The War Archives - Machinery of Conflict. British Military Trucks of WWII

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

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INTRODUCTION

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B

etween April 1936 and August 1939, Britain’s programme of rearmament included the procurement of 34,918 wheeled military vehicles. When war was declared on Germany in September 1939, the total number of vehicles in military service was somewhere around 85,000, of which 26,000 were impressed civilian vehicles, and 21,500 were motorcycles; there were also 7,000 trailers. Procurement continued through the period of the ‘Phoney War’, and between September and December 1939, the total number of military trucks produced in Britain was 8,840. In addition, the industry produced more than 4,000 light and heavy motorcars, and ambulances. Despite the increases in procurement, most commentators at the time agreed that the British Army was inadequately equipped with both logistical and tactical vehicles. Things were about to get worse. Thousands of vehicles were shipped to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from September 1939, but, when the BEF was plucked from the Dunkirk beaches in May 1940, just 5,000 of these vehicles were repatriated. More than 65,000 trucks, tanks and motorcycles were abandoned. By June 1940, Britain was desperately short of military vehicles of all kinds, including tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, and yet was committed to what proved to be a very protracted war with Germany. Clearly, procurement of vehicles on a massive scale was required, but, equally clearly, the British motor industry was not going to be able to produce vehicles at a fast enough rate. The Ministry of Supply (MoS), the government body that had been established in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, turned to Canada and the United States for help, and all kinds of vehicles and equipment started to flow into Britain from overseas. Some of the vehicles were diverted from contracts that had been placed in the USA by the French, some were ordered directly by the MoS. At first, US equipment was only supplied on a ‘cash and

The Bedford MW was typical of British 15-cwt general-service (GS) trucks of WWII; most were fitted with a cargo body, in which guise it was designated MWD , but there were other variants. Although it lacke d all-wheel drive, the 3,519cc engine gave the vehicle a lively performance, and some 66,000 examples were prod uced. The photograph shows a late production example with a full-height windscreen and metal doors.

(Simon Thomson)

carry’ basis, but the passing of the LendLease Act in 1941 resulted in a huge increase in supplies at no cost to the British government. By 1945, the USA had supplied Britain and the British Empire with motor vehicles and parts to a value of $2.07 billion. But the British motor industry was not about to be written off. At the outbreak of war, there were some 28 truck manufacturers in Britain, ranging from the largest companies such as Austin, Bedford, Ford, and Morris-Commercial, producing vehicles by the thousand, to more specialised companies building heavier vehicles, like AEC, Scammell and Thornycroft. There was also a handful of lesser-known outfits such as GarnerStraussler, Tilling-Stevens, and Lacre. Virtually all civilian production was terminated, and, between September 1939 and September 1945, the British motor industry turned out a total of 528,251 military trucks and tractors… the figure of 919,111 vehicles, which is often quoted, also

includes motorcycles, motorcars and ambulances. It was an impressive achievement… and one which seems all the more poignant for the fact that 70 years later, the British truck-building industry has virtually ceased to exist. Great names such as AEC, Austin, Bedford and Scammell are long gone, whilst Foden and Leyland are in the hands of the American Paccar group, the latter producing trucks under the DAF brand. Even Land Rover is in Indian hands and, anyway, has not supplied any new vehicles to the British Army for a decade or more. British military trucks for the 21st Century have come from Oshkosh, or MAN, the German company that took over ERF, Britain’s last heavy truck manufacturer, in 2000. Heaven forbid that we should need to do it again! Pat Ware Editor

The War Archives – The Machinery of Conflict BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII Editor Pat Ware Design and Layout Rob Terry Scanning Assistant Lizzie Ware Image Restoration Lizzie Ware Picture Credits All photographs from the Warehouse Collection unless otherwise credited. Publisher and Managing Director Adrian Cox Executive Chairman Richard Cox Commercial Director Ann Saundry Distribution Seymour Distribution Ltd +44 (0)20 7429 4000. Printing Warners (Midlands) PLC, The Maltings, Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH ISBN 9 781909 786349 All rights reserved. The entire content of The War Archives is © Key Publishing 2014. Reproduction in whole or in part and in any form whatsoever is strictly prohibited without the prior permission of the Publisher. Whilst every care is taken with submissions, the Publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage incurred. All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions which are regularly updated without prior notice and downloadable from www.keypublishing.com. We are unable to guarantee the bona fides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication.

Published by Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs PE19 1XQ. Tel: +44 (0) 1780 755131. Fax: +44 (0) 1780 757261. Website: www.keypublishing.com

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The War Archives – Machinery of Conflict BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII 3

INTRODUCTION

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AEC

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Founded in 1906, AEC supplied almost 10,000 all-wheel drive Matador medium artillery tractors to the British Army between 1939 and 1945, with more constructed in the ‘fifties. Other war-time trucks included the 6x6 Model 854/O854, and the 6x4 Marshal.

13 ALBION MOTORS

Based in Glasgow, Albion could trace its history back to 1889. During the ‘thirties, the company’s AM463 chassis was much favoured by the RAF for a variety of roles. War-time products included the WD.CX22 heavy artillery tractor, FT11 3-ton truck, and the WD.CX24 tank transporter. The company also constructed a doubleended tank transporter tractor and a low-profile artillery tractor, neither of which saw series production.

18 AUSTIN MOTOR COMPANY

Although primarily a manufacturer of motorcars, Austin had launched a family of new trucks in 1939. The company supplied more than 92,500 trucks for the war effort, including a 5-cwt light utility vehicle, K2 field ambulance, and the 3-ton K5, 30-cwt K30, and 3-ton K3 trucks.

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30 BEDFORD VEHICLES

Bedford was the largest supplier of trucks during WWII, with a total of almost a quarter of a million vehicles built. Most numerous was the O Series, with more than 72,000 examples constructed; others included the all-wheel drive QL, and the 15-cwt 4x2 MW.

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43 DAVID BROWN

Better-known as a manufacturer of agricultural tractors, David Brown modified their VAG1 industrial tractor to produce an aircraft and bomb-trailer tractor for the RAF. Some 1,250 examples were built and the VIG1, as it was described, became the RAF’s standard aircraft tractor into the early ‘fifties.

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46 COMMER CARS

Founded in Clapham, London in 1905, Commer was the first British truck company to manufacture a 15-cwt military vehicle, with the Beetle of 1935. Other war-time products included militarised versions of the 1939 Superpoise Q range covering weight classes from 15 cwt to 3 tons.

49 FORD & FORDSON

During WWII, Ford produced around 185,000 military trucks, as well as tracked carriers, and 30,000 Merlin aircraft engines. The company’s major contribution was the WOT series of trucks, with 15-cwt, 30-cwt and 3-ton vehicles produced, some of which incorporated all-wheel drive.

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68 58 GUY MOTORS

Based in Wolverhampton, Guy Motors achieved some fame by producing Britain’s first all-wheel drive 15-cwt truck, in the form of the Quad-Ant. Other trucks supplied during the period included the 3-ton BAX, and its forward-control variant the FBAX, as well a 4x2 version of the 15-cwt truck simply described as the Ant.

65 KARRIER MOTORS

65 73

Like Commer, Karrier was owned by the Rootes Group, and there was some standardisation of design between the products of the two companies from the midthirties. Karrier’s WWII military vehicles included the 3-ton 4x4 K6, the 3-ton 6x4 CK6, and the 4x4 KT4 field artillery tractor.

68 LEYLAND MOTORS

Although Leyland concentrated largely on building tanks during WWII, the company still found time to construct 6,500 6x4 3-ton Retrievers, which were bodied for a variety of roles, as well as the 10-ton 6x4 Hippo.

73 MORRIS & MORRIS-COMMERCIAL

Along with Bedford and Guy, Morris-Commercial was another producer of the ubiquitous 15-cwt 4x2 truck, producing thousands of its CS8, and C4 vehicles between 1934 and 1944 when production switched to the 4x4 C8. Other Morris military products included the 6x4 CDSW, the 8-cwt PU and PU8/4, and some 8,000 light utility vehicles; the company also constructed the Thornycroft-designed Terrapin Mk I amphibian.

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78 SCAMMELL LORRIES

Watford-based Scammell Lorries produced what were arguably the largest and most impressive British wheeled military vehicles of the period, in the shape of the 6x4 Pioneer. Although the design was somewhat archaic, the Gardner-engined Pioneer was reliable and virtually unstoppable, and remained in production throughout the war as an artillery tractor, tank transporter, and recovery vehicle.

86 THORNYCROFT

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John I Thornycroft was established in Chiswick in 1862 and was one of Britain’s first commercial-vehicle builders. During WWII the company supplied some 5,000 Nubian 3-ton 4x4 trucks and around 2,000 Amazon 6x4 mobile cranes. The company also designed the 8x8 Terrapin amphibian, as well as supplying militarised versions of a number of 30-cwt and 3-ton civilian trucks.

91 OTHER MANUFACTURERS

Whilst companies such as AEC, Bedford, Ford, Morris-Commercial, Leyland and Scammell are wellknown, there were many smaller manufacturers who made an equally valuable, albeit more modest, contribution to the war effort. For example Crossley, Dennis, ERF, Foden, Hillman, Standard, and TillingStevens; Humber also constructed many military vehicles using an 8-cwt 4x4 chassis with independent front suspension.

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6

AEC

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

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T

A pair of AEC Model O853 Matador 4x4 medium artillery tractors towing engineers’ trailers loaded with Caterpillar ‘dozers. The trucks were photographed passing the royal review stand during the Victory Parade held in London on 8 June 1946.

