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My 1944 British Airborne trailer

Article about: Hi Guys, this trailer was found on a farm in Scotland in 1993. I bought it. This is my trailers known history. The trailer that you see before you was especially designed for use by the Airb

  1. #11
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    Default Re: My 1944 British Airborne trailer

    Quote by Adrian Stevenson View Post
    Hi Guys, this trailer was found on a farm in Scotland in 1993. I bought it.

    This is my trailers known history.

    The trailer that you see before you was especially designed for use by the Airborne forces. It’s military designation was “Trailer, Lightweight, 10 Cwt, Airborne/Amphibious “. The trailer was designed in 1942 to be used in conjunction with the Jeep. It was made to a simple flat sided design, with no projecting parts, such as mudguards. This helped when loading into the confined space of a Mk. I Airspeed AS51 Horsa glider. The simple box body was also designed to float. No lighting was fitted, except a convoy blackout lamp that shines onto a white plate fitted to the axle.

    My trailer was built by Orme - Evans Ltd in October 1944. It was one out of a batch of 2,700 built under contract S7130. Work on this contract began on 13th July 1944. It was given the WD census number X 5899459. It was makers serial number 14029. Over 24,810 No.1 MkII Airborne trailers were built during WW2 by Orme - Evans and SS Cars (later to become Jaguar).These trailers saw use by the Army until the early 1960’s. Those that were demobbed, again saw long use by their new owners, to the extent that few survive today.

    I have not been able to discover much of it’s military history, as the Army destroyed all their records when the trailer was demobbed. The trailer appears to have been used post war, judging by traces of the peace time gloss bronze green paint found during restoration. But I was very happy just to discover it's wartime number.

    However, I have been able to trace a little of it’s civilian history. It was used by a plant hire company, called “Whittaker & Ellis, of Birmingham and London”, who fitted a generator into the body. This involved cutting several large gaps into the bodywork to allow access to the controls, and drilling over 200 holes to allow free flow of air to the carburettor, plus a hole in the floor for the exhaust pipe. After the generator was removed, the trailer was sold to the farmer in Scotland. He preceded to cut the rear panel out to form a removable tailgate and cut off the rear tow hook together with 8 inches of the chassis!

    After many years of disuse, the floor began to disintegrate with rust. I bought the trailer in very poor condition, as you can see from the photo, in 1994 for £300. A large dent was in one side, very rusty overall, and not having much floor left intact. After sandblasting, a new floor was fabricated plus all the holes and gaps welded shut. My friend did the welding while I did all the grinding work and painting. The restoration took twelve months. The trailer has been painted in Mickey Mouse camouflage. The markings consist of it’s original wartime WD census number, X 5899459, together with the ‘42’ marking of 1st Airlanding Light Regiment, Royal Artillery. The Pegasus is the Divisional marking of British 1st (and also the 6th) Airborne Division. The Allied white star is painted on the sides. The ‘T’ reflector plate on the rear is a pre - war civilian item, that was also fitted to military trailers, in order to comply with road traffic regulations.

    Hello.
    Nice trailer you got there. I also got one. Can you help me to find out what year my trailer is made. The X 5897974, (close to yours) The other numbers I got is 7130 and OF 12544 and No.1 11.

    Best regards Kjell Magne.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture My 1944 British Airborne trailer   My 1944 British Airborne trailer  

    My 1944 British Airborne trailer  

  2. #12

    Default Re: My 1944 British Airborne trailer

    Hi Kjell, welcome to the forum!

    Your trailer was also made in 1944 under the same contract as mine.

    Very nice find! They are getting much harder to discover these days.

    Cheers, Ade.

  3. #13

    Default Re: My 1944 British Airborne trailer

    nice work Adrian !

  4. #14
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    Default Re: My 1944 British Airborne trailer

    Thanks for the information Ade

    Kjell Magne

  5. #15
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    Default Re: My 1944 British Airborne trailer

    Is the mudguards orginal to my trailer?

    Kjell M

  6. #16

    Default Re: My 1944 British Airborne trailer

    Hi Kjell, no the mudguards are not original. It is common to find mudguards fitted postwar. Mine once had them too.

    Cheers, Ade.

  7. #17
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    Default Re: My 1944 British Airborne trailer

    My too.

  8. #18
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    Thumbs up Re: My 1944 British Airborne trailer

    A little after the fact,but very nice resto Ade,wish I had a neighbor like you on my block..CHEERS

  9. #19
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    Default Re: My 1944 British Airborne trailer

    Quote by radek View Post
    Hi Adrian,
    nice work. Looks great.

    I have the same trailer. I will start the renovation in next future.
    Radek
    Austin cars - Marcin
    Do you know if your trailer could have been in Norway at some time? Most "norwegian" british trailers, including my type 2 have excactly these mudguards, and also the add on rear light on the rear panel. My believe was that the mudguards were fitted by the norwegian army, but seeing yours make me wonder. If this were a civilian modification, one would not se excactly the same mudguards, with rubber gasket and cut away on the spring bracket. Take a look at the mudguards on Kmag's trailers as well. Could this have been a mod done in England by the army before heading overseas?

    Heres mine, check with Kjell and Radek's trailers...

  10. #20
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    Default Re: My 1944 British Airborne trailer

    Here are anothers pictures from Norway with the same mudguards.
    My trailer was imported from Norway. It looks like the Norway army modification, maybe export?!?
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture My 1944 British Airborne trailer   My 1944 British Airborne trailer  


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