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RASC-RCT

From late December 1963 an RASC detachment from 3 Coy were ever present on Crown, as they drove vehicles of all types from the short wheel base Land Rover to giant Scammell lowloaders. The picture right, taken in December 63, shows RASC drivers supervising the loading of tents from railway carriages at Ubon goods yard, onto their Bedford RL trucks. These tents were to be erected as the tented camp some approx 200 tents . The picture was provided by Fred Walton RASC/RCT, who was at Crown from these early days until the opening ceremony June 17th 1965.
 Marquee tents are loaded on to Bedford RL's from railway carriages in the Ubon freight yards by men of 3 Coy RASC.
A picture of the RASC MT park in the tented camp.
Another picture from Fred left, shows the MT Park in the tented camp. Notice the two very different modes of transport between the trucks of the British Army and the ox-cart of the local population as they go about their business in the dry rice paddy. This picture shows how closely integrated the British soldiers were with the people of Kok Talat (now Kok Samran). A situation that existed until the completion of the hutted camp some months later.
 
When this picture was taken the RASC was no longer in existence but on July 15th 1965 had become the Royal Corps of Transport. Taken in late 1965 or early 66 the image shows how hazardous the journey from Bangkok docks to Crown could be. The Scammell Constructor weighs 30 tons, notice the bod walking ahead presumably looking for weaknesses in the bridge. A REME Explorer recovery (wrecker) Scammell always accompanied the convoys.
A giant Scammell lowloader crosses a long wooden bridge over flooded rice paddy.
A major accident occurred (when) as a 30 ton Scammell Constructor loaded with a Caterpillar D8H weighing about 18 tons, crossed a Bailey Bridge joined to a concrete bridge on Highway 212. An article appeared in the REME Journal circa 1966/67 written by Captain P A Bloxham from the it reads:

CRE Wksp REME (CROWN)
BFPO 656

 

Dear Sir,

Operation Crown

A photograph in the 1966 Journal with the title 'The paralyzing affect of weak bridges' shows a difficult REME job as will be seen in the reproduction here.

A picture taken at riverside level of A Scammell Constructor Lowloader lies on it's side perched precariously over the river.

The recovery operation was completed using a combination of REME, RE and local PWD equipment and resources. The mobile equipment used was:-
  • 2 Scammell Recovery Vehicles
  • 1 Caterpillar D8H with winch
  • 1 Coles 7/10 ton Bridging Crane
  • 1 20 ton Crane (Ubon PWD)
  • 1 Morris Welding Truck

The operation was commenced by packing wooden skids and other packing under the D8H, which at this stage was suspended from the trailer anchor pins and clear of the ground. When sufficiently packed, the D8H was freed from the trailer by cutting the supporting hawsers by burning. During this stage, movement of the trailer was restrained by one winch rope round the swan neck and another at the rear.

Using one Scammell plus the D8H, the tractor and trailer were righted onto their wheels, or nearly so, by winching the swan neck and rear of the trailer simultaneously. The 20 ton Crane now supported the trailer at it's fifth wheel assembly and the 7 ton at it's rear whilst the second Scammell, which so far had been inactive on the far bank of the river, hauled the tractor and trailer forward onto the concrete bridge using a straight 2 to 1 pull.

Finally the D8H was lifted of it's packing by four 20 ton jacks. The packing was removed, the jacks lowered and the tractor winched over onto it's tracks.

Yours....

(Captain P A BLOXHAM)