I just had a little bit of luck regarding my Bedford MWV last week - it's
been really difficult trying to obtain clear evidence that the Type E
signals shell was ever used on the Bedford MW chassis by the RAF - apart
from a couple of book references, nothing else seemed to exist. The strange
wheelarch arrangement, along with the excessive chassis overhang has led
many people to tell me I'm wrong and that whilst the Type E Shell was
produced for use on 15 cwt vehicles, the Bedford MW Chassis was not one of
them and my vehicle is the result of someone's furtive imagination.
Last week I was chatting to a gentleman who served in the RAF from 1950 to
1975, during the conversation I mentioned my MW - he disappeared off,
returning some minutes later with a photo album.... and there it was - my
photographic proof that the particular Type E Body I have WAS fitted
to the Bedford MW by the RAF. Digging through his photos I was able to find
5 shots of the MW, taken from ever angle... unfortunately none of the
inside.
The photos detail a Bedford MWV of 889 Signals Unit (formed at RAF
Chicksands) in Germany in 1954. This particular MW was fitted with 2
Wireless Receivers (I'm yet to find out which type) and was used in
conjunction with an Austin K6 which housed the generator and transmitters.
The vehicle was painted the post war RAF Blue with Black front wings.
Apparently the work carried out involved "listening" to the Russians some
half a mile from their positions. 889 Signals Unit apparently also provided
DF Fixes for aircraft operating in the area.
The gentleman concerned told me the vehicle was known in their unit as "The
Bentley Box" - I havent found out exactly why, but it has something to do
with the fact that the RAF personnel used to make a minor conversion before
going out on the town.... this conversion involved removing the wireless
receivers and installing a double bed !!!! The rest I leave to your
imagination.
It is unlikely that the MW photographed is now mine since this example was
"lost" over the edge of a mountain in 1956 - fortunately there were no
casualties.
I have also been told that such vehicles were used at the same time by No 4
GRSS (Ground Radar Servicing Squadron) in England at around the same time,
used purely to carry radar spares.
Whilst I havent unfortunately got photographic proof (to silence
disbelievers) that this body type was a WW2 "creation", the gentleman from
whom I've obtained the 1954 photographs said the vehicles in their unit were
supplied from RAF Reserve stores, and that the MW was the newest of the
vehicles issued... the oldest being a 1927 Crossley... he thinks it very
unlikely the vehicles had been modified since being placed in reserve at the
end of the war.
Interestingly all of the vehicle markings are clearly readable, there are
markings on the front and rear - but nothing on the sides. All stencills are
in white. The front drivers side wing has a large RAF roundel, beneath which
is applied 889 / SU. Underneath the drivers side headlight (post war MW's
fitted with two headlights and not the original one), there is a "B". There
is no bridging plate. On the back of the vehicle on the passenger side there
is the RAF Roundel, beneath which is 889 / SU. On the passenger side rear
door is "Caution Right Hand Drive No Signal" and on the drivers side rear
door is "Caution Right Hand Drive No Signal (In German)". This raises a
question, it was common practice during WW2 for American vehicles to have
"Caution Left Hand Drive - No Signal" Stencilled on them... was the "Caution
Right Hand Drive" message ever used on British vehicles during WW2 - or only
afterwards ?
I also met a Royal Signals veteran on saturday who clearly remembers similar
looking vehicles being used on light landing grounds in the UK for Aircraft
Control... this ties in with information I received from a French veteran in
Normandy in June who claimed to have driven one such vehicle during the
D_Day operation.
I am in the process of getting negatives for the photographs, from which I
intend to have a variety of prints developed.
Sorry for being a bit long - winded, however quite a few of you have
expresssed interest in British WW2 vehicles in the past, and this seemed
like the ideal way to disseminate this new information.
If anyone wants any copies of the prints when I get them done, please let me
know and I'll gladly email them to you.
Regards
Tim
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