Armoured bulldozer, Juno Beach

[Les Freathy]

Thanks for posting the photos Ted, now as you appear to be our man with knowledge on cylinders can you identify this Ford WOT 1 the cylinders seem to small for ballons but that said could this be one of the items mentioned that landed on D Day or could it be some form of fire and crash vehicle. I know this is not the thread to pursue this subject but as it is running in theme i am sure Derek will have no objections, the reason i need the info is a good friend and myself have beencarrying out a study on the Fords so he can draw a series of 1/76 scale plans on all the models some of which have been completed. Whilst here i am also having problems identifying the second photo, suggestions have been some form of photographic body or aircraft engine heating unit whilst we have enough to complete the drawing its not much use unless we can get I.D
cheers
Les

[ted angus]

Hi Les the left hand WOT1 is a fire crash tender. behind the cab is a wooden box arrangement that appears to go full width, I believe the outer portion at both sides was open and contained several 2 gallon extinguishers. the inner portion of the box had a hinge lid and this doubled as a crew seat. Behind the box can be seen a small cylindrical object; This contains an Asbestos blanket.
then there is a row of 3 30 gallon froth extinquishers these are very similar to those mounted on 2 iron cart wheels and positioned on POL points and outside hangers. They were also mounted on the early 1930s crash trucks. Each extinquisher unit fed a hose , the diameter of the hose would be similar to a hose reel on a modern day fire truck, the hose could terminate in a small applicator branch pipe or be attached to a lance which at its discharge end had a 90 degree bend the idea was it could be held over the burning item . The Karrier Bantam carried one of these extinquishers and on the picture you have posted on the MTD site you can clearly see the lance and the 90degree end ; One of the applicator ends can be seen in the WOT1 picture you have posted. adjacent to the asbestos blanket.
These ad hoc tenders appeared on both the 1938 and 39 versions of the Sussex and of course the WOT1 you picture. Duxford had a 1938 version at the outbreak of war. Cowley had a 1939 version. Nuffield's Cowley site was joint MAP and RAF, rebuilding aircraft. There was at least one other similar one on a forward control Crossley IGL7 6x4 tender in Iraq circa 1937. THe Bantam you picture is described as a domestic tender in all the APs not a fire crash. , it carried hose and standpipes in the box behind the cab and normally towed a trailer pump, old sweats I quizzed many years ago told me the froth ext was to enable them to respond to a POL or hanger incident. If the airfield was not flying at the time only the domestic truck would be manned. So the Bantam had to be a bit of a jack of all trades !!
Luckily in my early days in the RAF lots of the SNCOs and WOS had seen WW2 service so I was able to ask question of guys had been there seen it done !!
Turning to the bigger beast the side panel looks like an electrical control board the front equipment looks like an air heater my money is on a parachute drying tender ! Good to touch base with you Les I have been an RAF/AFS /NFS /CD vehicle anorak since birth, having served 39 years in the RAF you can guess I knew pontious pilot !! I too am a 1/76 model maker, working on a pair of series 1 ACRVs at the moment one SWB the other a 107inch.
regards TED

[ted angus]

LES not the best picture but here's one i prepared earlier, scratch built i turned the extinquishers on a lathe at work !!