[Ian Johns]

I found this on another site and I thought it would interest some of you guys.
There's a lot of information there.

TRAILERS
Trailers are not often mentioned but they were used in increasing numbers and in a wide range of roles. Trailers had census numbers prefixed X.

Trailer 10cwt 2 wheeled Lightweight GS
The 10cwt Lightweight trailer was intended to be towed by a Jeep. The US supplied some lightweight trailers but this one was designed and built in he UK

Trailer 10cwt 2 wheeled GS No1
The 10cwt GS trailer was intended for towing by 15 cwt trucks. It had fixed sides, a drop tailboard and a canvas cover. There were supporting legs front and rear. Tires could be 5.00 – 16 on early models and 5.75 – 16 on later models.

Trailer 10cwt 2 wheeled GS No2
Generally similar to the No1 but with higher sides, 6.00 – 15 tires and fitted with a universal tow eye to enable it to be towed by any vehicles.

Trailer 10cwt 2 wheeled Mortar
The 10cwt Mortar trailer was towed by a Loyd Carrier and was used for the 4.2” mortar. There were fittings in the trailer for either
- a 4.2” mortar with base plate and 22 round of ammunition
- 44 round of ammunition.

Trailer 15cwt 2 wheeled Load Carrying
A heavier trailer with stronger springs and 9.00 – 20 tires. It had a wooden body with drop tailboard and a tarpaulin. There were adjustable supporting legs front and rear.

Trailer 15cwt 2 wheeled Pole Carrying
A long chassis with 9.00 – 20 tires was fitted with a 16 foot wooden body. This had fixed front and sides and a detachable tailboard. There was a locker for insulators etc over the rear end. Supporting legs, one at the front and two at the rear were jack screw type. Used for carrying telegraph poles (though not the large civilian types) to support telephone lines.

Trailer 15cwt 2 wheeled Water 180 gallons
This carried a 180 gallon water tank plus pumps, filters, hoses for collecting water from streams etc, filtering and then transporting it. Tires were 9.00 – 20 and supporting legs were fitted front and rear.

Trailer 2 wheeled Dental
This was a civilian type caravan with 6.50 – 17 tires. The body was 14 foot long and divided into reception, office and surgery compartments. The surgery was fitted with a dental chair and equipment. A carrier at the front carried a tent and poles to provide extra space. Four scissor type jacks were fitted, one at each corner.

Trailer 2 wheeled 22Kw Generating Set.
A widely used generator providing power for bakeries and laundries, as well as lighting for headquarters and power for radars. The chassis was unsprung and fitted with 10.50 – 20 tires and supporting jacks front and rear. The engine was a Lister 4 cylinder diesel and the generator was a Maudsley 22 Kw, 100 volt DC with a Lister switchboard. A tubular frame with canvas tilt and side curtains was fitted.

Trailer 1 ton 2 wheeled GS No5 MkIA steel body with fixed sides, drop tailgate and canvas cover. There are no supporting legs but the tailgate can be locked down in the vertical position to give support and a castor wheel is fitted to the drawbar. Tires are 9.00 – 13.

Trailer 1 ton 2 wheeled Water 180 gallons
A similar body, tank and equipment to the 15cwt water trailer is fitted to the later 1 ton trailer chassis. Tires are 7.50 – 20 and supporting legs are fitted.

Trailer 1 ton 2 wheeled Water Purification
Water purification equipment is fitted to the 1 ton trailer chassis with tyres as for the water tank.

Trailer 1 ton 2 wheeled Steriliser
Steriliser equipment is fitted to the 1ton trailer chassis.

Trailer 1 ton 2 wheeled Gas Welding
A standard 1 ton trailer is equipped with fittings for oxygen and acetylene cylinders, welding equipment and a welding table. Support legs are fitted.

Trailer 1 ton AA Command Post
A drop frame chassis with 9.00 – 13 tires is fitted with a flat platform body 10 foot long and 4 foot 4½ inches wide. A canopy can be erected to envelop the trailer all round to provide a working space for plotting aircraft movement.

Trailer 1 ton 2 wheeled Pigeon Loft
A 1 ton trailer chassis with 7.50 – 20 tires and support legs. A loft body for 60 birds plus stores and equipment is fitted.

Trailer 2 ton 4 wheeled GS dropside
A turntable trailer with detachable dropsides, a drop tailboard and tarpaulin. Tires were 9.00 – 13.

Trailer 2 ton 4 wheeled GS open (Canadian)
A turntable trailer with an all steel body with fixed sides, a drop tailboard and tarpaulin instead of a tilt. Tires were 9.00 – 16.

