1946 - 1959 The Post War Years (Page Two of Two)
these years included “National service” and first Cold War years
There are too many vehicles (and still some to come) to fit onto just one page, So the 1946 to 1959 page has been split into two. This is the second part
Humber CT, 1 Ton (GS Truck) and Humber Armoured Pig
Humber Truck 1 Ton 4x4 CT, in GS Cargo (FV 1601) GS FFW (FV 1602) and Wireless Light (FV 1604) versions
In the UK the Humber Pigs were at first painted a Dark Admiralty Grey. Later then in keeping with their Germany based counterparts repainted Deep Bronze Green and later Olive Drab or NATO green.
Austin’s “Land Rover clone” the Austin Gipsy (1958 - 1967) 90” / 108”
Seeing the danger to their market from the Land Rover, especially after loosing the Champ contracts, Austin made an all steel body Land Rover look alike which was introduced briefly in 1958 through to 1967.
Motorcycle Dispatch Rider
A dispatch Rider M/C (with and without Rider)
This is the Enfield, but BSA and Triumph had also won contracts to supply the army with new Motorcycles.
After the war the Army introduced the Austin K9 and Commer Q4 series of vehicles (Both which I drove in 4 Div in Herford Germany.) In that case the K9 was used to house the D11 (or D13) HF Transmitter and R230 (or 231) Rx.
The Original drawing of this vehicle I made, was too low angled for my wishes, (but as I remembered them , wider than in reality) so I redrew it again and from the second version also made the “Walk-Thru’” version. Having had the fun of a runaway wheel when getting the spare out for FFR Inspection (it travelled a long way across the square with me hairing after it) I also wanted the tyre and spare wheel ladder to be more visible, which it now is in the later drawing. Another detail is due to the fact I got told off for not having the camouflage paint on the aerial mast sections in correct order (so have also put these in wrong order into this drawing)
The normal K9 with wireless Body (above) was the FV16014 - Truck, 1-ton, 4x4, signals, E type body or FV16003 - Truck, 1-ton, 4x4, wireless, light Mk 2 or the workshop version FV16004 - Truck, 1-ton, 4x4, radio repair.
Before the decision was finally made to use mainly Landrovers for mobile wireless, there were some attempts to use K9s. The roof of the cab was cut open and integrated with the rear mounted box body. A walk through door allowed the operator to go into the back without the need to stop. Above the doors two internal shelves were created by the overhang into which the ATUs for the new C42 or C45 radio sets and in theory these could also be tuned while the vehicle was in motion, an important advantage over the wing mounted boxes on the champ or Land Rover where in order to retune the vehicle had to stop. Based on the RAF Crash Ambulance FV16005, the FV16002 - Truck, 1-ton, 4x4, FFW/FFR (below) was not a great success.
They also tried to give the Commer Q4 an update (see the 1960 to 1979 page) but by the mid 1960s Land Rover and Bedford were the mainstay of the Army
Bedford Lorries (RL series)
In the early 1950s Bedford reworked their QL series and introduced the new rounded cab RL series.
The very first Bedford RLs had reduced the air intake for the Radiator, to deal with a common complaint, that the predecessors (QL, AEC, etc.) all needed a radiator screen (Cover) to stop them overcooling during normal road use. However the new design was found to have gone too far the other way and so later models had an additional grill area added above the Radiator slats.
The same lights were used as from the Austin K9 (so allowing the same kind of Infra-red kit to be added as for the Austin and later also MkII and Mark III Land-rovers.
The first prototypes had a large version Lucas Solenoid “Winker” semaphore flag added to the Back-plate behind the cab (similar to those used in most cars made in the 1950s) but these got damaged too easily.
First actual (after the pre-production prototypes) delivery was the same High-Gloss British Racing Green that was also being used on the Champs, Series 1 Land Rovers and Morris Staff Cars. When wet every uneven surface (dents and scratches) showed up putting the driver on the spot for explanations during FFR inspection.
Eventually the German based vehicles got a North German style (to suit the vegetation north of Frankfurt) two colour Mat Camo finish. Which before every FFR inspection was glossed up with a mixture of oil and diesel rubbed on with waste rag. If the wind blew and the dust and sand from the square stuck to this glossy sheen, it looked terrible...
In the late 1950s and 1960s they started to use the Morris Minor Traveller estate car (The ones with the Ash wood frames) for various staff car use