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he Associated Equipment Company (AEC) was founded in Walthamstow in 1906 as a servicing operation for the London Motor Omnibus Company. Six years later, in 1912, AEC began to operate as a separate company, at first constructing bus chassis, with the first commercial vehicle, launched in 1910, being based on an X-Type bus chassis. From 1914, AEC became a major supplier to the War Office, with more than 10,000 Y-Type 3-ton trucks supplied to the Army by the time the war ended. Full-scale civilian production resumed in 1918, and, in 1926, AEC merged with Daimler to form the Associated Daimler Company (ADC), a liaison which was dissolved two years later. AEC moved to a brand-new manufacturing plant in Southall in 1927, appointing the influential G J Rackham, an ex-Tank Corps officer, as chief engineer the following year. In 1932, AEC acquired a controlling interest in the British subsidiary of the American FWD Company, marketing the vehicles under the name Hardy Motors. At the outbreak of war in 1939, AEC’s military output comprised the 6x4 Marshal Model 644, a design that was already out-dated, and the Model 853 Matador 4x4 medium artillery tractor that had been introduced in 1938; the petrol-engined 853 subsequently being superseded by the diesel (oil) engined Model O853. With its 4x4 driveline, the Matador owed much to AEC’s association with FWD and Hardy Motors, and has frequently been described as one of the best military vehicles of WWII. A 6x6 variant based on a hybrid Matador/Marshal chassis, described as the Model 854 (and later O854), was rushed into production in 1939/40, with most examples being equipped for aircraft refuelling. There was also an experimental half-track version. Civilian bus and truck production was halted in 1941. The Matador remained in production throughout the war, as did the Model O854. The total number of military vehicles produced between 1939 and 1945 amounted to 12,896, of which some 9,620 were Matadors. The company also built armoured vehicles, together with around 4,000 petrol and diesel engines for tanks. AEC was taken over by Leyland in 1962, and the name was discontinued in 1977. ■

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or artillery tractor High-level view of the AEC Matad mple, clearly chassis, possibly a post-war exa tal-spindle Turner izon hor showing the position of the ssis rails, and the winch mounted between the cha e. mid-mounted transfer cas

The registration numbers reveal that this photograph, showing a convoy of AEC Matador Model O853 artillery tractors, was taken after 1949 when the war-time registrations were abandoned in favour of a new system. The vehicle at the rear is towing an American M13 artillery director trailer. … RAF Matador flat-bed truck – or ‘platform lorry’ – carrying an air compressor and towing a 16-wheeled trailer loaded with a 10-ton road roller. Note how the cab differs from that more usually associated with the Matador.

ˆ The RAF took delivery of 1,577 6x4 refuelling tankers during the war years; of these, 462 were equipped with a petrol engine (Model 854, as seen here), the remainder being powered by AEC’s A.196 diesel engine, producing 95bhp from 7,710cc (Model O854). Although often described as a ‘six-wheeled Matador’, it would be more accurate to describe this as a Marshal/Matador hybrid.

‡ Although identical in most respects to the war-time product, the registration number indicates that this is one of 200 Model O853 Matadors constructed for the Army during 1950/51. A further 448 post-war Matadors were supplied to the RAF and the Royal Navy. (Steve Richards)

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

AEC A.193 six-cylinder War-time Matadors were powered either by the as shown here), by (and ly mon petrol engine (Model 853), or, more com latter producing a the ), O853 el the six-cylinder A.187 diesel engine (Mod maximum of 95bhp from 7,710cc.

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‡ At a glance this vehicle closely resembles the classic Matador artillery tractor, in fact it is a Weymann-bodied 3-ton general-service (GS) truck intended for the RAF. A total of 1,257 Matadors were supplied to the RAF during WWII, fitted with a variety of bodies.

Short Stirling heavy bomber being refuelled over the wing by a Model O854 2,500-gallon (11,350 litre) tanker. The photograph clearly shows the Zwicky pumping equipment that was housed in a compartment at the rear of the steel tank. (Key Archive)

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AEC Model O854 equipped with a Coles Mk VII Series 7 crane. Powered by a Ford V8 petrol engine, the crane had a maximum capacity of 5 tons at a radius of 90in (2,26m). A total of 136 of these trucks were supplied during WWII.

Sworder Motors were one of ma ny companies established in the pos exploit the availability of cheap military-surplus vehicles, rebuild t-war years to ing, repairing and converting them for civilian use . The photograph shows a refurb ished AEC Model O854 crane that is being offered for contract hire.

Although this is undoubtedly a WWII Matador, one of a bunch of around 1,300 vehicles that were re-registered in 1949, there is no mention made in any period documentation of a four-wheeled Matador fuel tanker; this would suggest that it is a post-war conversion by RAF workshops.

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Alongside the crane and fuel-tanker variants, the RAF also used the AEC Model O854 as a mobile oxygen- or nitrogen-producing plant; oxygen was bottled for use by aircrew at altitude, whilst nitrogen was introduced into fuel tanks as an inert gas to reduce the risk of explosion as the volume of fuel reduces during flight. A total of 210 chassis were equipped for this role. (Steve Richards)

One of 600 AEC Marshal Model 644 3-ton 6x4 trucks that were supplied to the Army during the opening years of the war, bodied either as general-service (GS) trucks, or, as seen here, as bridging vehicles.

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

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ALBION MOTORS

Based on the civilian Model 63, the 2-ton Albion AM463 was introduced in 1934, with 1,900 examples delivered to the Air Ministry for various applications. Early examples were fitted with an EN213 4.42-litre engine, whilst later vehicles had the EN217 engine of 3.89 litres. All were fitted with Gnüss air springs at the front to reduce harshness when travelling off-road. The photograph shows the RAF four-stretcher heavy ambulance, which was delivered from 1935 on; some examples were fitted with oversized tyres.

F

ounded in 1899 by Norman Fulton and Thomas BlackwoodMurray, Glasgow-based Albion Motors produced its first motor vehicle in 1900. In 1902, John Francis Henderson joined the original partnership, putting up much-needed capital and helping to establish Albion as a private limited company. In 1904, the company moved to a new factory at Scotstoun, a western suburb of Glasgow. The Model A3 van was launched in 1904, with the very successful Model A10 3-ton truck following in 1910. The A10 remained in production until 1926, and some 6,000 examples were supplied to the services during WWI. The company prospered during the

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’twenties and ‘thirties, producing both bus and truck chassis, the latter ranging from 15 cwt to 15 tons. From about 1934, the company’s AM463 chassis was favoured by the RAF in a number of roles, including cargo truck, ambulance, and refuelling tanker. The factory was devoted to the production of military vehicles from 1940, with chassis such as the BY, CX, EV and FT series supplied to the War Office and the Air Ministry in large numbers. Most successful of these was perhaps the FT11, a 3-ton 4x4 truck that went into production in 1942, with 500 examples built, and the WD.CX22 heavy artillery tractor, which was built in similar numbers between 1943 and 1945. Other models included the

20/30-ton WD.CX24 tank transporter of 1942, which proved not to be up to the job and was quickly relegated to lighter duties, and the low-profile FT15N gun tractor that went into limited production in January 1945. In 1943, the company also prototyped the CX33, a twin-cabbed, twin-engined tractor for tank-transporting duties with an 8x8 drive-line. Two examples were built, but there was no series production. Albion Motors was taken over by Leyland in 1951, with a management buyout seeing the name change to Albion Automotive in 1993; the current owners are the American Axle & Manufacturing Company (AAM) of Detroit. ■

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The AM463 chassis was also used to mount a 350-gallon (1,589 litre) refuelling tank for the RAF. Other variants included a cargo truck, mobile crane and a tractor for semi-trailers.

res at RAF Digby in April Albion AM463 refueller attending to a pair of Spitfi Air Service (RNAS) flying 1940. Digby, in Lincolnshire, was a Royal Naval ; during WWII, it was 1918 in y Digb site during WWI, being renamed RAF s before being heim Blen and , ants home to Spitfires, Boulton-Paul Defi ive) Arch (Key e. passed to the Royal Canadian Air Forc

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Photographed at the RAF Technical Training School on 2 December 1941, this AM463 2-ton cargo truck stands at the head of a line of mixed vehicles used for training drivers of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). (Key Archive)

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

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Introduced in 1940 to replace the earlier BY1, the Albion BY3 was a 3-ton 6x4 truck powered by the company’s EN278A six-cylinder 4.25-litre engine. The truck was equipped for a variety of roles including general-service (GS) cargo, bridging, machinery, workshop, and bacteriological laboratory. In 1942, the BY3 was replaced by the similar BY5 which can be identified by its pressed-brass/copper radiator header tank. (Key Archive)

Convoy of Albion BY3 bridging trucks fitted with the Weymann-built ‘folding boat body number 1, Mk II’. The trucks are making use of a bridge that has been constructed using the folding boat pontoons.

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16 Drawing showing the general details of the Albion WD.CX22 chassis. The engine was the company’s six-cylinder EN244 diesel, producing a reputed 100bhp from just over 9 litres. Note the 8-ton Scammell winch mounted behind the cab position; fairlead rollers were provided at both front and rear.

Based on a civilian truck chassis, the Albion WD.CX22 was a heavy artillery tractor intended for the same role as the Scammell Pioneer R100. More than 500 examples were produced between 1943 and 1945. Note the double-skin cab roof, in the style of the AEC Matador, and the hip ring above the passenger seat that would enable an anti-aircraft machine gun to be mounted.

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

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 Powered by an EN248 six-cylinder engine, with a displacement of 10.5 litres, the Albion WD.CX24S went into production in March 1942 and was intended as a 20-ton tank transporter. It was found seriously wanting, particularly with regard to the brakes, and was soon down-rated to 15 tons and assigned to hauling engineers’ equipment.  Head-on view of the WD.CX22 artillery tractor before the bodywork and cab have been fitted. The prototype was fitted with the traditional Albion cast aluminium radiator header tank, but all of the production vehicles had a cheaper copper/brass radiator.

Albion’s WD.15N, and the waterproofed WD.15NW, was an attempt at producing a lowsilhouette artillery tractor by combining elements of the company’s FT11N 3-ton cargo truck and the BY5. The engine was the EN281 six-cylinder side-valve unit of 4,566cc. About 150 of a contract for 500 were constructed during 1945 before the order was cancelled.

