Differences between Bedford OYC and OYD

[Mike Cecil]

Unfortunately, the DHB is no help in the ID - they are simply marked 'Model OY', so were universal to all the OY configurations.

Matt, I unearthed a copy the other day while doing an inventory of the smaller books and booklets in the reference collection. I'll scan a copy & send via Wetransfer eventually.

Mike

[mlombard]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Unfortunately, the DHB is no help in the ID - they are simply marked 'Model OY', so were universal to all the OY configurations.

Matt, I unearthed a copy the other day while doing an inventory of the smaller books and booklets in the reference collection. I'll scan a copy & send via Wetransfer eventually.

Mike

Thanks Mike I sincerely appreciate all your help with this, great history this

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Matt,
If you have not got it, this is a 'must have' book for a Bedford enthusiast. A wealth of very good information in it and good photos.
http://www.abebooks.com/book-search/isbn/0723228752/

cheers Richard

[lynx42]

Welcome to MLU Matt. The Bedford was mine, I obtained it from a farmer just up the road from me and passed it on to Tony L. who sold it to Richmond G. The farmer used it for a general farm truck until there was a malfunction of some sort and then they towed it around the paddocks with a tractor for carting hay. The tray which was on it was not the original but was on it when they first acquired it.

Tony L. cut a lot of rust out of the chassis, hopefully not where the chassis no. should be, but I can't remember. The Cabin also required a lot of repairs but Tony was right up his street with that.

As you know, I still have the engine here and if you haven't picked it up before July, I may be able to bring it to Adelaide. That depends on my health which is not the best at the moment.

OY Bedford engine 001.jpg

Had a look at the engine number today it is:- OY73076

Regards Rick.

[mlombard]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

Hi Matt,
If you have not got it, this is a 'must have' book for a Bedford enthusiast. A wealth of very good information in it and good photos.
http://www.abebooks.com/book-search/isbn/0723228752/

cheers Richard

Thanks Richard, thought I knew most of the books Bart wrote/edited but this one has escaped me, yes a copy is on my list. I wonder if there is a Bedford OY register.

[mlombard]

Hi Rick

Yes I hope to be over to collect the engine, will keep in touch. Mike did some digging for me and identified that there was a Bedford OY at Sale RAAF base in the 1940's which was listed as a tanker. I also found a list in the Victorian Police Register of motor vehicles for Bedford OY, which is interesting, but no more detail than that. Yet all the other books I have looked at such a REPCO replacement parts catalogues do not list the OY, only the K, M, and O series (this being OB and OL) and sometimes the QL. Further digging seems to indicate that several vehicles came into Freemantle and possibly Sydney on the MV empire Star as well as other refugee ships from Singapore,, some of who had vehicles loaded in the UK for RAF units sent to Malaya. And finally to the best of my (and Mike's of course) knowledge no Bedford OY's were issued to Australian forces in Australia, only in Malaya, Middle East and UK. So the mystery deepens.

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Matt,
It is quite possible your OY came in after the war. The weapons testing in SA brought a number of British Army vehicles to Australia and some still appear over there, both 40's and 50's types. The OY remained in British army service right up until late 50's and possibly longer as I recollect in the mid 70's in the army workshops I worked in we had a batch of OY engines to rebuild.

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Matt,

I think we got our wires crossed a little: I remember letting you know that I have record of OYs in RAAF service in Australia during WW2, which is consistent with your comment that some may have been landed as refugee cargo from the 'Empire Star'. Many of the 'Refugee cargo' vehicles were absorbed by the services, and an orphan like the OY would most likely have gone to the RAAF or RAN, given their small numbers, and given that the RAAF already had a small fleet of Bedfords, that service would seem to be the logical recipient.

Mike