RAF signal vehicle types.

A Ford WOT 1 6x4 power truck not sure from this image if its a 10 or 20 KVA

 

Les looking at the book its a 10KVa with the control panel in that position.

TED

 

You may have seen this but, available in the IWM online collection of photographs is this one:

Photograph No. CL 563
PHOTOGRAPHER:
Clark N S (Fg Off)
Royal Air Force official photographer
TITLE:
ROYAL AIR FORCE: 2ND TACTICAL AIR FORCE, 1943-1945.
COLLECTION NUMBER:
4700-19
PERIOD:
Second World War
DATE:
24 July 1944
ACCESS:
Unrestricted
COLOUR / BLACK & WHITE:
Black and white
TYPE:
Official photograph
DESCRIPTION:
RAF and Army personnel at work in the Operations Room at No. 483 Group Control Centre in Normandy. 483 GCC exercised overall direction and control of aircraft within No. 83 Group's sector of operations, and dealt with requests for air support from Army formations.

 

483 (later, 83) Group Control Centre
D-Day recollections of Bernard (Taffy) Morgan (two links)
Bernard (Taffy) Morgan Code and Cypher R.A.F.
'I watched D-Day carnage unfold'

 

Nice picture of a Group Control Centre Operations Room.

These did not land on D Day or D+1 since the role was still being carried out by the Headquarters ships. The RAF Operations Rooms did land fairly soon. The army had almost identical AA Operations Rooms on the same vehicle and these did land on D Day and D+1.

Vehicle is a Bedford QL 4 X 4 3ton with a Standard 'J' Type body. In this form it was Signals Type 145. There is a detailed description of the equipment on the Trux site as the vehicle was part of the Trux range.

Other similar vehicles, Bedford QL with 'J' Type body, filled the following roles:
Signals Type 102.
Signals Type 103.
Signals Type 106.
Signals Type 140.
Little is known about them except that two of them formed a two vehicle VHF set.

By early 1945 the Group Control Centres were re equipped and the Operations vehicles were in fact two trailers parked tail to tail to give a much wider space. At the same time the Group Control Centre got a its own radar vehicles and a whole new set of RVT numbers. Lots more to look at there one day.

Mike.

 

Last of the 83 Group Signals Units landing on D Day and D+1.

5053 Forward Direction Post for 83 Group Control Centre. Without its radars.
5 Tender 3ton
1 Signals Type 100. Austin K6 with 'F' Type Body. Carries 2 VHF T1131 Transmitters.
1 Signals Type 130.
1 Signals Type 131.
1 Signals Type 150. Austin K6 with 'F' Type Body. Carries VHF R1342 Receiver and TR1143.
2 Signals Type 456. Austin k6 with 20Kva generator.
1 Water tender
1 Jeep
1 15cwt
66 men.

6092 Light Warning Section for 83 Group Control Centre.
1 Signals Type 430. 30cwt Fordson with Light Warning Set.
1 Tender 3ton
12 men.

A variety of other RAF units also landed on D Day and D+1. There are also some unidentified units which may be RAF Signals.

Mike.

 

Some very interesting stuf in this thread.
Attached are 4 pages extracted from "Combined Operations Staff Notebook - 1945" - It lists the dimensions etc for a range (possibly all in service at that date?) of RVT numbers - unfortunately not giving any information on role or equipment.
I'm sure Mike and/or Ted can glean some usefull info from the list.
Noel

 

Yes Noel. There is a fair chance that I can cross reference some of these. At the very least it gives a clue as to which are 15cwt, 3ton 4 X 4 or 3 ton 6 X 4 from the dimensions. Also some of the later type numbers will appear on post war documents. I have some from the 50's but they only identify two or three of the D Day types. Some may also help identify the mystery RN types.

I am still digesting last weeks crop of snippets.

Mike.

 

Noel thanks for sharing, I am sure I can add some as well, its just a case of keeping up, Noel any chance if posting the previous pages please ??

TED

 

Here you go Ted - thats yout weekend plans ruined
I have included not only the preceding page but also a subsequent page of RAF Construction plant - I should add that the booklet these pages come from is aimed at operations in the Far East.
Feel free to move this to a seperate thread if you think there is any milage in discussing the various vehicles mentioned.
Mike - I have checked and unfortunately there is no mention of Royal Navy vehicles.
Noel

 

Thanks Noel, see attached this is an extract from ASP 3090 RAF MT regs first edition dated August 1944 . It is the bridge class list for RVTs .
TED

 

First fruits of Noel's list with dimensions, a triumph for snippets and a good idea for Ted's model. I have managed to complete the list below, being the order of march for 15054 GCI which landed on D+6.