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18

AUSTIN MOTOR COMPANY

Bonnets up, a pair of Austin light utilities – or ‘Tillies’ – are used to provide practical demonstrations in vehicle maintenance. Based on the pre-war Austin 10HP, about 30,000 were constructed between 1939 and 1945.

F

ounded by Herbert Austin in 1905 at a disused printing works at Longbridge, Birmingham, the Austin Motor Company launched its first motorcar in 1906. Car production led, inevitably, to the development of vans, ambulances and trucks, and, by 1915, Austin was the fifth largest motor manufacturer in Britain. During WWI, the company produced around 2,000 3-ton trucks, many of which were sent to Russia, as well as almost 500 armoured cars. Commercial vehicle production was abandoned in 1922, although the company continued to produce light vans and ambulances. A new range of

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trucks, rated from 30 cwt to 5 tons, was launched in 1938, with a close resemblance to the then-current Bedford models. Many of these were supplied to the forces from 1939 onwards. The best-known military model of the period was almost certainly the K2 ambulance derived from the civilian K30 chassis. Often nicknamed ‘Katie’, some 13,000 examples were constructed and the ambulance was supplied to the US Army and to the Soviet Union. Other military models included more than 12,000 examples of a 3-ton 4x4 chassis, designated K5; the 30-cwt K30; the 3-ton K3; and the 5-cwt light utility vehicle that was universally described as a ‘Tilly’.

During the conflict, Austin produced a total of 92,542 trucks, some 10 to 12% of Britain’s truck output. The company also manufactured light and medium staff cars, some 3,000 aircraft, Mercury and Pegasus aircraft engines, Horsa glider fuselages, jerrycans by the hundred thousand, and thousands of light pressings, for example for Sten guns, steel helmets, and Bofors gun magazines. The Austin Motor Company merged with Morris Motors and the Nuffield Organization in 1952 to form the British Motor Corporation. The Austin name disappeared from trucks in the ‘sixties, and from cars in 1987. ■

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

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Austin K3 3-ton truck fitted with a general-service (GS) cargo body; a total of 17,000 of these trucks were built between 1939 and 1945. The markings on the cab door indicate that the truck belongs to the Ministry of War Transport (MWT), a government department created on 1 May 1941 to control transportation policy and resources.

Although it never went into series production, the Austin K7 was a 15-cwt 4x4 truck powered by a six-cylinder engine of 3,995cc, and fitted with an easily removable body to allow transportation by air. The truck is seen here acting as a tractor for the 17-pounder (76mm) anti-tank gun; note the 2-ton winch fitted at the front.

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Trio of civilian-registered Austin K2 ambulances carrying wounded away to hospital ships across the pierhead of Mulberry Harbour B at Arromanches in September 1944.

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Often nicknamed ‘Katie’, more than 13,000 examples were constructed of the Austin K2 heavy ambulance, with many supplied to other nations; this example, dating from April 1943, has been gifted to the people of Stalingrad by the town of Scarborough. The lightweight Mann-Egerton built body provided accommodation for four stretchers or 10 seated patients. The chassis was also used as the basis of a mobile office and loudspeaker van.

Refurbished Austin K6 chassis-cab destined for post-war civilian use. The wheelbase has been shortened by about 18in (457mm), and the fittings attached to the top of the chassis between the rear wheels suggest that it will be fitted with a fifth wheel and used as a tractor for semi-trailers. 018-28 Austin.indd 25

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is Many K6 trucks remained in military service well into the ‘fifties. This REME recovery vehicle towing a wrecked Commer Q4 cargo truck, a type which was introduced in 1952.

‡ As well as being supplied to the Army, the Austin K2 was also supplied to the National Fire Service (NFS) as a so-called ‘auxiliary towing vehicle’ (ATV). A 30ft (9m) two-section extension ladder was carried on the roof, and the open-backed body had bench seats along each side with stowage space beneath them. Production started in 1941 and continued until 1943, with a total of 5,750 ATVs of all types manufactured. † Austin K6 3-ton 6x4 truck equipped for the breakdown gantry role; the weights either side of the headlights are intended to help counterbalance a towed load. Like most war-time Austin trucks, the vehicle was powered by a six-cylinder 3,995cc engine producing 85bhp, driving the rear wheels through a four-speed main gearbox and two-speed auxiliary gearbox.

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

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‡ The Austin K6 3-ton chassis was also used as the mount for a Coles Mk VI Series 2 electro-magnetic crane, with a total of perhaps 150 constructed.

… Powered by a four-cylinder sidevalve engine of 1,230cc, producing 30bhp, the Austin Series G and YG light utility – or ‘Tilly’ – was based on the welded platform chassis and front end of the company’s GRQ 10HP car that had been introduced in 1939. There were two seats in the cab, and a simple open-backed load area behind. Total production of the 10HP car, van and utility was 53,000. Note the distinctive ‘Mickey Mouse ears’ camouflage.

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BEDFORD VEH

Austin 8HP Series AP two-seater staff car together with a 15-cwt Bedford MWD cargo truck. A total of 66,000 MW trucks were supplied, most bodied as cargo vehicles; other variants included wireless trucks, gun portee, gun tractor, water tanker, and welding set.

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EHICLES

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A

lthough the company had only started producing trucks under its own name in 1931, and did not supply its first military vehicle until 1936, Bedford Vehicles was probably Britain’s most significant manufacturer of military trucks during WWII, with war-time production figures approaching 250,000 vehicles. Only Ford came close, with a production total of 185,000. Early Bedford models included the 2-ton WHG and WLG, and the 30-cwt WS; all were fitted with a Chevrolet cab, and were powered by a six-cylinder petrol engine producing 64bhp from a capacity of 3,178cc. Examples of all of these, as well as the later WT model, were supplied to the British Army. In 1936, Bedford entered a 12-cwt van and a 2-ton truck for military trials, both being lightly-militarised commercial vehicles, the former acquitting itself well. The following year, the company entered a square-nosed 15-cwt 4x2 truck for the same trials, which had been assembled largely from off-the shelf components; in 1938, the same vehicle was trialled again, but now fitted with Bedford’s new 3,519cc 72bhp engine. In 1939, this truck went into production as the MW, with a total of almost 66,000 eventually constructed. It was also in 1939 that the company announced a completely new range of restyled, and more powerful, civilian trucks, including the K, M and O Series, all of which used the new 3,519cc engine. The O Series was eventually adapted for military service as the 30-cwt OX, a version of which was also produced for use as a tractor for semi-trailers, and the 3-ton OY, of which some 72,385 examples were constructed. In 1941, Bedford produced its first all-wheel drive truck, in the form of the forward-control QL. The truck was bodied for a variety of roles, and production continued until 1945, with a total of 52,250 constructed. Working with Morris-Commercial, in 1944, Bedford also produced six prototypes of the so-called ‘Traclat’, a half-tracked field artillery tractor very much in the German mould. There was no series production. Bedford continued as a major supplier of trucks to the British Army in the post-war years. The Bedford trucks plant and business was sold to AWD in 1987, with the name Bedford, or Bedford-AWD, continuing to be used on military vehicles. By 1990, however, the writing was on the wall… the traditional truck market was in a parlous state, and the British Army had opted to replace the thencurrent MK/MJ range with the Leyland-DAF T244 4-tonner. Bedford-AWD went into receivership in 1992. ■

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‡ YMCA tea car constructed on a 15-cwt Bedford MWC chassis. The first of these units went into service in September 1939. The MW was powered by the same six-cylinder petrol engine as the larger Bedfords which gave it a lively turn of performance. … Under-bonnet view of the Bedford MW series at the Army vehicle maintenance school. Note the position of the air cleaner which necessitated the full-width front end common to all normal-control military Bedfords of the period. ˆ The 15-cwt 4x2 Bedford MW went into production in late 1939; the photograph shows the prototype, which was known as ‘WD-1’. It was first tested in 1937, but, when resubmitted a year later, had been fitted Bedford’s new six-cylinder petrol engine producing 72bhp from 3,519cc.

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Fitted with a 350-gallon (1,589-litre) steel water tank, complete with filtration and pumping equipme nt, this Bedford OYC is one of 1,359 examples delivered before the tank was changed to a 500-gallon (2,270-litre) design in late 1943. Hoses and filtration equipme nt were stowed in the locker at the rear and a canvas cover was available to fit over the tubular-steel hoops.

Bedford OYC 800-gallon (3,632-litre) twin-compartment fuel tanker. Note the extension to the rear of the cab, designed to keep exhaust gases, and any possible source of ignition, away from the fuel tank. The tank equipment was supplied by the Steel Barrel Company.

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Head-on view of an early O Series 3-tonner, probably an OYD general-service (GS) cargo vehicle dating from 1939. Unlike most O Series production, this vehicle is fitted with civilian tyre and wheel equipment; later vehicles were equipped with two-piece wheels and military dual-purpose tyres.

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seen here ies was the 30-cwt OXD truck, slave Ser O d for Bed the of st alle Sm as a (GS) body; others were used with a timber general-service ines. The same chassis was also used eng battery truck for starting tank semi-trailers (OXC), and to mount an for t uni e as the basis for a tractiv A). (OX y bod improvised armoured

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Although most non-military production was halted during WWII, small numbers of vehicles could be made available to governmental and licensed civilian users. The photograph shows a Bedford OWS/65 tractor of the government Petroleum Board coupled to a 1,750-gallon (7,945-litre) frameless twin-compartment fuel-tank semi-trailer. A very similar outfit was also supplied to the military, also featuring the extension to the rear wall of the cab.

Bedford OXC tractor coupled to a 6-ton platform semi-trailer. A total of 24,429 examples of the OX series were built between 1940 and 1945.

