Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars

[RRAC]

Kevin,

Thank you very much and yes - I am VERY interested! I am sorry that I did not reply sooner but my work has taken me away from my research for a while and I am just now "catching up."

This is wonderful information that you have provided which appears to confirm a hypothesis regarding the naming convention:

According to the book Steel Chariots in the Desert, No 2 Sqdn RNAS included the cars Bitter, Bloodhound, Blast, and Bulldog. I suggested that this might indicate a naming pattern in the original RNAS squadrons with the first letter of the names indicating membership a particular squadron following the pattern No. 1 = A, No. 2 = b, No. 3 = C, & etc.

The names you list appear to fit this naming convention nicely. Tell me, was "Columbine" noted as part of No. 3 or as part of No. 4 Squadron? Also, as this is a bit early for "Columbine" to be an armoured car converted into a tender, is this vehicle specifically identifed as being a Rolls Royce?

Also, do you happen to know the date of the article in AFV News?

Mark

Hello Mark et al,

This is my first post to this site so please excuse any errors in my posting.

My interest is actually WWII. I have been compiling a name / WD database used on vehicles used by the British, Canadian, Polish, Czech, Dutch etc for a few years.

Names and numbers are sent to me from literally all over the world and a few of the most recent are Rolls Royce Armoured Cars.

These are from, I think, No.s 3 and 4 Squadron RNAS. Dardanelles 1915 / 16

3 Sqn Cockatrice, Camilla, Cordelia, Caradoc and Chesapeake.

4 Sqn Decoy, Diana, Dasher, Doris and Delight.

Also a radio car called Columbine.

The original source is from the AFV News.

I hope this is of interest.

Cheers

Kevin

[phil@basildon]

I have only just discovered this forum and would like to add a few comments. The damaged armoured car in No.8 is a Lanchester, they had cantilever rear springs and hence no dumb irons. This is possibly one of the vehicles sent to Russia in 1919 in support of the White Russians. The two trucks to the right of the armoured cars in forum 44 are Sunbeams. The photographs in forum 7 all date from after the late twenties the trucks are all fitted with windscreens and the wheels and tyres look like 1930's.

[Runflat]

The two trucks to the right of the armoured cars in forum 44 are Sunbeams.

Phil, I don't belive you are correct. The trucks look like Talbots, which were used as tenders with a simple frame for the canvas 'tilt' such as these. I don't know of Sunbeams being used as tenders.

Regards, Alan

[Guest Nailcreek]

Great thread ... just to let people know, I moved my photos over to

http://rafarmdcarcomp.multiply.com/

Enjoy ...

[david murdoch]

Thought I'd post this in here rather than another thread.

I just found this on the net - 1/35 scale model of armoured car C256.

As per original photo.

The link to the site I found it on has other photos.

http://www.warwheels.net/index.html

Nice job!

[Guest slally]

Some photos of No 1 Squadron ( Royal Naval Air Service)

Armoured car Division "North Walsham Norfolk December 1914.

Hallo

I published a book on Talbots in the First World War so was interested to see your photo or RRs and Talbots in North Walsham. You say there are "Some photos" yet the two photos are the same. Is there another different one? If so I'd love to see it.

Thanks

Stephen

[mattgibbs]

According to the account of the CO of the half flight of 14 Squadron Royal Flying Corps which landed at Rabegh on 17th November 1916 they had 3 Rolls Royce Armoured Cars, 2 Rolls Royce Tenders, "at least" 3 Crossley tenders, equipped with double wheels all round, and a Ford Light Car. There are several photos of them in various books about Lawrence thanks to them being in Army co-operation with his force. I don't know how they distinguish from the Hedjaz AC force though, being RFC one would "assume" they were a seperate entity. Several mentions of them being used by the RFC to recce for advanced landing grounds and to rescue and tow back planes in trouble.

Regards

Matt

[Guest alanvowles]

Dear all,

I am researching on behalf of a friend and am after some help.

He has a family heiloom in the form of a clock with brass inscription and Rolls Royce plate.

The plate states "Rolls Royce London and Derby" "No 113 WO"

A seperate plate states - "HMAC Conqueror 18,967 miles. IRAQ 1923 - 1925"

A third plate is a list of Arabic place names including Jerusalem, Basra, Tikrit etc

With the clock are 4 medals. They are in the name of Lieutenant J M Long RNVR

The medals are;

Great War medal with Oak Leaves (Mentioned in despatches)

British War medal

Iraq Police medal (King Faisal War Medal) Only 66 ever awarded to British Officers.

General service Medal with IRAQ Bar.

Can anyone shed anymore light on the Conqueror? Where it was, what it did, who it was in company with, Any pictures?

Or indeed anything on LT Long? What was he mentioned in despatches for, what were they doing etc?

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Photos here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/rattyvowles/

Thank you in anticipation....

[pomech]

More photos.

At a review of the troops by Botha G.S.W.A.1915

Armoured car crew

Slt John Ferguson Pitcher

POM Alexander Herald Guild (F705)

POM Rowland Bellian (F1082)

[alfisherjr]

Can someone tell my about the Model-T Fords used as light patrol cars? Did they have a stock (i.e. as built) bed or were they built on scene? What were there registration numbers and units? Pictures welcome . . . I already have quite a few, but am sure that somewhere there are ones that are new to me.

Al

[david murdoch]

Interesting clock.....I have a Rolls Royce chassis plate also - serial 4GB

You may like to add information to Rolls Royce Chassis register.

http://www.chassisregister.com/display/rr/Series+WO

113 WO was a later model armoured car built 1920 - 1927. Probably first saw service in Tank Corps Armoured Car Company, and later transfered to RAF service.