Jeep. CO.
Type 461A. Austin K6 with Type 13 Radar.
Type 457. Austin K6 with Type 15 Radar.
Type 405. Crossley. Type 15 transmitter.
Type 509. Crossley. Type 15 Receiver/Operations.
Type 433. Austin K6 with Type 11 Radar.
Type 432. Austin K6. Type 11 Operations.
Type 130. Crossley GP. Operations section.
Type 131. Crossley GP. Technical section.
4 X Type 456. Austin K6. Generators.
Type 150. Austin K6, F Body. VHF Receiver.
Type 100. Austin K6, F Body. VHF Transmitter.
Type 394. Austin K6, F Body. HF W/T Receiver.
Type 393. Austin K6, F Body. HF W/T Transmitter.
Type ? . Bedford MW. E Body. Cipher.
15cwt water bowser.
Fordson 30cwt for cooks.
2 X Crossley GP.
2 X Bedford GP.
15cwt MT repair.
3 X motorcycle.

Not all vehicles landed on D+6. 15054 was a Type 15000 GCI unit acting as Forward Director Post for 83 Group Control Centre. 15053 was already ashore and was presumably identical.

Mike

 

finished a K6 with type F body today so how many more to do ?? must sleep sometime this week LOL

TED

 

Royal Artillery Anti Aircraft Operations Room.

160 AAOR.
1 15cwt WT. Morris.
2 3ton 4 X 4 GS
2 3ton RAF Type 145. Which is a Bedford QL with J type body. Operations room.

This is the vehicle in Nofnets Post No63.

Mike

 

I have just been looking at the photo in Les's post 59 to see if I can make out from the aerial masts what variant it is but:

When I enlarged the photo the trailer in the left background caught my eye. Does any one recognise it? Several new trailers were introduced in early 1945 for the new Group Control Centre. I have never knowingly seen one.

RVT 480B. Trailer cabin for radar display units 69 and 70.
RVT 486B. Trailer cabin for four radar display units 69.
RVT 488B. Interception control trailer with display units 70 and plotting tables.
RVT 487B. As 488 but windows other side.
RVT 483B. Communications trailer.

It is possible that these are basically the same trailer with different fittings. Could even be my mysterious RN radar trailer. The RN seem to have used several RAF type vehicles.

Mike

 

I am told that the trailer in post 59 is a standard trailer used by Army and RAF. Army used it for Radar AA No3 MkIV and for the later 150mm searchlight with radar control. RAF used it for Radar Type 11. That in the photo is probably the cabin for Radar Type 11. Length and width match the RN Radar trailer but if it is the same chassis it presumably had a different, and lower, cabin.

Mike

 

The first K6 with a type F container is ready for issue ! along with a tipper for AMWD and a GS for Scampton ( Bomber Command 5 group ) .
Mike Fordson WOT 6 with 13 ft container as issued long ago by Custom Miniatures - will it feature in any of our convoys ?? or do I need to mount it on a K6 ?/

TED

 

Ted,

Lovely models. I can almost hear them start up and move off. I see a Commer pre heater hiding in the background.

I am not sure that the WOT6 was used by the RAF until after the war. It was not adopted as a standard type by the army after the war and so many of the special bodies were removed and refitted to Bedfords. Fordsons of all types went to the Belgian Army.

I have not seen a wireless container in use by 2TAF. They were introduced for the RN and RAF for use in the Far East. They could be shipped separately from chassis. Those I have seen in the UK or Europe were in post war gloss. They are however difficult to identify from establishment tables because they kept the same type numbers as the house types but usually with the suffix MkI.

Example:
Type 393. K6 with F Type body. Twin HF W/T transmitters.
Type 394. K6 with F Type body. Four reception sets.

Type 393 MkI. K6 with Container body. Twin HF W/T transmitters.
Type 394 MkI. K6 with Container body. Four reception sets.

Some of the vehicles on Noels list will be Containers but which? I have not got much beyond D day yet.

Mike

 

Re the WOT6 I am wondering id Les Freathy had a data sheet or similar, The pictures I have are of 2 different vehicles by their reg numbers. and are in a Mickey Mouse pattern. My thought is that puts mating of body and chassis pre april 44 as disruptive painting for vehicles being produced then ended if they were in SCC 15 UK OD. If the colours are the SCC1a & 2 Browns then it puts it even earlier. There is of copurse one of those bodies in one of Bart's books on a QL kitted as a mobile battery charging facility. The QL still has a masked headlight. So many qustions to answer I just wish I could get to Hendon .
regards TED

 

Ted,

You jogged my memory. I have the Mike Conniford booklet on the WOT6. It has a picture of a WOT6 with 13 foot container Type 386A. It is certainly in Micky Mouse pattern camouflage. I think Les acquired Mike Connifords picture collection.

Mike.