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Bedford QLT troop carrier in use as a mobile teleprinter or signals station. Bodied by Austin, who also added a chassis extension, the QLT normally featured folding seats that allowed the vehicle to be converted back to a load-carrying role. A total of 3,373 examples were constructed. (General Post Office)

A pair of Spitfire IX fighters being refuelled and serviced. The tanker is a Bedford QLC fitted with either a 950-gallon (4,313-litre) or 1,000-gallon (4,540-litre) Butterfield tank. The rear compartment houses delivery and suction hose. A Drum pump, driven by a Bradford petrol engine, was housed in the left-hand side compartment, whilst the air separator, filter, flow meter and control valves were in the right-hand compartment. (Key Archive)

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d by a sixilian use. All QLs were powere civ for dy rea ab s-c ssi cha QL to drive all Bedford hp from 3,519cc, and arranged e; the 72b ing duc pro ine eng rol pet cylinder transfer cas peed gearbox and two-speed four wheels through a four-s re suspended on we es axl road work. The for d age eng dis be ld cou e front axl multi-leaf springs. conventional semi-elliptical

† Drawing from the driver’s handbook, showing the various cab controls for the Bedford QL series.

Bedford QLC aircraft refuelling tanker equipped with an 850-gallon (3,859-litre) Butterfield tank together with a Stuart-Turner petrol engine and Zwicky pumping equipment for over-the-wing refuelling; pumping capacity was 30-40 gallons per minute (136-182 litres per minute) through one nozzle, or 55-65 gallons per minute (250-295 litres per minute) with both nozzles in use. These tankers continued in use well into the ‘fifties. (Key Archive)

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RAF QLC refuelling tanker; the photograph was taken in 1949 at RAF Driffield and shows a Gloster Meteor VII fighter. The legend ‘AVTUR’ on the back of the tanker indicates that it is carrying aviation turbine jet fuel. (Key Archive)

ctor i-trailer combination. The tra Bedford QLC 6-ton tractor/sem body behind the cab, and was ided coupling. was fitted with a small drop-s i-trailer by means of a Tasker sem the to d ple cou tly nen perma re constructed. More than 1,100 examples we

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Refurbished, repainted and ready for work in ‘civvy street’, this Bedford QL 3-ton 4x4 truck is typical of the 52,250 examples that were constructed between 1941 and 1945. The QLD cargo truck, seen here, was the most numerous variant.

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DAVID BROWN

Introduced as an agricultural tractor in July 1939, the Air Ministry soon asked David Brown to develop a version of the tractor that would be suitable for towing heavy aircraft, bomb carriers and tankers. The result, appearing in 1941, and seen here with a Short Sunderland flying boat, was the VIG/100. (Key Archive)

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avid Brown set up an engineering workshop in Huddersfield in 1860, specialising in the manufacture of gears from 1873. In 1908 the company experimented with motorcars, the first example appearing under the name Valveless, but production ended in 1914. During WWI, the company produced axles and final-drive units for Thornycroft. In 1935/36, David Brown entered into an agreement with Harry Ferguson, agreeing to build what became known as the Ferguson-Brown tractor. The tractor failed to sell in sufficient quantity and this arrangement ended in 1938, with Ferguson-Brown Limited becoming David Brown Tractors. By this time, David Brown had been working on their own tractor design for perhaps 18 months, launching it at the Royal Agricultural Society’s show at Windsor in July 1939. Production was established at a new facility at Meltham Mills in the Pennines later that year but, of course, the war intervened. Unlike civilian cars, tractor

difficult conditions; a large David production continued through the Brown winch was mounted at the war, with the model eventually rear. A total of 1,250 examples of the identified as the VAK1; an industrial VIG1/462 were built, and this became model was also marketed under the the RAF’s standard aircraft tractor designation VAG1. until well into the ‘fifties. In 1941, the Air Ministry asked David Brown Tractors was David Brown to develop a version of purchased by Tenneco Inc, the the tractor that would be suitable for American owners of the Case brand, towing heavy aircraft, bomb carriers, in 1972, and the use of the name was tankers and various other bits and pieces of wheeled discontinued. ■ equipment used by both Fighter Command and Bomber Command. The result was described as AW500 by the RAF, and as VIG1/100 by David Brown, and a total of 650 vehicles had been built by the end of 1942. In January 1943, the designation was changed to VIG1/462 to reflect the fact that a hydraulic torque converter was fitted in place of the standard In January 1943, the original Dav id Brown VIG/100 was replaced clutch to improve towing by the VIG1/462, which had a hyd rau lic torque converter fitted in performance under place of the sta

ndard clutch to improve towing performance under difficult conditions; at the same time, a large David Brown winch was mounted at the rear. (Key Arc hiv

e)

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Sectional view of the David Brown VIG1/462 showing the relative positions of the engine, torque convertor and transmission, and the rear-mounted winch and earth anchor.

David Brown VIG1/462 delivering a trailer load of bombs to an Avro Lincoln heavy bomber. A total of 1,250 examples of the VIG1/462 were constructed, and this became the RAF’s standard aircraft tractor until well into the ‘fifties. (Key Archive)

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In first gear, the David Brown tractor developed a drawbar pull of 4,500 lb (2,045kg) which was more than equal to the task of towing this trailer loaded with a newly-developed 12,000 lb (5,454kg) blockbuster bomb. (Key Archive)

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COMMER CARS

The 15-cwt Commer Beetle was prototyped in 1935, with some 400 examples ordered later that year. The open cab, canvas roll-up doors, and folding aero screens were typical of military vehicles of the period.

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riginally founded in the south London district of Clapham in 1905, under the name Commercial Cars Limited, the Commer company moved to new premises at Luton in 1906, and started to market a 36HP bus chassis in August of that year; trucks followed soon after. The company supplied large numbers of its Model RC 4-ton truck to the British Army during WWI, but the difficult market conditions experienced by many truck makers in the mid-twenties saw Commer taken over by Humber in 1926, when the name was officially changed to Commer Cars Limited. In 1928, Humber was taken over by the Rootes Group, with Karrier Motors also absorbed into the Group in 1934. The take-over of Karrier saw some standardisation of design between the two truck makers.

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The RAF purchased some B30 Raider 30-cwt trucks from 1932, and examples of the 25-cwt N1 went to the Army from 1937, but the most numerous military Commer of the pre-war years was the 15-cwt Beetle. Like Bedford, Commer had submitted a 15-cwt prototype cargo truck for military trials in 1935. The vehicle acquitted itself well, and the company was rewarded with an order for 400 examples. In 1939, Commer launched the Superpoise Q range, covering five weight classes from 30 cwt to 6 tons. Following the outbreak of war, these vehicles were purchased in large numbers for military use, with some 20,000 examples constructed. Often fitted with larger wheels and tyres, the military variants were generally downrated when compared to their

commercial equivalents, the smallest being the 15-cwt Q15, the largest, the 3-ton Q4; examples of the civilian 12-cwt van, the 30-cwt Q2, and 6-ton Q6 were also supplied for military use. Vehicles in the 12- and 15-cwt class were powered by a Humber fourcylinder engine producing 42bhp from 1,944cc, whilst all of the larger vehicles were fitted with a six-cylinder Commer 81bhp engine of 4,086cc. There was also a 2-ton forwardcontrol tractor, designated as both Q2 and Q3, for use with a semi-trailer, most famously with the RAF’s ‘Queen Mary’ trailer intended for carrying aircraft wings and fuselages. The Commer name disappeared in 1976 when Chrysler, who had bought the Rootes Group in 1973, decided that future commercial vehicles would be badged as Dodge. ■

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Commer Q2 15-cwt 4x2 van, one of a number of similar vehicles supplied to the RAF, with bodywork by Mulliners . The original 3,180cc six-cylind er engine was subsequently replaced by a mo re powerful 4,085cc unit. The oth er three trucks are Austin K6s.

Powered by a four-cylinder Humber side-valve engine of 1,944cc, the Commer Q25 was, as the name suggests, rated for a load of 25 cwt. A total of 125 were supplied to the Royal Navy in 1944.

‡ View of the Beetle prototype with the canvas cab roof erected. The truck was powered by a six-cylinder petrol engine, producing 23bhp from 3,040cc, and driving through a four-speed gearbox. Brakes were mechanically operated and the live axles were suspended on semi-elliptical multi-leaf springs.

… The largest of the Commer Superpoise range was the 3-ton Q4, powered by a six-cylinder 4,086cc engine, driving the rear wheels through a fourspeed gearbox. Large numbers were produced, with most bodied as cargo vehicles, but there was also a workshop vehicle, and mobile recruiting office.

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Amongst the militarised Superpoise trucks was this Commer Q2, a 30cwt general-service (GS) cargo vehicle, of which more than 400 were supplied; most were bodied for the cargo role, but there was also a diesel-engined explosives van. The RAF also received a quantity of similar Q15 trucks in late 1940, rated for a 15-cwt load.

Commercial Commer Superpoise cargo truck as supplied to the Royal Navy and rated for carrying 2 tons or 20 passengers; the engine would have been the six-cylinder 4,085cc unit. The Superpoise range was introduced in March 1939 and was available in a range of wheelbase lengths, and with capacities from 30 cwt up to 6 tons.

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FORD & FORDSON

A sticker on the windscreen of this Ford Thames 7V states that it is a ‘WD vehicle’. Introduced in 1937, and powered by Ford’s ubiquitous V8 sidevalve petrol engine, the 7V was produced in weight classes from 2 to 7 tons, and was used for various non-military roles; this example is fitted with an Eagle gulley-cleaner body. The ‘Thames’ name was adopted in 1939.

