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1940 Bedford OY 3-ton Truck for Ministry of Supply Class: Trucks, Simple truck — Model origin: 
00:00:40 ![[*]](/res/star.png){kind=small}
Background vehicle
Comments about this vehicle| Author | Message |
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◊ 2015-05-02 01:29 |
![[Image: 00-40truck.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/10314/00-40truck.jpg) ![[Image: 00-41bike.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/10314/00-41bike.jpg) Support vehicle on 1939 speed record by MG EX-135 on Dessau autobahn, Germany (so pre-war, not a sold-off post-WW2 ex-military). Door writing says JR Munday Ltd, London. |
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◊ 2015-05-02 04:52 |
Could it be a 1939 Bedford MW? (Or its civilian equivalent, if MWs were only military vehicles.) -- Last edit: 2015-05-02 04:58:07 |
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◊ 2015-05-02 12:32 |
My initial thoughts is this must be a post-war re-enactment and not pre-war. The truck is a military type Bedford with a civilian company's name on the side. Development commenced in 1939 with production in 1940 I believe. This appears to be a Bedford OY 1940 3-ton Truck for Ministry of Supply (wartime contract for UK armed services) by the cab and front hubs. The civilian version would be a 1941 Bedford OWL supplied for essential purposes during wartime (different wheels). The 1939 Bedford MW 15cwt used an open cab with aero-screens until 1943. The other alternative a Bedford OX 30 cwt Truck for Ministry of Supply also started 1n 1940. JR Munday Ltd, London was a transport company that also provided vehicles for hire or contract. |
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◊ 2015-05-02 13:27 |
I had exactly the same thought as Sunbar, but not enough detailed knowledge to be able to back it up. It seems unlikely to impossible that a Bedford of that shape was available to a transport contractor as early as 1939, whereas we all recall the vast numbers of "square Bedfords" that were about in private use in the early 1950s. (Assuming that we were around then, of course.) -- Last edit: 2015-05-02 13:31:22 |
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◊ 2015-05-02 13:38 |
Have been through the EX-135 sequence very closely - there is nothing visible to give a direct clue for the date (legible registrations, other vehicles etc). The commentary states the achievement of the 204mph record, which was done in 1939. A re-enactment - or perhaps a shakedown/dry-run ahead of the full 1951 Bonneville attempt - is possible or even plausible. There is no sign of any timing equipment in the footage and Goldie does not really look 12 years younger than he did in 1951 - /vehicle_810885-MG-EX-135-1951.html . And the footage would have been 12 years old if reused in 1950, which does not seem a cutting edge decision by the producers. So perhaps it was an amuse-bouche to set the scene for 1951's exploits. @sunbar - how definite can you be that this is an OY and that they did not exist in May 1939?? |
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◊ 2015-05-02 13:51 |
That rules me out. And Gamer. |
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◊ 2015-05-02 14:31 |
Certainty of it being a Bedford OY - about 75% without seeing the whole vehicle. My feeling is that the footage of preparation, plus the spectators on the bridge at the end look to me as though they could be in the UK, excepting the actual record run in Germany. Personally I believe in May 1939 a military Bedford OY in UK forces unlikely, in civilian use and in Germany practically impossible I think, but no definite proof. |
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◊ 2015-05-02 16:15 |
You're not trying to suggest that you and Gamer are of similar vintage, surely! |
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◊ 2015-05-02 16:21 |
In strict numerical terms, probably not. In terms of relative magnitude, possibly .... |
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◊ 2015-05-03 17:01 |
Additional potential observation regarding the discussion about the date of the movie footage in 'Safety Fast'. 31 May 1939 film reported as "Dessau - Bitterfeld Reichsautobahn by Alfred Thomas Goldie Gardner in the MG EX135" In the Pathe/Nuffield "Safety Fast" movie there is a British Flag (union jack) on the head-rest fairing but in the above movie clip a MG octagon is visible in its place. ![[Image: mgrecordbreakingrun.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/558/mgrecordbreakingrun.jpg) |
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◊ 2015-05-03 18:38 |
Hoorah - imcdb sleuths once again resolve misleading histories. These film-makers are sometimes so naughty - they deserve a good ![[Image: smiley-violent105.gif]](http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-violent105.gif "http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-violent105.gif") |
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◊ 2015-05-04 02:23 |
dsl  We have our own ![[:fessee]](https://imcdb.opencommunity.be/images/smileys/fessee.gif "[:fessee]") |
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◊ 2015-05-04 02:28 |
warning, this smiley contains scene of violence,Viewer discretion advised  -- Last edit: 2015-05-04 02:29:49 |
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◊ 2015-05-04 13:33 |
Yet more confirmation, as if were needed, that the truck was built after 1940 by the angled bonnet-side slots, see the early horizontal mesh grilles on early Bedford OY trucks here before the Dunkirk evacuation.![[Image: bedfordoy1939-19402.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/558/bedfordoy1939-19402.jpg) |
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◊ 2015-05-05 09:30 |
That looks like a pic from BEF album on my er fantastic Flickr site ( that I 'borrowed' from IWM !) https://www.flickr.com/photos/seacoaler/sets/ First 'flat front' military Bedfords were MW's delivered 28th September 1939 . First OY deliveries not until the ' winter of 39/40 ' ( (Vanderveen) and all desperately needed by British army in France who were using a large collection of 'butchers and bakers vans' (General Montgomery) Looking at wheels this may be an OX . -- Last edit: 2015-05-05 10:51:36 |
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◊ 2015-05-05 11:47 |
Congratulations on your flickr site JCB! Well worth viewing. Also for your detail regarding confirmation that the military Bedfords were introduced after autumn/winter 1939. The only information I found was that the first Ministry of Supply contracts were made in August 1939 presumably within days of the declaration of war. The MW had been in development funded by the government for 2-3 years previously (initially as 4-wheel drive) but either it was felt unnecessary or to get it into production faster 2-wheel drive was settled on in 1939. Four wheel drive however was developed by Vauxhall (Bedford trucks) for the QL at the same time as the MW but without funding from the government. Therefore the first two prototype QLs were only available late 1940 with production in January 1941. The militarised O-types, OX and OY, were almost certainly rushed into production without prototyping and trials (the civilian O-type itself had only been introduced in June 1939). The trials would turn out to be their first use in France in the winter of 1939/40. I did consider the OX short wheelbase version but the first thumbnail is probably showing a slit of daylight where the nearside rear wheel should be (not conclusive) but OY is more numerous anyway. -- Last edit: 2015-05-05 11:51:06 |
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◊ 2015-05-05 12:48 |
Thank you re flickr. Yes there was a 15cwt flat front prototype around from 1936 I think, but orders not placed until war declared in Sept 39. After the BEF army's experience in France few 30cwt's were ordered in favour of the 3 ton OY which obviously could do everything and more a 30cwt could do with similar factory production rates and cost. -- Last edit: 2015-05-05 14:06:08 |
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◊ 2015-05-06 20:10 |
Don't feel too bad about how you acquired some of your images JCB... Prompted by dsl's request to be able to submit more documentaries of this type, I looked at the British Pathé archive on youtube. Seeing the BEF clips, you probably won't be too surprised to learn that the IWM itself 'borrowed' some of the truck still images from film footage shot by British Pathé in 1939 and 1940 |
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◊ 2015-05-09 22:42 |
Feel No guilt at all , they belong to the people ! Actually IWM say they don't mind reproduction as long as its not for reward. They also sometimes get their vehicle types wrong unlike IMCDB .gif ":)") -- Last edit: 2015-05-09 22:49:26 |
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