Fordson N at war.

[Brian]

Possibly one of the tractors serviced by J.J. Wright and Sons during the 1939-45 war. It was taken on Silsby, Licolnshire air field.

[oehrick]

I wonder who's granny she is now ??

Thank goodness we could never have another war like that, think of the risk assessment for just this part of the operation, let alone taking off with 'em loaded, then dropping them (with or) without due care and attention - the insurance claims would be horrendous......................

Rick, the occasional optimist

[Bensdexta]

It was taken on Silsby, Licolnshire air field.

Should that be Spilsby?

[CalGG]

Same era...... perhaps

http://www.hartridge.com/wp-content/upl ... 1945-2.jpg

[oehrick]

I love that finely engineered exhaust joint

You'd a thought they'dve used an industrial standard though

[Dandy Dave]

Nice Photo. Glad we all could help y'all kick Hitler's butt. Dandy Dave!

[oehrick]

Did Standards built in the US (was the Cork plant in Ireland still operating?) ship over during WW2 ? I know all sorts of other makes came in as part of the 'Lend - Lease' scheme but assumed we managed to turn out enough Standards - maybe not ??

[Brian]

The Fordson Standard was built at Dagenham during WW2. I do not think they were built in the US after 1938 as Ford and Ferguson together were building the 9N.



Another from my Wrights Archive. Wrights had a contract to service Fordson tractors on all the aerodromes in the UK.



Service request!

[oehrick]

Thanks for that Brian, I know the MOM were stockpiling them pre war (seen the various bits about these perhaps being the ones painted in Harvest Gold in the Comics)

Hadn't realised JJ Wright were such a big operation - I doubt the drop forge knocking out Fordson crankshafts had its own armed guard like the steam hammer in Sheffield which was doing the same for Merlins

BTW are you and any of your stable heading for Marsham the weekend after next ?

[Brian]

We made and machined loads of dummy shells for practise firing some of which were still laying around in the yard when I worked there. We also made parts for the Blue Streak missile in the engineering shop adjacent to the tractor shop, along with Ford Cortina front hubs and brake discs, knives for slicing sugar beet in the factories, parts for Heatrae Sadia and parts for Aveling Barford road makers and rollers.

What with Cranes, Wrights, Hobbies, Jentique and Metamec, Dereham was a hive of industrial skills and production. Now all under supermarkets and houses.

[George McKenzie]

Send me a em and I will send you some pictures of my bomb hauler .George geomck@wispernet.ca

[oehrick]

Not quite on topic but a friend in the stationary steam world sent me this link in case it was of interest - remaining evidence of a fog dispersal system, I reckon the airfield tractor fuel bills were cheap compared to these gismo's !

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5033710

[Brian]

So you are flying home in your Lancaster after 6 hours in ack ack shells, fighter bullets, cannon shells and everything that can be thrown at you to do you harm, your fuel tanks are nearly empty and full of highly explosive vapor. Just as you are about to land safely someone switches on a line of bloody great blow lamps along the runway with flames reaching 20' in the air!

No thank you!