wreckers and recovery
 

I had a search through the forum on wreckers and recovery vehicles and came to the conclusion that all were directed at specific items ie certain types of truck or recovery unit. As this is a broad subject thought it would be a good idea to start a thread on these vehicles in general leaving any specific items for the said threads. Prehaps if we take this thread up to 1945 and include any pre or wartime produced vehicles including demobbed post war items could go in to the military heavyweight thread or maybe start the same over there.
So to kick off here are a few Ward La France photos

scrap yard in france i believe

two good rear views

Scammell Pioneer changing a MK 1 Churchill engine, this may be just post war

Finally a Guy FBAX 6x4 gantry recovery, hopefully we will see a interesting selection from some of you guys as the thread moves along
cheers
Les

Hi Les,

That colour pic of the Ward La France is one I had sent you years ago. It was taken near Salonika in Greece and that is an ex-Greek army wrecker. Next to it is an International bus, probably ex-Hellenic Air Force and in front of it a GMC CCKW 353 in the typical MERDC type Greek cammo which shows it was still in service after 1976.

:cheers:
Fyll

The details visible
 

on the Guy FBAX of the support for the gantry beam shows cross bracing in the side framework in the fore and aft direction. Is there more bracing across the truck?
Has any one got any details of the sizes of the support frame members? or a drawing? Usually the wartime photos show the canopy fitted so these details are hidden.

Interesting thread Les.

Rob

Here is a picture of a Ward La France or Kenworth wrecker changing the engine on some heavy armour.
I downloaded this picture among others from a website with a large amount of high-quality pictures, all made in Normandy 1944, but I can't locate this website anymore.
As Rob mentions, a very interesting thread!

best regards,
Bertus.

Re: The details visible
 

hi Rob,

These Breakdown Gantry bodies were used right through to the Austin K6 in 1944. I have some recent experience of several of the Austin version, so am quite familiar with the construction. I do have a lot of photos of a body before restoration, showing all these details, but cannot find them at present. The front and rear "hoops" are made of substantial channel and the cross braces are to support them. The braces are only as you see them, all coming from a rectangualr plate affixed to the body sides. The ends of the braces are riveted to the plate. If I can find my photos, I will post the relevant ones.

Richard

Hi Fyll

Thanks for that info, yes i remember the set of photos that you sent must about 15 years ago now i still have the ones of the military parade but the Ward La France was seperated and i never made a note on the back. Talking of those photos there are some interesting items there from the earlyperiod some for this forum and some for the P.W forum why not put a few up for the members. I trust the sleepless nights are now over
cheers
Les

normandy website
 

Burts.22 did you mean this one?

http://www.ceris-normandie.com/archi...ndie/PhotosHD/

Wim

Hallo Wim, yes that is the one!
Thank you.

Best regards,
Bertus.

What is the P.W. forum?

Has anyone...
 

Come across any Commonwealth / British subjects on the Normandie archieves yet? I haven't checked every image, but yet to find anything.

Cheers
Kevin
:salute:

A nice restored Austin K6 gantry recovery in Royal Navy livery

And the two superb K6 recoverys owned by the R.E.M.E collection, these are the ones that Richard was involved with so he can add a story to the restoration that OK Richard.

Clive PW forum is the post war
Les

Good evening all!
Here is a picture I took this summer while visiting the National War & Resistance Museum at Overloon, Netherlands.
The manafacturer is Sterling, USA. A very rare wrecker.
Any one has more info on Sterling?

Best regards,
Bertus.

ID please?
 

I thought these were Diamond Ts, but the caption is Kenworth/Ward La France wreckers..

Re: ID please?
 

look like Kenworth 6 ton 6X6 M1 to me.

Cheers
Cliff :)

David, yes those are Ward La France or Kenworth wreckers. That is a very interesting picture, no markings, numbers on the vehicles
Do you have any idea when this picture was shot and the location?

Here is a picture of a Diamond T 969 wrecker I found on my hard disk, I can't locate the source at the moment.

Best regards,
Bertus.

Aha!
 

All to be revealed in due course! And keep those credit cards handy! Date? 1944 is my best guess..or 1943. Location? "Somewhere in England".

During my visit at National War & Resistance Museum at Overloon, Netherlands this summer I took a picture of a early model Kenworth/Ward La France wrecker, I believe this one is ex- Swiss Army.

Best regards,
Bertus.

M1 or M1A1?
 

I am guessing now 6-ton 6x6 Ward La France M1, or was it M1A1? With Gar Wood crane? Cheers!

David, I believe the first model, as in the last picture I posted with the round fenders/mudguards is the M1, and the one with the models shown in the picture you posted is the M1A1.
And then there are the series 1000/2000/3000 (M1A1).
I will have to look it up in my reference books.

Best regards,
Bertus.

Re: ID please?
 

David
Cliff,as usual beat us all to it,but just to confirm,he is right...
These were manufactured by both Kenworth and Ward -LaFrance
I'm not sure of the differences but the model here is the 10 Ton 6X6 M1 Ward-LaFrance wrecker..

Seems funny to see such a massive,powerfull truck with a 133BHP 6 cylinder 501C.I.D. engine and today we think nothing of sticking a 450 HP engine in a Mustang...
..

This thread has got off to a good start but there must be plenty more out there to be included, here are a couple more preserved Diamond T 969 wreckers the first if my memory serves me right is at Duxford it must have been at least 15 years ago. The second is at one of the very early IMPS rallies then held at the steam railway at Tenterden in Kent, Richard will remember these days i was on the committe then and trying to get that lot to form up for the arena was a nightmare. The venue was set on steep slopes with a vally in the centre so you could observe what all the others were up to without moving, all good fun though
Les

Tenterden

Might as well add another whist here a CMP wrecker in problems, looking at the state of the booms it may well have rolled

Working model....
 

Les..
One of our posters here at MLU is CWO Bill Mulholland...A.K.A..Uncle BILL ,Willy,and "Hey You"(By his good woman...)..
Bill knows more about Diamond "T"'s than anyone else in the Universe,including Newfoundland...
Bill has his own ,fully restored working model DT wrecker sitting in his shop at home in Beautiful down town Burton ,New Brunswick..
He has posted a few pictures of it before on MLU but he would be the ideal guy to get to do a magazine article for your mag...
He is a pretty humble guy so you may have to beg...
But he knows his DT's...
.

Pacific Car & Foundry...
 

Les
This is the granddaddy of the tractors in WW2,the Pacific Car And Foundry M26.....
Used in conjunction with the M25 40 Ton Trailer
It's purpose was to recover and transport tanks and material up to 80,000 pounds..
Had a Hall-Scott model 440 6 cyl. 1,090 C.I.D. 270
BHP engine...
Canada was still using them until at least 1960.