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  #1  
Old 18-04-15, 01:53
Goncalo Mendes Goncalo Mendes is offline
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One of the big recovery cranes, based in a GMC truck surviving at least in June 2013...
From Flickr album, "Military Relics", by sandy1618 "Geoff Green"
source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandy1...n/photostream/


source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandy1...57634074410403


source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandy1...57634074410403


source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandy1...57634074410403


source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandy1...57634074410403

One note, it seems that this crane frame has a oval plaque with the "Fowler" inscribed. On other truck photos with the other side of the frame visible, the same area there are only two rectangular plaques. It could be that this as had a civil origin (doubtfully) and had the standard manufacturers plaque, and others were from military origin and only had military ID plaques, could bee a later "add on" by some previous owner, (if only as a ornament, why to put one of a different manufacturer? or maybe he had no knowledge of it) or there is the real possibility that on one side of the frame there is the standard manufactures name plaque and on the other the manufacturers data plates. In the rare photos that show this side, on the place that this one has the name plaque, I could see a hint of a blurr, pointing to this possibility (maybe on this case, as it was a military order?). Anyone knows if old Fowler cranes usually have a name plaque on both sides of the crane frames, or they have the name plaque in one side (left? right?), and data plates in the other side of the crane frames? On some pictures of Fowler cranes we can see that they seem to have name plates on both sides of the frames.
At first I tought that they were probably made by "Peter Bros Pty", as the front crane frame share many of the caracteristics of their hydraulic G-Well crane, that was adapted for CMP trucks too, so a larger version was perfectly possible. The Fowler possibility wasn't considered, as their cranes of this era, tractor based, as despite also using a cable and winch system (later models would use hydraulics too), they had a strong design resemblance to the Rapier mobile cranes, nothing related to this crane in question, (despite the many truck conversions, more or less "homemade" that I believe to have been made later on, and not original machines). However, having seen the plaque on this last one, I think it is a real possibility that they were the manufacturers, possibly as a result of fullfiling a military order (using a frame design developed by other manufacturer, and a boom design resembling a railroad or navy type crane)

The photographer must be comended for taking these! they are priceless! Maybe someone takes it for restoration or for a museum! If anyone knows where it currently rests (and perhaps a clue on future destiny), a few more photos would be very welcome!
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 9012042173_18176877b8_o.jpg (83.8 KB, 348 views)
File Type: jpg 9012563100_9f3c90600b_o.jpg (62.8 KB, 1 views)
File Type: jpg 9011375491_2c9c8bedaa_o.jpg (75.4 KB, 2 views)
File Type: jpg 9011336417_779df7002f_o.jpg (68.9 KB, 2 views)

Last edited by Goncalo Mendes; 16-10-19 at 16:34. Reason: spelling
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  #2  
Old 03-06-15, 05:47
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gjamo gjamo is offline
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Default Another start of an interesting project

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/forbe...ane/1044350431
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  #3  
Old 03-06-15, 08:58
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Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Goncalo Mendes View Post
One of the big recovery cranes, based in a GMC truck surviving at least in June 2013...
From Flickr album, "Military Relics", by sandy1618 "Geoff Green"
Hmm, that's a Ford Cab 11/12 straddling that crane....

Makeshift mudguards, but otherwise looking quite restorable.

H.

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  #4  
Old 30-08-15, 17:07
Goncalo Mendes Goncalo Mendes is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Goncalo Mendes View Post
One of the big recovery cranes, based in a GMC truck surviving at least in June 2013...
From Flickr album, "Military Relics", by sandy1618 "Geoff Green"
source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandy1...n/photostream/


source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandy1...57634074410403
It seems that this belong to the collection of John Belfield, so if was there in 2013, it could still exist. Anyone know about the collection actual status, or have the possibility of checking this survivor, maybe take a few pictures?
Thanks!

G_Mendes
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  #5  
Old 31-08-15, 02:48
motto (RIP) motto (RIP) is offline
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Default Belfield collection

John is currently downsizing his yard stock (the outside stuff). If interested in anything now would be a good time to follow it up.

David
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  #6  
Old 04-09-15, 15:37
Larry Hayward Larry Hayward is offline
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Default Cranes

This type of crane seems to be of a style unique to Australia. I haven't seen anything like this in Europe in WW2
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  #7  
Old 05-03-16, 22:53
Goncalo Mendes Goncalo Mendes is offline
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One more!
https://sites.google.com/site/raafge...s-we-worked-on
G_Mendes
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  #8  
Old 29-03-16, 02:15
Goncalo Mendes Goncalo Mendes is offline
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Some more, one already seen, other new, found in the Historic Australian Aircraft facebook page.


source:https://www.facebook.com/HistoricAustralianAircraft/


https://www.facebook.com/HistoricAus...17820621633957


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1715791&type=3

Just for research purposes, no copywright violation intended. All image rights to David Soderstrom !

Last edited by Goncalo Mendes; 07-04-16 at 01:00. Reason: image upload
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  #9  
Old 09-04-16, 05:23
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Lionelgee Lionelgee is offline
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Default Another Unnamed RAAF Crane

Hello All,

I found another unnamed manufacturer of the crane and a similarly unidentified truck raising a Kittyhawk Fighter Plane.

The Australian War Memorial describe the scene as:

ID number MEA0386
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Film original negative 120 nitrate
Maker Le Guay, Laurence Craddock
Date made 1943
Description Sicily, Italy. 1943. Personnel of No. 3 (Kittyhawk) Squadron RAAF, with members of the Repair and Salvage Unit who supplied a crane on the back of a truck to adjust an engine in an aircraft. No. 3 Squadron maintained the servicing of aircraft. Accessed April 9th 2016 from, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/MEA0386

What breed of crane and truck are they? Is it something like a Scammell?

Kind Regards
Lionel
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File Type: jpg RAAF Crane.jpg (99.5 KB, 7 views)
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