Trailer 2 ton 4 wheeled Beam Wireless
This trailer was for Wireless No 10. It had turntable steering 32 X 6 tyres and four supporting jacks.

Trailer 3 ton 2 wheeled Cable Drum
A simple design with a sprung axle and a long drawbar and a folding leg at the front. It could carry any of a variety of cable drums on trunions.

Trailer 4 ton 4 wheeled Bakery Machinery. See also Services/RASC/Non transport units.
The Mobile Bakery Machinery Trailer carried equipment based on that used in commercial bakeries at the time. It mixed the dough and divided it into two pound pieces.

Trailer 4 ton 4 wheeled Bakery Dough. See also Services/RASC/Non transport units.
The Bakery Dough Trailer carried four troughs in which the dough was left to rise.

Trailer 4 ton 4 wheeled Bakery Oven. See also Services/RASC/Non transport units.
The Bread Oven trailer had an oil fired furnace heating a two tiered oven which could hold 288 two pound loaves, in 48 pans each holding six loaves.

Trailer 4 ton 4 wheeled AOD with Bins
An ordnance store trailer with bins for storing smaller items.

Trailer 4 ton 4 wheeled AOD Open with Davit
An ordnance store trailer for carrying larger items and a davit for lifting them.

Trailer 5 ton 4 wheeled GS
A turntable trailer with 10.50 – 13 tires. The body was a flat platform with a fixed front board. Removable stanchions and chains were fitted down each side.

Trailer 5 ton 4 wheeled Cargo
A US built turntable trailer with 7.50 – 20 tires, twin all round. The body had removable wooden sides and a drop tailboard. A tarpaulin was supplied.

Trailer 5 ton 4 wheeled Smoke Generator (Haslar)
A conventional trailer for carrying Haslar smoke generators.

Trailer 5 ton 4 wheeled Smoke Generator (Esso)
A US trailer with four wheels close together in the centre. This carried Esso smoke generators.

Trailer 5 ton 4 wheeled Laundry Washer, Trailer type A. See also Services/Others/RAOC.
This was a washing trailer which carried rotary washing machine, a hydro extractor (spin dryer), and a soap boiler.

Trailer 5 ton 4 wheeled Laundry Boiler, Trailer Type D. See also Services/Others/RAOC.
This was a trailer to provide hot water and hot air.

Trailer 5 ton 4 wheeled Laundry Dryer, Trailer Type C. See also Services/Others/RAOC.
This was the drying trailer and carried a continuous drying machine.

Trailer 5 ton 4 wheeled Laundry CCS. See also Services/Others/RAOC.
This was an all in one trailer providing laundry for casualty clearing stations.

Trailer 5 ton 4 wheeled Pontoon 50/60 Class. See also Services/RASC/Bridging Company.
This was a specially designed trailer for transporting and launching 50/60 class pontoons. Tyres were 9.00 – 20, twins all round. The chassis was a single central frame member which could be retracted to reduce the wheelbase from 18 foot to 12 foot 6 inches when not loaded. A launching frame on rollers carried the pontoon.

Trailer 2 ton 4 wheeled 150mm Projector (Searchlight)
This carried a 150mm searchlight. Tyres were 9.00 – 16 and there were three supporting legs.

Trailer 3 ton 4 wheeled 150mm Projector (Searchlight) with radar.
This heavier trailer carried the 150mm searchlight, plus its radar, IFF and control panel. It had a full cross country performance. Tyres were 10.50 – 16 and 3 levelling jacks were provided.

Trailer 5ton 4 wheeled Radar AA No3 Mk1I
A turntable trailer with 36 X 8 tyres, twin at the rear. There were three supporting jacks, one at the centre rear and two on folding arms at the front. A steel cabin has a rotor unit with 360 degree rotation. Two parabaloid aerials are mounted on the rotor and these can be tilted. A platform at the front carries a generating set. Originally a 10cm set for HAA fire control these sets were also used for mortar location and tracking meteorological balloons.

Trailer 5ton 4 wheeled Radar AA No4 MkIII
Similar trailer and body to above but with a rotating radar aerial for surveillance and target acquisition.

Trailer 5ton 4 wheeled Radar AA No1 MkII
An Ackermann steering trailer with 9.00 – 20 tyres. There are four supporting jacks on folding arms.

Trailer 5ton 4 wheeled Radar AA No4 MkV.
This was a US built trailer containing the US SCR 584 radar. In British service it used a detachable dolly with turntable. Rear wheels were dual.

