Airfield Fire, Crash, and Emergency Vehicles Vol 1

[CDP]

Photographed at Hucknall (23/06/07). It's NOT a Land Rover, I have been informed but I can't remember and I can't find the relevant mail so, peak4, if you read this, could you enlighten us please!?



Chris

[jason]

Chris.It looks like its got an Austin Gipsy front on it.these were based on the Land Rover and used the floorpan and other components, the military was the biggest buyer of these.

[CDP]

That's it! Austin Gypsy. Many thanks Jason. I posted it to current forum member peak4, who ran it past a Peak & Dukeries Land Rover club member last year for ID, but I lost his reply

Chris

[mawganmad]

It is indeed 100% Austin Gypsy, but for the record it didn't share parts or had anything in common with the Landrover - it was a competeing 4x4 design and along with the military Austin Champ had little success

[REF]

A few fire engines at Scampton that are part of the RAF Manston Fire Engine Museum













I've no idea what type is what I'm afraid but no doubt one or two of you will know!

[Stevo]

Hi

Anyone with knowledge of the Bedford Self Propelled Pump (Green Goddess, Pic's 1 and 6 in REFs pictures above) Did the RAF had any with ROYAL AIR FORCE written on the side like in this picture or has this just been done by the current owner?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/...c4b5bf.jpg?v=0

Stevo

[mpb0277]

The 'Royal Air Force' logos and roundels were added to the Green Goddesses during Op Fresco 2002-03 as the RAF wanted to up their profile after the media constantly referring to the crews as Army. I put decals on several hundred green godesses so there must have been at least 1000 of us RAF types manning them.

Nice to see glimpses of Mk9 (early 70's) and Mk10 (early 80's) vehicles in there too, both of which have been replaced in service by the Carmichael MFV (Major Foam Vehicle) and Alvis RIV (Rapid Intervention Vehicle)

Also interesting is the previous picture of the TACR II (Range Rover 6x6) vehicle which was cool to look at, but unstable and a pain to repair.

[mpb0277]

Just a thought, Green godesses never were airfield vehicles, they were contingency pump vehicles in the event of civil unrest/war etc, hence the reason they all had less than 5000 miles on them after nearly 50 years!

[PNK]

True. I believe they were designed to pump over several miles by daisy chaining them. Primary use was, I suspect, post nuclear bomb. In which case there were nowhere near enough of them.
Saw them in action once, during the firemans strike of 1976(?). I went to lunch with some suppliers and came back to find the office full of smoke from a small fire in the adjacent building.

Peter

[DaveM]

True. I believe they were designed to pump over several miles by daisy chaining them. Primary use was, I suspect, post nuclear bomb. In which case there were nowhere near enough of them.
Saw them in action once, during the firemans strike of 1976(?). I went to lunch with some suppliers and came back to find the office full of smoke from a small fire in the adjacent building.

Peter

Just joined the Forum & exploring, great site.

Re the above, I believe they were stationed at strategic points around the country, in non descript brick ministry type garages with roller shutter doors within a security fenced compound, examples exist outside of Watlington & nr Denham. These compounds always looked unmanned, I guess crews would be deployed after the big bang ! I remember these compounds suddenly becoming unkept at the end of the cold war & the Green Goddesses being moth balled centrally, only to be redeployed during the firemens strike.