While browsing the general subject of the General Transport RASC units in Normandy, I stumbled upon this lovely photo by Sgt Midgley of French kids playing on the beach, while big lorries are busy unloading beached coasters nearby (click on the image to move to the IWM page where you can zoom it - especially image 2/2 which is the bigger): THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: THE CAMPAIGN IN NORMANDY, JULY 1944. © IWM (A 24674) IWM Non Commercial License Are these lorries Mack NR9 10 ton 6x4? Any idea of what unit they might belong to? Michel
Michel, Quick answers. Yes. No. There seem to have been RASC GT Companies of Mack NR dedicated to dock working. I have photos of them on Gold, at Port en Bessin and at Antwerp and a mention of them on Sword. Mike.
Thanks Mike, Re: Port-en-Bessin, do you mean this photo (IWM B5396)? THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORMANDY 1944. © IWM (B 5396) IWM Non Commercial License The markings show the Mob Serial Number 3834, the Loading code 3834/TT162/LCT4 and the AoS number 366(?) on RASC flash with white bar below. The formation sign (3 crossed bars forming a triangle over a disk) is the same as on B5402: THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORMANDY 1944. IWM Non Commercial License Any idea which formation could correspond to this formation sign? Also, what are these funny-looking little trucks (big "head" with short "nose" and body) on B5396? Michel
Hi Michel, The Mob Serial Number 3834 is for 653 Road Construction Company. The formation sign looks like it is for the Airfield Construction Group. Formation sign here badge, formation, Airfield Construction Groups Royal Engineers Regards Danny
I was curious about them too. Cabs look a little like US Coleman airplane tugs but I don't think they made dumptrucks
Thanks Danny! The Formation sign certainly looks like the badge, which in turn would be consistent with the unit. Zooming in, we can guess the different shades in the background disk. However, on the vehicles the formation sign looks like it has an additional marking inside the triangle, and the top pair of bars seem to protrude slightly more than the bottom ones. Maybe a variant? Michel
Maybe a 'red herring'. The vehicle in B5396 is a Mack NM not NR. This is an artillery tractor but also used by engineers. (Both NM and NR were Trux Models. The ugly dump trucks are Dennis 3ton tippers also a Trux Model. I wrote from memory. I have an image in my mind of a NR unloading at a harbour. Perhaps Courseulles. Mike. PS. Not boasting about Trux Models just indicating that I know these vehicles well.
Clive, Apparently you are not alone. I hear from a wargamer that he paid $40 each for a couple recently. Mike
I wasn't aiming at you, Michel. "Cobby" is the term that I like to use when describing British military vehicles which display an 'unconventional' beauty.
Of course they are ugly. There in lies their charm. What is wrong with ugly anyway? Some of my best friends are ugly. Mike
Hi, I thought the marking inside the triangle might be the Airfield Construction Group number. “13” in the case of 653 Road Construction Company. The photo posted in the “Bedford? QLR identification” thread shows a vehicle with what looks like “10” in the middle of the triangle which would seem to confirm that the units marked their vehicles in this way. The 653 Road Construction Company War Diary says that the main body landed at Port en Bessin on the 10th June, the day the photo was taken. Regards Danny
Great find Danny! As candidates for the unit of the lorry with the 10 (or is it a 16?) inside the triangle that you discovered, the Landing Table for LTIN 2917 lists the following: Tank Deck: 486 Tipper Coy - 2x 3 ton Tipper Main Deck: 16 Airfd Constr Coy - 1x Car 2 Str 4x2 none of which seems to work. However, since we know the actual loading of LTIN 2917 differed from the Landing Table, looking at the loads of the other LST in the same flight, we get: (LTIN 2916) 24 Airfd Constr Coy - 1x M14, 2 MC 693 Rd Constr Coy - 1x M14, 1 MC 689 Rd Constr Coy - 1x Tractor Class II etc., still not matching the veh type, but: (LTIN 2920) 689 Rd Constr Coy - 2x 3 ton GS so, the latter that could be the one. Do you know whether 689 Rd Constr Coy (Mob Serial Number 3863) was part of No.10 (or No.16) Airfield Construction Group? What about 693 Rd Constr Coy (MSN 3911)? Michel
Apparently 689 Road Construction Company was part of 16 Airfield Construction Group. See: Recommendation for Award for Hanson, Fred Wilson Longdin Rank: Sapper ... | The National Archives I believe that what is given as "16 Airfield Construction Company" and "24 Airfield Construction Company" are really 16 & 24 Airfield Construction Groups. The vehicle we see with the ACG sign (actually more a truck than a lorry) might be from 16 Airfd Constr Coy, 689 Rd Constr Coy or even 693 Rd Constr Coy if it was also part of 16 Airfd Constr Coy (as its other Rd Constr Coy). Michel
Hi Iv'e just found this thread. My late grandfather served in 653 road construction unit. Both during the war and in Palestine. He told me he drove a D8 caterpiller bulldozer. He said they spent about a month in Caan, went up through Holland (Eindhoven). Crossed the Rhine at Wesel (where he got shot through the shoulder) and met the Russians (described them as bloody awful) at Lubeck in Germany. Later he ended up in Palestine and helped clear up the aftermath of the bombing of the King David Hotel. Should anyone have any further information about this unit, I would love to hear from them.
Have a look through site search http://ww2talk.com/index.php?search/2076880/&q=653+construction&o=relevance There will be I'm sure War Diaries for them - example Reference: WO 169/20231 Description: Royal Engineers: 653 Road Construction Company (RE) Date: 1945 Oct.- Dec. Held by: The National Archives, Kew TD