Fire Engines Photos

Thanks for the picture Morgan, no it can never replace a Bedford! Although this was an improvment on some pumps foisted on the army!

Added by John Stott on 05 July 2009.

Ok Lets identify this vehicle.
Its not a Water Tender or a Green Goddeses Grandson, it is a CONVOY SUPPORT VEHICLE,note there are no ladders or ladder gantry,its job was to be part of a convoy that carried Nuclear Weapons, or heavy munitions on the public highway
it was part of a large convoy including MOD Police vehicles the munitions vehicle/s,it would always be at the back just in case of an accident or fire,To try and photograph this vehicle while in a convoy would result if in a vehicle a visit by your local Police(or a search by the Police in the area where you took the picture or if on foot being stopped by one of the Police outriders who were part of the convoy.)

Added by Pete Ashpool on 26 July 2009.

I had a photo of one of these in the 90’s, this is not a replacement for the Green Goddess nor was it for general use by the Army. From what I researched, it was part of the missile convoy vehicles with then a secret classification. The convoys moved in the night all highly secret with its own emergency vehicles.

Added by Glenn on 09 August 2009.

Glenn, not strictly true, I occaisionally saw them out during the day near Stirling.

Added by Andy McVean on 10 August 2009.

I seem to recall that there were navy blue liveried Bedford / HCB Tks used as Convoy support vehicles in the early 70's and they were quite common in the Gosport area where at that time there were several Military establishments. They were possibly replaced by CSV's

Added by Dick Lindsay on 02 April 2010.

They are indeed convoy support vehicles. They have always been Green, and they was originally supplied to the RAF who at that time undertook the convoy requirements.

Added by Simon Gunning on 03 April 2010.

Dick,
The only Navy blue fire trucks I can refer to are the ones used by the Queens Flight.
In The seventies they was indeed Bedfords, Later they changed to a fleet of Range Rover Tacr2,
And then they purchased 5 Scania 4x4 support vehicles.
Hope I'm on the right tracks here!

Added by Simon Gunning on 03 April 2010.

Can I remind everyone that Green Goddesses has nothing whatsoever to do with the army! They were built for the AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) and only after the AFS was disbanded and a percentage of the GGs were stored did the army use them during the two fire strikes and one or two other disputes.

Added by Barrie Green on 03 April 2010.

Barrie is correct about the Green Goddesses, But the Army did have a fire truck that looked the same as the GG but had a small locker on the rear nearside that the GG did not have.So easy to make the mistake.

Added by Dave Price on 04 April 2010.

'Green Goddess', if you are wondering what the discussion is about - see picture 7287 for explanation, and the well-known Fire Engine in its name-sake "Natural Colo(u)r".

Picture # 47 and #2709 as well; Other Colors, Exported, Needs a Home... at picture 1211; picture 1241; picture 6307.... or scan 'Bedford' Manufacturer.

Short version: British Civil Defence Fire Engine, produced in quantity for 1950's Cold War[Nuclear, that never happened, "phew!!"]

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B

Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 04 April 2010.

Army ones were Green Goddesses taken over from the AFS Inventory onto the Army Inventory and painted red. They did have an extra locker at the rear of the bodywork. In Malta the RAF had a couple placed on their Inventory from the Army. Confusing.

Added by Scammell573 on 04 April 2010.

I remember these going up and down the A1 in a convoy at least once a week in daytime, up to about 1995. All roundabouts were blocked off so the convoy didn't get held up , and as said these were at the back of the convoy.

Added by M Deacon on 22 September 2010.

Simon, you are indeed right about the Scania Queens flight appliances. When I was based at DCAE Cosford we had one albeit resprayed red. It was based on the great series 3 Scania with 4 wheel drive, nice compact machine. Now replaced with one of those strange Bremach appliances.

Added by Matt Ireland on 22 September 2010.

In reply to Dick Lindsay's post re convoy tenders: in the 1960s and early 1970s both the RAF & RN ran there own convoys. The RAF originally had 15 RAF blue grey Austin Morris LD vans converted to appliances, their main water supply carried in ballast tanks on the leyland Hippo tractor units. The RN were running 3 bedford HCB tenders painted RN dark blue. The RAF then had another van based machine this time a Bedford CF converted by Hawson and Carmichael ( there were 3 of these) it was RAF blue grey. THe RAF then took over all the long distance convoys and acquired the 3 Bedford HCB machines from the navy in Exchange for the 3 Bedford vans.This was 1975 and they were repainted into IRR Matt green. These were then replaced by Bedford HCBs with crew safety cabs these were delivered in satin dark green to BS 285. they were replaced by 3 Volvo Carmichael delivered in satin /semi gloss dark green to BS 241. Currently the convoys are an RN task as they are the sole customer now; The convoys are crewed by AWE personnel with MOD police. The 3 Volvo Carmichael machines were now been replaced by 2 Volvo Saxon appliances finished in standard DFRS colours of red .

Added by Ted Angus on 07 October 2010.

The Bremach was never issued online to DCAE Cosford. The Scania was and still is being used.

Added by Ian Coupland on 18 July 2011.

Just to add to the comments on the Volvo, they did carry ladders but they are hidden from view in a locker above the rear mounted pump along with a set of suction hoses. This was also accessed by a ladder also kept in the pump locker. All lockers and doors had a deadlock system air operated in the cab to prevent them from being opened. If stopped by peace protestors on route. All other access panels were secured too. The convoys were not limited to just night time running and could be frequently seen during the day too. Also worthy of note, during the Fireman's strikes it was often reffered to the Army as manning the machines, however they only provided a small portion of the manpower along with the Navy, the majority were manned by RAF personnel. The misconception caused by us all wearing camouflage for the strikes, and the fact that goddesses were green, making the assumption that they were Army vehicles.

Added by Gareth on 25 September 2013.

It is just amazing what you can learn on this site!

I love this paint scheme. All one colour, no white roof, no flattened-out grey aluminium recycled dustbin bodywork, no unpainted lockers, no ridiculous bumper stripes, no mirrored signwriting, no silly side sripes, no hideous battenburg decals, even matching wheels and mudguards!

Can it be improved? Well, red would be quite nice.....

Added by Rob Johnson on 26 September 2013.

Rob, how I agree. Convoy machines were not green for tactical reasons to the best of my knowledge, as were many military appliances. This colour was to stop the public from associating with the reality that nuclear weapons were being moved via the public highway.
Likewise the Queens Flight appliances, with a few exceptions, were air force blue mainly. Presumably to stop blue bloods realising they were flying around in ancient helicopters and could be in need of assistance :)

Added by John Stott on 27 September 2013.

Guys the original convoy fire vehicle was a Morris van referred in the RAF FS as the Morris convoy, it was Air Force Blue in colour and had all the equipment for fire Fighting including a 350gpm Coventry climax pump. This was in service up to the late 70's.


Added by Bob Ewing on 28 September 2013.

At the time the Carmichael Convoy trucks were ordered red was not the standard fire engine colour in use by the RAF on operational units.
Units in strike command & Germany were painted matt IRR Green to BS 381c tint 285, on tactical units such as the Germany Harrier force ( TACR2s) had a matt IRR Black disruptive pattern applied over the green. Units that did not need the matt finished used Green semi gloss to BS 381c tint 241 - this was the colour the Carmichaels and some other convoy trucks such as the wrecker were finished in. In addition up to then it had always been policy to not paint convoy trucks red hence the predecessors were also either green of RAF blue grey. - BS 381c tint 633. There was mention above of Queens Flight vehicles these were not RAF blue Grey but were in royal blue .

Added by Ted Angus on 29 September 2013.

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