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ord started importing vehicles into Britain in 1904, and, by 1911, a factory had been established at Trafford Park in Manchester where, alongside the ubiquitous Model T motorcar, both 7-cwt and 1-ton trucks were produced. Large numbers of Ford Model T trucks served with the British Army during WWI and well into the ‘thirties. The Model T was replaced by the Model A in 1928, and this in turn was superseded by the Model B in 1932, with small numbers of both types finding military customers, including Britain. Ford trucks and tractors constructed in Britain from 1933, were badged as Fordson, and the RAF purchased quantities of the Fordson 79 30-cwt truck, including some 6x6 ‘Sussex’ conversions by

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County Commercial Cars; both the RAF and the Royal Navy also procured the Fordson E88W 25-cwt truck during the late ‘thirties. Like all British motor manufacturers, during WWII, Ford turned its production facilities over to defence work, building cars, trucks, tractors, engines, including some 30,000 Merlin aircraft engines, and tracked carriers. Amongst these, the WOA1, for example, was a heavy motorcar, basically a militarised version of the civilian Model 62 of 1938, and there was also a similar heavy utility vehicle, designated WOA2. These vehicles remained in production between 1941 and 1947, with a total of 11,754 built. Other civilian-style hybrid vehicles were also supplied to the military

during this period, many consisting of a mix of British and American parts. But Ford’s major automotive contribution was the WOT (‘War Office truck’) series, a family of V8-engined purpose-designed military vehicles, ranging from 15 cwt to 3 tons in capacity, of which some 190,000 examples were constructed. Of these, only the 30-cwt WOT8 and the 3-ton WOT6 offered all-wheel drive. Civilian production resumed in 1945, using the name Ford Thames, which had actually first been used in 1939, but Ford scarcely participated in the post-war re-equipment of the British Army. In 1986, Ford sold its British truck operation to the Italian Iveco group, with vehicles subsequently badged Iveco-Ford. ■

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Nicely restored Ford – or, more properly, Fordson – WOT2A 15cwt 4x2 cargo or infantry truck. The photograph shows the typical early production model with aero screens, and an open cab, lacking doors; late production vehicles had a full-height windscreen and metal half-height doors with side-screens. Almost 60,000 were built between 1939 and 1945, and other body types included a van, wireless vehicle, fire service vehicle, etc. (Simon Thomson)

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 Fordson 3-ton WOT1 6x4 truck equipped as a balloon winch; other body types included ambulance, crew bus, dental surgery, fire tender, signals van, searchlight mount, etc. The truck was in production from 1940 to the end of the war, and almost all of the 9,154 examples produced went to the RAF. The WOT1A and WOT1A/1 had a longer wheelbase and a two-speed auxiliary gearbox.  The Fordson Model F tractor was introduced in 1918, and remained in production, as the slightly modified Model N, until 1945. The Dagenham plant produced more than 136,000 during the war, with thousands put to work on the land, allowing an additional seven million acres of land to be brought into arable production. The tractor was also to be found on RAF airfields where it was used to move bomb trains, and as an aircraft tug; this example, with its Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) driver, is towing nine bomb trailers. (Key Archive)

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Photographed in September 1942, this Fordson Model N tractor is delivering bombs to a Westland Whirlwind fighter-bomber. The purpose of the front-mounted equipment on the tractor remains a mystery. (Key Archive)

Late model Fordson WOT2 with the semi-enclosed cab. Like all of Ford’s war-time production, the WOT2 was powered by a side-valve V8 petrol engine of 3,621cc; power output ranged from 60-85bhp, according to application. Ford produced 262,007 of these engines during the war years.

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had a semi-enclosed The Ford WOT2E (seen here), and the WOT2H both s. The slight gloss to door half l cab, a full-height windscreen, and meta was taken during ph ogra phot the finish of the truck suggests that the standard finish for the was n the post-war years when Deep Bronze Gree the equivalent of – n sma craft E British Army trucks; the driver is a REM ‘private’.

The legend on the door tells the whole story… this WOT8 3-tonn er is the 25,000th 4x4 truck to be bui lt by Ford’s Dagenham plant dur ing WWII. Total production of Ford military vehicles during the war was in the order of 185,000.

Civilian-registered Fordson Model N tractor coupled to an RAF refuelling trailer. The aircraft, which is being refuelled by an open nozzle, is an Avro Anson. (Key Archive)

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 Fordson 30-cwt WOT3 truck photographed at the RAF technical training school in late 1941. The truck is bodied as a general-service cargo vehicle, but the same chassis was also used for other applications, including a short-wheelbase aircraft tractor conversion by Allan Taylor, described as the Tructor. (Key Archive)

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Interior cab view of the WOT3 showing the driver’s controls.

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Line-up of RAF 30-cwt Fordson WOT3 cargo trucks, complete with WAAF drivers; the third truck in the line-up has the earlier one-piece fixed windscreen. Something like 18,000 WOT3 trucks were built between 1939 and 1944. (Key Archive)

Below: The Fordson WOT6 was a forward-control 3-ton 4x4 truck, which went into production in 1942, with almost 30,000 examples completed by the time production ended in September 1945; the WOT8, of which there were 2,500 examples, was similar, but rated for a 30cwt load. Most WOT8s were equipped with a steel generalservice (GS) cargo body, but there also machinery, workshop, breakdown gantry, and container versions, the latter for the RAF.

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GUY MOTORS

Prototyped in 1935, the somewhat ungainly Guy Ant was a 15-cwt truck, constructed to a military specification, but using as many commercial components as possible. Most examples were bodied as a general-service (GS) infantry vehicle, but other variants included a house-type radio body, and this single compressor truck supplied under contract number V3028. Total production amounted to 6,330.

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idney S Guy, the former works manager at the Sunbeam Motor Car Company, established Guy Motors in Wolverhampton in 1914, his first vehicle being a 30-cwt truck. During WWI, Guy 30-cwt trucks were supplied to the British Army and to Britain’s allies, and numbers of civilian vehicles were also impressed into service. The company produced its first purpose-designed military vehicle, a 30-cwt ‘subsidy’ model, in 1923. During the ‘thirties, the British Army purchased examples of the 3-ton 6x4 BAX, as well as the forwardcontrol derivative designated FBAX; deliveries of the latter continued throughout the war years. The QuadAnt 4x4 gun tractor appeared in 1937, based on the company’s Ant truck, with the latter also supplied to the military. The Quad-Ant chassis was also used to prototype the Lizard 3-ton 4x4 truck, although there was never any series production. In 1944, the Quad-Ant tractor was replaced by

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Dating from 1939, the Guy Lizard was version of the 15-cwt 4x4 Quad-A a forward-control 3-ton 4x4 cargo truck, effectively an uprate d nt. Prototypes were produced, but although the same chassis was there was no series production used to construct 21 armoured , command vehicles in 1940.

a 15-cwt truck using essentially the same chassis; although little more than a handful were produced, this was the first British 15-cwt truck to be manufactured with all-wheel drive. Licensed civilian users were also able to purchase the Vixant, a very

basic version of the Vixen using some Ant parts. In 1961, the company went into receivership, and was eventually sold to Jaguar Cars, thus ending up as part of the mighty Leyland group from 1968. Production ended in 1979. ■

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Guy petrol-electric searchlight truck derived from the company’s Otter civilian chassis and powered by the same type of Meadows 4ELA engine as the Ant and QuadAnt; the engine was connected directly to the generator, driving the gearbox via the generator and supplying current to the searchlight only when the truck was out of gear. A total of 800 were constructed between 1937 and 1939.

en 1938 r, one of 3,878 produced betwe cto tra ry ille art eld fi Ant adQu Guy of six, ed accommodation for a crew er with vid pro y bod r rea The 4. 194 and togeth for 96 rounds of ammunition, together with stowage space ssis was cha this of n sio . A modified ver nds rou ing erc -pi our arm ht eig Guy armoured car. also used as the basis for the

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Large numbers of the Guy FBAX 3-ton 6x4 truck were supplied during the ‘thirties, with many remaining in service during WWII. Most were fitted with the general-service (GS) cargo body but other variants were equipped for the breakdown derrick, bridging, searchlight, machinery, workshop, and wireless roles. The engine was a four-cylinder side-valve unit producing 76bhp from 5,112cc.

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Guy FBAX workshop truck, with the body side dropped down to provide a working platform; the side panel could also be double folded to provide a bench.

Newly-completed Guy FBAX searchlight truck. A 24kW generator was installed behind the cab, driven by a power takeoff from the transmission.

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KARRIER MOTORS

Despite its decidedly ‘thirties appearance, the 3-ton 4x4 Karrier K6 was introduced in late 1940, with just over 3,500 examples constructed. Some were equipped with a 4.5-ton vertical winch between the chassis rails ahead of the rear axle; models lacking the winch can be identified by the deeper body sides with wheel-arch cutouts. There was also an air-portable version, fitted with a cab that could be split at the waistline.

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he Karrier company can trace its roots back to 1907 when it was established by Clayton & Company to make Karrier cars, but, by 1913, a 3-ton ‘subsidy’ type truck was also in production under the designation WDS, and, at the end of WWI, the British Army had 1,738 Karriers. The name of the company was changed to Karrier in 1920 and, at the same time, the ‘subsidy’ truck was developed into the civilian K-Type. By 1924, the company was making 17 different models. A decade later, Karrier was taken over by the Rootes

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Group and production was moved to Luton, resulting in some design standardisation between the products of Karrier and Commer. During the interwar years, the company supplied its 3-ton WO6, and forward-control FM6 trucks to the British Army; forward-control versions of the WO6, designated WO6/A and WO6/B, were also supplied to the Indian government, as was the Karrier FWD artillery tractor. The company’s war-time record included the K6 3-ton 4x4 truck, the CK6 3-ton 6x4 truck, the KT4 4x4 field

artillery tractor, and the Humber armoured car – which was apparently not identified as Karrier in order to avoid confusion with the word ‘carrier’. The total number of military trucks produced during the period 1939-45 was in the order of 10,000. Civilian production resumed in 1945 with the Bantam and the CK3, but there were no post-war Karrier military vehicles. New models were introduced in 1963, but the Rootes Group was acquired by Chrysler in 1973, and, by 1976, the Karrier name had disappeared. ■

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‡ Dating from the mid-thirties, the Karrier CK6 3-ton forward-control 6x4 truck was manufactured to the same specification that had resulted in the AEC Marshal, Albion BY3/BY5, Crossley IGL8, Guy FABX, Leyland Retriever, and Thornycroft Tartar. From 1941, production was concentrated on the Albion, the Karrier, and the Leyland. Most were fitted with a generalservice (GS) cargo body. … The Karrier K6 was powered by a six-cylinder side-valve engine of 4,086cc, driving all four wheels through a four-speed gearbox and two-speed transfer case; the front axle could be disengaged when not required. This example was photographed on the pierhead of Mulberry Harbour B in 1944.

