ATV Restoration Project
A friend of CFRS-RMA has a 1942 Austin K2 ATV. The appliance carries the vehicle registration number GLR 506. Thought to originally have been in service in London, but no specific evidence to prove that hypothesis.
We do know that the vehicle had been in service in Exeter before being ‘sold’.
The current owner says that he is now been told his vehicle was ‘attached’ to Cornwall Fire Brigade where a conversion saw her in service as a command vehicle. It is believed that she may have be involved in the command management of the Torrey Canyon oil disaster.
Understandably, the owner is trying to research the correct history for his vehicle.
An ATV was designed as a towing vehicle and was used together with a Dennis trailer pump. ‘Bloody good pumps they were too’ says Roy Renals who whilst serving there as a firefighter routinely used the one at Penzance Fire Station. The brass couplings used for the hose fittings, not to mention the A type branches and nozzles, required many hours of polishing with Brasso and cotton rags. Roy said that the ‘A’ stood for Auxiliary, built for the AFS – Auxiliary Fire Service. These vehicles were originally built to provide a standardised fire vehicle to do service in the major cities and towns during the war years.
Roy thinks that there may have been one on each of the W/T stations – a total of six ATV’s. One of our other contributors who has actually experience of ATV’s shares his memories below.
The ATV at Penzance was used to fight the fire at the ‘Box Factory’ at Newlyn harbour, setting in to open sea water from the quayside. Stretching his memory even further Roy recalls that there may have been three and a half inch hose carried on these units.
Are you able to help in any way please!
Perhaps with factual information and/or photographs of these appliances being used in Cornwall.
Thanks are due to ‘Smokey Stover’ for this image of an ATV. It provides some idea as to the possibilities provided during restoration! I’m not sure how many of these vehicles were coachpainted and pinstripped to this extent. Many wore AFS drab grey for most of their working lives.
“As far as I can recall, in the early days most of the 2 pump stations in the county had an ATV pulling a Dennis Major trailer pump. This was invariably the second turnout, following the P.E. or WrT. A few stations such as Falmouth did have an open cab Dennis pump. The crew sat in conventional seats but there was no top..bloody uncomfortable if wet and windy as I found out!
Our ATV’s were identical to that shown in the above photo. Inside the back were bench seats on either side for the crew with all the gear stowed under. The Brigade made great use of these vehicles, there were 3 converted to Rescue Tenders carrying amongst other things, shaft rescue equipment which involved timber poles plus a multitude of ropes, lashings, pulley blocks, etc etc. (I delighted in the flexibility and the freedom to improvise that this equipment gave before the later restrictions of H & Safety, safe working loads etc). Other such vehicles were converted into service – Mobile Workshops for the Brigade mechanics, Hose Carriers & a Canteen Van”. Smokey Stover