Lorry with the BEF 1940

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by bob42100

The lorry has double type sandwiched wheels in the back and similar to those 1939 Bedford O class. It also looks like a long wheel base but I'm not sure which models were offered by Austin in the late 30's.

Hi Bob,

Austin started truck prduction of K series in 1939. The vehicle in question would be a K4, it is a civilian model that has been impressed ( census number on cab door shows this).

K4 was not a model used by the military, but was used by Auxilliary Fire Service, Civil Defence, etc and essential users. K4 was rated as a 5 ton payload.

[Rich Payne]

IWM F4398.

This image is from Vilvorde to the north of Brussels. Markings appear to be RASC and troops are likely to be from 4th Division.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Rich Payne

IWM F4398.

This image is from Vilvorde to the north of Brussels. Markings appear to be RASC and troops are likely to be from 4th Division.

Rich,

Yet another with a census number in an Impressed vehicle group.

[Rich Payne]

At the risk of dragging the thread waay off topic, I thought that this extract from the 2 Div. Ordnance Mechanical Engineering War Diary from 1939 relating to the move to the concentration areas might be of interest - at least to those with a fascination for impressed vehicles.



It would seem that difficulty in obtaining spares and the correct tyres is not just a problem for modern MV owners but actually adds to authenticity !

Rich

[ted angus]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

Hi Bob,

Austin started truck prduction of K series in 1939. The vehicle in question would be a K4, it is a civilian model that has been impressed ( census number on cab door shows this).

K4 was not a model used by the military, but was used by Auxilliary Fire Service, Civil Defence, etc and essential users. K4 was rated as a 5 ton payload.

Richard I also think it is a K4 but there is an outside chance it could be a K3.
I saw the attached with a display board saying it was a 1939 K3 impossible I said; Its a K4 Mnnn how wrong I was The reg is Jan 1940. I also attach its chassis number plate;

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by ted angus

Richard I also think it is a K4 but there is an outside chance it could be a K3.
I saw the attached with a display board saying it was a 1939 K3 impossible I said; Its a K4 Mnnn how wrong I was The reg is Jan 1940. I also attach its chassis number plate;

Hi Ted,

Well thanks for that. It is the first time I have seen one of the NFS /CD vehicles plated as a K3, will now take a closer look at others when I come across them.

[ted angus]

Richard I spent about 3 years visiting various archives re pre 1941 AFS, NFS and CD vehicles.. I established the Heavy Pump Units were K2 long wheelbase , the Auxiliary Towing Units were K2 short wheelbase, The 60 Foot hand operated Turntables were K4 as were the dropsides converted to Mobile Dam Units. The Civil Defence Column Rescue Tenders were on the militarised K3. In all cases I found period records which enabled me to match Registrations to chassis numbers. So you could imagine how the wind was taken out of my sails by this one; I eventually found a couple more of FYY reg where the owners said they were K3 The penny then dropped FYY 288 is not a Heavy Pump Unit it originally carried a much less common Extra Heavy Unit and has an extra locker per side compared to the K2 mounted Heavy Pump Unit. A Heavy Pump Unit has 4 outlets on the pump whereas the Extra Heavy has 6; I then found that the unit mounted on FYY 288 in preservation is actually a substitute as it was originally obtained from scrap minus a pump unit.

TED