Leyland Retriever with Coles crane use?

[Boely]

Hello to you al!

I have an question about the use of the Leyland Retriever 6X4 3-ton with Coles crane,did the RAF only made use of this vehicle or would the Army also have made use of it in WW2?
That the army made use of them in bridging operations back in WW2 for example?
You would think that the British and Canadian Army would have made use of them in WW2,only I haven,t been able to find any information if the Army did use them in WW2.
Does anyone knows something about the Army use of these vehicle,s in WW2?

Any information would be appriciated,thanks in advance.

Cheers!

Boely.

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Hi Boely,
As regards Bridging Operations, my information is that the Leyland Retriever was used, but with a non-slewing derrick, so that would not include the Coles Crane.
Rich

[Boely]

Hello Rich,

Thank you for your response and information,too bad,I did hope that the Leyland Retriever with Coles crane was used by the British or Canandian Army in WW2 bridingoperations.

Do you think that the British or Canadian Army at all would have used the Leyland Retriever with Coles crane in WW2,and if so what kind of job would they have done for the Army in WW2?

Many thanks in advance!

Greetz!

Boely.

[Neil Ashley]

I was under the impression that there were two models of crane on the Retriver chassis (electric and engine driven?).

The army used one and the RAF the other.
All the survivors seem to be the RAF model.

[Noel Burgess]

I think that the Retriever Derrick was early war, by 1944 the RE Platoon attached to an RASC Bridge Company would hold one 6x4 coles crane truck plus another for each of the pontoon platoons in the company.
These would be either Retriever or Austin K6 with a different model of crane fitted to each.
They were also available in various Field Parks and Depots.
Noel

[cliff]

here are some images of an Austin with Polish units in Italy I think.

[Boely]

Thank you al for responding and the information.

I have an 1/35 scalemodel of the Leyland Retriever with Coles crane and I wanted to use it together with my 1/35 scale Baileybridge in an Canadian or British Army WW2 bridgingoperation diorama.

This is the kit of the Retriever with Coles crane;
http://www.frontiermodels.co.uk/Leyl...e-p-18850.html

Cheers!

Boely.

[Tony Smith]

Can anyone ID the year and model of this Leyland with Coles Crane?

[Noel Burgess]

Boely
Here's a picture from Archives Canada of a Cols crane lifting a Pontoon though it's on a Diamond T rather than a Retriever - I understand from elsewhere on MLU that redundant Diamond T SBG carriers were converted when in the UK.

Clif
Cant help with an ID sorry

Noel

[scale-modeller]

This one is in our local war museum, but I forgot to take a picture of the front so now I don't know what making it is.
Any help on this one is appreciated.

[cliff]

Originally Posted by scale-modeller

This one is in our local war museum, but I forgot to take a picture of the front so now I don't know what making it is.
Any help on this one is appreciated.

Could be an AEC as the cab looks similar to the AEC Matador cab and they also did a 6 wheeler.

[scale-modeller]

Thanks very much for the info.
Does anybody know who (Airforce, Army.)used these vehicles during WW2.
And if they were used in Holland during the liberation?
I haven't been able to find any photographic evidence of them sofar.

[Boely]

Everybody much thanks for the responses and the great picture,s.

Next to the Leyland Retriever with Coles crane I have also an 1/35 scale model of an Leyland Retriever Workshop Lorry,it would also have been an nice idea to put them together in an workshopdiorama!!

Again thanks everybody!!

Jelle.