1939 to 1945, the Busy War years (Part 2).
There are too many vehicles (and still some to come) to fit onto just one page, So the 1939 to 1945 “War years” page has been split into two. This is the second part
In 1937 the Army and RAF bought Austin 10 “C” (for the four door Cambridge model) to replace the Austin seven as a small general staff car (for Generals under four foot tall)
From it they later made a Light truck (15 Cwt) with a indented roof to take the spare wheel, door opening in a different direction (Hinges at the back) and a reworked front grill. This vehicle was made for all three services and in shadow factories (to the same construction plans) by Hilmann, Vauxhall, Ford, Humber and several others.
Several manufacturers made identical copies of the M2 Half Track, the M3A and the M5 in both Halftrack and wheeled versions, The lower drawing shows a modified US star on the bonnet and a triangle inside the driver’s door when the armour plate is up. This was a special paint that changed colour when the vehicle entered a Gas cloud. It was used on many D-day vehicles, such as on this ambulance. Many were fitted with anti-ditch rollers on the front bumper, others with extended bumper and a powerful motor-winch.
Here is a photograph of the above ambulance in combat... (Photograph from Wikipedia) Note there are eight people in this vehicle, three in the front, two on stretchers and another three sitting on the floor between the stretchers.
I had a lot of trouble getting the Perspective of the AEC drawing right and so ended up redrawing it (and the Bedford QLR) and checking it with one of many different angled Janson Perspective rasters on which in the 1980s I used to do my hand drawn drawings on.
During the War the Army commissioned the construction of a large radio office truck for the Signals. Based on the QUAD (Gun Tractor 4x4) it had a long chassis and a Radio Box Body, and so was coded QLR (Quad Long Radio)
When the first of these were delivered for “Y” section signals they were quickly called Gin Palaces due to size (“Big as a Pub”) and also because the inside was so secret many normal conscripts could only guess what went on in them.
The next drawing is for Jammy Jim, who worked on these during WW2 a special QRL with his picture from 1944. See his Homepage under http://jammy.certacito.org.uk/
Another part of the Signals task during the War was to detect the locations of potential German spy’s on UK soil and German forces locations on mainland Europe by the use of direction finding (D/F) which in part was undertaken in small garden-sheds disguised as trailers and towed behind Jeeps or DWCs. Two sizes existed for this use the Medium and Short, where the entrances to them changed from back to front accordingly. A larger trailer with rear axel and a moveable front axel and drawbar also exisited for towing behind the Austin K2, AEC Matador, Bedford QL or similar trucks.
The short, medium and long DF Trailers
Another trailer that is seldom known about is actually (in its entirety) “just” a wireless set, is the W.S. No. 10. or “Beam Wireless” microwave radio relay.
Monty called it his “No. 10 thingy” but other nicknames were “Mickey Mouse Radio” due to the “Ears” and some even called it “Bette Davis Electric Brassier”
In a 4 wheel two ton trailer that housed a complete Radio Relay No. 10 Wireless station and using 4 GHz Microwave via a pair of roof mounted parabolic aerial dishes it was almost unique. The sides could be folded down (to access the two generators or the equipment racks for major swap-outs, servicing, etc.) or as shown below removed completely allowing a comcen tent to be built on to it as a map-room and planning centre for the officers.
The closest looking relative to the above is this WW2 trailer mounted device...
...a British GL3 Radar. See this link for two more
After the war, they were presented to the Public as the future “Thingy” that every kitchen will soon need, a Microwave complete with two delicious microwave dishes... No more a Secret, the poster on the Demo version below even says “Talk to your friends about Beam wireless” in the hope they would be able to increase RS kitchen sales... (in fact it says “Talk to your friends via Beam wireless” and on the table in front of it are eight telephones that are patched via another station into the local GPO exchange)... One of the civilian visitors seems to have “borrowed” one of the two generators.
Only 100 WS 10 trailers were made and most destroyed after WW2. One survivor that has been found is due to be restored by enthusiast and according to a picture in a RBL newsletter looked like this in late 2004 or 60 years after it was actually used in combat...