Karrier CK6 small box-girder bridging vehicle. The CK6 was fitted with the same type of six-cylinder 4,086cc engine as the K6.

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Karrier CK6 bridging vehicle equipped for carrying pontoons and the folding boat equipment; other bodies included cargo, machinery, and workshop vehicles.

Bodied by BLSP of Slough, the winch-equipped Karrier KT4 ‘Spider’ field artillery tractor was initially constructed for the Indian Army during 1939-42, for towing 18-pounder and 25-pounder guns. A total of 103 were also supplied to the British Army under contract V4824. The engine was the six-cylinder 4,086cc unit fitted to other Karrier military vehicles.

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68

LEYLAND MOTORS

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F Delivered to the British Army in 1937 for use as a cargo/artillery tractor, the Terrier was rated at 3 tons. The truck was powere d by a six-cylinder Leyland pet rol engine producing 80bhp from 8,990cc.

Although a total of 6,542 Leyland 3-ton Retrievers were supplied during the war years, the design harked back to the mid-thirties. The engine was a Leyland four-cylinder petrol unit of 5,895cc, producing some 73bhp, driving the rear wheels through a four-speed gearbox. Most were bodied as cargo vehicles, as here, but other roles included breakdown, machinery, workshop, derrick, pontoon and folding boat equipment, trestle or sliding bay bridge, small box-girder bridge, communications and mobile crane.

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ounded by James Sumner in 1896 as the Lancashire Steam Motor Company, Leyland Motors went on to became one of Britain’s largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles, eventually swallowing up most of the competition. The name was changed to Leyland Motors in 1907, and, the company supplied its first military vehicles, in the form of the X3, during the same year. During WWI, Leyland supplied almost 6,000 examples of the 3-ton 4x2 S4X4 and S5X4 truck that was generally described as the ‘RAF-type Leyland’. In the late-twenties, Leyland, along with many other manufacturers, produced a 3-ton 6x4 ‘subsidy’ truck, in this case identified as the Terrier, many of which were supplied directly to the War Office. Both normal-control and forwardcontrol versions were produced under the same name. Diesel engines were first fitted in 1933. By 1939, the Terrier had evolved into the 6x4 forward-control Retriever. Production continued through WWII, with some 6,500 examples. Other Leylands constructed during WWII included the 3-ton Lynx, the 6-ton Badger, which was basically a commercial vehicle, and the 10-ton Hippo. The latter was produced in two marks’, the original Mk I being little more than a pre-war commercial vehicle to which had been fitted a military open cab, whilst the Mk II, which appeared in 1944, was designed for trucking large amounts of cargo across northwest Europe following the invasion. Leyland continued to be a significant supplier of military vehicles during the decades following WWII and the company gradually absorbed most of its rivals. However, the acquisition of British Motor Holdings proved to be a step too far and, in 1975, the British Leyland Motor Corporation was nationalised. In 1987, the company was sold to DAF, with the resulting Leyland-DAF company going into receivership in 1993. Leyland now belongs to the American Paccar group. ■

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se-type body for the Leyland Retriever fitted with a hou radio communications role.

† Line-up of newly-completed forward-control Leyland Terrier 6x4 chassis outside the Leyland factory. The truck had also been produced as a 3-ton ‘subsidy’ vehicle with a normal-control cab.

Leyland Retriever fitted with a 3-ton derrick crane on a flat platform body. A 5-ton winch was fitted under the chassis, driven by a power take-off, and swing-up legs at the rear were used to support the chassis during lifting operations.

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‡ This Retriever is equipped for the bridging role, and is fitted with the ‘pontoon body number 5’, designed to carry either a landing-bay unit or a floating-bay unit; the four towers were provided with small hand winches at their bases, to allow the bridging equipment to be loaded and unloaded.

Leyland Retriever fitted with a house-type body for photographic processing,

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one of 10 supplied under contract V4446.

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Leyland Retriever bridging vehicle, fitted with a body for carrying bridging pontoons and folding boat equipment.

The open-cabbed 10-ton Leylan d Hippo Mk I was introduced in 1939, with a total of 330 examples supplied. It wa s basically a militarised civilian truck, fitted with an 8,990cc diesel engine driving the rea example has the horizontal plate r wheels through a five-speed gearbox. This often fitted ahead of the passen ger seat on many WWII British military vehicles; the plate was coated with gas-indic ator paint.

ˆ Rated at 10 tons, the Leyland Hippo Mk II was introduced in 1944 and was intended for shipping supplies to the advancing Allied armies in northwest Europe. The engine was a six-cylinder diesel of 7,399cc, producing 100bhp, driving through a five-speed gearbox. Production continued after the war; there was also a later Mk IIA, with different tyre and wheel equipment, and a Mk IIB. (Leyland Motors)

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

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MORRIS & MORRIS-COMMERCIAL

Powered by a four-cylinder engine of 3,519cc, the forward-control Morris-Commercial 30-cwt 6x4 CDF, and the similar winch-equipped CDFW, went into production in 1934, and was discontinued in 1940. The photograph shows a general-service (GS) cargo vehicle being used for cable laying. There was also a normal-control variant designated CD.

M

orris-Commercial was established at a factory in Birmingham’s Soho district in 1924 by William Morris (later Lord Nuffield), with the first model produced by the company being the 1-ton T-Type that effectively remained in production until 1939. Heavier vehicles quickly followed, with the 2-ton six-wheeled D-Type, introduced in 1927, finding success with both military and civilian customers. The company moved to Adderley Park in 1930, launching the 12-15cwt R-Type during the same year; the 2.5-ton P-Type came along in 1933, with the 6x4 C-Type, available in both normal- and forward-control configurations, appearing in 1934. Both the C-Type and the subsequent

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D-Type proved popular with the British Army, with the 30-cwt CDFW remaining in production until 1939. In 1934, Morris also delivered the first of what would become thousands of examples of the ubiquitous 15cwt 4x2 general-service (GS) truck. Designated CS8, early examples were powered by a sixcylinder engine of 3,485cc, but during the early years of the war this was replaced by a four-cylinder unit of 3,519cc, leading to a change in description to C4. In 1944, production switched to a 4x4 variant, now described as the C8. The design was developed through three ‘marks’ and was equipped for a variety of roles. The CDSW 6x4 variant, powered by the six-cylinder 3,485cc

engine, went into production in 1935, and was bodied both as an artillery tractor and as a recovery vehicle. An 8-cwt 4x2 chassis was introduced in 1936, described as the PU; this was superseded by a 4x4 variant, with the designation altered to PU8/4, with limited production taking place during 1940 and 1941. Morris was also one of the suppliers of the light utility vehicle – or ‘Tilly’– producing more than 8,000 examples between 1940 and 1944. The Morris-Commercial name disappeared in 1956, with all subsequent truck production badged simply as Morris. In 1968, the use of the Morris name was also discontinued. ■

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The Morris light utility – or ‘Tilly’– was based on the company’s pre-war 10HP Series M motorcar and was powered by a fourcylinder overhead-valve engine of 1,140cc. Like the Austin, Hillman and Standard versions, there was a two-seater cab, with an open cargo space to the rear. Somewhere around 8,000 examples were constructed. The vehicle in the background is a Bedford JC Utilecon van. (Key Archive)

First in the line is a Morris-Commercial 15-cwt 4x2 CS8 truck, production of which started in 1934. Early examples had the typical open cab and aero screens of the period, but later models had a full-height windscreen and metal half-doors. (Key Archive)

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The Morris-Commercial CS8 was powered by a four-cylinder overhead-valve engine producing 60bhp from 3,485cc. This example, a wellladen general-service (GS) cargo truck, was photographed in the Western Desert.

cylinder side-valve petrol engine of Introduced in 1936, and powered by a sixmodel PU was fitted with a small 3,480cc, the Morris-Commercial 8-cwt 4x2 , radiator screen and front bumper pick-up body. Details such as the hubcaps indicate that this is a very early example.

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Very early Morris-Commercial CS8 equipped with a water tank, one of a batch of almost 500 supplied under contract V2850. Note the decidedly-ci vilian front bumper which was omitted from later production.

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The tubular frame supporting the canvas cover usually fitted over the rear body of the Morris-Commercial PU incorporated folding legs that allowed the cover to be removed from the truck and set-up on the ground as a temporary shelter.

‡ Rated for a 30-cwt load, the 6x4 Morris CDSW went into production in 1935, initially for towing field artillery, but with later versions equipped as a light anti-aircraft tractor and as a breakdown truck. The engine was the familiar sixcylinder unit of 3,485cc, driving the rear wheels through a five-speed gearbox.

‡ During 1940/41, the Morris-Commercial PU was superseded by an all-wheel drive version designated PU8/4. Both generalservice (GS) cargo and wireless variants were produced, with some 500 of the former, and 394 of the latter. The 8-cwt class fell from favour in the latter years of the war.

† Powered by a four-cylinder side-valve petrol engine of 3,519cc, the Morris-Commercial C8 4x4 field artillery tractor (FAT). Known generally as the ‘Quad’, the C8 artillery tractor went into production in 1939, with more than 10,000 constructed in three ‘marks’. The same all-wheel drive chassis was also used as the basis of an anti-tank gun portee and as an artillery predictor vehicle.

