| WWII British Number 1 Mark I Lightweight 10cwt Airborne Trailer as displayed for the MVPA 2002 International Convention
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| Rear of the Trailer showing the back tow hook for pulling a second trailer or a field piece. The Reflecting "T" was a carry over used before the war on commercial trailers and was retained for some reason in Airborne service. The rear hook shown on this trailer is a larger and heavier pattern as used on British carriers and trucks. The proper airborne trailer pattern is much smaller.
Likewise the Lunette shown on this trailer is the larger pattern when compared with the lightweight style typically seen on airborne trailers. |
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| Front Trailer assembly with the pull arms extended. The lever is a hand brake that also trips automatically if the Trailer leans to far over from the pulling vehicle. A drop down leg is on each end of the trailer.
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| Another shot of the front Trailer assembly with the pull arms folded in.
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| The wheels are split rim "combat rims" like the jeeps but they have six lug nuts (rim bolts) which prevented them from being interchangeable. This solid pattern wheel was used for trailers carrying heavy loads such as mortar ammunition. At least two patterns of lightened wheels which have a series of holes around the perimeter were also produced and they are more commonly seen on airborne trailers.
Power coupler on the front of the trailer that connects to the jeep.
Rear running lamp. The white metal square is used with a flood lamp for convoy purposes in the same way as the Airborne Jeeps rear differential. The flood lamp and right side rear running light are turned on by the black bakelite switch. A second connector is also on the rear to allow power to be supplied to another trailer if needed. It should be noted that the placement of switches and hookups on this trailer are not correct as it has not been fully restored yet. The bakelite flood lamp switch, for example, should be mounted to a metal plate protruding from the lower rear floor but it was not present when this trailer was acquired and a new one has not been fabricated yet.
Front view of the plate and flood lamp. |
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| Cargo bed of the Trailer. The long board is a troop seat. The floor is raised about six inches above the actual bottom of the Trailer due to the central support beam running beneath it. The floor usually installed in wartime airborne trailers was a simple pallet design and not a continuous plank floor shown above.
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| A second shot of the Trailers Cargo bed.
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| Click Here To See More of the British Airborne Jeep
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| Click Here To See Photos of a British WWII BSA Folding Bike
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| Click Here To See Features of the Early Slat Grill Jeep
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| Click Here To See Photos of the U.S. WWII Airborne Converto Trailer
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