Rough Terrain Forklift we had at Wattisham in 1975.
I took the pictures although they were processed by the photo section.
After thirty years, I think I have the right to publish them.
I
apologise for the fact that at this distance I do not have the names of
the lads involved but neither of them were the perpetrators! I
considered that as the accident occurred no more than ten miles from
Wattisham, this was the easiest way to recover them
I have attached a couple of pictures which might be of interest for the site. These are of my new Land Rover, it is a specially built 130'' wheelbase, but the thing is, the chassis and bulkhead come from an ex RAF Regiment Rapier Tractor. The running gear come from a later model TD5 110 which was written off and the vehicle was built to a very high spec by Foley Specialist Vehicles in Essex.
Basically it has the TD5 engine (the Rapiers were V8 petrol), which has been chipped and had a bigger intercooler fitted. It has a GKN overdrive and will cruise happily at 90mph, but still return over 38mpg! It has air conditioning and a night heater, uprated suspension, wheels and tyres and a full roll cage in case it all goes pear shaped!
I am researching the AEC 854/0854, 6x6, initially built for the Bomber Command from 1940. I have already obtained a great deal of help with the project and now looking at producing a book on the subject. I do urgently need to get hold of the Air Publication for the original vehicles which were petrol engine. A number of these were also produced as mobile nitrogen/oxygen units, I would also like to see the Air Publication for the equipment fitted to it. obviously
any photographs or personnel details of these vehicles would also be most welcome, the refueller appear to have remained in service until about 1970, whilst the version built with the Coles crane appear to have gone by the early 1960s.
