1930s softskin trials

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Capt.Sensible, Aug 5, 2009.

  1. Capt.Sensible

    Capt.Sensible Well-Known Member

    Just found lots of photos of various softskins undergoing army trials in about 1937 - scroll down about 80%:
    old truck pictures

    Here's a selection. The white number panels appear to identify different vehicles, rather than show vehicle wieghts. Off-roading is captioned as 'Horseshoe Pass, North of Llangollen' and it looks about right to me.

    :D
     

    Attached Files:

    Bodston likes this.
  2. Capt.Sensible

    Capt.Sensible Well-Known Member

    Hmmmmm... it might actually have been a little earlier:

    'Series Title: Gaumont Graphic
    Year: 1932
    Date: 08/07/1932
    Duration: 0 mins 33 secs
    Country: United Kingdom
    Collection: Gaumont Graphic
    Description: Main Title: Units of the "Mechanised Army" put through stiff tests - climbing the mountainous countryside of North Wales.'

    NewsFilm Online - ARMY VEHICLES UNDERGO TRIALS
     
  3. Bodston

    Bodston Little Willy

    Nice work H. I've not seen those for a while. That Chris Hodge website is a pig to navigate isn't it though.
     
  4. Capt.Sensible

    Capt.Sensible Well-Known Member

    Nice work H. I've not seen those for a while. That Chris Hodge website is a pig to navigate isn't it though.
    Yes, it is a bit sloppy but does include some lovely shots of obscure stuff. I'm trying to find out more about the trials but with a spectacualr lack of success at the moment...

    H
     
  5. Bodston

    Bodston Little Willy

    The North Wales trials seemed to be an annual event during the 1930's. Run under the auspices of the MEE (Mechanisation Experimental Establishment). I'm struggling to turn up anything concrete especially regarding the soft skins. There is a little more information on motorcycles and armour, but again nothing substantial. David Fletcher mentions them in 'Mechanised Force'. I'll have a trawl through some early books I have to hand and see if anything turns up.
     
  6. Bodston

    Bodston Little Willy

    I found a couple of passages in David Fletcher's 'British Military Transport 1829-1956'.
    ..vehicle trials in Britain date back to 1925 when the first event was staged at Wool in Dorset, adjacent to the Royal Tank Corps Centre at Bovington Camp... From the mid-1930's onwards a location near Llangollen was used for trials since the mountain roads were considered closer to conditions in India... These North Wales Trials became an annual event up to the outbreak of the Second World War and manufacturers were encouraged to bring along their own vehicles.

    Similar desert condition trials were conducted in Studland Bay, Dorset.

    Despite the declared intention to concentrate on mass production for rearmament there was no relaxation in the pace of technical development. The 1938 North Wales Trials provide an instance. Held in October that year they were extended in order to make some specific, comparative trials. For some years members of the Mechanisation Board, in their annual reports, had noted the increased use of independent suspension on motor cars, particularly where the front axles were concerned. While it was not common on larger vehicles the value of independent suspension was generally ignored but for the 1938 trials both Crossley and Morris-Commercial supplied four-wheel drive vehicles that employed the system. Indeed the latter firm offered both independent and conventional suspended vehicles for direct comparison.
     
  7. Capt.Sensible

    Capt.Sensible Well-Known Member

    Thanks, Bod. There isn't much out there on the interweb on this. God bless Mr Fletcher!
     
  8. phylo_roadking

    phylo_roadking Very Senior Member

    I'm struggling to turn up anything concrete especially regarding the soft skins


    There's a repository of pics from these trials SOMEWHERE. Classic Military Vehicle usually ends up running at leat one or two a month embedded in an article about something or other!...

    ...even if it's poetic licence and a sort of "THIS is the British version of the same idea being trialled!" :lol:
     

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