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This vehicle (in green) is currently on display at the Museum
Some locally converted World War 1 breakdown vehicles used a reinforced canopy structure to support a lifting jib. This idea was refined in late 1920s conversions, mostly made by the Royal Army Service Corps, the main operators of Army transport.
By the late 1930s the Engineering Branch of the RAOC was equally involved in vehicle recovery and favoured, as its medium recovery vehicle, one of the then standardised 3 ton 6 x 4 trucks fitted with a gantry body and chassis winch. The bodies used a heavy girder structure incorporated into what was essentially a wooden cargo body. The girder supported a longitudinal beam or jib on rollers. The jib could be moved rearwards to provide an overhanging lifting point for block and tackle to raise the front end of a damaged vehicle in order to tow it. When not in use the main girder was rolled forward, protruding over the vehicle's cab to reduce the overall length, making it easier to drive in confined spaces. A canvas canopy covered the body giving it the appearance of a normal cargo truck.
Another feature of the body was a curved guide way at the front to which the front of the lifting beam could be attached. As the beam end ran down this guide way, the rear end of the beam was raised in the manner of a crane jib and the lifting tackle could be used to raise things to a greater height. This facility was widely used when, for instance, changing engines in trucks or light armoured vehicles.
The pre-World War 2 gantry lorries were mostly underpowered. The trucks produced during World War 2 had similar bodies fitted with newer engines. The most popular was the US built Dodge WK 60 which had a more powerful engine. When the Austin K6 chassis was adapted to carry a recovery body, the problem of insufficient power returned but this vehicle was retained post World War 2 as the standard light recovery vehicle for some years. The availability of cheaper spare parts was probably the main reason. This vehicle is painted in the early post war military colour of gloss deep bronze green.
The second example of the vehicle is painted in the desert sand camouflage colour used on British Army vehicles in the Middle East, North Africa and Cyprus from the 1940s to the 1960s.
Length |
6.09 m(20 ft 3 in) |
Width |
2.28 m (7 ft 6 in) |
Height |
3.35 m (11 ft) |
Wheelbase |
3.88 m (12 ft 9 in) |
Winch |
5 tonnes capacity |
Jib lift |
2½ tons (max) |
Engine |
Austin 3.9 litre 6 cylinder petrol |
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Page produced by Peter Eldred - Last updated 24 July 2004