See attached photo in service with No1(RAF) ACC - caption on this photo states Iraq late 1930's. So probably had a long service, note the RAF roundel, and Lewis gun on turret.I'll have a dig around and see if I can find any more earlier pictures.

It's possible the chassis plate was kept as a souvenir at the time it was handed over. I'm pretty sure my grandfather pinched the one off 4GB when he came home(early 1920)- unfortunately I don't know the name of the car.

[RRAC]

Hello,

Here is a 1939 photo of HMAC Conqueror in Iraq from the RAF Museum website (http://www.rafmuseumphotos.com/).

Mark C.

[PeterH]

From Flickr,poster blauepics : http://www.flickr.com/photos/39631091@N03/

Asienkorps photo,captured Rolls royce at Es Salt 1918.

LC0297?

[RRAC]

From Flickr,poster blauepics : http://www.flickr.com/photos/39631091@N03/

Asienkorps photo,captured Rolls royce at Es Salt 1918.

LC0297?

See the rest of the story and another photo of this car here: http://landships.activeboard.com/t40501828/captured-armoured-car/

RRAC

(a.k.a. MarkV)

[Guest Rockmanzym]

Hi, thanks for all the great information here.

I have just scanned some photos of my Grandfather's time in Transjordania / Iraq with the RAF (?1925-30) ,amongst which are a number of vehicle pictures.

The only ones with names visible are an Armoured Car named "CHAMELEON" Registration Plate A14 , an Armoured Car with " ..UAR" (Jaguar?) , an Amoured Car named "LION" and a Tank named "HMT WALRUS"

Has anyone any details of these as I would love to be more informed about the Section structures in the RAF at that time.

Andy

[Guest raf fordson]

Hi I hope someone can help me I know this forum is for the 1^st war but I am looking for info on the Rolls Royce armoured cars. I am building a loose copy of a Fordson/rolls Royce armoured car the information I am looking for is what colour scheme did they have in 1941-2 . I have lots of black and white photos of them but I want to get it right also can any one point me in the right direction to find out any personal accounts of any one that served in them as I hope to take it to shows and tell the history of the cars and men that used them. Ps I am not a re-enactor. Cheers Bill

[silchetser_john]

Here are a couple of images that may be of interest to this thread. I would also appreciate any information that members may have about these cars.

Is LC 1397 a Ford and LC 985 a Talbot.?

Also a picture of LC 0809 , A Rolls Armoured car.

The images were taken by 2nd Lt. George Pascoe in 1918 , probably April / May, in the area to the west of the Hejaz railway line, between the line and Wadi Rutm

[MaureenE]

The FIBIS Fibiwiki page "Royal Tank Corps" has some references to Rolls Royce Armoured Cars, mainly in India, to 1939, including some links to photographs

http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=Royal_Tank_Corps

Cheers

Maureen

[RobL]

Silchester John, the photos don't show up? If its a turreted armoured car I doubt a Talbot as very few were produced and I'm not aware of any leaving the UK

[Guest dalevy]

I was recently advised of this website following a discussion about my grandfather's military service. He was an aircraftman in the RFC and was posted to the Middle East where he drove and looked after, amongst others, Rolls Royce armoured cars. I have a few pictures taken in the region, including one of "Vulture". These I have scanned at a high resolution and enclose here. Note the dog on the vehicle turret!

My grandfather was Goodman Cohen of Glasgow and served from 1920 - 22. My mother has saved some of his papers and there is a diary from which I will try to extract dates and places. The papers are available to anyone who is interested.

PS: Some of the files are too big to load so are not included. I can email to anyone wanting them off list.

David Levy, Manchester UK.

[Guest dalevy]

A couple mor pictures from my grandfather's archives.

David Levy

[boctok]

Dear All,

I hope this is not "off topic" - though I see various angles have been covered here, and it seems that there should be some crossover...

 

I'm trying to determine where 7th Armoured Car Company were in (I think) India in December 1923. My grandfather HFB Garrett served there, but the service record is illegible for that name. It looks a bit like "Tandoori" but I'm sure isn't.

 

Prior to that he was with the 6th in Bareilly.

 

Many thanks/Patrick

[MaureenE]

On 19/06/2017 at 10:37, boctok said:

 

I'm trying to determine where 7th Armoured Car Company were in (I think) India in December 1923. My grandfather HFB Garrett served there, but the service record is illegible for that name. It looks a bit like "Tandoori" but I'm sure isn't.

 

Prior to that he was with the 6th in Bareilly.

 

Many thanks/Patrick

Perhaps you could post a scan of the relevant part of the page of the service record. It seems they on the North West Frontier c 1923, see the FIBIS Fibiwiki page Royal Tank Corps

https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Royal_Tank_Corps#7th_Armoured_Car_Company

 

Cheers

Maureen

[boctok]

Hello Maureen - thanks for the suggestion, and here is the image of the War Record. 

If anyone had any luck in the handwriting-decyphering department for the place TANDOORI (???) in December 1923  I would be most grateful if they'd mail me ideas.

 

Or if anyone had records for relatives serving in the same company (7th Armoured Car Company) at the same time, perhaps that would allow me to cross reference?

 

Many thanks/Patrick

 

[MaureenE]

It could perhaps be Tardoni, although not too easy to read, posted sideways. Edit: Possibly Dardoni.

I could not find this place on a map, although a Google Search suggests it could be in the vicinity of Miramshah, (Miranshah) in Waziristan, now Pakistan.

 

Cheers

Maureen

 

Edit: there are two mentions of the 7th Armoured Car Company on page 8330

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32993/supplement/8330

 from

"Final despatch on the operations of Waziristan Force covering the period 21st April, 1923, to 31st March, 1924" London Gazette Supplement 18 November 1924

 

Cheers

Maureen

Edited 15 July , 2017 by Maureene