R.A.F. Ground Equipment Blue - paint specification

[Ian Grieve]

Originally Posted by Keith Orpin

Richard,
Having followed this thread with interest, prompted me to look though some old litrature. I have just come across a sales catalogue from a dispersal sale at Mount Farm in Oxfordshire, during September 1946. Detailed therein are vehicle types, along with their WD or Reg number. Keith

Keith Orpin

Fascinating to hear you have sales catalogues for Mount Farm auctions in September, 1946. On August 19, 1946, the London “Times” newspaper advertised for the M.O.S. 10 day vehicle sales at Mount Farm, Dorchester, on 3 – 6, 10 – 13 and 17 - 18 September, 1946, for 2,300 vehicles. The catalogue was in 3 sections for each week. The advert says vehicles included jeeps and amphibious jeeps.

Question 1 - Are you able to say from your catalogue how many amphibious jeeps there were in total at the sale/s?

Another sale (1,600 vehicles), and possibly the next, was advertised on January 13, 1947, for 27 – 29 January and 3 – 5 February, 1947, ie 6 days and included jeeps and amphibians (these could have been amphibious jeeps).

A sale (1,500 vehicles) was advertised on December 15, 1947, for 6 – 9 and 13 – 14 January, 1948, ie 6 days and included jeeps and amphibian carriers (these could have been amphibious jeeps or DUKW’s, even Terrapin).

A further sale (2,000 vehicles), called the 10th, was advertised on February 23, 1948, for 6 – 9 and 13 – 16 April, 1948, ie 8 days and included jeeps. No mention of amphibious jeeps was made in this sale. There must have been other sales as well at Mount Farm.

I have records of 7 R.N. amphibious jeeps being sold at 3 separate M.O.S. sales at Elstow Storage Depot, Bedfordshire, in 1950 and 1951.

I see big M.O.S. vehicle sales at other depots like;
• Great Missenden
• Byram Park
• Thorp Arch
• Ruddington
• Toddington
• Bentley Wood
• Etc
There is quite a list more with significant numbers of vehicles, however, none of them mentioned amphibious jeeps. Obviously, though, other sales had amphibious jeeps.

Question 2 to the Forum - Has anybody copies of any of these sales catalogues, particularly with amphibious jeep sales?

It is all Sherlock Holmes stuff 65 years after the event, but most interesting. One only wonders whether people took photos of these vast numbers of vehicles.

Ian

[Keith Orpin]

Hi Ian,
The only catalogue I have, is for the second week's sale on September 10th to 13th, 1946. It list's 2300 commercial and other vehicles of many makes and types (that's what it says on the front !). Having just trawled though it, there were only 2 jeeps listed and sold during the 3 day sale. One was a Willys jeep, WD No M4648842, and the other on was for a Ford jeep, WD Reg No M4678563. No mention of any amphibious vehicles at this particuler sale. It's hard to imagine the amount of vehicles coming and going to this depot, as all of the roads around Mount Farm would have been small B roads, at the time, would have been a wonderful sight !. Maybe other members can chip in with more info
Keith

[Ian Grieve]

Keith

Thank you for your reply. It would have been amazing to see the vehicles running about. Byram Park had auction with 9,000 vehicles, etc, and many of the other parks with up to 3,000 vehicles at a time. Numbers were absolutely staggering.

I would dearly like to see/hear of catalogues with amphibious jeep sales at any of the parks.

Ian

[Stuart Filmer]

Keith,

I am trying to find out about the history an old WW2 fire engine (1921 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost) which I believe was sold at Mount Farm at an auction. So I am trying to find these sales catalogues to view.

In my research I had an email which suggested that someone saw the listing at the National Archives. I have looked through the archives on line and can't find a listing, although I found some for the Elstow auctions, which are held at the Bedfordhire archives.

Would it be possible to let me know what headings are on the catalogue or who where the auctioneers, so I can try a re-search at the archives. It may also help Ian Grieve, as I could post the document numbers if I find them.

Thanks in advance

Stuart

[George McKenzie]

I have a 1942 Fordson tractor hauld feul to the Halifaxes and Lancasters It was sold after the war and made it's way to Canada .The RAF blue paint is still on it .The paint has a gray look to it from fading over the years .This tractor was like the industrial modle that Fordson use to make .except it can go 20 miles an hour .I have not located another one like it .The Lancaster will be in Edmonton on Aug. 11 and I hope to take it there .