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The Terrapin Mk I was powered by a pair of Ford V8 side-valve engines, each of 3,621cc and arranged to drive the wheels on one side. There was skid steering, and no suspension, the vehicle relying only on the cushioning effect of low-pressure tyres. The surf shield at the front diverted water away from the front compartment.

Although it was designed by Thornycroft, the amphibious 8x8 Terrapin Mk I was manufactured by Morris-Commercial, with a total of 500 produced during 1943 and 1944. The vehicle was rated for a 4-ton load, with cargo compartments at front and rear.

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SCAMMELL LORRIES

The first Scammell Pioneer to be supplied in quantity was the R100 heavy artillery tractor. Like all of the Pioneer variants it featured a Gardener 6LW 8,369cc diesel engine driving the rear wheels through a six-speed gearbox. The centrally-pivoted front axle was suspended on a transverse leaf spring and the rear axle consisted of a pair of walking-beam gear cases that allowed the wheels to move up or down independently on either side of the vehicle.

S

cammell Lorries was established in Watford in 1922 by G Scammell & Nephew, a company that had previously specialised in the repair of steam wagons, and in coach-building. Designer Oliver Danson North joined the company in that same year, and Scammell quickly came to specialise in heavy trucks, particularly favouring a separate tractor and semi-trailer. The heavyweight 6x4 Pioneer was introduced in 1927. The centrallypivoted front axle, together with walking-beam gear cases at the rear, made the vehicle very suitable for military applications. The first

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Pioneer was acquired for tank transporting in 1932, but it was to be a further five years before more were purchased. Meanwhile, the Pioneer had also been adapted for use as a heavy breakdown vehicle from 1936, and as a heavy artillery tractor, from 1937. Despite its somewhat archaic design, the Gardner-powered Pioneer proved itself to be very reliable, and, although the company was never able to produce enough, it remained in service throughout WWII, with a total of more than 3,500 constructed. During the post-war years, the British Army purchased examples of

the Constructor and the Explorer, but, by 1955, financial difficulties saw Scammell absorbed into the Leyland Group. Military purchases continued with the Crusader medium tractors, the Commander tank transporter, and the DROPS (‘demountable rack offload and pick-up system’) logistical vehicles, although most production of the latter were badged Leyland. The Scammell plant was closed in 1998 and rights to the Commander and certain other models were sold to Unipower, and then to Alvis before disappearing at the turn of the century. ■

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

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The first of the Scammell Pioneer R100 artillery tractors were delivered in 1937, and the vehicle remained in production throughout the war with a total of 768 produced by 1945. The gun in this photograph is a 6-pounder (57mm) on a solid-tyred carriage.

t. The ell Pioneer TRMU/30 tractor uni Head-on shot of an early Scamm k. tan der hea d from the radiator name was subsequently omitte

‡ Close-up view of the sprung turntable that was used to connect the Pioneer TRMU/30 tractor to the TRCU/30 semi-trailer; unlike the trailer of a modern articulated outfit, the truck and trailer were bolted together via this turntable.

In October 1939, production of the Scammell Pioneer breakdown vehicle switched to the SV/2S variant which featured a three-position sliding jib that was easier to use. A total of 1,975 were constructed.

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‡ With the first examples delivered in 1936, the Scammell Pioneer SV/1S and SV/1T heavy breakdown vehicle featured a collapsible jib which could be folded down into the timber body. Just 43 examples were constructed before the design of the jib was altered.

Scammell’s MH6 ‘Mechanical Horse’ was supplied to the Army, the RAF, and the Royal Navy, both as a 6-ton ballast-bodied tractor for drawbar trailers, as seen here, and as a 3-ton fifth-wheel tractor for semitrailers; some examples had open cabs. Total production amounted to around 414 vehicles. (Key Archive)

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05/10/2014 22:36

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86

THORNYCROFT

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

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F Post-war photograph of a Thornycroft Nubian 3-to n general-service (GS) cargo truck still wearing the lot number that indic ates it has recently been sold at auction. Military-surplus trucks were a popu lar choice with impecunious haulage companies for the decade following the war, with all-wheel drive models snapped up by fairground and circus oper ators.

With a total of 4,000 examples constructed from mid-1940, many destined for the RAF, the 3-ton 4x4 Nubian was Thornycroft’s most numerous contribution to the war effort. The truck was powered by a Thornycroft AC4/1 four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 85bhp from 3,865cc, and driving both the front and rear axles through a four-speed gearbox and two-speed transfer case; the axles featured epicyclic reduction gears at the hubs.

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ounded in Chiswick in 1862, Thornycroft was one of Britain’s earliest commercialvehicle builders, producing steampowered vans from as early as 1896. During WWI, Thornycroft supplied around 5,000 examples of the 3-ton J-Type ‘subsidy’ truck to the British Army. With a larger engine, production of the J-Type continued until 1926. In 1924, Thornycroft constructed a couple of dozen Hathi 4x4 artillery tractors, with examples serving in Britain, as well as in Australia and India, and during the ‘thirties, numbers of Thornycroft 3-ton forward-control A4, A5, and Tartar WO/AC4 and WOF/AC4 6x4 trucks were supplied to the War Office. These were typically equipped as cargo vehicles, workshop vehicles, and fuel tankers. Thornycroft’s contribution to WWII included some 4,000 Nubian TF/AC4 3-ton 4x4 trucks, and around 2,000 Amazon 6-ton WF8/ NR6 and WF/AC6 6x4 chassis, most of which were equipped as mobile cranes for the RAF. The company supplied smaller numbers of lightly-militarised commercial trucks, including the 30-cwt GF/ TC4 and HF/TC4, and the 3-ton WZ/TC4, ZS/TC4 and ZS/TC4/AC, as well as constructing universal tracked carriers. In 1948, the shipbuilding and truck-making parts of the company were separated, with the latter renamed Transport Equipment (Thornycroft) Limited. Production of the 3-ton Nubian continued into the post-war years, in both 4x4 and 6x6 configurations, but Thornycroft’s best-known post-war military vehicle was the Antar tank transporter, which remained in production from 1951 to 1963, although Thornycroft had been absorbed into AEC’s ACV Group in 1961. In 1962, ACV was taken over by Leyland, and some Thornycroft production was moved to Scammell’s Watford factory. Thornycroft was effectively closed down in 1969. ■

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s a 3-ton Thornycroft Tartar WO/AC4/1 wa y, but Dating from the late ‘thirties, the bod h a general-service (GS) cargo hop. 6x4 chassis, commonly fitted wit rks wo luding breakdown, stores, and also equipped for other roles, inc The . c AC4/1 unit fitted to the Nubian The engine was the same 3,865c a new model in 1941, designated d by WO/AC4/1 Tartar was supersede WOF/AC4/1.

‡ Newly-completed early Nubian TF/AC4/1 chassis showing the sump guard, driven front axle, and semi-elliptical leaf spring arrangement; clearance under the front axle was an excellent 13in (330mm). ˆ Drawing of the Nubian TF/AC4/1 chassis showing the position of the major components; note the centrally-placed transfer case.

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

‡ More than 1,500 of these Thornycroft ZS/TC4 searchlight vehicles were constructed between 1937 and 1940. The TC4 four-cylinder engine was coupled directly to a 24kW generator in the nose, whilst the 900mm diameter searchlight projector was carried in the rear body.

89

‡ One of about 1,800 Thornycroft 3-ton ZS/TC4 semi-forward control generator trucks as used by the RAF in conjunction with a photographic processing semitrailer. The generator was mounted ahead of the engine, and there was a large water tank at the rear. The same chassis was also used as a searchlight truck, and parachute repair vehicle.

Although rated for a military load of 30 cwt, the Thornycroft HF/TC4 was effectively a lightly-militarised forward-control version of the company’s Nippy 3-tonner, with 150 constructed during 1939. The engine was a TC4 four-cylinder unit of 3,865cc. … Although the Terrapin 4-ton 8x8 amphibian was designed by Thornycroft, a lack of production capacity meant that the Mk I variant was manufactured by MorrisCommercial. The Mk II variant, seen here, was produced in very small numbers by Thornycroft. The vehicle was uprated to 5 tons and the hull was redesigned to give a single, larger, cargo area combined with a forward cab; power was still provided by twin Ford V8 petrol engine, with each engine driving the wheels on one side of the vehicle, and the skid-steering and solid suspension features were also carried across.

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Rear view of the Thornycroft Amazon crane truck. The short-wheelbase WF/AC6/1 seen here was eventually superseded by a long-wheelbase variant, designated WF8/NR6; late examples were fitted with the Coles Mk VII Series 7 crane. Total production amounted to 1,432 short-wheelbase variants, and 388 long; the same chassis was also used as a tractor for semi-trailers.

View of the driving compartment of the Thornycroft Terrapin Mk II showing the steering position; levers below the steering wheel allow the roa d wheels to be disconnected from the drive. Not e the control to the driver’s right allowe twin rev counters, one for each engine. A d the winch drive to be engaged.

† Like the HF/TC4, the Thornycroft WZ/TC4 3-ton 4x2 cargo truck was also based on a civilian vehicle, in this case the 5/6-ton Sturdy model. A total of 1,800 were produced, including 400 examples of a short-wheelbase version equipped as a three-way tipper.

ˆ Mounting a Coles Mk VII, Series II petrol-electric crane, the Thornycroft Amazon short wheelbase WF/AC6/1 6-ton truck was supplied to the RAF from the late ‘thirties. The engine was a six-cylinder unit producing 100bhp from 7,759cc.

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OTHER MANUFACTURERS BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

91

Powered by a four-cylinder petrol engine of 5,266cc, the Crossley Q4 – or FWD Type 1 – was a 3-ton 4x4 chassis favoured by the RAF and equipped for a variety of roles, including signals, fire-crash tender (as seen here), breakdown, cargo, workshop, and tractor for semi-trailers. A total of around 11,000 were constructed, with some also used by the Dutch Air Force and the Danish Army Air Corps.

