Northern Territory pics

[motto]

Charles 'Bud' Tingwell flew Mosquito aircraft out of Coomalie Creek with No 87 Squadron RAAF on photo recconaisance missions up into the East Indies in 1945
Bud's post service career in the entertainment industry later made his a household name but he never mentioned his war service most of which was spent on Spitfires in North Africa.

David

[Lang]

I at first thought that Chevrolet might be an American vehicle but it looks like RAAF , not USA, in small letters above the numbers. My Dodge WC53 Carryall only had those small letters for USA near the numbers on the original bonnet/hood markings not the usual large font.

Looks like Mike is spot-on as usual.

The American numbering system is close but not for this vehicle.

The first one or two numbers in the sequence determined the vehicle type.
Jeeps always had the prefix 20, which stood for ‘reconnaissance’ followed by the vehicle's registration number. For the first 99,999 jeeps this was a 5 digit number; later jeeps had 6 digits.

Registration Number Prefixes
Light Trucks 2
Reconnaissance Trucks & Jeeps 20
Medium Trucks 3
Trucks 2.5 - 5 ton 4
Trucks 5+ ton 5
Tanks 30
Tracked & Half-Tracked Vehicles (not Tanks) 40
Armored Cars & Special Command Vehicles 60

Lang

[Ken Smith]

The cab 12 Ford in post number 3 appears to be an ex anti tank portee converted to a load carrier GS with wooden body and canvas roof over the cab. A beautiful clear photograph of this conversion.
The photographer could have taken the photo a split second later when old mate was clear of the number plate on the front bumper.

I can't get a army registration number to fit the 4 or 5 digits showing, 43881 is the only Ford cab 12 and it isn't listed as a portee. If the digits showing are 38811 with a wonky 1 on the end, the only possible army number is 38811 a motorcycle or 138811 which is a MB Jeep.
I assume the registration number is a RAAF number.

Ken

[Lang]

Mike (Kelly)

If you go to Darwin you should spend some time in the library archives. They have a huge collection of NT photos not seen elsewhere.

I believe someone, at some stage, has dragged through all the AWM and other official sources to build the collection plus many direct donations and local newspaper records.

Your book find is a beauty!

Lang

[motto]

Going by the very much modified front mudguards on the Chev in post #7 it has been 'Australianised' but not completely. As Mike K says it is an American cab as evidenced by the one piece side windows. The cowl vent is another giveaway. The truck is RHD.
An anomaly appears in that the fuel filler neck is still on the original (R/H) side instead of having been shifted to the other end of the underseat tank as most were.
The tray body is not the American L/L pattern and is obviously fitted with some form of seating. The fellows in the rear row appear to be standing on their seats and an extra board is mounted on the side to provide a reasonable backrest.
As usual with these trucks the mix and match of components has a 'use what's available' feel about it.

David

[Lang]

David

Do you think it is a tipper with that very big chassis rail reinforcement?

Lang

[Lang]

Well Mike Kelly has inspired me to start looking at NT photos. Below is a small collection of "Darwin" keyword photos only, some actually just prewar.

A huge variety of vehicles.

[Lang]

And more of them

[Mike K]

Just a few notes:

I too noticed the RAAF Chev has the reinforcing plates along the chassis rails . Somebody mentioned this as being an Australian modification on these LL Chevs ?

Yes I noticed the cab 12 is missing its roof and the rear cab panel . I think this would be an army vehicle .

Didn't know about Bud Tingwell flying from Coomalie. Another noted 1960's HOMICIDE TV series actor was a Wellington bomber pilot, Leonard Teale. I read the autobiography of Vincent Ball, another Aust. actor, he was a WAG flying in Coastal Command in the UK.

I will scan a few more pics.

[Jon Skagfeld]

Originally Posted by motto

Charles 'Bud' Tingwell flew Mosquito aircraft out of Coomalie Creek with No 87 Squadron RAAF on photo recconaisance missions up into the East Indies in 1945
Bud's post service career in the entertainment industry later made his a household name but he never mentioned his war service most of which was spent on Spitfires in North Africa.

David

He also portrayed the prosecutor in "Breaker Morant."

[Lang]

Robin

It was a term for a low wagon or carriage for heavy loads (could even have referred to a sled for logs or rocks)

Carried over from the horse days but replaced with the modern expression "trailer"

Lang

[motto]

The application of the word drug to this type of transport would have to derive from the word drag and it may not have had widespread usage at any time and may spring from an individuals dialect.
I have a book on the early days of heavy haulage in Scotland and the north of England in which there is text and photographs relating to loads of up to 130 tons. The trailers on which these loads were carried usually had no steering as that would have increased the height of the load to an unacceptable level. These trailers had to be 'dragged' or skidded around corners.
Another comment made in the book is that the trailers didn't have any form of braking and that the wheel bearings had that much rolling resistance that motion would cease when you stopped pulling.
If that doesn't constitute a 'drag' I don't know what would.

David

[Lang]

Dave

Interesting word - no doubt from "drag"

I had never heard it until this thread but within a few days I saw reference to a "drug" on the battlefield in France in WW1 hauling a huge siege gun.

I found the reference I put up above on Google but I think it is one of the more simple mysteries of word origin.

The park drag carriage was a lighter, more elegant version of the Road Coach. A park drag (or simply drag) is also known as a "private coach" as it was owned by private individuals for their own personal driving. A park drag has seats on its top and is usually driven to a team of four well-matched carriage horses.

Maybe it comes from Mr Gurney who invented a use for his steam engine - "The Gurney Drag"



Lang