Trailer 6 ton Freuhof Carriage of Tracks
A low loading, flat platform trailer with a gooseneck over the turntable. Tyres were 9.00 – 20 twins all round.

Trailer 6 ton Jahn Carriage of Tracks
Similar in all respects to the Freuhof trailer.

Trailer 7 ½ ton 6 wheeled Light Recovery. See also Services/REME/Recovery.
The Light Recovery Trailer was built by Crane and could be towed by any of the wheeled recovery lorries or tractors. The chassis was a tube with beams supporting the deck. Two tracks with adjustable chocks carried the casualty. In the centre was a wooden floor to carry the ramps and other equipment. There were jacks at the rear to support the trailer body when loading and unloading. A hand winch was fitted at the front and there were guide rollers to allow the towing vehicles winch to be used for loading. Suspension was in the form of torsion bars on the rear wheels.

Trailer 18 ton 4 twin wheeled Low Loader for RB excavator.
A simple platform body has wooden runners along the side to take the excavator tracks. For loading the rear must be lowered and the rear axle removed. Tyres were 10.50 – 20 twins all round.

Trailer 18 ton 8 wheeled Low Loader, Carrimore
Identical to the 20 ton 8 wheeled Crane model below except it has 11.25 - 20 tyres and cannot be loaded from the side.

Trailer 20 ton 8 twin wheeled Low Loader, Crane
A flat platform trailer with a straight frame, turntable steering and 36 X 8 tyres. It shares many components with the 40 ton trailers.

Trailer 20 ton 8 wheeled Low Loader, Crane.
A gooseneck design with turntable steering and eight wheels with 13.50 – 20 tyres. Loading is by jacking up the rear, removing the rear axles and lowering the frame to the ground. Side loading is possible without removing the rear axles. Designed for the carriage of road making machinery.

Trailer 20 ton 16 wheeled Low Loader, Multiwheeler
This trailer had a very low gooseneck over twin turntables using Ackermann steering. Wheels were arranged in sets of four wheels with 29 X 8 tyres. A flat platform body with wooden planking had chock rails down the sides. Designed for the carriage of road making machinery.

Trailer 40 ton 24 wheeled, Rogers
Trailer 40 ton 24 wheeled MkI
Trailer 40 ton 24 wheeled MkII
Diamond T tractors towed three different types of trailer. A 40 ton trailer had been designed in the UK and these were built as Trailer 40 ton MkI. The British Purchasing Commission ordered a similar, but improved trailer from Rodgers. This was rated at 45 US tons, or 40 long tons. Some of the improvements made by Rodgers were incorporated in the British built Trailer 40ton MkII. The most significant improvement was the elimination of outer guide rails which allowed wider tanks to be carried. Initially the Rodgers trailers went to N Africa and the 40 ton MkI to the UK. In 21 Army Group could be found Model 980 and 981 with either Rodgers or 40 ton MkII trailers. The 40 ton MkI trailer was relegated to other roles and usually towed by other types of tractor. These included:

Trailer 20 ton 24 wheeled Cargo Carrier.
40 ton MkI trailers had a flat wooden floor and pierced steel track welded to the sides to allow cargo, in particular ammunition, to be carried.

Trailer 30 ton 24 wheeled Carriage of Rails
40 ton MkI trailers had timber baulks fitted across the body to carry lengths of rail.

Trailer 45 ton tracked recovery
Designed to tow Churchill tanks across country. Speed was only 5mph. There was no springing so life on hard surfaces was short and the trailer needed carrying on a wheeled trailer. The trailer was carried on four Orolo track units and was a flat platform with chocks and ramps. A winch and an armoured compartment for the operator were at the front.

Trailer 80ton 40 wheeled
This trailer had been developed to carry the heavy Tortoise tank, which did not enter service. The trailer was carried on two separate bogies and large tyres giving a high loading height. The bed of the trailer was designed to be tilted by using hydraulic rams at the front end. This enabled heavy vehicles to be loaded without long ramps. This heavy trailer and load needed two Diamond T 980 tractors fitted with towing frames so that they could be linked. It was only used to recover heavy German Tiger and King Tiger tanks and transport them to the UK.

Trailer 4 wheeled Motor Boat Carrying. See also Services/RASC/Bridging Company.
A straight frame trailer on 10.50 – 13 tyres. A platform with rollers carried the motor boat and the platform itself could be extended and tilted to launch the boat.

Trailer 4 wheeled FBE. See also Services/RASC/Bridging Company.
A turntable trailer on 9.00 – 20 tyres. A tubular steel framework carried three folding boats. This trailer was no longer used to carry folding boats for FBE bridging but was used to carry light rafts.