Moving the Plant

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Noel Burgess

Dont think we have had much info on this Forum about hauling Engineer Plant. My understanding as that a British Plant Section could not be moved in one lift (sshortage of tractors & trailers). I presume the same applied to most Allies (perhaps not the US units.
Anyway here are a couple of photos lifted from the AEC "contribution to Victory" booklet.
Does anyone else have some photos?
Noel

I apologize for my belated offering to this excellent thread Noel. The combination of my advancing years, getting up everyday at 0-dark-stupid, very long days in the Texas heat, and a couple of ice cold beers upon my arrival back home has left an impression upon one thing....my recliner! My wife must wake me up every night to tell me to come to bed. Anyway, enough kvetching, here's a couple of pictures of a U.S. Airfield Engineer battalion moving various pieces of kit. The first is a picture of a 38t self-propelled paving mixer (concrete?) on a trailer, the second a Caterpiller on a similar trailer...M20 I believe?


CHIMO! Derek

[Les Freathy]

Noel

Thats a good website, just when i think i cant find any more one always turns up, heres another of the White 666 cadging a little help from a dozer to get both trailer and digger out of the muck.
Derek i think the trailer in your second photo is a Rogers 20 ton flat bed built for hauling plant but seen on occasions loaded with tanks
cheers
Les

[Les Freathy]

A D8 tractor on a Crane 20 tonner all bulled up for the London Victory parae in 1946

[sapper740]

Gentlemen, start this youtube video and then stop it at exactly 17 secs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8JLcCzeHP8

It's a trailer from the 1954 film, "Men of the Fighting Lady" Two of the three Navy aircraft tugs on the elevator are Jeeps converted to three wheel tractors. I first noticed these tugs when watching the film...there was a brief shot of one and I wasn't sure I had seen it correctly. I searched the internet for more pictures to confirm and found this video clip. I've never seen or heard of such a conversion before...anyone with further info regarding these interesting little beasties?

Derek.

[Philliphastings]

Thanks for the interesting pics guys.

Are we looking at Cat D6's, D8's or both ?

I had enough trouble recovering my little D4 last year from out in the field where it had sat for at least 15 years. Just managed it with a 4 ton plant trailer behind my 1 ton forward control Landrover and a sturdy hand tirfor winch.

I would love to add a D6 to the collection but the logisics of moving it would be too much.

Cheers

Phill

[Anthony Main]

Derek,
The three wheel jeep was made by Willys & Modified by
O,E, Szekely & Associates,Philadelphia Pa.
It's purpose to provide a mobile power source of AC/DC current
for starting Jet type Aircraft!
Look for Instuction or parts catalog Type A-1 Self-Propelled power plant,
Anthony.

[Jeroen Sleijpen]

Originally Posted by sapper740

The first is a picture of a 38t self-propelled paving mixer (concrete?) on a trailer, the second a Caterpiller on a similar trailer...M20 I believe?


CHIMO! Derek

The first trailer is 20ton trailer and the one with the Cat loaded a 16ton Jahn trailer also produced by La Crosse, Fruehauf and steel products. The last one is seen on that picture.

[Noel Burgess]

Just revisited the IX Engineers site [ as in post #5 above] and see that they have digitised a few films. The first of these shows: -
Troops parade as a medal is presented
Vehicles and plant camoflaged at the roadside
-do- in convoy - see the screengrab below
loading onto LST
views of ships & craft off Normandy

Some of the films are rather poor quality but nonwtheless interesting

Here's the screengrab - looks like a british 3ton Fordson has got mixed into the convoy somehow - also look out for the ?1.5 ton Chevy NG? truck used by the film crew
Noel