T

he Royal Army Ordnance Cops (RAOC) publication ‘Allocation by central census of B vehicle WD numbers’, dated 1945, lists 83 manufacturers. Of these 83, there are just 28 suppliers of what the Army would have described as ‘lorries’ or ‘utility vehicles’, the rest being manufacturers of motorcars, mobile cranes, industrial trucks, road rollers, and trailers, as well as some armoured cars and tracked vehicles. Whilst companies such as AEC, Bedford, Ford, Morris-Commercial, Leyland and Scammell are well-known, and most supplied trucks that could be numbered in the thousands, there were many smaller manufacturers who made an equally valuable, albeit more modest, contribution to the war effort. Eight further companies are worthy of special mention. For example, Crossley Motors, based in Stockport between 1912 and 1956, supplied 11,000 Q-Type (‘AWD Type 1’) 3-ton all-wheel drive trucks and tractors, mostly to the RAF. Other products included the 3-ton IGL3 truck, equipped either as a breakdown vehicle or fire tender, and the IGL8, a 3-ton forward-control 6x4, usually equipped either as a cargo vehicle,

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workshop, mobile crane, or searchlight vehicle. Dennis Brothers of Guildford were busy building Churchill tanks and trailers, but also found time to supply examples of a 6-ton truck based on the commercial Max Mks I and II, as well as a 3-ton tipper dubbed ‘Pig’ on account of its appearance. The company also prototyped the ‘Octolat’, a twinengined 6x6 artillery tractor, but there was no series production. ERF of Sandbach supplied their Gardner-powered 2C14 6-ton cargo truck, with a total of 423 constructed. Near neighbours, Foden’s contribution was the 10-ton DG/6/10 and DG/6/12, together with 150 examples of the 6-ton DG4/6, both similarly powered by Gardner diesel engines. Hillman and Humber both belonged to the Rootes Group. Between 1939 and 1943, Hillman supplied around 20,000 ‘Tillies’, together with a similar van variant for the RAF. Humber, who were better known for constructing wheeled armoured vehicles, produced a range of light military vehicles, including a heavy utility and an 8-cwt cargo/personnel carrier, using a 4x4 chassis with independent front suspension.

Although not generally known for building commercial vehicles, the Standard Motor Company of Coventry also provided a version of the ‘Tilly’ from 1938. The DC Series, or Mk I, was based on their 12HP motorcar and featured independent front suspension, whilst the later UV Series Mk II used components of the 14HP car, but still with the 12HP engine. Total production was in the order of 3,000 vehicles. Maidstone-based Tilling-Stevens Motors (TSM) built 437 of their TS19 3-ton petrol-electric searchlight lorries between 1935 and 1938, many of which remained in service during the conflict. The company also supplied more than 600 3-ton TS20 trucks, some of which were equipped with a generator, and bodied as searchlight trucks; others were bodied as ambulances for use by, for example, St John Ambulance. Of the remaining handful, GarnerStraussler supplied 23 twin-engined 4x4 field artillery tractors just before the war, whilst Armstrong Saurer, Coleman and Lacre supplied just one vehicle each, in the latter case, a street sweeper. ■

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Seen here equipped as an airfield fire tender and manned by a WRNS (Women’s Royal Naval Service) crew at an emergency airfield, the Crossley IGL3 was a 3-ton 6x4 chassis powered by a 5,266cc petrol engine. Note the Gnüss air springs at the front. (Key Archive)

Typical of British military trucks of the ‘thirties, the open-cabbed Crossley IGL8 was a forward-control version of the IGL 6x4 chassis, rated at 3 tons. Roles included general-service (GS) cargo truck, mobile crane, searchlight, breakdown, workshop, and derrick vehicles.

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BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

chlight truck. Crossley 3-ton IGL8 forward-control sear

93

Supplied to the Air Ministry for use with a drawbar trailer, the Dennis AM – nicknamed ‘Pig’ – was rated at 30/40 cwt, with almost 1,000 examples produ ced between 1939 and 1942. Power came from a four-cylinder 75bhp engine of 3,770c c, driving the rear axle through a four-speed gearbox and two-speed transfer case.

Dating from 1943, the Dennis Max Mk II remained in production until 1945, with a total of 1,000 constructed. The same 6,502cc diesel engine was used as in the Mk I, but the four-speed gearbox was replaced by a five-speed unit; the rear body had deeper sides, necessitating wheel-arch cutouts.

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Pre-war Dennis Max Mk I searchlight truck. Rated at 6 tons for military applications, the Max Mk I was powered by a Dennis four-cylinder directinjection diesel engine developing 77bhp from 6,502cc. A further 500 of the vehicles were supplied during 1940/41 equipped with a cargo body.

ERF 2CI4 6-ton 4x2 cargo truck. The 2CI4 was based on a CI4 civilian truck and was powered by a Gardner 4LW four-cylinder diesel engine of 5,541cc. A longer-wheelbase variant was also produced, with total production of both types amounting to 423 examples.

‡ During WWII, Foden produced a total of 1,750 trucks for the War Office, including 150 of these forward-control DG4/6 trucks in 1940/41. The manufacturer’s designation DG4/6 indicates that the vehicle was powered by a four-cylinder engine, in this case a Gardner 4LW diesel, and was rated for a 6-ton load.

† Wearing Foden’s distinctive curved-front cab, designed to split at the waistline, this DG6/10, one of several hundred constructed between 1939 and 1941, is powered by a sixcylinder Gardner 6LW diesel engine of 8,369cc; later production vehicles were fitted with larger, military-style wheel and tyre equipment. This truck is designed for a 10-ton load, but there was also a similar 12-ton variant, designated DG6/12.

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05/10/2014 22:43

BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

95

A member of the Rootes Group since 1931, Hillman was one of the four manufacturers of the Army’s light utility vehicle – or ‘Tilly’. Based on the Hillman Minx 10HP pre-war car, the Hillman ‘Tilly’ was produced in six ‘marks’ that differed only in detail, with about 20,000 examples constructed. All were constructed on a unitary welded body/chassis, and were powered by a four-cylinder petrol engine of 1,185cc. Like many, this very bulled-up example remained in service into the post-war period; the vehicle was also used by the RAF.

Powered by a six-cylinder side-valve engine of 4,086cc, and based on the pre-war Super Snipe motorcar, Humber’s 8-cwt 4x2 truck was produced during the opening years of the war, both as a cargo vehicle and for the wireless role. Slightly more than 4,500 were constructed.

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96

wt fitted-for-wireless (FFW) variant; note View inside the cab of the Humber 8-c seats. the additional battery box between the

‡ View of the rear compartment of the Humber 8-cwt fitted-for-wireless (FFW) variant showing the radio operator’s table, radio stowage position and aerial base; note the seating for three men in a cloverleaf configuration. Using the standard Humber sixcylinder petrol engine of 4,086cc, this BBC war-time recording van was constructed using the same all-wheel drive chassis as that used for the Humber heavy utility vehicle, featuring independent front suspension by means of a transverse multi-leaf semi-elliptical spring. Other variants included an 8-cwt cargo/personnel truck, and fittedfor-wireless (FFW) vehicle.

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05/10/2014 22:44

BRITISH MILITARY TRUCKS OF WWII

97

The Standard ‘Tilly’ was originally supplied to the RAF; early examples featured independent front suspension and a civilian radiator grille (as seen here). Note the ‘Mickey Mouse ears’ camouflage.

Despite a decidedly home-made appearance, the Standard light utility – or ‘Tilly’ – was based on the company’s Flying Twelve motorcar and was powered by a fourcylinder petrol engine of 1,609cc. Around 3,000 examples are believed to have been constructed.

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437 examples of the petrol-electric Tilling-Stevens TS19 were Initially rated at 4 tons, although subsequently downgraded to the standard 3-ton weight class, of 5,115cc was coupled to a generator and this, in turn, drove constructed between 1935 and 1938, for use as searchlight vehicles. A four-cylinder petrol engine the rear wheels via an electric motor and two-speed Cotal transmission.

The Tilling-Stevens TS20 was used by St John’s and by the British Red Cross for ambulance repairs, and was also bodied as a searchlight vehicle for the Army. In this case, the petrol engine was a four-cylinder side-valve unit of 4,576cc, coupled to the rear wheels through a four-speed transmission; a 24kW generator was fitted in front of the engine to provide power for the searchlight. Contract records indicate that the Army received a total of almost 850 of these searchlight trucks during WWII.

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N E W!

A British invention born out of the stalemate of the Great War, the ‘Tank’ has become a key element on the modern battlefield that is both feared and respected on all sides. Since those early days when the tanks were little more than thinly armoured boxes, the modern Main Battle Tank has evolved into a sophisticated armoured fighting vehicle that is highly mobile, well protected and heavily armed. In this 100-page special we take a look at ten of the most important tanks to have been produced since their introduction to the battlefield in 1916 including:

BRITISH MARK V TANK

Not the first tank to be fielded in WW1, but the first to give control of the vehicle to just one man.

FRENCH RENAULT FT17 TANK

The first tank to use a turret, setting the pattern for most future tank designs for decades to come.

AMERICAN SHERMAN

The WW2 Sherman was the first tank to be designed to be mass-produced and went on to serve with armies all over the world, lasting well into the 20th Century.

GERMAN TIGER 1

The first of the ‘Heavy Tanks’ with near impenetrable armour, which established it as the most feared tank

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D-DAY!

A50162 1:72 D-Day Operation Overlord

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These D-Day gift sets will be available in June to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day. These four sets illustrate different stages during Operation Overlord and all of these come with vac-form bases to create the perfect diorama.

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All the models included in each of these sets are also available to purchase individually.

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