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REME MUSEUM of TECHNOLOGY



HISTORIC VEHICLE COLLECTION

Tank Transporters and Trailers

Trailer 7½ ton Light Recovery
(Acc 1990.3480, E 95.1210)

This vehicle is not currently on display at the Museum

This vehicle was built by Cranes of Dereham as a development of an earlier pre-war 5 ton trailer and came into service early in World War 2. It was intended for carrying light reconnaissance tanks, Bren gun carriers and similar small tracked vehicles. It was usually towed by a Scammell breakdown tractor.

The trailer's ingenious design made it useful on rough ground and the narrow track of the turntable gave excellent manoeuvrability. In the war in North Africa, before heavier trailers were available, the Cranes trailer was frequently used to carry tanks of twice the weight for which it was designed. The resultant tyre failures caused great problems as they were of an unusual size, 1050 x 13 inches, and not common to other equipment.

The trailers remained in service, particularly with TA units, for some years after the end of World War 2. By then they were only capable of carrying disabled trucks, as all in service tracked vehicles were too heavy.

Length

6.09 m (20 ft)

Width

2.33 m (7 ft 8 in)

Height

1.34 m (4 ft 5 in)

 

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REME Museum, Isaac Newton Road, Arborfield, Berkshire RG2 9NJ, United Kingdom

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Page produced by Peter Eldred - Last updated 24 July 2004